Thermal effects on the accumulation of arsenic in green sunfish, Lepomis cyanellus.

The pattern of arsenic concentration in several tissues of Lepomis cyanellus was measured (by neutron activation analysis) as a function of exposure time at 10 degrees, 20 degrees, and 30 degrees C and 0, 30, 60 ppm of arsenic as sodium arsenate. Individual variability of aresenic uptake did not override trends of greater uptake with increasing exposure time, temperature, and arsenic concentration. The mean temperature coefficient of 4.5 for arsenic uptake in livers was higher than O'Hara's (1968) metabolic figures of 1.6 to 3.0 for Lepomis species. The biological half-life of arsenic in liver and gut of live specimens exposed to 30 and 60 ppm of arsenic at 10 degrees C was about one week. Percentage survival decreased and mean arsenic uptake increased slightly as temperature and arsenic concentration increased.