ABSTRACT
A.G.LEWIS
Department of Oceanography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
and W.R.CAVE
Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Ann. Rev., 1982, 20, 471-695 Margaret Barnes, Ed. Aberdeen University Press
INTRODUCTION
Copper is essential for normal metabolism in most organisms but is toxic at elevated levels and forms the principal ingredient of many antifouling compounds. It also enters into many reactions with naturally occurring and introduced organics. These reactions change the chemical state of the metal and its availability to organisms. Copper also interacts with particulates such as clays and colloids which change the state of the metal and hence its biological availability. Once within the organism, the effect of copper may also be controlled by physiological and biochemical factors, some of which vary from species to species.
