Acute and sub-chronic toxicity of lead to the early life stages of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui)

In static acute bioassays, 96-h LC50 values for lead were 2.8 and 29.0 mg per litre in smallmouth bass swim-up fry and fingerlings, respectively. Survival of eggs and sac fry was unaffected by lead concentrations up to 15.9 mg per litre. In 90-day studies with smallmouth bass fingerlings, exposure to lead (0-405 ug per litre) had no effect on survival, growth, locomotor activity, substrate selection (cover seeking), or haemoglobin concentrations. Statistically significant (p less than 0.05) variations in haematocrit and leucocrit did not appear to be related to lead concentrations. These experiments were conducted in waters of medium hardness (152 mg per litre as calcium carbonate) and pH 7.1-7.9.