Lead detoxification by a copper-tolerant isopod

Abstract

THE acquisition of metal tolerance by freshwater and marine invertebrates in environments polluted by mine waste in southwest England has now been established^1,2. Generally, for invertebrates such tolerance has been shown to be specific for particular metals¹, although the literature suggests that co-tolerance may operate for copper and silver in the polychaete Nereis diversicolor³ and for zinc and nickel in the grass Agrostis tenuis^4,5. We show here that co-tolerance operates in the isopod crustacean Asellus meridianus, in which tolerance to copper seems to confer tolerance to lead. Two populations of A. meridianus from differing habitats are also shown to use different methods for achieving lead tolerance.