Effects of Temperature on the Sensitivity of Gammarus
aequicauda (Martynov, 1931) to Cadmium
E. Prato Æ F. Biandolino Æ C. Scardicchio
Received: 12 November 2007 / Accepted: 9 July 2009 / Published online: 24 July 2009
Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009
Abstract Gammarus aequicauda, collected at different
times of the year was used to assess the mortality rates and
the sensitivity to cadmium (96 h LC50), at different labo-
ratory temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25°C). The survival in
10 days sediment control test, was high at all tested tem-
peratures, ranging from 4 ± 1% at 10°C (winter collection)
to 13.3 ± 2.1% at 25°C (spring collection). The 96 h-LC50
values recorded, ranged from 1.50 mgCd/L in winter at 10°C
to 0.10 mgCd/L in spring and summer at 25°C. The results
showed that temperature and season of collection influenced
mortality rates and G. aequicauda sensitivity to cadmium.
Keywords Temperature Á Survival Á Sensitivity Á
Gammarus aequicauda
Trace metals (such as cadmium) and temperature are com-
mon stressors in many estuarine and coastal areas. Cadmium
(Cd) is among the most common metal pollutants in estu-
aries. It can interfere with various physiological processes in
organisms from invertebrates to mammals (Shore and Dou-
ben 1994; Rom
´
eo et al. 2000). Temperature is a critical factor
for many marine ectothermic animals inhabiting coastal
shallow waters and estuaries because it affects physiological
processes in the organism (Kinne 1963) and may alter pol-
lutants bio-availability (Rathore and Khangarot 2002).
Generally, as temperature increases, the rate of metabolic
processes increases, resulting in enhanced uptake rates
of several substances, including toxicants, in marine and
estuarine organisms (Bat et al. 2000). In order to generate
reproducible and reliable results, most protocols for stan-
dardized toxicity tests indicate a range of routine actions
such as: temperature salinity, etc., (ASTM 1997; SETAC –
Europe 1993; ISO 2005).
The aim of this study was to assess how temperature and
season of field sampling influence control mortality rates
and the sensitivity to Gammarus aequicauda acute cad-
mium exposure.
The amphipod G. aequicauda, a widely spread species
along European coastal areas, particularly abundant in the
Mar Piccolo estuary (Ionian Sea, Southern Italy), is one of
the new studied species to be employed in assessing
environmental quality. It can be easily reproduced in lab-
oratory, it is tolerant to a broad range of abiotic factors and
sensitive to toxicants (Prato and Biandolino 2005). Not-
withstanding, the easy rearing of this species in laboratory
(Prato et al. 2006a, b), till now the most common method
for obtaining amphipods to conduct sediment testing is
field collection. The seasonal variability could influence
the response of field collected organisms to toxicant.
Therefore it is necessary to evaluate potential seasonal
changes in sensitivity. In this way, will be possible to
establish a possible range of optimal temperatures that
could be used in toxicity tests with this species, in order to
improve the bioassay methodology.
Materials and Methods
The experiments were carried out with G. aequicauda
collected from an unpolluted intertidal area, during win-
ter (January, February), spring (March–May) and sum-
mer (June, July) 2007, located in Mar Piccolo basin
(Ionian sea, Italy; 40°29
0
17
00
N; 17°14
0
23
00
E). Collection of
E. Prato (&) Á F. Biandolino Á C. Scardicchio
Section of Taranto, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment,
CNR, Via Roma 3, 74100 Taranto, Italy
e-mail: linda.prato@iamc.cnr.it
123
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol (2009) 83:469–473
DOI 10.1007/s00128-009-9835-0