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Acidification and Ecophysiology of Freshwater Animals

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Air Pollution and Ecosystems

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Summary

Ionic regulatory failure is supposed to be the principal mechanism determining death of animals in acid soft waters. Respiratory failure plays an important role if A1 is present. Under specific physicochemical conditions A1 leads to mucus clogging at the gills and this hampers normal gas diffusion. This paper focusses attention on the many uncertainties in the mode of toxic action of acidified water. Especially the combined effects of high acidity, high metal concentration (esp. Al) and the presence of other cations (esp. Ca) and of natural organic acids are poorly understood.

Our knowledge on the ecophysiology of acid stress momentarily turns out to be inadequate to understand the responses on an ecosystem level. A more detailed understanding of the physiological basis of the acid toxicity stress would improve our ability to predict the impact of acidification as well as the impact of reversal of acidification.

To conclude, an overview of the gaps of knowledge and possible research priorities are given.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Mineral Metabolism Laboratory, Belgian Nuclear Research Center, S.C.K.-C.E.N., B-2400, Mol, Belgium

    Jef H. D. Vangenechten

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  1. Jef H. D. Vangenechten
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Commission of the European Communities, Brussels, Belgium

    P. Mathy (Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development) (Directorate-General for Science, Research and Development)

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© 1988 ECSC, EEC, EAEC, Brussels and Luxembourg

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Vangenechten, J.H.D. (1988). Acidification and Ecophysiology of Freshwater Animals. In: Mathy, P. (eds) Air Pollution and Ecosystems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4003-1_39

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4003-1_39

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8276-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4003-1

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