The modes of action of toxic agents: II. Factors influencing the toxicities of mercury compounds to certain Crustacea

Abstract

A study has been made of the toxicities of mercuric chloride, mercuric iodide and methyl-, ethyl-,n-propyl-,n-butyl-,n-amyl-,iso-propyl-,iso-amyl- and phenylmercuric chlorides to larvae of the crustaceansArtemia salinaandElminins modestus. With both species it has been found that all the mercury compounds are more toxic than mercuric chloride, that primary alkylmercuric chlorides are more toxic than the corresponding secondary compounds, and that as the homologous series of primary compounds is ascended, toxicities increase. In addition, it has been found that Elminius is much more readily poisoned thanArtemiaby each mercury compound, and that differences between the toxicities of the poisons toElminiusare much smaller than corresponding differences observed in experiments withArtemia.