Toxicity of Waterborne Copper in Premetamorphic Tadpoles of Lithobates catesbeianus (Shaw, 1802)

Toxicity parameters of Copper to pre-metamorphic larvae of Lithobates catesbeianus were evaluated in laboratory conditions. The acute toxicity (as LC-50 96 h) was 3.96 mg Cu2+ L-1 (95% confidence interval: 3.21-4.89); the bioconcentration of the metal after 96 h exposure followed an exponential increase. The potential genotoxicity effect evaluated with Micronucleus Test showed a reduced sensitivity of the animals to the assayed concentrations of the metal, exhibiting only a modest increase in the frequency of erythrocytes micronuclei, meanwhile larvae exposed to cyclophosphamide (positive control) showed significant increases. The Condition Factor was significantly reduced while the Hepatosomatic Index remained unaltered.