Cadmium, mercury, and lead effects on gill tissue of freshwater crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard).

Intermolt adult crayfish P. clarkii were used for this work. After acclimatization to laboratory conditions crayfish were exposed to sublethal concentrations of cadmium, mercury, and lead for 96 h. Gills of control and exposed crayfish were removed and ATPase activity and oxygen uptake rate were determined. Structural damage of gill filaments was also observed. Gill tissue respiration rates were measured for individual crayfish using a Gilson differential respirometer. Lead causes a decrease of gill oxygen uptake, but neither cadmium nor mercury seems to affect it at the concentrations employed. Although all metals studied alter gill filament structure, lead damage is the most apparent. In the same way, significant differences in gill ATPase activity owing to metal exposure were only observed in lead treated crayfish.