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Fang TH, Chang FW. Temporal variation of mercury and methyl mercury in water and accumulation by phytoplankton in the eutrophic estuary, northern Taiwan. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 205:116624. [PMID: 38959573 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Three surveys were carried out to study the phytoplankton role in influencing the Hg distribution in a poorly eutrophic estuary by measuring the total Hg (THg) and methylHg (MeHg) concentrations in waters and four-size fractions of phytoplankton. The THg and MeHg concentrations in waters and phytoplankton varied markedly temporal during the three surveys. The total concentrations of THg and MeHg in the four-size fractions of phytoplankton ranged between 0.62 and 28.15 mg/kg and 0.022-4.411 mg/kg, respectively. The dominance of THg and MeHg phytoplankton concentrations differed from different size fractions and varied with the various surveys. The huge uptake of Hg by abundant phytoplankton decreased both Hg concentrations in waters and phytoplankton, which was attributed to the biomass dilution effect during the July survey. The Hg partition between water and phytoplankton provided substantial evidence to illustrate the huge uptake of Hg by the abundant phytoplankton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien Hsi Fang
- Department of Marine Environmental Informatics, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan; Institute of Marine Biology, National Dong Hwa University, Pingtung, Taiwan.
| | - Fu Wei Chang
- Department of Marine Environmental Informatics, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 202, Taiwan
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2
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Jędruch A, Bełdowski J, Bełdowska M. Mercury dynamics at the base of the pelagic food web of the Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116363. [PMID: 38621354 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Planktonic organisms, which have direct contact with water, serve as the entry point for mercury (Hg), into the marine food web, impacting its levels in higher organisms, including fish, mammals, and humans who consume seafood. This study provides insights into the distribution and behavior of Hg within the Baltic Sea, specifically the Gulf of Gdańsk, focusing on pelagic primary producers and consumers. Phytoplankton Hg levels were primarily influenced by its concentrations in water, while Hg concentrations in zooplankton resulted from dietary exposure through suspended particulate matter and phytoplankton consumption. Hg uptake by planktonic organisms, particularly phytoplankton, was highly efficient, with Hg concentrations four orders of magnitude higher than those in the surrounding water. However, unlike biomagnification of Hg between SPM and zooplankton, biomagnification between zooplankton and phytoplankton was not apparent, likely due to the low trophic position and small size of primary consumers, high Hg elimination rates, and limited absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Jędruch
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland; University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
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3
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von Hellfeld R, Hastings A. An approach to assessing subsea pipeline-associated mercury release into the North Sea and its potential environmental and human health impact. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:230943. [PMID: 38481980 PMCID: PMC10935551 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230943] [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: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Mercury is a naturally occurring heavy metal that has also been associated with anthropogenic sources such as cement production or hydrocarbon extraction. Mercury is a contaminant of concern as it can have a significant negative impact on organismal health when ingested. In aquatic environments, it bioaccumulates up the foodweb, where it then has the potential to impact human health. With the offshore hydrocarbon platforms in the North Sea nearing decommissioning, they must be assessed as a potential source for the environmental release of mercury. International treaties govern the handling of materials placed in the ocean. Studies have assessed the ecologic and economic benefits of (partial) in situ abandonment of the infrastructure as artificial reefs. This can be applied to pipelines after substantial cleaning to remove mercury accumulation from the inner surface. This work outlines the application of an approach to modelling marine mercury bioaccumulation for decommissioning scenarios in the North Sea. Here, in situ decommissioning of cleaned pipelines was unlikely to have a negative impact on the North Sea food web or human health. However, significant knowledge gaps have been determined, which must be addressed before all negative impacts on ecosystems and organismal health can be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca von Hellfeld
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, AberdeenAB24 3UL, UK
- National Decommissioning Centre, Main Street, NewburghAB41 6AA, UK
| | - Astley Hastings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, AberdeenAB24 3UL, UK
- National Decommissioning Centre, Main Street, NewburghAB41 6AA, UK
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Pałka I, Saniewska D, Bielecka L, Kobos J, Grzybowski W. Uptake and trophic transfer of selenium into phytoplankton and zooplankton of the southern Baltic Sea. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168312. [PMID: 37926260 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element and displays a narrow range of concentration between essentiality and toxicity. Se plays an important role in ameliorating mercury toxicity in organisms. Despite this there are only a few reports concerning Se concentration in plankton, the first link in the trophic chain that determines the uptake and transfer of Se to subsequent trophic levels. This paper aimed to determine Se concentration in water, phytoplankton, and zooplankton in the Baltic Sea, and factors affecting Se absorption from the environment and its transfer to higher trophic levels. Sea water and plankton samples were collected from the Gulf of Gdańsk during 5 cruises (4 seasons: 2019-2022) at 4 research stations. An additional cruise was undertaken in July 2020 in the open waters of the southern Baltic Sea. The median Se concentrations in the Gulf of Gdańsk was 0.25 μg·dm-3. While the median of Se concentration in phytoplankton was 1.11 μg·g-1 and in zooplankton was 1.25 μg·g-1. The biomass of organisms in the phytoplankton and zooplankton in the Gulf of Gdańsk showed an important role in shaping Se concentration. Seasonal trends in Se concentration in zooplankton could be the result of taxa composition changes, changes to dietary intake of Se, changes in growth dilution, or potentially some combination of factors. The highest biomagnification rate occurred in the summer. In contrast, in autumn and winter, when plankton biomass was dominated by the ciliate species Mesodinium rubrum, the highest Se concentration in plankton was measured. Further scientific studies are needed into the active biocomponents of the Se concentration process, including Se speciation, to more fully understand the dynamics of Se concentrations in the pelagic food webs of this and other freshwater and marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Pałka
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Luiza Bielecka
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Justyna Kobos
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Marine Biotechnology, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Waldemar Grzybowski
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
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Tesán-Onrubia JA, Heimbürger-Boavida LE, Dufour A, Harmelin-Vivien M, García-Arévalo I, Knoery J, Thomas B, Carlotti F, Tedetti M, Bănaru D. Bioconcentration, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury in plankton of the Mediterranean Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115439. [PMID: 37639915 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Plankton plays a prominent role in the bioaccumulation of mercury (Hg). The MERITE-HIPPOCAMPE campaign was carried out in spring 2019 along a north-south transect including coastal and offshore areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Sampling of sea water and plankton by pumping and nets was carried out in the chlorophyll maximum layer. Two size-fractions of phytoplankton (0.7-2.7 and 2.7-20 μm) and five of zooplankton (between 60 and >2000 μm) were separated, and their total mercury (THg) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) contents were measured. Bioconcentration of THg was significantly higher in the smallest phytoplankton size-fraction dominated by Synechococcus spp. The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of MMHg in zooplankton was influenced by size, food sources, biochemical composition and trophic level. MMHg was biomagnified in the plankton food web, while THg decreased toward higher trophic levels. Higher MMHg concentrations were measured in oligotrophic areas. Plankton communities in the Southern Mediterranean Sea had lower MMHg concentrations than those in the Northern Mediterranean Sea. These results highlighted the influence of environmental conditions and trophodynamics on the transfer of Hg in Mediterranean plankton food webs, with implications for higher trophic level consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aurélie Dufour
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM110, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Joël Knoery
- Ifremer, CCEM Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, F-44311 Nantes, France
| | - Bastien Thomas
- Ifremer, CCEM Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, F-44311 Nantes, France
| | - François Carlotti
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM110, Marseille, France
| | - Marc Tedetti
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM110, Marseille, France
| | - Daniela Bănaru
- Aix Marseille Univ, Université de Toulon, CNRS, IRD, MIO UM110, Marseille, France.
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von Hellfeld R, Gade C, Koppel DJ, Walters WJ, Kho F, Hastings A. An approach to assess potential environmental mercury release, food web bioaccumulation, and human dietary methylmercury uptake from decommissioning offshore oil and gas infrastructure. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 452:131298. [PMID: 36996541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Subsea pipelines carrying well fluids from hydrocarbon fields accumulate mercury. If the pipelines (after cleaning and flushing) are abandoned in situ, their degradation may release residual mercury into the environment. To justify pipeline abandonment, decommissioning plans include environmental risk assessments to determine the potential risk of environmental mercury. These risks are informed by environmental quality guideline values (EQGVs) governing concentrations in sediment or water above which mercury toxicity may occur. However, these guidelines may not consider e.g., the bioaccumulation potential of methylated mercury. Therefore, EQGVs may not protect humans from exposure if applied as the sole basis for risk assessments. This paper outlines a process to assess the EQGVs' protectiveness from mercury bioaccumulation, providing preliminary insights to questions including how to (1) determine pipeline threshold concentrations, (2) model marine mercury bioaccumulation, and (3) determine exceedance of the methylmercury tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for humans. The approach is demonstrated with a generic example using simplifications to describe mercury behaviour and a model food web. In this example, release scenarios equivalent to the EQGVs resulted in increased marine organism mercury tissue concentrations by 0-33 %, with human dietary methylmercury intake increasing 0-21 %. This suggests that existing guidelines may not be protective of biomagnification in all circumstances. The outlined approach could inform environmental risk assessments for asset-specific release scenarios but must be parameterised to reflect local environmental conditions when tailored to local factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca von Hellfeld
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences, Aberdeen, UK; National Decommissioning Centre, Ellon, UK.
| | - Christoph Gade
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences, Aberdeen, UK; National Decommissioning Centre, Ellon, UK
| | - Darren J Koppel
- Curtin Oil and Gas Innovation Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, Australia
| | - William J Walters
- Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA
| | - Fenny Kho
- Curtin Oil and Gas Innovation Centre, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; Curtin Corrosion Centre, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Astley Hastings
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, School of Biological Sciences, Aberdeen, UK; National Decommissioning Centre, Ellon, UK
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Jędruch A, Falkowska L, Saniewska D, Grajewska A, Bełdowska M, Meissner W, Kalisińska E, Duzinkiewicz K, Pacyna JM. Mercury in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea: A response to decreased atmospheric deposition and changing environment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 186:114426. [PMID: 36473245 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Our review of the literature showed that since the beginning of the socio-economic transformation in Poland in the 1990s, the downward trend in Hg emissions and its deposition in the southern Baltic Sea was followed by a simultaneous decrease in Hg levels in water and marine plants and animals. Hg concentrations in the biota lowered to values that pose no or low risk to wildlife and seafood consumers. However, in the first decade of the current century, a divergence between these two trends became apparent and Hg concentrations in fish, herring and cod, began to rise. Therefore, increasing emission-independent anthropogenic pressures, which affect Hg uptake and trophodynamics, remobilization of land-based and marine legacy Hg deposits, as well as the structure of the food web, can undermine the chances of reducing both the Hg pool in the marine environment and human Hg exposure from fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Jędruch
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland; Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland.
| | - Lucyna Falkowska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Grajewska
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Jerzego Waszyngtona 42, 81-342 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Włodzimierz Meissner
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Biology, Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Kalisińska
- Pomeranian Medical University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Kazimierz Duzinkiewicz
- Gdańsk University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical and Control Engineering, Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Józef M Pacyna
- AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, Adama Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
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