ABSTRACT
The present study was carried out with the objective of determining the acute toxicity as well as the risk of intoxication due to environmental contamination by copper oxychloride fungicide and the copper bioconcentration for the red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). In the test of acute toxicity, the tilapia fingerlings with approximately two months of age were exposed to growing concentrations of the fungicide copper oxychloride for 96 hours. The risks of contamination were calculated through the comparison among CL50-96 hours calculated and the Estimated Environmental Concentration (EEC) of the fungicide. In the bioconcentration test, the fishes were exposed to the concentrations of 0.0200 and 0.0769 mg/L of copper for 192 hours and after transferred to clean water for 144 hours for the observation of the capacity of purification of this metal by the fishes. The CL50 calculated was 129.21 mg/L of copper oxychloride, corresponding to 76.91mg/L of metallic copper. In the bioconcentração test the copper accumulation was observed in both tested concentrations, however the metal was only eliminated totally by the the smallest concentration (0.02 mg/L) exposed fish. The risks of contamination of the red tilápia were considered low in the conditions of this study.
KEY WORDS:
Saint Peter’s fish; Oreochromis sp.; acute toxicity; copper oxicloride; bioconcentration.
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