An integrated biomarker approach: Non-monotonic responses to cadmium exposure in the suckermouth catfish Hypostomus plecostomus.

Environmental risk assessment in aquatic ecosystems typically uses biomarkers to detect interactions between potential hazards and biological systems. Next to knowing environmental contaminant levels in tissues and the environment, it is important to link to potentially deleterious effects at higher levels of biological organization such as biochemistry, physiology, and overall health status. In this laboratory study we assessed the toxicity of waterborne cadmium (Cd) over an exposure range of 0 - 100 µg l for nine days to the loricariid suckermouth catfish Hypostomus plecostomus.