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Miraly H, Razavi NR, Vogl AA, Kraus RT, Gorman AM, Limburg KE. Tracking Fish Lifetime Exposure to Mercury Using Eye Lenses. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS 2023; 10:222-227. [PMID: 36938151 PMCID: PMC10019466 DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.2c00755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) uptake in fish is affected by diet, growth, and environmental factors such as primary productivity or oxygen regimes. Traditionally, fish Hg exposure is assessed using muscle tissue or whole fish, reflecting both loss and uptake processes that result in Hg bioaccumulation over entire lifetimes. Tracking changes in Hg exposure of an individual fish chronologically throughout its lifetime can provide novel insights into the processes that affect Hg bioaccumulation. Here we use eye lenses to determine Hg uptake at an annual scale for individual fish. We assess the widely distributed benthic round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from the Baltic Sea, Lake Erie, and the St. Lawrence River. We aged layers of the eye lens using proportional relationships between otolith length at age and eye lens radius for each individual fish. Mercury concentrations were quantified using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The eye lens Hg content revealed that Hg exposure increased with age in Lake Erie and the Baltic Sea but decreased with age in the St. Lawrence River, a trend not detected using muscle tissues. This novel methodology for measuring Hg concentration over time with eye lens chronology holds promise for quantifying how global change processes like increasing hypoxia affect the exposure of fish to Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadis Miraly
- State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York13210, United States
| | - N. Roxanna Razavi
- State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York13210, United States
| | - Annabelle A. Vogl
- State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York13210, United States
| | - Richard T. Kraus
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Lake Erie Biological
Station, 380 Huron Street, Huron, Ohio44839, United
States
| | - Ann Marie Gorman
- Fairport
Fish Research Station, Ohio Department of
Natural Resources, 1190
High Street, Fairport Harbor, Ohio44077, United
States
| | - Karin E. Limburg
- State
University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York13210, United States
- Department
of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University
of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07Uppsala, Sweden
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Liu F, Li M, Lu J, Lai Z, Tong Y, Wang M. Trace Metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) and Stable Isotope Ratios (δ 13C and δ 15N) in Fish from Wulungu Lake, Xinjiang, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18179007. [PMID: 34501593 PMCID: PMC8430613 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Wulungu Lake is a vital fishery area in Xinjiang. However, the concentration, enrichment rules, and sources of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the aquatic organisms, have rarely been investigated. The results suggest that the concentrations of As, Ni, Pb, and Zn were higher than those recommended by the national standards for edible fish in some species. Hg, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Zn in the fish were dependent on the concentration of trace metals in the water environment (p < 0.05). The body weights of the fish were significantly negatively correlated with only Hg (p < 0.05); however, their body lengths were significantly positively correlated with As, Cu, Zn, and Hg contents. Values of δ13C ‰ (δ15N ‰) for the entire fish food web was found to range from -19.9‰ (7.37‰) to -27.7‰ (15.9‰), indicating a wide range of trophic positions and energy sources. Based on the linear correlation, As, Cu, Cd, and Zn contents were positively correlated with δ15N (p < 0.05), and bioaccumulation was observed in the fish. The target hazard quotient (THQ) of all fish species was less than 1, indicating the absence of potential risks to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring and Pollutant Control of Xinjiang Bingtuan, School of Chemistry and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring and Pollutant Control of Xinjiang Bingtuan, School of Chemistry and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Jianjiang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring and Pollutant Control of Xinjiang Bingtuan, School of Chemistry and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Zhiqing Lai
- The Key Laboratory of Sea Floor Resource and Exploration Technique, Ministry of Education College of Marine Geoscience, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yanbin Tong
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring and Pollutant Control of Xinjiang Bingtuan, School of Chemistry and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Manli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Monitoring and Pollutant Control of Xinjiang Bingtuan, School of Chemistry and Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
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Millard G, Driscoll C, Montesdeoca M, Yang Y, Taylor M, Boucher S, Shaw A, Richter W, Paul E, Parker C, Yokota K. Patterns and trends of fish mercury in New York State. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1709-1720. [PMID: 31955284 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02163-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the mid-2000s a survey was conducted to evaluate fish mercury in lakes across New York State. Approximately 10 years later a second survey examining adult sportfish from 103 lakes and reservoirs was conducted to evaluate the response of fish mercury to recent declines in US mercury emissions. Of those lakes, 43 were part of the earlier survey and were examined to determine if mercury concentrations in four popular sport species, Yellow Perch, Walleye, and Small- and Largemouth Bass, declined in response to decreasing emissions. Water samples were also collected at 35 of these lakes and analyzed for mercury, methylmercury and other analytes. The Adirondack and Catskill regions remain biological mercury hotspots with elevated concentrations in fish. The most widely sampled species, Yellow Perch, showed significant increases in mercury in the Northeast and West regions of New York State over the past decade. The increases in Yellow Perch mercury is not consistent with significant reductions in water concentrations of both total and methylmercury observed corresponding in lake water samples. This discrepancy suggests watershed and in-lake processes beyond mercury emissions, such as recovery from acid deposition, impacts from climate change, or changes in food web structure may be controlling fish mercury concentrations. These results demonstrate a need for a consistent, long-term program to monitor fish mercury to inform the status of mercury contamination in New York State.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Millard
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.
- National Risk Management Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, 45244, USA.
| | - Charles Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Mario Montesdeoca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Mariah Taylor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Stephen Boucher
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Amy Shaw
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Wayne Richter
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY, 12233, USA
- Department of Biology, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866, USA
| | - Eric Paul
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Rome, NY, 13440, USA
| | - Colleen Parker
- Department of Biology, State University of New York College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, 13820, USA
| | - Kiyoko Yokota
- Department of Biology, State University of New York College at Oneonta, Oneonta, NY, 13820, USA
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Evers DC, Sauer AK, Burns DA, Fisher NS, Bertok DC, Adams EM, Burton MEH, Driscoll CT. A synthesis of patterns of environmental mercury inputs, exposure and effects in New York State. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1565-1589. [PMID: 33170395 PMCID: PMC7661403 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02291-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) pollution is an environmental problem that adversely affects human and ecosystem health at local, regional, and global scales-including within New York State. More than two-thirds of the Hg currently released to the environment originates, either directly or indirectly, from human activities. Since the early 1800s, global atmospheric Hg concentrations have increased by three- to eight-fold over natural levels. In the U.S., atmospheric emissions and point-source releases to waterways increased following industrialization into the mid-1980s. Since then, water discharges have largely been curtailed. As a result, Hg emissions, atmospheric concentrations, and deposition over the past few decades have declined across the eastern U.S. Despite these decreases, Hg pollution persists. To inform policy efforts and to advance public understanding, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) sponsored a scientific synthesis of information on Hg in New York State. This effort includes 23 papers focused on Hg in atmospheric deposition, water, fish, and wildlife published in Ecotoxicology. New York State experiences Hg contamination largely due to atmospheric deposition. Some landscapes are inherently sensitive to Hg inputs driven by the transport of inorganic Hg to zones of methylation, the conversion of inorganic Hg to methylmercury, and the bioaccumulation and biomagnification along food webs. Mercury concentrations exceed human and ecological risk thresholds in many areas of New York State, particularly the Adirondacks, Catskills, and parts of Long Island. Mercury concentrations in some biota have declined in the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands and the Northeastern Highlands over the last four decades, concurrent with decreases in water releases and air emissions from regional and U.S. sources. However, widespread changes have not occurred in other ecoregions of New York State. While the timing and magnitude of the response of Hg levels in biota varies, policies expected to further diminish Hg emissions should continue to decrease Hg concentrations in food webs, yielding benefits to the fish, wildlife, and people of New York State. Anticipated improvements in the Hg status of aquatic ecosystems are likely to be greatest for inland surface waters and should be roughly proportional to declines in atmospheric Hg deposition. Efforts that advance recovery from Hg pollution in recent years have yielded significant progress, but Hg remains a pollutant of concern. Indeed, due to this extensive compilation of Hg observations in biota, it appears that the extent and intensity of the contamination on the New York landscape and waterscape is greater than previously recognized. Understanding the extent of Hg contamination and recovery following decreases in atmospheric Hg deposition will require further study, underscoring the need to continue existing monitoring efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - A K Sauer
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - D A Burns
- U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - N S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - D C Bertok
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY, 12203, USA
| | - E M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - M E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
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5
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DeSorbo CR, Burgess NM, Nye PE, Loukmas JJ, Brant HA, Burton MEH, Persico CP, Evers DC. Bald eagle mercury exposure varies with region and site elevation in New York, USA. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1862-1876. [PMID: 31925622 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02153-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Freshwater fish in several regions of New York State (NYS) are known to contain concentrations of mercury (Hg) associated with negative health effects in wildlife and humans. We collected blood and breast feathers from bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nestlings throughout NYS, with an emphasis on the Catskill region to determine their exposure to Hg. We assessed whether habitat type (lake or river), region (Delaware-Catskill region vs. rest of NY) or sample site elevation influenced Hg concentrations in bald eagle breast feathers using ANCOVA. The model was significant and accounted for 41% of the variability in log10 breast feather Hg concentrations. Mercury concentrations in nestling breast feathers were significantly greater in the Delaware-Catskill Region (geometric mean: 14.5 µg/g dw) than in the rest of NY (7.4 µg/g, dw), and greater at nests located at higher elevations. Habitat type (river vs. lake) did not have a significant influence on breast feather Hg concentrations. Geometric mean blood Hg concentrations were significantly greater in Catskill nestlings (0.78 µg/g ww) than in those from the rest of NY (0.32 µg/g). Mercury concentrations in nestling breast feathers and especially blood samples from the Delaware-Catskill region were generally greater than those reported for most populations sampled elsewhere, including areas associated with significant Hg pollution problems. Bald eagles can serve as valuable Hg bioindicators in aquatic ecosystems of NYS, particularly given their broad statewide distribution and their tendency to nest across all major watersheds and different habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- C R DeSorbo
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - N M Burgess
- Environment & Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce Street, Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - P E Nye
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4753, USA
- 1926 Tarrytown Rd., Feura Bush, NY, 12067, USA
| | - J J Loukmas
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4753, USA
| | - H A Brant
- Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC, USA
| | - M E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - C P Persico
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - D C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
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