Copper uptake by the marine mussel <i>Mytilus edulis</i> in the presence of fulvic acids

Abstract Copper uptake and accumulation by the marine mussel Mytilus edulis were studied at different Cu concentrations in chemically defined artificial seawater in the presence and absence of fulvic acids. Both short-term uptake of Cu by excised mussel gills and Cu accumulation in whole mussels after 24 h of exposure decreased in the presence of fulvic acids compared with their absence at similar dissolved Cu concentrations. Calculations of Cu speciation based on previous measurements of labile Cu by anodic stripping voltammetry demonstrated that Cu uptake and accumulation depended on the concentration of labile Cu, in agreement with the free ion activity model. No evidence of a significant uptake of Cu–fulvic acid complexes was observed. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 1807–1813. © 2012 SETAC