Oral and intramuscular toxicity of inorganic and organic mercury chloride to growing quail
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Abstract
The lethal toxicity of inorganic (HgCl 2 ) and organic (CH 3 HgCl) mercury chloride was compared for Coturnix (Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica) of different ages from hatch through adulthood by single‐dose acute oral and intramuscular injections and by a 5‐d dietary trial. Sublethal mercury toxicity was studied by evaluation of plasma and brain cholinesterase activity. CH 3 HgCl was more toxic than HgCl 2 in all tests at each age tested. LD50s consistently increased over the first 4 wk for both acute methods and both mercurials and then stabilized. The striking difference between single‐dose acute and 5‐d dietary tests was that CH 3 HgCl averaged about twice as toxic as HgCl 2 by both acute methods, compared to 100 times as toxic by the dietary method. For example, at 2 wk of age, the oral LD50s for CH 3 HgCl and HgCl 2 were 18 and 42 mg/kg and the dietary LC50s were 47 and 5086 ppm. When birds were fed HgCl 2 and developed clinical signs of intoxication, they could recover once treatment was withdrawn; however, on CH 3 HgCl, clinical signs often commenced after treatment was withdrawn, and then actually intensified for several days and culminated in death.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Oral and intramuscular toxicity of inorganic and organic mercury chloride to growing quail |
| Series title | Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health |
| DOI | 10.1080/15287398709530964 |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue | 1-2 |
| Year Published | 1987 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 12 p. |
| First page | 105 |
| Last page | 116 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |