Dhanaraj V. and M. Sukumaran
Abstract
An ecological assessment of acute toxicity involves conducting short-term laboratory tests on representative aquatic or terrestrial organisms to determine the concentration of a substance that causes harm or death within a short period, typically 24 hours to a few weeks. These tests measure endpoints like LC50 (concentration causing 50% mortality) and are used to characterize a chemicalâs hazard and evaluate its ecological risk, often by comparing toxicity data against environmental concentrations. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute toxicity effects of copper (II) sulfate on the crab Episesarma tetragonum. Crab samples were exposed to different concentrations (2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5 ppm) of copper (II) sulfate for 96 h, and their cumulative mortality was calculated in 24-hour intervals. Results were analyzed by SPSS 20 to obtain a number of cumulative mortality and lethal concentrations. The LC50 of Episesarma tetragonum at 96 hr was 4.38 ppm (R² = 0.98) for copper (II) sulfate. Mortality rate increased with the increase in metal concentrations. Therefore, present eco-toxicological investigations of the acute toxicity of the heavy metal copper on Episesarma tetragonum, as well as the implementation of environmental policy and the maintenance of sanitation, are recommended for estuary ecosystems.