Mechanism of acute copper toxicity in euryhaline crustaceans: implications for the Biotic Ligand Model

The Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) for copper is largely based on data obtained from freshwater fish and is currently calibrated to protect freshwater invertebrates. The extrapolation from fish to invertebrates must rely on the general assumption that the mechanisms of toxicity induced by copper in the sensitive invertebrates are the same as those observed in the less sensitive teleost fish. Therefore, the need for more invertebrate data is a …