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Complexing capacity of the nutrient medium and its relation to inhibition of algal photosynthesis by copper

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Abstract

The toxic effect of copper on phytoplankton production is investigated in waters having different complexing capacities. It is demonstrated that a water’s complexing capacity does not guarantee that an equivalent amount of copper could be tolerated without adversely affecting algal production. Possible explanations for these findings are offered and discussed.

It is deduced that ionic copper probably is already toxic to planktonic algae at concentrations of about 10−10 mole/l.

Zusammenfassung

  1. 1.

    Membranfiltrierte Proben aus natürlichen Gewässern haben die Fähigkeit, zugeführte Kupferionen durch Komplexierung oder kolloidale Adsorption zu maskieren. Es ist möglich, diese Kapazität («Komplexierungskapazität») polarographisch zu bestimmen. Es werden mit der angewandten Methode jedoch nur Ligandern erfasst, die Kupferkomplexe mit einer KomplexbildungskonstantenK f ≳1010 bilden.

  2. 2.

    Es wird gezeigt, dass Kupfer schon toxisch wirkt, lange bevor die so gemessene minimale Komplexierungskapazität der Probe voll ausgeschöpft ist.

  3. 3.

    Bei Gesamtkupferkonzentrationen von weniger als 10−6 Mol/l kann im Moment die Konzentration der mit den unbekannten Liganden oder Kolloiden im Gleichgewicht stehenden freien Kupferionen weder analytisch noch rechnerisch exakt bestimmt werden.

  4. 4.

    Sollte es aber zutreffen, dass nur freie Kupferionen [Cu(H2O)6]2+ die Photosynthese hemmen, so muss angenommen werden, dass Konzentrationen von weniger als etwa 10−10 Mol/l bereits toxisch wirken.

  5. 5.

    Es ist denkbar, dass saisonale Veränderungen der Kupferkonzentration und der Komplexierungskapazität die jahreszeitliche Sukzession des Phytoplanktons beeinflussen.

Résumé

Les eaux naturelles filtrées sur membrane sont capables de masquer les ions de cuivre par l’adsorption colloïdale ou par formation de complexes. Il est possible de déterminer cette capacité («complexing capacity») attribuée aux ligands formant des complexes de cuivre d’une constanteK f ≳1010 avec une méthode polarographique.

On a démontré que le cuivre est toxique bien avant que cette capacité ne soit épuisée.

Pour l’instant il n’existe ni méthode chimique ni mathémathique pour déterminer la concentration précise du [Cu(H2O)6]2+.

S’il s’avérait que ce ne sont que les ions libres de cuivre [Cu(H2O)6]2+ qui inhibent la photosynthèse, il faudrait admettre que des concentrations de ≲10−10 Mol/l sont déjà toxiques.

Il est bien possible que la variation saisonnière des concentrations du cuivre et de la capacité des eaux de masquer des ion métalliques influence la succession du phytoplancton.

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Author notes

  1. René Gächter

    Present address: Hydrobiologisches Laboratorium ETH, CH-6047, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Canada Center for Inland Waters, Burlington, Ontario, Canada

    René Gächter, Ken Lum-Shue-Chan & Y. K. Chau

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Gächter, R., Lum-Shue-Chan, K. & Chau, Y.K. Complexing capacity of the nutrient medium and its relation to inhibition of algal photosynthesis by copper. Schweiz. Z. Hydrologie 35, 252–261 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02502921

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02502921

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