Cu Accumulation and Elimination in the Tissues of the Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

Olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus were exposed to waterborne Cu (control, 50, 80, 150, and 320 μg /L) for 30 days and then depurated for 20 days to investigate the effects of waterborne Cu exposure on growth, accumulation, and elimination. The weight-specific growth rate was significantly negatively related to waterborne Cu concentrations at 150 and 320 μg /L. The order of Cu accumulation in different tissues of exposed fish was liver>intestines>gills>kidneys>muscle, suggesting that the liver is more important than other tissues for the storage of Cu in olive flounder. The accumulation factor for the gills, intestines, liver, and muscle increased with increasing exposure time, and accumulation was negatively related to exposure concentration for the gills, kidneys, and muscle. Cu concentrations in the gills, intestines, and liver continuously decreased for 20 days of depuration. The fastest elimination rate occurred in the intestines at all exposure concentrations, and the order of Cu elimination in the different tissues was intestines>liver>gills.