Predicting the Acute Toxicity of Copper in Freshwater Sediments: Evaluation ofthe Role of Acid-Volatile Sulfide

摘要

Acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) has been proposed as an important partitioning phasedetermining the bioavailability of cationic metals in sediments. The objective of this research was to evaluate the role of AVS in determining copper toxicity in sediments from two sites heavily contaminated with copper: Steilacoom Lake, Washington, and the Keweenaw Watershed, Michigan. Sediments from the two sites were used in 10-d toxicity tests with the amphipod Hyalella azteca and results of the toxicity tests were compared to bioavailability predictions based on copper and AVS concentrations in the test sediments, as well as copper concentrations in the sediment interstitial (pore) water. These results indicate that AVS alone is not an appropriate partitioning phase for prediting copper bioavailability in freshwater sediments.