Using bioavailability modeling to refine copper treatments for zebra mussel control and better understanding risks to non-target species
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Copper can be toxic to aquatic organisms at high concentrations and has been previously used successfully to control zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). Because copper’s toxicity changes with water chemistry, using the same copper concentration in different waterbodies could yield different outcomes. We demonstrate how measuring water chemistry parameters and using the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) and multiple linear regression (MLR) models can predict a suitable, site-specific copper concentration for management. We exposed zebra mussel adults and non-target organisms to varying concentrations of copper over 10 d in a mobile laboratory. We found that one non-target species, Daphnia magna, had a 50% chance of survival at 9.50 µg Cu/L (i.e., the 50% lethal concentration, LC50), within our BLM-predicted range of 3.38–16.95 µg Cu/L LC50 values. In the future, managers could make similar predictions and tailor their copper concentrations to their management goals. We also measured zebra mussel larvae mortality at copper concentrations ranging from 0 to 191 µg Cu/L. While those results were inconclusive, we present the results of this work as a foundation for future projects. Our study underscores the importance of developing site-specific copper concentration recommendations and demonstrates the potential utility of the BLM and MLR approaches for informing those recommendations.
Suggested Citation
Dahlberg, A.D., Waller, D.L., Severson, T.J., Barbour, M.T., Meulemans, M., Wise, J.K., Bajcz, A.W., Jankowski, M., and Phelps, N.B., 2025, Using bioavailability modeling to refine copper treatments for zebra mussel control and better understanding risks to non-target species: Scientific Reports, v. 15, 29333, 16 p., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-09231-4.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Using bioavailability modeling to refine copper treatments for zebra mussel control and better understanding risks to non-target species |
| Series title | Scientific Reports |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41598-025-09231-4 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Publication Date | August 11, 2025 |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Springer Nature |
| Contributing office(s) | Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center |
| Description | 29333, 16 p. |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Other Geospatial | Pelican Lake |