Biology Commons^™

The Toxicity Of Cadmium To The Aquatic Amphibian, Xenopus Laevis, Sharon S. Millirons

Master's Theses

Cadmium toxicity is poorly understood but is a potentially serious environmental pollutant. This study was initiated to determine the effect of significant concentrations of cadmium on a readily available aquatic laboratory organism.

The lethal concentration (LC50) for 50 percent of I week old Xenopus laevis tadpoles was determined to be 0.1 ppm CdCI 2. For 5 week old animals, the average LC50 was determined to be 0.98 ppm. Thus, cadmium poses greater toxic threats to the early developmental stages. Moreover, these concentrations of cadmium exceed those commonly found in the nation's water supply. Histological examination suggested that the main site …