Why is copper toxic to inverts?

[sammydee]

Everyone knows that copper is terrible news for a tank that has inverts in it.

 

Any biology experts out there that can tell us WHY this is? I'm just interested.

 

Sam

[Alexraptor]

Everyone knows that copper is terrible news for a tank that has inverts in it.

 

Any biology experts out there that can tell us WHY this is? I'm just interested.

 

Sam

 

Its simple, because copper is a Heavy metal, and copper is even harmful to humans, its just that we have more tolerance for it.

[Louis T]

Marine prosobranch gastropods, like several other groups of mollusks and arthropods, normally accumulate and store copper and use it in the synthesis of hemocyanin, a blood pigment (Betzer and Yevich 1975). In gastropods, copper may elicit secretions of mucus by goblet cells; bind to hydrophilic regions of the external membranes of epithelial cells, altering their biochemical and biophysical properties; or disrupt the normal functioning of peroxidase and ferritin (Cheng 1979). Peroxidation products, such as hydroperoxides and malondialdehyde, are toxic to vital functions of membranes and cells; bivalve mollusks challenged with ionic copper show significant increases in these products (Chelomin and Belcheva 1992). Exposure of gastropods to high sublethal concentrations of copper completely inhibits succinic dehydrogenase activity at whole body concentrations between 4.7 and 11.9 mg Cu/kg DW soft parts, causes a measurable decrease in heart beat rate, and adversely affects surface epithelia, especially those covering the head-foot and rectal ridge, disrupting osmoregulation and producing water accumulation in tissues (Cheng 1979). The primary lethal effect of copper in gastropod mollusks is caused by disruption of the transporting surface epithelium (Cheng 1979).

 

In crabs, the gills are a major target organ of copper toxicity; waterborne copper decreases hemocyanin-oxygen affinity (Truchot and Boitel 1992). Exposure of shore crabs (Carcinus maenas) to lethal concentrations of copper is associated with reductions in activity of glycolytic enzymes but, unlike fishes, did not involve cellular energy deprivation (Hansen et al. 1992b). Copper-tolerant strains of aquatic mayflies (Baetis thermicus) have evolved in Japan. Tolerance is attributed to the ability to induce a metal-binding protein that preferentially sequesters copper over cadmium and zinc (Suzuki et al. 1989).

 

The above is an abstract from the paper "Copper Hazards to Fish, Wildlife, and Invertebrates: A Synoptic Review" by R. Eisler

 

To simplify (in case you are not interested in all the biochemistry talk), copper is essential to invertebrates because it is used to produce hemocyanin, which is the equivalent of haemoglobin in mammals (carries oxygen in blood). However, excess copper alters the normal function of some essential enzymes in their system, damaging cells and disrupting osmoregulation which ultimately kills the organism.

 

I think the crab one is pretty obvious from the 1st sentence, I shouldn't need to elaborate

[Caesar777]

See above. It's the copper-based blood. That's why we're so susceptible to iron-poisoning; we have iron-based blood. All animals are fully able to be poisoned by any excessive amount of metals, but that's the reason for the extra sensitivity.

[forrestp38829]

so copper acts to crabs as CO does to humans?

[Slo Nudibranch]

No they are saying inverts have copper based blood which is why they're susceptable to it. We have iron based blood and are more susceptable to that. CO(you mean carbon monoxide?) doesnt have much of anything to do with our blood. At least that is what I got out of it anyway.

[steelhealr]

Wuh oh....let's just clear a couple of things up here:

 

-human blood is iron , Fe, based

-iron is not toxic to humans in normal levels. Don't forget we take iron supplements.

-carbon monoxide is found in cigarettes and products of combustion. It has a 200X higher affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen. Hence, CO toxicity. CO will displace O2 and effectively bind up hemoglobin and prevent it from delivering oxygen to the brain and tissues.

 

Toxicity in humans by either iron or copper usually shows up in the liver. Excessive iron causes hemachromatosis and excessive copper causes Wilson's disease.

 

The only comment I found on copper toxicity is that copper has an affinity for the the cells in the gills of fish..it binds to the Na-K ATPase enzyme/pump and causes cellular damage. SH

[I'm the same guy as reefer9391]

It like block things in there blood they need to get to cells and die in too high of lvl with any animal metals are toxic

[forrestp38829]

so copper doesnt have a greater affinity for the hemocyanin in crabs, as the CO does for hemoglobin in humans. The Copper just gets in the way and lowers the liklihood of the hemocyanin bonding with oxygen?.

[steelhealr]

If it is the same as it was stated for fish, it probably interfeeres with that 'pump' which is extremely inmportant in respiratory processes at the cellular level. BUT....I'm not an 'invertologist'. SH