Modes of metal toxicity and impaired branchial ionoregulation in rainbow trout exposed to mixtures of Pb and Cd in soft water

Models such as the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) predict how natural organic matter (NOM) and competing ions (e.g., Ca 2+, H + and Na +) affect metal bioavailability and toxicity in aquatic organisms. However, such models focus upon individual metals, not metal mixtures. This study determined whether Pb and Cd interact at the gill of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) when trout were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of these metals (Cd < 100 nmol L −1; Pb < 500 nmol L −1) in soft (