Abstract
Toxic interactions between mercury and selenium in fertilized eggs of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) were investigated and compared to the pronounced synergistic effect previously reported in carp (Cyprinus carpio) eggs. Mercury produced concentration-dependent decreases in median survival times and caused decreases in median hatch times. Selenium, at concentrations up to 10 mg Se/L, had no effect on hatching times, and did not produce mortality, and had no effect on mercury toxicity. At concentrations of 100 mg Se/L and higher, an apparent protective effect of selenium on mercury toxicity was observed in lake trout eggs. Requirements for additional research are discussed with emphasis on predictions of region-wide damage to freshwater fish populations due to atmospheric deposition of these chemical elements.
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Klaverkamp, J.F., Macdonald, W.A., Lillie, W.R. et al. Joint toxicity of mercury and selenium in salmonid eggs. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 12, 415–419 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01057584
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01057584