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Wang D, Wu G, Tian J, Li C, Liu J, Liang L, Qiu G. Efficient acid hydrolysis for compound-specific δ 15N analysis of amino acids for determining trophic positions. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 256:119223. [PMID: 38810830 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119223] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Compound-specific isotope analysis of nitrogen in amino acids (CSIA-AA, δ15NAA) has gained increasing popularity for elucidating energy flow within food chains and determining the trophic positions of various organisms. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of hydrolysis conditions, such as HCl concentration and hydrolysis time, on δ15NAA analysis in biota samples. In this study, we investigated two HCl concentrations (6 M and 12 M) and four hydrolysis times (2 h, 6 h, 12 h, and 24 h) for hydrolyzing and derivatizing AAs in reference materials (Tuna) and biological samples of little egret (n = 4), night heron (n = 4), sharpbelly (n = 4) and Algae (n = 1) using the n-pivaloyl-iso-propyl (NPIP) ester approach. A Dowex cation exchange resin was used to purify amino acids before derivatization. We then determined δ15NAA values using gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). The results revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in δ15NAA values among samples treated with different HCl concentrations or hydrolysis times, particularly for δ15NGlx (range: 21.0-23.5‰) and δ15NPhe (range: 4.3-5.4‰) in Tuna (12 M). Trophic positions (TPs) calculated based on δ15NAA at 2 h (little egret: 2.9 ± 0.1, night heron: 2.8 ± 0.1, sharpbelly: 2.0 ± 0.1 and Algae: 1.3 ± 0.2) were consistent with those at 24 h (3.1 ± 0.1, 2.8 ± 0.1, 2.2 ± 0.1 and 1.1 ± 0.1, respectively), suggesting that a 2-h hydrolysis time and a 6 M HCl concentration are efficient pretreatment conditions for determining δ15NAA and estimating TP. Compared to the currently used hydrolysis conditions (24 h, 6 M), the proposed conditions (2 h, 6 M) accelerated the δ15NAA assay, making it faster, more convenient, and more efficient. Further research is needed to simplify the operational processes and reduce the time costs, enabling more efficient applications of CSIA-AA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Gaoen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Jing Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Chan Li
- School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Jiemin Liu
- Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, China
| | - Longchao Liang
- School of Chemistry and Material Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
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Wang D, Wu G, Xu Z, Liang L, Liu J, Qiu G. Compound-specific nitrogen isotope of amino acids: Toward an improved understanding of mercury trophic transfer in different habitats. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 475:134927. [PMID: 38885586 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134927] [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: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Herein, we investigated the trophic transfer of mercury (Hg) through food chains in different habitats (namely aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial) through bulk stable isotope analysis of nitrogen (δ15Nbulk) and compound-specific isotope analysis of nitrogen in amino acids (δ15NAA) using bird feathers and their potential food sources from a Hg-contaminated site in southwest China. Results showed similar δ15Nphe for water birds (4.7 ± 2.6 ‰) and aquatic food sources (5.2 ± 2.1 ‰) and for land-based food sources (10.1 ± 0.4 ‰) and terrestrial birds (11.6 ± 3.0 ‰), verifying δ15Nphe as a potential discriminant indicator for different food sources. The trophic positions (TPs) of most organisms based on δ15Nbulk (TPbulk) tended to overestimate compared with those based on δ15NAA (TPAA), especially for predators (such as kingfisher: ΔTP = 1.3). Additionally, significant differences were observed in the aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial food webs between trophic magnification slope (TMS)bulk and TMSAA (p < 0.05). The trophic magnification factor (TMF)AA-multiple based on multiple-AAs in three food webs were higher than the TMFAA and TMFbulk, probably because of the greater variation of δ15Nbaseline, complex food sources or the notably different in individual organisms. Altogether, our results improve the understanding of Hg trophic transfer in aquatic, riparian, and terrestrial food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Gaoen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Zhidong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Longchao Liang
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jiemin Liu
- Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
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Liu X, Wang Z, Niu X, Wang B, Wang C, Cao H, Zhang X. Methylmercury exposure and risk of wintering migratory birds in the Poyang Lake basin, China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024:119641. [PMID: 39053757 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg), especially methylmercury (MeHg), is a pervasive contaminant that poses significant risks to birds occupying high trophic levels. However, we have little knowledge about the mercury exposure and its risks for birds in Poyang Lake basin, China. Therefore, during 2020-2021, we investigated MeHg concentrations in breast feathers of wintering migratory birds (n=430 from 43 species belonging to 9 orders) in Poyang Lake Nanji Wetland and Jiangxi Nanfengmian National Nature Reserve, China. MeHg concentrations in breast feathers varied greatly by species, foraging guilds and taxonomic orders, among which the highest concentration was detected in great egret (8849 ± 5975 ng g-1 dw). Comparing with studies worldwide, high MeHg concentrations in feathers of Ardeidae from Pelecaniformes were found in this area. Moreover, herons migrating between northern and southern China had lower MeHg concentration than residents in southern China related to habitat Hg. Considering the applicability and sensitivity of the equations for the transformation of MeHg concentrations in feathers to blood-equivalent total Hg (THg) values, method CJ that the equation based on songbirds was used for the transformation of the songbirds and the equation based on seabirds for the others performed better than other three for risk assessment of bird Hg in this study. 23.1% of birds from Poyang Lake were at risk of Hg exposure based on the method CJ. Carnivorous birds from Pelecaniformes had the highest risk levels, with 37.2% categorized as no risk (≤ 200 ng g-1 ww), 48.9% as low risk (200∼1000 ng g-1 ww), 11.1% as moderate risk (1000∼3000 ng g-1 ww), 1.1% as high risk (3000∼4000 ng g-1 ww), and 1.7% as severe risk (> 4000 ng g-1 ww). These risks suggest long-term monitoring and further advanced studies about freshwater waterbirds Hg exposure is necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhangwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Xiang Niu
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China.
| | - Bing Wang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Chunjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huabin Cao
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Man Y, Wang B, Wang J, Cai K, Rinklebe J, Zhang L, Feng X. New Insights into MeHg Accumulation in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.): Evidence from Cysteine. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:5942-5951. [PMID: 38507823 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
The intake of methylmercury (MeHg)-contaminated rice poses immense health risks to rice consumers. However, the mechanisms of MeHg accumulation in rice plants are not entirely understood. The knowledge that the MeHg-Cysteine complex was dominant in polished rice proposed a hypothesis of co-transportation of MeHg and cysteine inside rice plants. This study was therefore designed to explore the MeHg accumulation processes in rice plants by investigating biogeochemical associations between MeHg and amino acids. Rice plants and underlying soils were collected from different Hg-contaminated sites in the Wanshan Hg mining area. The concentrations of both MeHg and cysteine in polished rice were higher than those in other rice tissues. A significant positive correlation between MeHg and cysteine in rice plants was found, especially in polished rice, indicating a close geochemical association between cysteine and MeHg. The translocation factor (TF) of cysteine showed behavior similar to that of the TF of MeHg, demonstrating that these two chemical species might share a similar transportation mechanism in rice plants. The accumulation of MeHg in rice plants may vary due to differences in the molar ratios of MeHg to cysteine and the presence of specific amino acid transporters. Our results suggest that cysteine plays a vital role in MeHg accumulation and transportation inside rice plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Man
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Health Management Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Jianxu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Kai Cai
- Guizhou Academy of Tobacco Science, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Management, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water and Waste-Management, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Wuppertal, 42285 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Leiming Zhang
- Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Guo M, Chen X, Chen S, Su H, Liu H, Xie G, Sun B. Replacing manual operation with bio-automation: A high-throughput evolution strategy to construct an integrated whole-cell biosensor for the simultaneous detection of methylmercury and mercury ions without manual sample digestion. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 465:133492. [PMID: 38227998 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Methylmercury is primarily responsible for most food mercury pollution cases. However, most biosensors developed for mercury pollution analysis can only detect mercury ions. Although oxidative strong-acid digestion or microwave-assisted digestion can convert methylmercury into mercury ions, it is unsuitable for on-site detection. This study designed a bio-digestion gene circuit and integrated it into a mercury ion whole-cell biosensor,creating a novel on-site methylmercury detection method. Five alkyl mercury lyases from different bacterial genomes were screened via bioinformatics analysis, of which goMerB from Gordonia otitis showed the highest catalytic biological digestion efficiency. The goMerB site-specific saturation and random mutation libraries were constructed. After two rounds of high-throughput visualization screening, the catalytic activity of the mutant increased 2.5-fold. The distance between the three crucial amino acid sites and methylmercury changed in the mutant, which likely contributed to the enhanced catalytic efficiency. The optimized whole-cell biosensor showed a linear dynamic concentration range of 100 nM to 100 μM (R2 =0.991), satisfactory specificity, and interference resistance. The detection limit of the goMerBt6-MerR-RFP biosensor was 0.015 μM, while the limit of quantitation was 0.049 μM. This study demonstrated the application of synthetic biology for food safety detection and highlighted the future potential of "Lab in a Cell" for hazard analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Shijing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Hongfei Su
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Huilin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China.
| | - Gang Xie
- Academy of National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, Beijing 430079, China.
| | - Baoguo Sun
- Key Laboratory of Geriatric Nutrition and Health (Beijing Technology and Business University), Ministry of Education, Beijing 100048, China
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Liu X, Wang Z, Wang C, Wang B, Cao H, Shan J, Zhang X. Mercury distribution, exposure and risk in Poyang Lake and vicinity, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 344:123409. [PMID: 38244906 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123409] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg), especially methylmercury (MeHg), which is highly neurotoxic, is a global pollutant that can affect human health because of its accumulation in aquatic products. Poyang Lake, an inland lake in China, has been significantly affected by human activity, yet there is limited understanding of local mercury contamination and potential exposure pathways to humans. In this study, we explored the risks of mercury exposure by sampling sediments, plants, and aquatic organisms in the lake and surrounding areas and analyzing total Hg (THg) and MeHg levels. Sediment sampling was conducted at the main lake, rivers, rice paddies, and fishponds. Two dominant species of plants and 15 species of aquatic organisms were sampled and analyzed. We assessed the characteristics of mercury in sediments using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), mercury exposure using the biomagnification factor (BMF) and biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF), and risks using thresholds for adverse effects. The highest THg concentrations (137.04 ± 44.3 ng g-1 dw) were detected in the main lake sediments, whereas the highest MeHg concentrations (0.47 ± 0.6 ng g-1 dw) were detected in fishpond sediments. Mercury accumulation in the main lake sediments could be assessed as contaminated (Igeo > 0: 81.6%). Yellow catfish had the highest mercury concentration (THg 770.69 ± 199.7 ng g-1 dw; MeHg 741.93 ± 168.8 ng g-1 dw). Piscivores were adversely affected by carnivorous fish (50.8%), but all fish concentrations did not exceed the food safety standards recommend by China and the WHO. The mercury exposure results revealed significant Hg biomagnification and enrichment (BMF >1: 94.55%; BSAFmax = 1218). Long-term monitoring of aquatic organisms is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhangwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Chunjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China
| | - Huabin Cao
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Animal Health, Institute of Animal Population Health, College of Animal Science and Technology, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Jihong Shan
- Wildlife and Plant Protection Center, Jiangxi Provincial Department of Forestry, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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Kim D, Lee J, Won EJ, Lee SY, Cho HE, Choi H, Shin KH. Integrated approach for the isotope trophic position of black-tailed gull (Larus crassirostris) eggs over a decade: Combining stable isotopes of amino acids and fatty acids composition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 913:169732. [PMID: 38160818 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169732] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Recently, compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) using the amino acid nitrogen stable isotope ratio (δ15NAAs) has been widely used for accurate estimation of trophic position (TP). In addition, a quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) offers insights into diet sources. In this study, we used these techniques to estimate the TP for seabirds that rely on diverse food sources across multiple ecosystems. This allows for the proper combination of factors used in TP calculation which are different for each ecosystem. The approach involved the application of a multi-mixing trophic discrimination factor (TDF) and mixing β which is a Δδ15N between trophic and source amino acid of primary producer. Since the black-tailed gulls (BTGs) are income-breeding seabirds, which rely on energy sources obtained around their breeding sites, they and their eggs could be useful bioindicators for environmental monitoring. However, the ecological properties of BTGs such as habitats, diets, and TP are not well known due to their large migration range for wintering or breeding and their feeding habits on both aquatic and terrestrial prey. In this study, the eggs were used for estimating TP and for predicting TP of mother birds to overcome difficulties such as capturing birds and collecting non-invasive tissue samples. Eggs, sampled over a decade from three Korean islands, showed spatial differences in diet origin. Considering both the food chain and physiology of BTG, the TP of eggs was estimated to be 3.3-4.0. Notably, the TP was significantly higher at site H (3.8 ± 0.1) than at site B (3.5 ± 0.2), which indicated a higher contribution of marine diet as confirmed by QFASA. Using a reproductive shift of δ15NAAs, the TP of the mother birds was predicted to be 3.6-4.3, positioning them as the top predator in the food web. The advanced integration of multiple approaches provides valuable insights into bird ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dokyun Kim
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Jangho Lee
- Natural Environment Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Ji Won
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea; Institute of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Soo Yong Lee
- Natural Environment Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Eun Cho
- Institute of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyuntae Choi
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung-Hoon Shin
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea.
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Lacombe RM, Barst BD, Pelletier D, Guillemette M, Amyot M, Lavoie RA, Elliott KH. Compound-specific stable nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids shows that bulk methods provide higher estimates of mercury biomagnification in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 340:122769. [PMID: 37866750 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Compound-specific stable isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA) provides a method to estimate baseline δ15N values of food chains, allowing less biased estimates of trophic positions for organisms. Greater accuracy in trophic positions can improve estimates of contaminant biomagnification. We calculated trophic positions with various CSIA-AA equations for four species of fish and northern gannets (Morus bassanus) from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We examined the effect of CSIA-AA-derived trophic positions on mercury biomagnification metrics (trophic magnification factors (TMF) and biomagnification factors) and compared these with trophic position estimates and metrics obtained from traditional bulk stable isotope analysis. The TMFs for the CSIA-AA equations ranged from 10 to 19, and bulk stable isotope analysis produced TMFs of 43, one of the highest TMFs recorded yet in the literature. Biomagnification factors between prey and northern gannets ranged from 20 to 42 using dietary observations and stable isotope mixing models. Our study demonstrates that discrepancies in biomagnification assessed using different approaches may go undetected when using a single approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M Lacombe
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Benjamin D Barst
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-5910, USA.
| | - David Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Cégep de Rimouski, 60 rue de l'Évêché O, Rimouski, Québec, G5L 4H6, Canada; Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 allée des Ursulines Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1, Canada.
| | - Magella Guillemette
- Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 allée des Ursulines Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1, Canada.
| | - Marc Amyot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, 1375 Avenue Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux, Montréal, Québec, H2V 0B3, Canada.
| | - Raphaël A Lavoie
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1550 Av. D'Estimauville, Québec, G1J 0C3, Canada.
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Rd, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec, H9X 3V9, Canada.
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9
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Chen Y, Zhang Q, Zhang L, Wang Y, Song Y, Li Y, Yin Y, Cai Y. An improved method for rapid and safe preparation and measurement of dimethylmercury using gas chromatography-atomic fluorescence spectrometry. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1712:464472. [PMID: 37924619 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Transformations between dimethylmercury (DMHg) and other mercury (Hg) species have been one of the critical knowledge gaps in the Hg global biogeochemical cycle due to the lack of detailed studies. The preparation and measurement of DMHg are challenging due to the high toxicity and volatility of DMHg. In this work, we invented a new DMHg generator for successfully preparing high-purity DMHg in a highly controllable and safe way. The DMHg could be spontaneously volatilized and diffused from the original preparation solution to the solution to be studied. The parameters for generating DMHg were optimized to be the pH value of 4.0 with a MeCo/Hg2+ molar ratio of 10 at 20 °C. The following measurement method of DMHg in the presence of various species of Hg was also investigated and optimized. Hg0 and DMHg could be separated effectively with the carrier gas flow rate of 15 mL min-1 and the gas chromatography column temperature of 30 °C. The interferences of Hg0, monomethylmercury and other species were excluded by systematic control experiments. A sensitive and reliable approach for quantifying trace DMHg in water was developed. Under the optimal conditions, the limits of detection for Hg0, MMHg and DMHg were 0.03, 0.002 and 0.024 ng L-1, respectively, with the relative standard deviation below 8.2%. The developed method was validated by the determination Hg species of different natural water samples. This work is expected to provide a new and safe strategy for DMHg preparation and a verified method for DMHg measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Chen
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Pollutant Prevention, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Qingzhe Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Pollutant Prevention, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Lian Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Pollutant Prevention, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yingjun Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Pollutant Prevention, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yue Song
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Pollutant Prevention, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yanbin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yong Cai
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, Qingdao Key Laboratory of Marine Pollutant Prevention, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States.
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10
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Ra WJ, Yoo HJ, Kim YH, Yun T, Soh B, Cho SY, Joo Y, Lee KW. Heavy metal concentration according to shrimp species and organ specificity: Monitoring and human risk assessment. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 197:115761. [PMID: 37952375 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115761] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
This study assessed heavy metal levels (lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), total arsenic (tAs), arsenite (As (III)), arsenate (As (V)), monomethyl arsenic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), total mercury (tHg), and methylmercury (MeHg)) in six organs (total portion, head, body, shell, muscle, and intestine) of 11 shrimp species distributed in Korea. Shrimp exhibited significant variability in heavy metal accumulation, with Alaskan pink and dried shrimp (Lesser glass, Southern rough, and Chinese ditch prawn) showing the highest metal concentrations. Notably, the intestine having the highest overall metal content, while Cd was most prominent in the head, tHg was highest in the muscle. The Hazard Quotient values of 11 shrimp species in South Korea were below the European Food Safety Authority's allowable limits for heavy metals. This study illuminates the heavy metal profiles of distributed shrimp in Korea and emphasizes the ongoing need for monitoring heavy metals on seafood to ensure consumer safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wook-Jin Ra
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee Joon Yoo
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Hee Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Taehyun Yun
- Department of Statistics, College of Natural Science, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Bokyung Soh
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Su Yeob Cho
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongsung Joo
- Department of Statistics, College of Natural Science, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Won Lee
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences & Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Jiang YY, Zeng YH, Lu RF, Guan KL, Qi XM, Feng Q, Long L, Zhang YT, Zheng X, Luo XJ, Mai BX. Trophic Transfer of Halogenated Organic Pollutants in a Wetland Food Web: Insights from Compound-Specific Nitrogen Isotope of Amino Acids and Food Source Analysis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16585-16594. [PMID: 37842981 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
A trophic position (TP) model (TPmix model) that simultaneously considered trophic discrimination factor and βGlu/Phe variations was developed in this study and was first applied to investigate the trophic transfer of halogenated organic pollutants (HOPs) in wetland food webs. The TPmix model characterized the structure of the wetland food web more accurately and significantly improved the reliability of TMF compared to the TPbulk, TPAAs, and TPsimmr models, which were calculated based on the methods of stable nitrogen isotope analysis of bulk, traditional AAs-N-CSIA, and weighted βGlu/Phe, respectively. Food source analysis revealed three interlocking food webs (kingfisher, crab, and frogs) in this wetland. The highest HOP biomagnification capacities (TMFmix) were found in the kingfisher food web (0.24-82.0), followed by the frog (0.08-34.0) and crab (0.56-11.7) food webs. The parabolic trends of TMFmix across combinations of log KOW in the frog food web were distinct from those of aquatic food webs (kingfisher and crab), which may be related to differences in food web composition and HOP bioaccumulation behaviors between aquatic and terrestrial organisms. This study provides a new tool to accurately study the trophic transfer of contaminants in wetlands and terrestrial food webs with diverse species and complex feeding relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Ye Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan-Hong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Rui-Feng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ke-Lan Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xue-Meng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qunjie Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ling Long
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yan-Ting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaobo Zheng
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiao-Jun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Bi-Xian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
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12
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Kozak N, Kahilainen KK, Pakkanen HK, Hayden B, Østbye K, Taipale SJ. Mercury and amino acid content relations in northern pike (Esox lucius) in subarctic lakes along a climate-productivity gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 233:116511. [PMID: 37369304 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116511] [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: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a highly toxic element for consumers, but its relation to amino acids and physiology of wild fish is not well known. The main aim of this study was to evaluate how total mercury content (THg) of northern pike (Esox lucius) is related to amino acids and potentially important environmental and biological factors along a climate-productivity gradient of ten subarctic lakes. Linear regression between THg and sixteen amino acids content [nmol mg-1 dry weight] from white dorsal muscle of pike from these lakes were tested. Lastly, a general linear model (GLM) for age-corrected THg was used to test which factors are significantly related to mercury content of pike. There was a positive relationship between THg and proline. Seven out of sixteen analysed amino acids (histidine, threonine, arginine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, and aspartic acid) were significantly negatively related to warmer and more productive lakes, while THg showed a positive relationship. GLM model indicated higher THg was found in higher trophic level pike with lower cysteine content and inhabiting warmer and more productive lakes with larger catchment containing substantial proportion of peatland area. In general, THg was not only related to the biological and environmental variables but also to amino acid content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kozak
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Anne Evenstad Veg 80, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway.
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland; Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Käsivarrentie 14622, FI-99490, Kilpisjärvi, Finland
| | - Hannu K Pakkanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O.Box 35 (YA), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Brian Hayden
- Biology Department, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Kjartan Østbye
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Anne Evenstad Veg 80, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sami J Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O.Box 35 (YA), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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13
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Liu B, Gao L, Ding L, Lv L, Yu Y. Trophodynamics and bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine food web from Laizhou Bay, China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115307. [PMID: 37478788 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115307] [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: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Here, we collected 16 species (n = 298) from Laizhou Bay, China to investigate the trophodynamics, bioaccumulation and cancer risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Results demonstrated that naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, followed by phenanthrene and fluorene in the marine organisms. The sum of 16 PAHs concentrations (Ʃ16PAHs) ranked with algae (19,435 ng·g-1 lipid weight, lw) > benthonic animals (6599 ng·g-1 lw) > fish (1760 ng·g-1 lw). Combustion and oil spill are two primary sources, contributing 60.3 % and 39.7 % of Ʃ16PAHs, respectively. High values of log BAF were found for 4-6 rings PAHs. Algae and benthonic animals showed a high ability to accumulate 2-4 rings PAHs and 5-6 rings PAHs, respectively. A biodilution pattern for PAHs was found in the marine food web. The carcinogenic risks of some benthos and fish were higher than 1 × 10-6, threatening resident health by consumption of these seafoods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Liu
- College of Chemistry, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
| | - Lei Gao
- College of Chemistry, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
| | - Lingjie Ding
- College of Chemistry, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
| | - Linyang Lv
- College of Chemistry, Changchun Normal University, Changchun 130032, China
| | - Yong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China.
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14
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Piro AJ, Taipale SJ, Laiho HM, Eerola ES, Kahilainen KK. Fish muscle mercury concentration and bioaccumulation fluctuate year-round - Insights from cyprinid and percid fishes in a humic boreal lake. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:116187. [PMID: 37224941 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116187] [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: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Boreal lakes demonstrate pronounced seasonality, where the warm open-water season and subsequent cold and ice-covered season dominate natural cycles. While fish muscle total mercury concentration (mg/kg) [THg] is well documented in open-water summer months, there is limited knowledge on the ice-covered winter and spring mercury dynamics in fish from various foraging and thermal guilds. This year-round study tested how seasonality influences [THg] and its bioaccumulation in three percids, perch (Perca fluviatilis), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), and three cyprinids, roach (Rutilus rutilus), bleak (Alburnus alburnus), and bream (Abramis brama) in deep boreal mesotrophic Lake Pääjärvi, southern Finland. Fish were sampled and [THg] was quantified in the dorsal muscle during four seasons in this humic lake. Bioaccumulation regression slopes (mean ± STD, 0.039 ± 0.030, range 0.013-0.114) between [THg] and fish length were steepest during and after spawning and shallowest during autumn and winter for all species. Fish [THg] was significantly higher in the winter-spring than summer-autumn in all percids, however, not in cyprinids. The lowest [THg] was observed in summer and autumn, likely due to recovery from spring spawning, somatic growth and lipid accumulation. Fish [THg] was best described by multiple regression models (R2adj: 52-76%) which included total length and varying combinations of seasonally changing environmental (water temperature, total carbon, total nitrogen, and oxygen saturation) and biotic factors (gonadosomatic index, and sex) in all species. The seasonal variation in [THg] and bioaccumulation slopes across multiple species suggests a need for standardized sampling seasons in long-term monitoring to avoid any seasonality bias. From the fisheries and fish consumption perspective in seasonally ice-covered lakes, monitoring of both winter-spring and summer-autumn would improve knowledge of [THg] variation in fish muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Piro
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland.
| | - S J Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - H M Laiho
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland
| | - E S Eerola
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland
| | - K K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland
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15
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Jiang Y, Zeng Y, Lu R, Zhang Y, Long L, Zheng X, Luo X, Mai B. Application of amino acids nitrogen stable isotopic analysis in bioaccumulation studies of pollutants: A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 879:163012. [PMID: 36965734 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Accurately quantifying trophic positions (TP) to describe food web structure is an important element in studying pollutant bioaccumulation. In recent years, compound-specific nitrogen isotopic analysis of amino acids (AAs-N-CSIA) has been progressively applied as a potentially reliable tool for quantifying TP, facilitating a better understanding of pollutant food web transfer. Therefore, this review provides an overview of the analytical procedures, applications, and limitations of AAs-N-CSIA in pollutant (halogenated organic pollutants (HOPs) and heavy metals) bioaccumulation studies. We first summarize studies on the analytical techniques of AAs-N-CSIA, including derivatization, instrumental analysis, and data processing methods. The N-pivaloyl-i-propyl-amino acid ester method is a more suitable AAs derivatization method for quantifying TP. The AAs-N-CSIA application in pollutant bioaccumulation studies (e.g., Hg, MeHg, and HOPs) is discussed, and its application in conjunction with various techniques (e.g., spatial analysis, food source analysis, and compound tracking techniques, etc.) to research the influence of pollutant levels on organisms is summarized. Finally, the limitations of AAs-N-CSIA in pollutant bioaccumulation studies are discussed, including the use of single empirical values of βglu/phe and TDFglu/phe that result in large errors in TP quantification. The weighted βglu/phe and the multi-TDFglu/phe models are still challenging to solve for accurate TP quantification of omnivores; however, factors affecting the variation of βglu/phe and TDFglu/phe are unclear, especially the effect of pollutant bioaccumulation in organisms on internal AA metabolic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiye Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanhong Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Ruifeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yanting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ling Long
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaobo Zheng
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiaojun Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Bixian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
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16
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Zhang L, Song Y, Li Y, Yin Y, Cai Y. Role of light in methylmercury photodegradation: From irradiation to absorption in the presence of organic ligands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 848:157550. [PMID: 35907539 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Photochemical degradation acts as the principal sink for methylmercury (MeHg) in surface water, which is regulated by light and solution matrix (especially the presence of dissolved organic matter, DOM). The spectral composition of light irradiation and the light absorption properties of reaction media (often exerted by DOM) are important in MeHg photodegradation, which has not yet been clearly resolved. Aiming to understand the role of light in MeHg photodegradation from the perspectives of both light irradiation and absorption, we investigated the photodegradation of MeHg under different simulated sunlight sources, with and without DOM model compounds of different molecular structures. The results show that the photodegradation of MeHg under different sunlight irradiation yields distinct first-order date constant, mainly due to the slight difference in UVB composition. The degradation of MeHg without DOM under a light source with high intensity in the UV region and no MeHg degradation under the UV-filtered light even in the presence of DOM showed the importance of UV lights in MeHg photodegradation. The use of ultrapure water as a reaction medium may be subject to MeHg loss through vessel adsorption, not just photolysis. Additionally, this work found that the type and position of coexisting substituents on aromatic thiols play a critical role in improving the photodegradation of MeHg, following amino > hydroxyl > carboxyl, para > meta > ortho. Based on the characterization of ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra and our previous work, it was concluded that the presence of DOM could induce red-shift in light absorption and reduce the electronic transition energy of the CHg bond, facilitating MeHg photodegradation. The structures of DOM affect the light absorption properties, which are related to MeHg photodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yue Song
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Environmental Processes and Health, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Yanbin Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yong Cai
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
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17
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Thera JC, Kidd KA, Stewart AR, Bertolo RF, O'Driscoll NJ. Using tissue cysteine to predict the trophic transfer of methylmercury and selenium in lake food webs. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 311:119936. [PMID: 35964789 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119936] [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: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The biomagnification of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) through aquatic food webs using nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) varies among ecosystems but underlying mechanisms are yet unexplained. Given the strong links between MeHg and thiol-containing amino acids and proteins containing selenocysteine, our hypothesis was that cysteine content is a better predictor of MeHg and Se transfer through lake food webs than δ15N. Food web samples were collected from six lakes in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada, and the regression slopes of log MeHg or Se versus protein-bound cysteine or bulk δ15N were compared. Across all six lakes, MeHg varied by a factor of 10 among taxa and was significantly and positively related to both cysteine (R2 = 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001) and δ15N (R2 = 0.88-0.94, p < 0.001), with no among-system differences in these slopes. In contrast, total Se concentrations varied by less than a factor of 2 among taxa in four lakes and were significantly related to cysteine in only two food webs (R2 = 0.20 & 0.37, p = 0.014 & < 0.001); however, δ15N was not a predictor of Se in any lake (p = 0.052-0.777). Overall, these novel results indicate that cysteine content predicts MeHg, and sometimes Se, across trophic levels, providing a potential mechanism for among-system differences in their biomagnification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Thera
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada; Department of Biology & School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Robert F Bertolo
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
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18
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Yan H, Xiang QQ, Wang P, Zhang JY, Lian LH, Chen ZY, Li CJ, Chen LQ. Trophodynamics and health risk assessment of toxic trace metals in the food web of a plateau freshwater lake. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 439:129690. [PMID: 36104924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The trophodynamics of toxic trace metals is significant for assessing the threat of toxic trace metals to the aquatic ecosystem and human safety. However, due to the difficulty of accurately calculating the trophic positions of freshwater aquatic organisms in the food web, the comprehensive process of trophodynamics of toxic trace metals in freshwater ecosystems was still rarely known. By integrating the compound-specific nitrogen stable isotopic analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AAs) and the Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (SIMM) as a novel approach, the present study investigated the trophodynamics of five toxic trace metals (Zn, As, Cr, Cu, and Hg) in the food web of the YangZong Lake, a plateau freshwater lake that was once heavily polluted by arsenic in Yunnan Province, China. The results revealed that Hg tended to be efficiently biomagnified in the food web with a trophic magnification factor of 1.75; As, Cr, and Cu were biodiluted significantly, while Zn showed no biomagnification or biodilution trends. The dietary health risk assessment indicated the potential health risk of toxic trace metals for the local residents of long-term fish consumption. The present work highlights the accuracy and reliability of the novel CSIA-AAS+SIMM approach in the calculation of the trophic positions of freshwater organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yan
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Qian-Qian Xiang
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China; Yunnan International Joint Research Center for Hydro-Ecology Science & Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Wang
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China; Yunnan International Joint Research Center for Hydro-Ecology Science & Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Yu Zhang
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Hong Lian
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Ying Chen
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng-Jing Li
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China; Yunnan International Joint Research Center for Hydro-Ecology Science & Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Qiang Chen
- Instititue of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Trans-Boundary Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China; Yunnan International Joint Research Center for Hydro-Ecology Science & Engineering, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, People's Republic of China.
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19
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Zhang L, Yin Y, Li Y, Cai Y. Mercury isotope fractionation during methylmercury transport and transformation: A review focusing on analytical method, fractionation characteristics, and its application. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156558. [PMID: 35710002 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin, can be formed, migrated and transformed in environmental compartments, accompanying with unique mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation of mercury (Hg). These Hg isotope fractionation signals have great potential to probe the transformation and transport of MeHg in aquatic environments. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on total Hg isotopic composition, with less attention to the isotopic fractionation of MeHg due to technical difficulties in analysis, which severely hinders the understanding of MeHg isotopic fractionation and its applications. This review a) evaluates the reported analytical methods for Hg isotopic composition of MeHg, including online and offline measurement techniques; b) summarizes the extent and characteristics of Hg isotopic fractionation during MeHg transport and transformation, focusing on methylation, demethylation, trophic transfer and internal metabolism; and c) briefly discusses several applications of MeHg isotopic fractionation signatures in estimating the extent of photodemethylation, tracing the source of Hg species, and diagnosing reaction mechanisms. Additionally, the existing problems and future directions in MeHg isotope fractionation are highlighted to improve the analytical protocol for Hg isotope fractionation and deepen our understanding of Hg isotope fractionation in the biogeochemical cycling of MeHg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Yanbin Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yong Cai
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States.
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20
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Uddin MM, Peng G, Huang L. Trophic transfer, bioaccumulation, and potential health risk of trace elements in water and aquatic organisms of Yundang Lagoon at Xiamen in China. TOXIN REV 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15569543.2022.2084420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Mazbah Uddin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Guogan Peng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lingfeng Huang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
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21
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Vicente-Martínez Y, Caravaca M, Soto-Meca A. Simultaneous adsorption of mercury species from aquatic environments using magnetic nanoparticles coated with nanomeric silver functionalized with l-Cysteine. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 282:131128. [PMID: 34470167 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a novel, efficient and fast method for the total and simultaneous removal of monomethylmercury, dimethylmercury, ethylmercury and Hg (II) from aquatic environments using magnetic core nanoparticles, coated with metallic nanomeric silver and functionalized with l-Cysteine. As far as the authors know, simultaneous removal has not been achieved previously. The experimental design was based on exploring a wide range of experimental conditions, including pH of the medium (2-12), contact time (up to 20 min), adsorbent dose (50-800 μL) and temperature (293-323 K), in order to achieve the highest adsorption efficiency. The results show that, for a pH equal to 6.2 at room temperature, 400 μL of nanoparticles is sufficient to achieve 100% adsorption efficiency for all the studied Hg species after a contact time of 30 s. The adsorbent was characterized by means of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis, Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and a BET test. Moreover, the procedure allows the total recovery and recycling of the nanoparticles using 50 μL of 0.01 M KI. As regards reuse, the adsorbent exhibits no loss of adsorption capacity during the first three adsorption cycles. Thermodynamics reveals that adsorption is of a physicochemical nature, the equilibrium isotherms being described by a Langmuir model for all the Hg species. The ability of the method to simultaneously adsorb all species of mercury present in water, achieving full adsorption in just a few seconds, along with the simple experimental conditions and its cost-effectiveness, strongly support the approach as an alternative to current procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Vicente-Martínez
- University Centre of Defence at the Spanish Air Force Academy, MDE-UPCT, C/Coronel López Peña S/n, 30720, Santiago de La Ribera, Murcia, Spain.
| | - M Caravaca
- University Centre of Defence at the Spanish Air Force Academy, MDE-UPCT, C/Coronel López Peña S/n, 30720, Santiago de La Ribera, Murcia, Spain
| | - A Soto-Meca
- University Centre of Defence at the Spanish Air Force Academy, MDE-UPCT, C/Coronel López Peña S/n, 30720, Santiago de La Ribera, Murcia, Spain
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22
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Ramirez MD, Besser AC, Newsome SD, McMahon KW. Meta‐analysis of primary producer amino acid δ
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N values and their influence on trophic position estimation. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Ramirez
- Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island Narragansett RI USA
| | - Alexi C. Besser
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
| | - Seth D. Newsome
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM USA
| | - Kelton W. McMahon
- Graduate School of Oceanography University of Rhode Island Narragansett RI USA
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