VANADIUM TOXICITY TO 3 MARINE-INVERTEBRATES LARVAE - CRASSOSTREA-GIGAS, PARACENTROTUS-LIVIDUS AND ARTEMIA-SALINA

In this study, the toxicity of vanadium to three invertebrate larvae ( Artemia salina, Crassostrea gigas, Paracentrotus lividus) was assessed . Two criteria were mainly observed: percentage of normal developed la rvae and growth of normal larvae. After short term experiments (2 days ), toxic effect of vanadium appears for a concentration of 50 mu g l(- 1) (C. gigas larvae), 100 mu g l(-1) (P. lividus pluteus). A. salina a re less sensitive, and toxic effects appear only after 8 days of conta ct with vanadium concentration of 250 mu g l(-1). For the three specie s tested, growth of larvae was not affected by the introduction of van adium up to 750 mu g l(-1) in the rearing medium, but high teratogenic effect occur on the development of sea urchin pluteus. The toxic effe ct of vanadium appeared at 50 100 mu g l(-1) for marine larvae, this o bservation was in contrast with results previously obtained with adult marine organisms. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.