An evaluation of sodium loss and gill metal binding properties in rainbow trout and yellow perch to explain species differences in copper tolerance

The main objective of the study was to use a species comparison approach in order to understand sensitivity and tolerance differences to copper. We hypothesized that species differences in toxicity would be reflected by differences in copper binding to high-affinity sites on the gill. Specifically, the strength of copper binding (affinity, logK) and maximum number of binding sites (saturation, Bmax) for copper at the gill surface would vary …