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Effects of copper on energy metabolism and larval development in the midge Chironomus riparius

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Abstract

When spiked in sediments, copper is known to reduce growth of Chironomus riparius larvae and the production of eggs by adult females. The aim of this work was to better understand the origin of these phenomena by studying the effects of copper using developmental and energetic biomarkers, such as changes in larval weight and age and changes in the levels of sugars and lipids. Four-day-old C. riparius larvae were exposed to nominal concentrations of copper of 0, 6.5, 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg of dry sediment (silica) in 0.6 l beakers. They were fed ad libitum and exposures were stopped at 7 and 9 days after the beginning of the tests. The larvae were weighed, sexed and aged. For each sex, the larvae belonging to the phases the most frequently found in the beakers were selected for dissection and measurement of energy reserves. The increase in the concentration of copper resulted in an increasing delay in larval growth in both sexes. Desynchronized development was observed, as shown by the increase in the number of individuals that remained in the third instar or early phases of the fourth instar, as well as by a reduction in age of males. Concerning energy reserves, the levels of sugars (glycogen, trehalose and glucose) in the dissected larvae remained almost constant among levels of exposure. In contrast, at the highest copper concentration (50 mg/kg), triglyceride levels suffered a slight reduction whereas the level of free glycerol significantly increased. It is concluded that selection of C. riparius larvae for both sex and age improves the relevance of some energy-yielding substrates as indicators of adverse physiological effects of copper.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development (MEDD), through the “National Programme of Ecotoxicology” (PNETOX). M.J. Servia was granted by a MEDD–INRA–CEMAGREF post-doctoral joint fellowship. The authors thank the technical staffs of the Experimental Unit of Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology (INRA, Rennes, France) and of the Laboratory of Ecotoxicology (CEMAGREF, Lyon, France) for technical support. They also thank Wako Chemicals GmbH (Neuss, Germany) for their generous gift of the glucose reagent kit. They are grateful to Th. Caquet for computing data statistical analysis and for valuable and stimulating discussions.

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  1. María J. Servia

    Present address: Field Station of Hydrobiology “Encoro do Con”, Castro de Agudin – Cea, E-36617, Vilagarcia de Arousa, Pontevedra, Spain

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  1. UMR 985 Inra-Agrocampus Écobiologie et Qualité des Hydrosystèmes Continentaux, Équipe Écotoxicologie et Qualité des Milieux aquatiques, 65 rue de Saint Brieuc, F-35042, Rennes, Cedex, France

    María J. Servia, Micheline Heydorff & Laurent Lagadic

  2. Laboratoire d’Écotoxicologie, Cemagref, 3bis quai Chauveau, F-69336, Lyon, Cedex 9, France

    María J. Servia, Alexandre R.R. Péry & Jeanne Garric

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  1. María J. Servia
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Correspondence to Laurent Lagadic.

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Servia, M.J., Péry, A.R., Heydorff, M. et al. Effects of copper on energy metabolism and larval development in the midge Chironomus riparius . Ecotoxicology 15, 229–240 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-005-0054-0

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