1
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Junqueira TP, Araújo DF, Jeong H, Guatame-Garcia A, Pascoe T, Harrison AL, Leybourne MI, Smol JP, Vriens B. Spatiotemporal and multi-isotope assessment of metal sedimentation in the Great Lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 253:119176. [PMID: 38768887 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates spatiotemporal dynamics in metal sedimentation in the North American Great Lakes and their underlying biogeochemical controls. Bulk geochemical and isotope analyses of n = 72 surface and core sediment samples show that metal (Cu, Zn, Pb) concentrations and their isotopic compositions vary spatially across oligotrophic to mesotrophic settings, with intra-lake heterogeneity being similar or higher than inter-lake (basin-scale) variability. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, and Pb in sediments from Lake Huron and Lake Erie vary from 5 to 73 mg/kg, 18-580 mg/kg, and 5-168 mg/kg, respectively, but metal enrichment factors were small (<2) across the surface- and core sediments. The isotopic signatures of surface sediment Cu (δ65Cu between -1.19‰ and +0.96‰), Zn (δ66Zn between -0.09‰ and +0.41‰) and Pb (206/207Pb from 1.200 to 1.263) indicate predominantly lithogenic metal sourcing. In addition, temporal trends in sediment cores from Lake Huron and Lake Erie show uniform metal concentrations, minor enrichment, and Zn and Pb isotopic signatures suggestive of negligible in-lake biogeochemical fractionation. In contrast, Cu isotopic signatures and correlation to chlorophyll and macronutrient levels suggest more differentiation from source variability and/or redox-dependent fractionation, likely related to biological scavenging. Our results are used to derive baseline metal sedimentation fluxes and will help optimize water quality management and strategies for reducing metal loads and enrichment in the Great Lakes and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tassiane P Junqueira
- Department of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Daniel F Araújo
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Unité Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins (CCEM), F-44300, Nantes, France
| | - Hyeryeong Jeong
- Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER), Unité Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins (CCEM), F-44300, Nantes, France
| | - Adriana Guatame-Garcia
- Department of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tim Pascoe
- Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna L Harrison
- Geoscience Environment Toulouse, National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS), Toulouse, France; Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew I Leybourne
- Department of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute, Department of Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bas Vriens
- Department of Geological Sciences & Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Evers DC, Ackerman JT, Åkerblom S, Bally D, Basu N, Bishop K, Bodin N, Braaten HFV, Burton MEH, Bustamante P, Chen C, Chételat J, Christian L, Dietz R, Drevnick P, Eagles-Smith C, Fernandez LE, Hammerschlag N, Harmelin-Vivien M, Harte A, Krümmel EM, Brito JL, Medina G, Barrios Rodriguez CA, Stenhouse I, Sunderland E, Takeuchi A, Tear T, Vega C, Wilson S, Wu P. Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:325-396. [PMID: 38683471 PMCID: PMC11213816 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention's progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | | | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826 Cidex 03, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsalla, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development Seychelles Fishing Authority, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Celia Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Cliamte Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Linroy Christian
- Department of Analytical Services, Dunbars, Friars Hill, St John, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Teck American Incorporated, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Luis E Fernandez
- Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 29106, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Shark Research Foundation Inc, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, NS, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France
| | - Agustin Harte
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chem. des Anémones 15, 1219, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eva M Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Ottawa, Canada and ScienTissiME Inc, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada
| | - José Lailson Brito
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 4002, CEP 20550-013, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Medina
- Director of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Iain Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Elsie Sunderland
- Harvard University, Pierce Hall 127, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Akinori Takeuchi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Health and Environmental Risk Division, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tim Tear
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Claudia Vega
- Centro de Innovaccion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA), Jiron Ucayali 750, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17001, Peru
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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3
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Liu Q, Gao J, Li G, Zheng Y, Li R, Yue T. Bibliometric analysis on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants: a systematic review and future prospect. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:19148-19165. [PMID: 38379043 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32369-z] [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: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) are one of the most significant sources of mercury (Hg) emissions certified by the Minamata Convention, which has attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, we used the Web of Science and CiteSpace to analyze the knowledge structure of this field from 2000 to 2022 and then reviewed it systematically. The field of Hg emissions from coal-fired power plants has developed steadily. The research hotspots can be divided into three categories: (1) emission characterization research focused on speciation changes and emission calculations; (2) emission control research focused on control technologies; (3) environmental impact research focused on environmental pollution and health risk. In conclusion, using an oxygen-rich atmosphere for combustion and installing high-efficiency air pollution control devices (APCDs) helped to reduce the formation of Hg0. The average Hg removal rates of APCDs and modified adsorbents after ultra-low emission retrofit were distributed in the range of 82-93% and 41-100%, respectively. The risk level of Hg in combustion by-products was highest in desulfurization sludge (RAC > 10%) followed by fly ash (10% < RAC < 30%) and desulfurization gypsum (1% < RAC < 10%). Additionally, we found that the implementation of pollution and carbon reduction policies in China had reduced Hg emissions from CFPPs by 45% from 2007 to 2015, increased the efficiency of Hg removal from APCDs to a maximum of 96%, and reduced global transport and health risk of atmospheric Hg. The results conjunctively achieved by CiteSpace, and the literature review will enhance understanding of CFPP Hg emission research and provide new perspectives for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jiajia Gao
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Guoliang Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yang Zheng
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Rui Li
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Tao Yue
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China.
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4
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Saha S, Dhara K, Chukwuka AV, Pal P, Saha NC, Faggio C. Sub-lethal acute effects of environmental concentrations of inorganic mercury on hematological and biochemical parameters in walking catfish, Clarias batrachus. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2023; 264:109511. [PMID: 36396087 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2022.109511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The acute toxicity of mercury to the air-breathing fish Clarias batrachus (Linn.) was determined in this study using hematological (including hemoglobin, hematocrit, total erythrocyte count, total leukocyte count, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) and biochemical (including total serum protein, serum glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, albumin) biomarkers at predetermined exposure concentrations (0.069 and 0.139 mg/L). Although significant differences were observed between exposure groups for all hematological and biochemical variables, a distinctive reduction in hemoglobin levels, hematocrit, and total erythrocyte count in the mercury-exposed fish compared to the control was observed from 24 h-96 h. Similarly, marked differences in serum globulin, total serum protein and cholesterol levels were observed across exposure groups from 24 h-96 h. While the marked hematological responses strongly suggestive of toxicant-related anemia, the marked biochemical responses suggest immune-modulation and metabolic disruption. The magnitude of toxic effects under graded toxicant exposures for weighted scores of combined biomarker response index (IBR) indicated an approximately 3-fold deterioration in overall health of mercury-exposed fish compared to control group. Depictions of hematological and biochemical effects in hardy species like Clarias batrachus indicate an imminent onset of anemia, immune-modulation and metabolic disruption within 24hs of exposure to inorganic mercury. Such observations for portends greater deleterious effects to less hardy aquatic biota under acute inorganic mercury environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhajit Saha
- Department of Zoology, Sundarban Hazi Desarat College, Pathankhali, South 24 Parganas, 743611, West Bengal, India
| | - Kishore Dhara
- Freshwater Fisheries Research & Training Centre, Directorate of Fisheries, Kulia, Kalyani, Nadia 741 235, West Bengal, India
| | - Azubuike V Chukwuka
- National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
| | - Prasenjit Pal
- College of Fisheries, Central Agricultural University (I), Lembucherra, Tripura 799210, India
| | - Nimai Chandra Saha
- Fishery and Ecotoxicology Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology, University of Burdwan, Purba Barddhaman, West Bengal, India
| | - Caterina Faggio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical, and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
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5
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Melnyk LJ, Lin J, Kusnierz DH, Pugh K, Durant JT, Suarez-Soto RJ, Venkatapathy R, Sundaravadivelu D, Morris A, Lazorchak JM, Perlman G, Stover MA. Risks from mercury in anadromous fish collected from Penobscot River, Maine. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 781:146691. [PMID: 34594059 PMCID: PMC8478149 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Levels of total mercury were measured in tissue of six species of migratory fish (alewife, American shad, blueback herring, rainbow smelt, striped bass, and sea lamprey), and in roe of American shad for two consecutive years collected from the Penobscot River or its estuary. The resultant mercury levels were compared to reference doses as established in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Integrated Risk Information System and wildlife values. Mercury concentrations ranged from 4 μg/kg ww in roe to 1040 μg/kg ww in sea lamprey. Sea lamprey contained the highest amounts of mercury for both seasons of sampling. Current health advisories are set at sufficient levels to protect fishers from harmful consumption of the fish for mercury alone, except for sea lamprey. Based upon published wildlife values for mink, otter, and eagle, consumption of rainbow smelt, striped bass, or sea lamprey poses a risk to mink; striped bass and sea lamprey to otter; and sea lamprey to eagle. For future consideration, the resultant data may serve as a reference point for both human health and wildlife risk assessments for the consumption of anadromous fish. U.S. EPA works with federally recognized Tribes across the nation greatly impacted by restrictions on sustenance fishing, to develop culturally sensitive risk assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Jo Melnyk
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America
- Corresponding author at: Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment, U.S. EPA, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America. (L.J. Melnyk)
| | - John Lin
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America
| | - Daniel H. Kusnierz
- Penobscot Indian Nation, Department of Natural Resources, 27 Wabanaki Way, Indian Island, ME 04468, United States of America
| | - Katherine Pugh
- EPA, Region 4, 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America
| | - James T. Durant
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States of America
| | - Rene J. Suarez-Soto
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 4770 Buford Highway, Atlanta, GA 30341, United States of America
| | - Raghuraman Venkatapathy
- Pegasus Technical Services, Inc., 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America
| | - Devi Sundaravadivelu
- Pegasus Technical Services, Inc., 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America
| | - Anthony Morris
- Pegasus Technical Services, Inc., 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America
| | - James M. Lazorchak
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States of America
| | - Gary Perlman
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 1010, Boston, MA 02109, United States of America
| | - Michael A. Stover
- US Public Health Service on detail to EPA, Region 1, 5 Post Office Square, Suite 100, Boston, MA 02109, United States of America
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6
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Bracey AM, Etterson MA, Strand FC, Matteson SW, Niemi GJ, Cuthbert FJ, Hoffman JC. Foraging Ecology Differentiates Life Stages and Mercury Exposure in Common Terns (Sterna hirundo). INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 17:398-410. [PMID: 32930480 PMCID: PMC8108127 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Some populations of common terns (Sterna hirundo) breeding at inland lakes in North America are declining, including the Laurentian Great Lakes. Terns nesting at inland colonies forage in freshwater during the breeding season and primarily in coastal marine environments during the nonbreeding season. As piscivores, they are susceptible to dietary Hg exposure. To characterize patterns of Hg exposure in this population, we 1) quantified within and among season differences in total mercury (THg) concentrations (μg/g) in blood and feathers at 2 Lake Superior breeding colonies, and 2) documented spatial and temporal variation in exposure by studying adult foraging ecology using geospatial tracking devices and stable isotopes. We used general linear models to assess the relationship between isotopic composition and THg concentrations in bird tissues relative to sex, age, colony location, and season. The THg concentrations were lowest in winter-grown feathers (geometric mean [95% confidence limits]): 1.32 (1.09-1.59) μg/g dw (n = 60), higher at the more industrially influenced colony (chick feathers: 4.95 [4.62-5.37] μg/g dw [n = 20]), and increased with a riverine-based diet. During the breeding season, Hg exposure varied along a gradient from lake to river, with adult females having lower blood THg concentrations than males (females: 0.83 [0.67-1.03]) μg/g ww (n = 7); males: 1.15 (0.92-1.45) μg/g ww (n = 5). Stable isotope values suggested adults obtained 42 ± 12% (n = 12) of their diet from the river during incubation, which was validated with tracking data. During chick-rearing, chicks obtained 68 ± 19% (n = 44) of their diet from the river. Our results indicate colony location, foraging behavior, and season influenced Hg exposure for these Lake Superior colonies and underscores the importance of local contamination with respect to exposure. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:398-410. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie M. Bracey
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota, 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, Minnesota, 55811, USA
- Annie Bracey, Natural Resources Research Institute, 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, MN 55811, 218-788-2649,
| | - Matthew A. Etterson
- US EPA Office of Research and Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, 6201 Congdon Blvd, Duluth, Minnesota, 55804, USA
| | - Frederick C. Strand
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 6250 Ranger Road, Brule, Wisconsin, 54820, USA
- Retired
| | - Sumner W. Matteson
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 101 South Webster Street, GEF 2, Madison, Wisconsin, 53707, USA
| | - Gerald J. Niemi
- Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota, 5013 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, Minnesota, 55811, USA
| | - Francesca J. Cuthbert
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, 2003 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Joel C. Hoffman
- US EPA Office of Research and Development, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure, Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, 6201 Congdon Blvd, Duluth, Minnesota, 55804, USA
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7
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Canham R, González‐Prieto AM, Elliott JE. Mercury Exposure and Toxicological Consequences in Fish and Fish-Eating Wildlife from Anthropogenic Activity in Latin America. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 17:13-26. [PMID: 32662936 PMCID: PMC7821190 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite the risk of significant adverse toxicological effects of Hg to humans and wildlife, Hg use in anthropogenic activities, and artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in particular, is widespread throughout Latin America. However, there are few research and monitoring studies of Hg toxicity in fish and fish-eating wildlife in Latin America compared to North America. In the present paper, we reviewed the literature from published articles and reports and summarized and assessed data on Hg in fish from 10 391 individuals and 192 species sampled across Latin America. We compared fish Hg levels with toxicity reference values (TRVs) for fish and dietary TRVs for fish-eating wildlife. We determined that fish, piscivorous birds, and other wildlife are at risk of Hg toxicity. We observed a large disparity in data quantity between North and Latin America, and identified regions requiring further investigation. In particular, future biomonitoring and research should focus on exposure of wildlife to Hg in Peru, Chile, Uruguay, the eastern and northern regions of Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia. We also discuss Hg risk assessment methodological issues and recommend that future evaluations of Hg risk to wildlife must collect key physiological variables, including age, body size, and ideally Hg-to-Se molar ratios. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:13-26. © 2020 Environment and Climate Change Canada. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Canham
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology BranchPacific Wildlife Research Centre, DeltaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Ana M González‐Prieto
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology BranchPacific Wildlife Research Centre, DeltaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - John E Elliott
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology BranchPacific Wildlife Research Centre, DeltaBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Biological SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBritish ColumbiaCanada
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8
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Madenjian CP, Chipps SR, Blanchfield PJ. Time to refine mercury mass balance models for fish. Facets (Ott) 2021. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2020-0034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury mass balance models (MMBMs) for fish are powerful tools for understanding factors affecting growth and food consumption by free-ranging fish in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Moreover, MMBMs can be used to predict the consequences of global mercury reductions, overfishing, and climate change on mercury (Hg) concentration in commercially and recreationally valuable species of fish. Such predictions are useful in decision-making by resource managers and public health policy makers, because mercury is a neurotoxin and the primary route of exposure of mercury to humans is via consumption of fish. Recent evidence has emerged to indicate that the current-day version of MMBMs overestimates the rate at which fish eliminate mercury from their bodies. Consequently, MMBMs overestimate food consumption by fish and underestimate Hg concentration in fish. In this perspective, we explore underlying reasons for this overestimation of Hg-elimination rate, as well as consequences and implications of this overestimation. We highlight emerging studies that distinguish species and sex as contributing factors, in addition to body weight and water temperature, that can play an important role in how quickly Hg is eliminated from fish. Future research directions for refining MMBMs are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles P. Madenjian
- U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Steven R. Chipps
- U.S. Geological Survey, South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Natural Resource Management, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
| | - Paul J. Blanchfield
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
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9
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Richter W, Skinner LC. Mercury in the fish of New York's Great Lakes: A quarter century of near stability. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1721-1738. [PMID: 31784923 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02130-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We collected 849 fish of 16 species from New York portions of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the intervening Niagara River and its tributary Cayuga Creek, and analyzed fillets from individual fish for total mercury. Concentrations ranged from 0.029 to 1.090 ppm wet weight, with 92% below the EPA tissue residue criterion of 0.3 ppm, and thus not posing an undue risk from human consumption. We compared these 2010-2017 results to historical data spanning 40 years to assess temporal changes. The temporal pattern was generally consistent among water bodies and species: Mercury concentrations differed little between the most recent collections and fish taken from 1999-2008 and 1988-1996, while concentrations in all three of these periods were generally lower than in 1970. Smallmouth Bass from Lake Ontario were an exception with a continued decline, likely due to diet change following the introduction of exotic prey. Overall, though, fish tissue mercury concentrations from these large water bodies, which integrate regional influences, appear to have changed little in the last quarter century. We also report a consistent spatial pattern for multiple species having lower mercury concentrations in Lake Erie than in Lake Ontario over the period of record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Richter
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233, USA.
- Department of Biology, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866, USA.
| | - Lawrence C Skinner
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233, USA
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10
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Zupo V, Graber G, Kamel S, Plichta V, Granitzer S, Gundacker C, Wittmann KJ. Mercury accumulation in freshwater and marine fish from the wild and from aquaculture ponds. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 255:112975. [PMID: 31541831 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.112975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We analysed the total mercury (Hg) accumulation in bodies and gut contents of 13 species of marine wild fish, 7 species of wild freshwater fish and 4 species of farmed fish. In addition, metal concentrations were recorded in water, sediment, fish prey and fodder materials, to track the dynamics of bio-accumulation. Cultured freshwater fish were collected at four Austrian farms and compared with samples obtained from markets. Wild marine fish were collected at Santa Croce bank, in Italy (Mediterranean Sea). Metal accumulation varied with sampling site, species, and age (or weight) of fish. Wild marine fish exhibited higher levels than wild freshwater fish, which in turn had higher Hg levels than cultured freshwater fish. Mercury increased according to trophic levels of consumers. Total Hg contents in muscle of cultured and wild freshwater fish sampled in 2006-2008 did not exceed legal nutritional limits. Similarly, in market samples of trout and carp collected in 2019, we found low or undetectable concentrations of total Hg in muscle tissue. In contrast, some marine fish (both market samples and some species from coastal waters) exceeded the legal limits. Environmental contamination, food webs and biological factors are the main causes of Hg accumulation in fish. Our results reflect the actual differences between specific European sites and should not be generalized. However, they support the generally increasing demand for monitoring mercury pollution in view of its impact on human health and its value as an indicator of ecosystem contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Zupo
- Benthic Ecology Centre, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Punta San Pietro, I-80077 Ischia (Napoli), Italy.
| | - Gunnar Graber
- Abteilung für Umwelthygiene, Medizinische Universität Wien, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Samar Kamel
- Abteilung für Umwelthygiene, Medizinische Universität Wien, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Veronika Plichta
- Institut für Medizinische Genetik, Medizinische Universität Wien, Währinger Straße 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Granitzer
- Institut für Medizinische Genetik, Medizinische Universität Wien, Währinger Straße 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claudia Gundacker
- Institut für Medizinische Genetik, Medizinische Universität Wien, Währinger Straße 10, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karl J Wittmann
- Abteilung für Umwelthygiene, Medizinische Universität Wien, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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11
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Ratio of Mercury Concentration to PCB Concentration Varies with Sex of White Sucker (Catostomus commersonii). ENVIRONMENTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/environments5090094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The whole-fish total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in 25 mature female and 26 mature male white suckers (Catostomus commersonii) caught during their spawning run in the Kewaunee River, a tributary to Lake Michigan. The age of each fish was estimated using thin-sectioned otoliths, and total length (TL) and weight were determined for each fish. When adjusted for the effect of age, males were found to be 7% higher in Hg concentration than females. Nearly all (about 98%) of the Hg found in the white suckers was determined to be methylmercury. In an earlier study on the same 51 white suckers from the Kewaunee River spawning run, males were found to be 18% higher than females in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration. We determined that the ratio of Hg concentration to PCB concentration in females was significantly higher than that in males. Thus, sex significantly interacted with contaminant type (Hg or PCBs) in determining contaminant concentrations. The most plausible explanation for this interaction was that males eliminated Hg at a faster rate than females, most likely due to the boosting of the Hg-elimination rate by certain androgens such as testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone. Hg concentrations in the white suckers were well below federal guidelines for fish consumption.
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12
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Jiang Z, Xu N, Liu B, Zhou L, Wang J, Wang C, Dai B, Xiong W. Metal concentrations and risk assessment in water, sediment and economic fish species with various habitat preferences and trophic guilds from Lake Caizi, Southeast China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 157:1-8. [PMID: 29605640 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite the potential emissions of heavy metal pollution in Lake Caizi due to extensive agriculture, urban growth and fishing activities, the risk posed by metal concentrations to aquatic environments and human populations has not yet been studied. In this study we compared the concentrations of Hg, As, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu and Zn in water, sediment, and economic fish species with different habitat preferences and trophic guilds across important fishery areas in Lake Caizi, located on the northern shore of the Yangtze River, Southeast China. The concentrations of Cr in water were found approximately 6 times higher than the safety thresholds established by international legislation. Cr, Zn, As and Cd concentrations in sediments surpassed the background values for Yangtze River basin in Anhui Province. However, all the studied fish species in Lake Caizi had metal concentrations lower than legislation thresholds established by China and international organizations. Heavy metal concentrations were found to be significantly higher in demersal (inhabiting near the sediments) and piscivorous (possessing higher trophic level) fishes than in pelagic/benthopelagic (inhabiting the upper and lower water column) and herbivorous/planktivorous (possessing lower trophic level) fishes. Our finding demonstrated that the metal concentrations in fishes are simultaneously influenced by the habitat and bio-accumulation through the food chain. According to target hazard quotient (THQ) calculations for heavy metal contents in the muscles of fish species, all the determined heavy metals gave THQ values lower than 1, suggesting the inexistence of health risks from the intake of fishes from Lake Caizi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongguan Jiang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China
| | - Nan Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, PR China
| | - Bingxiang Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China.
| | - Lizhi Zhou
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China
| | - Juan Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China
| | - Chao Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China
| | - Bingguo Dai
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, PR China
| | - Wen Xiong
- College of Fisheries, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, PR China
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13
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Kerfoot WC, Urban NR, McDonald CP, Zhang H, Rossmann R, Perlinger JA, Khan T, Hendricks A, Priyadarshini M, Bolstad M. Mining legacy across a wetland landscape: high mercury in Upper Peninsula (Michigan) rivers, lakes, and fish. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2018; 20:708-733. [PMID: 29595202 DOI: 10.1039/c7em00521k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
A geographic enigma is that present-day atmospheric deposition of mercury in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is low (48%) and that regional industrial emissions have declined substantially (ca. 81% reduction) relative to downstate. Mercury levels should be declining. However, state (MDEQ) surveys of rivers and lakes revealed elevated total mercury (THg) in Upper Peninsula waters and sediment relative to downstate. Moreover, Western Upper Peninsula (WUP) fish possess higher methyl mercury (MeHg) levels than Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP) fish. A contributing explanation for elevated THg loading is that a century ago the Upper Peninsula was a major industrial region, centered on mining. Many regional ores (silver, copper, zinc, massive sulfides) contain mercury in part per million concentrations. Copper smelters and iron furnace-taconite operations broadcast mercury almost continuously for 140 years, whereas mills discharged tailings and old mine shafts leaked contaminated water. We show that mercury emissions from copper and iron operations were substantial (60-650 kg per year) and dispersed over relatively large areas. Moreover, lake sediments in the vicinity of mining operations have higher THg concentrations. Sediment profiles from the Keweenaw Waterway show that THg accumulation increased 50- to 400-fold above modern-day atmospheric deposition levels during active mining and smelting operations, with lingering MeHg effects. High MeHg concentrations are geographically correlated with low pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a consequence of biogeochemical cycling in wetlands, characteristic of the Upper Peninsula. DOC can mobilize metals and elevate MeHg concentrations. We argue that mercury loading from mining is historically superimposed upon strong regional wetland effects, producing a combined elevation of both THg and MeHg in the Western Upper Peninsula.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Charles Kerfoot
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
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14
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Chen MM, Lopez L, Bhavsar SP, Sharma S. What's hot about mercury? Examining the influence of climate on mercury levels in Ontario top predator fishes. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 162:63-73. [PMID: 29287181 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) levels in Ontario top predator fishes have been increasing in recent decades. These increases may be a result of many additive factors, including global climate change. Only recently has research been conducted on how climate change may impact Hg levels in freshwater fishes at large-scales. We examined the relationship between Hg trends and (1) local weather, (2) large-scale climate drivers, and (3) anthropogenic Hg emissions, in native cool water (walleye and northern pike) and warm water (smallmouth bass and largemouth bass) predatory fishes in Ontario, Canada, for historical (1970-1992) and recent (1993-2014) time periods. For each fish species studied, > 25% of Ontario's secondary watersheds shifted from historically declining to recently increasing fish Hg trends, and ≥ 50% of watersheds experienced increasing trends between 1993 and 2014. Recent fish Hg increased at up to 0.20µg/g/decade; which were significant (p < 0.05) for walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Multiple linear regressions revealed a complex interplay of local weather, large-scale climate drivers, and anthropogenic Hg emissions influencing fish Hg levels. Recent Hg levels for walleye and largemouth bass increased with changes in global climate drivers, while higher precipitation influenced smallmouth bass Hg levels the most. Walleye Hg levels increased during the positive phases of global climate drivers, reflecting the local influence of local temperatures and precipitation indirectly. Differentiating the effects of climate-related parameters and emissions is increasingly crucial to assess how changing multiple environmental stressors may impact health of wildlife and humans consuming fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M Chen
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Lianna Lopez
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Satyendra P Bhavsar
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON, Canada M9P 3V6
| | - Sapna Sharma
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3.
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15
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DeBofsky AR, Klingler RH, Mora-Zamorano FX, Walz M, Shepherd B, Larson JK, Anderson D, Yang L, Goetz F, Basu N, Head J, Tonellato P, Armstrong BM, Murphy C, Carvan MJ. Female reproductive impacts of dietary methylmercury in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and zebrafish (Danio rerio). CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 195:301-311. [PMID: 29272799 PMCID: PMC8846966 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmentally relevant dietary MeHg exposures on adult female yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and female zebrafish (Danio rerio) ovarian development and reproduction. Yellow perch were used in the study for their socioeconomic and ecological importance within the Great Lakes basin, and the use of zebrafish allowed for a detailed analysis of the molecular effects of MeHg following a whole life-cycle exposure. Chronic whole life dietary exposure of F1 zebrafish to MeHg mimics realistic wildlife exposure scenarios, and the twenty-week adult yellow perch exposure (where whole life-cycle exposures are difficult) captures early seasonal ovarian development. For both species, target dietary accumulation values were achieved prior to analyses. In zebrafish, several genes involved in reproductive processes were shown to be dysregulated by RNA-sequencing and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR), but no significant phenotypic changes were observed regarding ovarian staging, fecundity, or embryo mortality. Yellow perch were exposed to dietary MeHg for 12, 16, or 20 weeks. In this species, a set of eight genes were assessed by QPCR in the pituitary, liver, and ovary, and no exposure-related changes were observed. The lack of genomic resources in yellow perch hinders the characterization of subtle molecular impacts. The ovarian somatic index, circulating estradiol and testosterone, and ovarian staging were not significantly altered by MeHg exposure in yellow perch. These results suggest that environmentally relevant MeHg exposures do not drastically reduce the reproductively important endpoints in these fish, but to capture realistic exposure scenarios, whole life-cycle yellow perch exposures are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail R DeBofsky
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Rebekah H Klingler
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | | | - Marcus Walz
- Laboratory for Public Health Informatics and Genomics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Brian Shepherd
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Jeremy K Larson
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - David Anderson
- Laboratory for Public Health Informatics and Genomics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Luobin Yang
- Molecular Research Core Facility, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID, USA
| | - Frederick Goetz
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Niladri Basu
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jessica Head
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, Canada
| | - Peter Tonellato
- Laboratory for Public Health Informatics and Genomics, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Brandon M Armstrong
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Cheryl Murphy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Michael J Carvan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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16
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Liu Y, Liu G, Yuan Z, Liu H, Lam PKS. Heavy metals (As, Hg and V) and stable isotope ratios (δ 13C and δ 15N) in fish from Yellow River Estuary, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 613-614:462-471. [PMID: 28918278 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2017] [Revised: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Yellow River Estuary is a significant fishery, but at present there are few studies about the concentrations of arsenic (As), mercury (Hg) and vanadium (V) in fish from this area, which might cause potential health risk to fish consumers. The aim of this study was to research on the accumulation and potential sources of heavy metals in the fish of the Yellow River Estuary. Arsenic, Hg, V and stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ13C) in 11 species of 129 fish were analyzed. Results showed that the concentrations of As and Hg were all lower than the guideline levels established by international organizations and legal limits by several countries. The mean concentrations of V in samples in this study were significantly higher than the results of previous studies on other regions. Arsenic, Hg and V significantly differed across species (P<0.05), which might be due to the different foraging habitats and dietary habits of the studied fish. Values of δ15N and δ13C in fish from the study area ranged from 5.1‰ to 14.6‰ and from -27.6‰ to -14.5‰, indicating a wide range of trophic positions and energy sources. There was evidence of bioaccumulation of Hg, which could be explained by the positive correlation between Hg concentrations and δ15N in fish. Through estimation of daily intake of inorganic As (iAs), Hg and V via fish consumption, the heavy metal contamination level of fish samples fell in an acceptable range, indicating no potentially hazardous for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, China; State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China
| | - Guijian Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710075, China.
| | - Zijiao Yuan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Houqi Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and the Environments, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Suzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Science and Technology of China, Suzhou 215100, China
| | - Paul K S Lam
- State Key Laboratory in Marine Pollution, Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China
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17
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Zhou C, Cohen MD, Crimmins BA, Zhou H, Johnson TA, Hopke PK, Holsen TM. Mercury Temporal Trends in Top Predator Fish of the Laurentian Great Lakes from 2004 to 2015: Are Concentrations Still Decreasing? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:7386-7394. [PMID: 28578575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentration trends in top predator fish (lake trout and walleye) of the Great Lakes (GL) from 2004 to 2015 were determined by Kendall-Theil robust regression with a cluster-based age normalization method to control for the effect of changes in lake trophic status. When data from the GLs (except Lake Erie) are combined, a significant decreasing trend in the lake trout Hg concentrations was found between 2004 and 2015 with an annual decrease of 4.1% per year, consistent with the decline in regional atmospheric Hg emissions and water Hg concentrations. However, a breakpoint was detected with a significant decreasing slope (-8.1% per year) before the breakpoint (2010), and no trend after the breakpoint. When the lakes are examined individually, Lakes Superior and Huron, which are dominated by atmospheric Hg inputs and are more likely than the lower lakes to respond to declining emissions from areas surrounding the GL, have significant decreasing trends with rates between 5.2 and 7.8% per year from 2004 to 2015. These declining trends appear to be driven by decreasing regional atmospheric Hg emissions although they may be partly counterbalanced by other factors, including increasing local emissions, food web changes, eutrophication, and responses to global climate change. Lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario may have been more impacted by these other factors and their trends changed from decreasing to non-decreasing or increasing in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanlong Zhou
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Mark D Cohen
- Air Resources Laboratory, United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , College Park, Maryland 20740, United States
| | - Bernard A Crimmins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Hao Zhou
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Timothy A Johnson
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Thomas M Holsen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
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18
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Kocman D, Wilson SJ, Amos HM, Telmer KH, Steenhuisen F, Sunderland EM, Mason RP, Outridge P, Horvat M. Toward an Assessment of the Global Inventory of Present-Day Mercury Releases to Freshwater Environments. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14020138. [PMID: 28157152 PMCID: PMC5334692 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14020138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are an essential component of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg), as inorganic Hg can be converted to toxic methylmercury (MeHg) in these environments and reemissions of elemental Hg rival anthropogenic Hg releases on a global scale. Quantification of effluent Hg releases to aquatic systems globally has focused on discharges to the global oceans, rather than contributions to freshwater systems that affect local exposures and risks associated with MeHg. Here we produce a first-estimate of sector-specific, spatially resolved global aquatic Hg discharges to freshwater systems. We compare our release estimates to atmospheric sources that have been quantified elsewhere. By analyzing available quantitative and qualitative information, we estimate that present-day global Hg releases to freshwater environments (rivers and lakes) associated with anthropogenic activities have a lower bound of ~1000 Mg· a-1. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) represents the single largest source, followed by disposal of mercury-containing products and domestic waste water, metal production, and releases from industrial installations such as chlor-alkali plants and oil refineries. In addition to these direct anthropogenic inputs, diffuse inputs from land management activities and remobilization of Hg previously accumulated in terrestrial ecosystems are likely comparable in magnitude. Aquatic discharges of Hg are greatly understudied and further constraining associated data gaps is crucial for reducing the uncertainties in the global biogeochemical Hg budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kocman
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.
| | - Simon J Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, Oslo N-0349, Norway.
| | - Helen M Amos
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
- Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Kevin H Telmer
- Artisanal Gold Council, Victoria, BC V8W 1B9, Canada.
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2, Canada.
| | - Frits Steenhuisen
- Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, Groningen 9718CW, The Netherlands.
| | - Elsie M Sunderland
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
- Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Robert P Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, CT 06340, USA.
| | - Peter Outridge
- Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E8, Canada.
| | - Milena Horvat
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia.
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19
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Eckley CS, Tate MT, Lin CJ, Gustin M, Dent S, Eagles-Smith C, Lutz MA, Wickland KP, Wang B, Gray JE, Edwards GC, Krabbenhoft DP, Smith DB. Surface-air mercury fluxes across Western North America: A synthesis of spatial trends and controlling variables. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:651-665. [PMID: 26936663 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) emission and deposition can occur to and from soils, and are an important component of the global atmospheric Hg budget. This paper focuses on synthesizing existing surface-air Hg flux data collected throughout the Western North American region and is part of a series of geographically focused Hg synthesis projects. A database of existing Hg flux data collected using the dynamic flux chamber (DFC) approach from almost a thousand locations was created for the Western North America region. Statistical analysis was performed on the data to identify the important variables controlling Hg fluxes and to allow spatiotemporal scaling. The results indicated that most of the variability in soil-air Hg fluxes could be explained by variations in soil-Hg concentrations, solar radiation, and soil moisture. This analysis also identified that variations in DFC methodological approaches were detectable among the field studies, with the chamber material and sampling flushing flow rate influencing the magnitude of calculated emissions. The spatiotemporal scaling of soil-air Hg fluxes identified that the largest emissions occurred from irrigated agricultural landscapes in California. Vegetation was shown to have a large impact on surface-air Hg fluxes due to both a reduction in solar radiation reaching the soil as well as from direct uptake of Hg in foliage. Despite high soil Hg emissions from some forested and other heavily vegetated regions, the net ecosystem flux (soil flux+vegetation uptake) was low. Conversely, sparsely vegetated regions showed larger net ecosystem emissions, which were similar in magnitude to atmospheric Hg deposition (except for the Mediterranean California region where soil emissions were higher). The net ecosystem flux results highlight the important role of landscape characteristics in effecting the balance between Hg sequestration and (re-)emission to the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris S Eckley
- US Environmental Protection Agency, Region-10, Seattle, WA 98101, USA.
| | - Mike T Tate
- US Geological Survey, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Che-Jen Lin
- Center for Advances on Water and Air quality, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX 77710, USA
| | - Mae Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Grant C Edwards
- Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
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20
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Fleck JA, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Eagles-Smith CA, Ackerman JT, Lutz MA, Tate M, Alpers CN, Hall BD, Krabbenhoft DP, Eckley CS. Mercury and methylmercury in aquatic sediment across western North America. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:727-738. [PMID: 27130329 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Revised: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale assessments are valuable in identifying primary factors controlling total mercury (THg) and monomethyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations, and distribution in aquatic ecosystems. Bed sediment THg and MeHg concentrations were compiled for >16,000 samples collected from aquatic habitats throughout the West between 1965 and 2013. The influence of aquatic feature type (canals, estuaries, lakes, and streams), and environmental setting (agriculture, forest, open-water, range, wetland, and urban) on THg and MeHg concentrations was examined. THg concentrations were highest in lake (29.3±6.5μgkg(-1)) and canal (28.6±6.9μgkg(-1)) sites, and lowest in stream (20.7±4.6μgkg(-1)) and estuarine (23.6±5.6μgkg(-1)) sites, which was partially a result of differences in grain size related to hydrologic gradients. By environmental setting, open-water (36.8±2.2μgkg(-1)) and forested (32.0±2.7μgkg(-1)) sites generally had the highest THg concentrations, followed by wetland sites (28.9±1.7μgkg(-1)), rangeland (25.5±1.5μgkg(-1)), agriculture (23.4±2.0μgkg(-1)), and urban (22.7±2.1μgkg(-1)) sites. MeHg concentrations also were highest in lakes (0.55±0.05μgkg(-1)) and canals (0.54±0.11μgkg(-1)), but, in contrast to THg, MeHg concentrations were lowest in open-water sites (0.22±0.03μgkg(-1)). The median percent MeHg (relative to THg) for the western region was 0.7%, indicating an overall low methylation efficiency; however, a significant subset of data (n>100) had percentages that represent elevated methylation efficiency (>6%). MeHg concentrations were weakly correlated with THg (r(2)=0.25) across western North America. Overall, these results highlight the large spatial variability in sediment THg and MeHg concentrations throughout western North America and underscore the important roles that landscape and land-use characteristics have on the MeHg cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Fleck
- United States Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St., Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA.
| | | | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- United States Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA 95620, USA
| | - Michelle A Lutz
- United States Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Michael Tate
- United States Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Charles N Alpers
- United States Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St., Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Britt D Hall
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - David P Krabbenhoft
- United States Geological Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Chris S Eckley
- United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 6th Ave, St. 900, OEA-095, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
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Eagles-Smith CA, Wiener JG, Eckley CS, Willacker JJ, Evers DC, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Obrist D, Fleck JA, Aiken GR, Lepak JM, Jackson AK, Webster JP, Stewart AR, Davis JA, Alpers CN, Ackerman JT. Mercury in western North America: A synthesis of environmental contamination, fluxes, bioaccumulation, and risk to fish and wildlife. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:1213-1226. [PMID: 27320732 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Western North America is a region defined by extreme gradients in geomorphology and climate, which support a diverse array of ecological communities and natural resources. The region also has extreme gradients in mercury (Hg) contamination due to a broad distribution of inorganic Hg sources. These diverse Hg sources and a varied landscape create a unique and complex mosaic of ecological risk from Hg impairment associated with differential methylmercury (MeHg) production and bioaccumulation. Understanding the landscape-scale variation in the magnitude and relative importance of processes associated with Hg transport, methylation, and MeHg bioaccumulation requires a multidisciplinary synthesis that transcends small-scale variability. The Western North America Mercury Synthesis compiled, analyzed, and interpreted spatial and temporal patterns and drivers of Hg and MeHg in air, soil, vegetation, sediments, fish, and wildlife across western North America. This collaboration evaluated the potential risk from Hg to fish, and wildlife health, human exposure, and examined resource management activities that influenced the risk of Hg contamination. This paper integrates the key information presented across the individual papers that comprise the synthesis. The compiled information indicates that Hg contamination is widespread, but heterogeneous, across western North America. The storage and transport of inorganic Hg across landscape gradients are largely regulated by climate and land-cover factors such as plant productivity and precipitation. Importantly, there was a striking lack of concordance between pools and sources of inorganic Hg, and MeHg in aquatic food webs. Additionally, water management had a widespread influence on MeHg bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems, whereas mining impacts where relatively localized. These results highlight the decoupling of inorganic Hg sources with MeHg production and bioaccumulation. Together the findings indicate that developing efforts to control MeHg production in the West may be particularly beneficial for reducing food web exposure instead of efforts to simply control inorganic Hg sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - James G Wiener
- University of Wisconsin La Crosse, River Studies Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA
| | - Chris S Eckley
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region-10, 2100 6th Ave., Suite 900, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - James J Willacker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | | | - Daniel Obrist
- Desert Research Institute, Division of Atmospheric Sciences, 2215 Raggio Parkway, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Jacob A Fleck
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St., Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - George R Aiken
- U.S. Geological Survey, National Research Program, 3215 Marine St., Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Jesse M Lepak
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 317 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA
| | - Allyson K Jackson
- Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, 104 Nash Hall, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Jackson P Webster
- University of Colorado, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - A Robin Stewart
- U.S. Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Jay A Davis
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Ave., Richmond, CA 94804, USA
| | - Charles N Alpers
- U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, 6000 J St., Placer Hall, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Dixon, CA 95620, USA
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22
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Mercury Accumulation, and the Mercury-PCB-Sex Interaction, in Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis). ENVIRONMENTS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/environments3010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Rolfhus KR, Wiener JG, Haro RJ, Sandheinrich MB, Bailey SW, Seitz BR. Mercury in streams at Grand Portage National Monument (Minnesota, USA): assessment of ecosystem sensitivity and ecological risk. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 514:192-201. [PMID: 25666279 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 01/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) in water, sediment, soils, seston, and biota were quantified for three streams in the Grand Portage National Monument (GRPO) in far northeastern Minnesota to assess ecosystem contamination and the potential for harmful exposure of piscivorous fish, wildlife, and humans to methylmercury (MeHg). Concentrations of total Hg in water, sediment, and soil were typical of those in forest ecosystems within the region, whereas MeHg concentrations and percent MeHg in these ecosystem components were markedly higher than values reported elsewhere in the western Great Lakes Region. Soils and sediment were Hg-enriched, containing approximately 4-fold more total Hg per unit of organic matter. We hypothesized that localized Hg enrichment was due in part to anthropogenic pollution associated with historic fur-trading activity. Bottom-up forcing of bioaccumulation was evidenced by MeHg concentrations in larval dragonflies, which were near the maxima for dragonflies sampled concurrently from five other national park units in the region. Despite its semi-remote location, GRPO is a Hg-sensitive landscape in which MeHg is produced and bioaccumulated in aquatic food webs to concentrations that pose ecological risks to MeHg-sensitive piscivores, including predatory fish, belted kingfisher, and mink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristofer R Rolfhus
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, River Studies Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
| | - James G Wiener
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, River Studies Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
| | - Roger J Haro
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, River Studies Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
| | - Mark B Sandheinrich
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, River Studies Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
| | - Sean W Bailey
- University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, River Studies Center, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI 54601, USA.
| | - Brandon R Seitz
- National Park Service, Grand Portage National Monument, P.O. Box 426, 170 Mile Creek Road, Grand Portage, MN 55605, USA.
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Madenjian CP, Stapanian MA, Cott PA, Krabbenhoft DP, Edwards WH, Ogilvie LM, Mychek-Londer JG, DeWild JF. Females exceed males in mercury concentrations of burbot Lota lota. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2015; 68:678-688. [PMID: 25628029 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-015-0131-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Examination of differences in contaminant concentrations between the sexes of fish, across several fish species, may show clues for important behavioral and physiological differences between the sexes. We determined whole-fish total mercury (Hg) concentrations of 25 male and 25 female adult burbot Lota lota captured in Lake Erie during summer 2011 and of 14 male and 18 female adult burbot captured in Great Slave Lake (Northwest Territories, Canada) during winter 2013. On average, females had 22 % greater Hg concentrations than males. This difference was probably not due to a greater feeding rate by females because results from previous studies based on polychlorinated biphenyl determinations of these same burbot indicated that males fed at a substantially greater rate than females. Based on our determinations of Hg concentrations in the gonads and somatic tissue of 5 ripe females and 5 ripe males, this difference was not attributable to changes in Hg concentration immediately after spawning due to the release of gametes. Furthermore, bioenergetics modeling results from previous studies indicated that growth dilution would not explain any portion of this observed difference in Hg concentrations between the sexes. We therefore conclude that this difference was most likely due to a substantially faster rate of Hg elimination by males compared with females. Male burbot exhibit among the greatest gonadosomatic indices (GSIs) of all male fishes, with their testes accounting for between 10 and 15 % of their body weight when the fish are in ripe condition. Androgens have been linked to enhanced Hg-elimination rates in other vertebrates. If androgen production is positively related to GSI, then male burbot would be expected to have among the greatest androgen levels of all fishes. Thus, we hypothesize that male burbot eliminate Hg from their bodies faster than most other male fishes and that this explains the greater Hg concentration in females compared with males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles P Madenjian
- U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA,
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Madenjian CP, Blanchfield PJ, Hrenchuk LE, Van Walleghem JLA. Mercury elimination rates for adult northern pike Esox lucius: evidence for a sex effect. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2014; 93:144-148. [PMID: 24667854 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-014-1256-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Accepted: 03/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We examined the effect of sex on mercury elimination in fish by monitoring isotope-enriched mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue of three adult female and three adult male northern pike Esox lucius, which had accumulated the isotope-enriched mercury via a whole-lake manipulation and were subsequently moved to a clean lake. Mercury elimination rates for female and male northern pike were estimated to be 0.00034 and 0.00073 day(-1), respectively. Thus, males were capable of eliminating mercury at more than double the rate than that of females. To the best of our knowledge, our study represents the first documentation of mercury elimination rates varying between the sexes of fish. This sex difference in elimination rates should be taken into account when comparing mercury accumulation between the sexes of fish from the same population. Further, our findings should eventually lead to an improved understanding of mechanisms responsible for mercury elimination in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles P Madenjian
- U. S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, 1451 Green Road, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA,
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27
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Haro RJ, Bailey SW, Northwick RM, Rolfhus KR, Sandheinrich MB, Wiener JG. Burrowing dragonfly larvae as biosentinels of methylmercury in freshwater food webs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:8148-8156. [PMID: 23845042 DOI: 10.1021/es401027m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We assessed the utility of larval burrowing dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera: Gomphidae) as biosentinels of methylmercury (MeHg) contamination. Gomphids were the most abundant family of dragonflies sampled during 2008-2010 from 17 lakes in four national parks of the northwestern Laurentian Great Lakes region. Ten species of burrowing gomphids were sampled; 13 lakes contained 3 or more species, and 2 species of Gomphus co-occurred in 12 lakes. Most of the total Hg (THg) in whole, late-instar larvae was MeHg, with mean percent MeHg exceeding 60% in 16 lakes. Mean MeHg in larvae of a given species varied greatly among lakes, ranging from 4 to 109 ng g(-1) dry weight. Methylmercury levels in larvae, however, were much less variable within a given lake and species. The mean concentration of MeHg in burrowing gomphids was positively correlated with mean MeHg concentration in unfiltered lake water. Mean concentrations of THg and MeHg in multispecies assemblages of Gomphus were also positively correlated with mean THg in coexisting prey fish and game fishes. We recommend-and provide guidance on-the application of burrowing gomphids as biosentinels of MeHg contamination, which can extend the bioassessment of MeHg to fishless fresh waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger J Haro
- River Studies Center, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse , La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601, United States.
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28
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Dornbos P, Strom S, Basu N. Mercury exposure and neurochemical biomarkers in multiple brain regions of Wisconsin river otters (Lontra canadensis). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2013; 22:469-475. [PMID: 23340980 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-013-1040-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
River otters are fish-eating wildlife that bioaccumulate high levels of mercury (Hg). Mercury is a proven neurotoxicant to mammalian wildlife, but little is known about the underlying, sub-clinical effects. Here, the overall goal was to increase understanding of Hg's neurological risk to otters. First, Hg values across several brain regions and tissues were characterized. Second, in three brain regions with known sensitivity to Hg (brainstem, cerebellum, and occipital cortex), potential associations among Hg levels and neurochemical biomarkers [N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA) receptor] were explored. There were no significant differences in Hg levels across eight brain regions (rank order, highest to lowest: frontal cortex, cerebellum, temporal cortex, occipital cortex, parietal cortex, basal ganglia, brainstem, and thalamus), with mean values ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 ug/g dry weight. These brain levels were significantly lower than mean values in the muscle (2.1 ± 1.4 ug/g), liver (4.7 ± 4.3 ug/g), and fur (8.8 ± 4.8 ug/g). While a significant association was found between Hg and NMDA receptor levels in the brain stem (P = 0.028, rp = -0.293), no relationships were found in the cerebellum and occipital cortex. For the GABA receptor, no relationships were found. The lack of consistent Hg-associated neurochemical changes is likely due to low brain Hg levels in these river otters, which are amongst the lowest reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Dornbos
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Evers DC, Williams KA, Meyer MW, Scheuhammer AM, Schoch N, Gilbert AT, Siegel L, Taylor RJ, Poppenga R, Perkins CR. Spatial gradients of methylmercury for breeding common loons in the Laurentian Great Lakes region. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2011; 20:1609-1625. [PMID: 21858513 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-011-0753-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Much of the Laurentian Great Lakes region is a mercury-sensitive landscape, in which atmospheric deposition and waterborne sources of mercury (Hg) have led to high concentrations of bioavailable methylmercury (MeHg) in predatory fish and piscivorous wildlife. Efforts since the early 1990s have established the common loon (Gavia immer) as the primary avian indicator for evaluating the exposure and effects of MeHg in North America. A regional Hg dataset was compiled from multiple loon tissue types and yellow perch (Perca flavescens), a preferred prey fish species for loons. Hg exposure in loons and perch was modeled to develop male and female loon units (MLU and FLU, respectively), standardized metrics that represent the estimated blood Hg exposure of a male or female loon for a given loon territory or water body. Using this common endpoint approach to assess loon Hg exposure, the authors demonstrate spatial trends in biotic Hg concentrations, examine MeHg availability in aquatic ecosystems of the Great Lakes region in relation to landscape-level characteristics, and identify areas with potentially significant adverse reproductive impacts to loons and other avian piscivores. Based on 8,101 MLUs, seven biological Hg hotspots were identified in the Great Lakes region. Policy-relevant applications are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME 04038, USA.
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Evers DC, Wiener JG, Basu N, Bodaly RA, Morrison HA, Williams KA. Mercury in the Great Lakes region: bioaccumulation, spatiotemporal patterns, ecological risks, and policy. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2011; 20:1487-1499. [PMID: 21909960 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-011-0784-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
This special issue examines bioaccumulation and risks of methylmercury in food webs, fish and wildlife in the Laurentian Great Lakes region of North America, and explores mercury policy in the region and elsewhere in the United States and Canada. A total of 35 papers emanated from a bi-national synthesis of multi-media data from monitoring programs and research investigations on mercury in aquatic and terrestrial biota, a 3-year effort involving more than 170 scientists and decision-makers from 55 different universities, non-governmental organizations, and governmental agencies. Over 290,000 fish mercury data points were compiled from monitoring programs and research investigations. The findings from this scientific synthesis indicate that (1) mercury remains a pollutant of major concern in the Great Lakes region, (2) that the scope and intensity of the problem is greater than previously recognized and (3) that after decades of declining mercury levels in fish and wildlife concentrations are now increasing in some species and areas. While the reasons behind these shifting trends require further study, they also underscore the need to identify information gaps and expand monitoring efforts to better track progress. This will be particularly important as new pollution prevention measures are implemented, as global sources increase, and as the region faces changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Gorham, ME 04038, USA.
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Schmeltz D, Evers DC, Driscoll CT, Artz R, Cohen M, Gay D, Haeuber R, Krabbenhoft DP, Mason R, Morris K, Wiener JG. MercNet: a national monitoring network to assess responses to changing mercury emissions in the United States. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2011; 20:1713-1725. [PMID: 21901443 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-011-0756-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A partnership of federal and state agencies, tribes, industry, and scientists from academic research and environmental organizations is establishing a national, policy-relevant mercury monitoring network, called MercNet, to address key questions concerning changes in anthropogenic mercury emissions and deposition, associated linkages to ecosystem effects, and recovery from mercury contamination. This network would quantify mercury in the atmosphere, land, water, and biota in terrestrial, freshwater, and coastal ecosystems to provide a national scientific capability for evaluating the benefits and effectiveness of emission controls. Program development began with two workshops, convened to establish network goals, to select key indicators for monitoring, to propose a geographic network of monitoring sites, and to design a monitoring plan. MercNet relies strongly on multi-institutional partnerships to secure the capabilities and comprehensive data that are needed to develop, calibrate, and refine predictive mercury models and to guide effective management. Ongoing collaborative efforts include the: (1) development of regional multi-media databases on mercury in the Laurentian Great Lakes, northeastern United States, and eastern Canada; (2) syntheses and reporting of these data for the scientific and policy communities; and (3) evaluation of potential monitoring sites. The MercNet approach could be applied to the development of other monitoring programs, such as emerging efforts to monitor and assess global mercury emission controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Schmeltz
- Clean Air Markets Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Atmospheric Programs, Washington, DC 20460, USA.
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