Assessment of individual and combined toxicities of three heavy metals (Cu, Cd and Hg) by using Tigriopus fulvus

The toxicities of copper, cadmium, and mercury ions and their binary and ternary mixtures were studied using the copepods Tigriopus fulvus. The LC50 values measured after 48 h exposure to single metal solutions revealed a toxicities rank as follows: Cd<Cu<Hg. Results from mathematical approaches to predict the toxicity of all the possible mixtures of Cu, Cd, and Hg were compared to the observed toxicity of these mixtures to T. fulvus. The combined effect of the metals was found to be antagonistic for Cu-Cd, Hg-Cd, and Cu-Cd-Hg, additive for Hg-Cu. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.