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Udodenko YG, Solovyeva MA, Glazov DM, Klimov FV, Komov VT, Kamshilova TB, Rozhnov VV. Total mercury in fur, whiskers and whole blood of Caspian seals (Pusa capsica) from north-east of Caspian Sea (Kazakhstan). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 205:116605. [PMID: 38889665 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Total Mercury (THg) content was determined in the fur of 64 Caspian seals, in the whiskers of 59 individuals and whole blood of 29 individuals. The THg content in Caspian seal fur varied from 258 to 8511 μg/kg, in whiskers from 954 to 12,957 μg/kg, and in whole blood from 88 to 350 μg/l. There were no statistically significant differences in mercury concentration in biomaterial between males and females (Kruskal-Wallis test, p < 0.05). The 1-2-year-old seals contained less mercury compared to older seals. The THg content in Caspian seal samples was comparable to seals from different regions of North Eurasia. Four individuals had mercury concentrations in their fur above the threshold values that can lead to nervous system disorders (>5400 μg/kg).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu G Udodenko
- I.D. Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters RAS, Borok, Russia; Cherepovets State University, Cherepovets, Russia.
| | - M A Solovyeva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - D M Glazov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - F V Klimov
- "Kazakhstan Agency of Applied Ecology" LLP, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - V T Komov
- I.D. Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters RAS, Borok, Russia; Cherepovets State University, Cherepovets, Russia
| | - T B Kamshilova
- I.D. Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Waters RAS, Borok, Russia
| | - V V Rozhnov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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2
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Peterson SH, Peterson MG, Ackerman JT, Debier C, Goetsch C, Holser RR, Hückstädt LA, Johnson JC, Keates TR, McDonald BI, McHuron EA, Costa DP. Foraging behavior and age affect maternal transfer of mercury to northern elephant seal pups. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4693. [PMID: 38409311 PMCID: PMC10897339 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54527-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep ocean foraging northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) consume fish and squid in remote depths of the North Pacific Ocean. Contaminants bioaccumulated from prey are subsequently transferred by adult females to pups during gestation and lactation, linking pups to mercury contamination in mesopelagic food webs (200-1000 m depths). Maternal transfer of mercury to developing seal pups was related to maternal mercury contamination and was strongly correlated with maternal foraging behavior (biotelemetry and isotopes). Mercury concentrations in lanugo (hair grown in utero) were among the highest observed worldwide for young pinnipeds (geometric mean 23.01 μg/g dw, range 8.03-63.09 μg/g dw; n = 373); thus, some pups may be at an elevated risk of sub-lethal adverse health effects. Fetal mercury exposure was affected by maternal foraging geographic location and depth; mercury concentrations were highest in pups of the deepest diving, pelagic females. Moreover, pup lanugo mercury concentrations were strongly repeatable among successive pups of individual females, demonstrating relative consistency in pup mercury exposure based on maternal foraging strategies. Northern elephant seals are biosentinels of a remote deep-sea ecosystem. Our results suggest that mercury within North Pacific mesopelagic food webs may also pose an elevated risk to other mesopelagic-foraging predators and their offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, USA.
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Michael G Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, U.S. Geological Survey, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, USA
| | - Cathy Debier
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Chandra Goetsch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- CSS, Inc, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Rachel R Holser
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Luis A Hückstädt
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Jennifer C Johnson
- Moss Landing Marine Labs, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, CA, USA
| | - Theresa R Keates
- Department of Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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3
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Symon TE, Murillo-Cisneros DA, Hernández-Camacho CJ, O'Hara TM, Taylor RJ, Rosado-Berrios CA, Vázquez-Medina JP, Zenteno-Savín T. Mercury and selenium concentrations in lanugo of free-ranging California sea lions in the southern Gulf of California, Mexico. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 197:115712. [PMID: 37922756 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115712] [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: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury ([THg]) and selenium ([TSe]) concentrations were determined in California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) lanugo from the Gulf of California in 2021 and 2022. Relationships with sex, morphometrics, and year were evaluated. Following toxicological thresholds of concern for piscivorous mammals, most pups had a [THg] < 10 ppm, one pup (2021) had a [THg] > 20 ppm, no pups had a [THg] > 30 ppm. Females had significantly higher [TSe] than males; sex did not influence [THg]. [THg] and [TSe] in 2022 were significantly higher in the general population and male cohorts compared to 2021. Significant negative correlations were observed between [THg], [TSe], and morphometrics (2021). These results indicate that, compared to other pinniped species, regional California sea lions may have a decreased likelihood of experiencing Hg-related adverse health effects. Year-related changes in element concentrations suggest continued monitoring of this population to assess pinniped, environmental, and potentially, human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- T E Symon
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S. C (CIBNOR), 23096 La Paz, Mexico.
| | - D A Murillo-Cisneros
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S. C (CIBNOR), 23096 La Paz, Mexico.
| | - C J Hernández-Camacho
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 23096 La Paz, Mexico.
| | - T M O'Hara
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843, United States of America.
| | - R J Taylor
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843, United States of America.
| | - C A Rosado-Berrios
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843, United States of America.
| | - J P Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 94720 Berkeley, United States of America.
| | - T Zenteno-Savín
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S. C (CIBNOR), 23096 La Paz, Mexico.
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Celis JE, Espejo W, Chiang G, Kitamura D, Vergara E, Kashiwada S, O'Driscoll NJ. Trace and rare earth elements in excreta of two species of marine mammals from South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 183:114095. [PMID: 36070639 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114095] [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: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Pinnipeds are sentinel species for marine pollution, but their role as vectors of trace elements (TEs) or rare earth elements (REEs) to ecosystems has been poorly studied. The present study tested pinniped feces for 61 elements, including REEs. Feces of adult seals (Mirounga leonina, Hydrurga leptonyx) from Fildes Bay, King George Island, Antarctica, were analyzed by ICP-MS. TEs varied by several orders of magnitude across the suite examined herein, with Fe, Al, Zn, Mn, HgII and Sr as the top six in both species. Of the REEs, Ce, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, La, Lu, Nd, Pr, Sc, Sm, Tb, Y and Yb were found consistently in all samples and ranged from 0.935 to 0.006 μg g-1 d.w. The results show that both species act as biovector organisms of TEs and REEs through feces in remote environments, whose actual impacts and long-term fate need further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- José E Celis
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile
| | - Winfred Espejo
- Soils and Natural Resources Department, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Sustainability Research Centre-Ecology & Biodiversity Department, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daiki Kitamura
- Research Center for Life and Environmental Sciences, Toyo University, Oura 374-0193, Japan
| | - Elvira Vergara
- Doctorado Interdisciplinario en Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile; Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Research, Centro de Estudios Avanzados - HUB Ambiental UPLA, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Shosaku Kashiwada
- Research Center for Life and Environmental Sciences, Toyo University, Oura 374-0193, Japan
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
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5
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Links between individual performance, trace elements and stable isotopes in an endangered caribou population. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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6
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Puchades L, Gallego-Rios SE, Di Marzio A, Martínez-López E. Trace elements in blood of Baltic gray seal pups (Halichoerus grypus) from the Gulf of Riga and their relationship with biochemical and clinical parameters. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 182:113973. [PMID: 35908491 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113973] [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: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Trace elements are pollutants of both natural and anthropogenic origin which can influence negatively on ecosystem and wildlife health. We evaluated trace element in blood samples of gray seal (Halichoerus grypus) stranded in the Gulf of Riga and their influence on their health status through hematological and biochemical profiles. Zn showed the highest levels followed by Cu > Se > Pb > THg > As. Cr and Cd were not detected. Most trace element levels were generally comparable to those reported in seal species; however, high Pb values were observed in those sample showing detectable concentrations (<0.046-257.6 μg/kg ww). Significant positive correlations were found between trace elements concentrations and various biochemical parameters, including Se-ASAT, Se:Hg-ASAT, Cu-TP, Cu-ALB, CuCa, Zn-ALAT, ZN-LDH, ZnP, Zn-Segment neutrophils, and Pb-CK. Nevertheless, most relationships were not strong enough (p > 0.04) to assume a toxicological implication. Despite its limitations, this information could serve as the baseline for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Puchades
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - S E Gallego-Rios
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Pollution Diagnostics and Control Group (GDCON), School of the Environment, Faculty of Engineering, University Research Campus (SIU), University of Antioquia (U de A), Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellin, Colombia
| | - A Di Marzio
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Rigas Nacionalais Zoologiskais Darzs (Riga Zoo), Meza prospekts 1, LV-1014 Riga, Latvia
| | - E Martínez-López
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain; Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB-Arrixaca), University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
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7
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Baró-Camarasa I, Marmolejo-Rodríguez AJ, O'Hara TM, Castellini JM, Murillo-Cisneros DA, Martínez-Rincón RO, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Galván-Magaña F. Mercury maternal transfer in two placental sharks and a yolk-sac ray from Baja California Sur, Mexico. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 179:113672. [PMID: 35512518 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113672] [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: 09/25/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in muscle and liver of two placental viviparous sharks, the Pacific sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon longurio) and the brown smooth-hound (Mustelus henlei); as well as in the muscle, liver, and yolk of the yolk-sac viviparous speckled guitarfish (Pseudobatos glaucostigmus) in Baja California Sur. The aim was to determine which factors could be involved in maternal transfer and resultant maternal and embryonic THg concentration. Higher THg concentrations were found in pregnant females compared to embryos paired tissues. THg concentrations of embryo tissues decreased with total length (TL), except for the muscle of the Pacific sharpnose shark. THg concentrations of embryo muscle was positively related to THg concentration in the muscle of pregnant females. Embryos TL, muscle THg concentration of pregnant females, percentage of THg concentration in embryos, along with the reproductive strategy are relevant factors required to improve our understanding of THg concentration in embryo tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isis Baró-Camarasa
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | - Ana J Marmolejo-Rodríguez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Bilingual Laboratory of Toxicology, Dept. of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, C.P. 4461, TX, USA; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, C.P. 99775, AK, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, C.P. 99775, AK, USA
| | - Daniela A Murillo-Cisneros
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | - Raúl O Martínez-Rincón
- CONACYT-Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | | | - Felipe Galván-Magaña
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico.
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8
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Murillo-Cisneros DA, McHuron EA, Zenteno-Savín T, Castellini JM, Field CL, O'Hara TM. Fetal mercury concentrations in central California Pacific harbor seals: Associated drivers and outcomes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 820:153246. [PMID: 35065116 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153246] [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: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a well-known toxicant in wildlife and humans. High total Hg concentrations ([THg]) have been reported in central California harbor seals Phoca vitulina richardii. We evaluated the effects of presence/absence of early natal coat (lanugo), year (2012 to 2017), sex, stranding location, and trophic ecology (ẟ13C and ẟ15N values) on hair [THg] along coastal central California. Also examined were [THg] effects on growth rates of pups in rehabilitation and probability of release (e.g., successful rehabilitation). The [THg] ranged from 0.46-81.98 mg kg-1 dw, and ẟ15N and ẟ13C ranged from 13.6-21.5‰, and -17.2 to -13.0‰, respectively. Stranding location, year, and presence of lanugo coat were important factors explaining variation in [THg]. Seals from Sonoma and San Mateo County had higher [THg] than other locations. Seals with full or partial lanugo coat had lower [THg]. Seals from 2016 and 2017 had higher [THg] than those from 2015. Hair [THg] exceeded lower and upper toxicological thresholds (>20 mg kg-1 by year (5.88% to 23.53%); >30 mg kg-1 (0% to 12.31%)) with a pronounced increase from 2015 to 2016. Pups in 2017 had significantly higher odds ratio of [THg] above 20 mg kg-1 than pups of 2015, and pups in 2016 had significantly higher odds ratio than those from 2013 and 2015 (similar when using 30 mg kg-1). Pups in Sonoma County had the highest odds ratio for [THg] in lanugo above 20 mg kg-1. ẟ15N values were higher in 2015-2017, particularly relative to 2014, probably associated with the El Niño event. The [THg] was not a good predictor for probability of release and mass-specific growth rates in captivity. Further investigation of temporal trends of [THg] in harbor seals is warranted given the relatively high percentage of samples exceeding threshold values, particularly in the most recent sampling years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela A Murillo-Cisneros
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico
| | - Elizabeth A McHuron
- Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington, 3737 Brooklyn Avenue NE, Seattle, WA 98195-5672, USA
| | - Tania Zenteno-Savín
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Planeación Ambiental y Conservación, Instituto Politécnico Nacional 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita Sur, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23096, Mexico.
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Cara L Field
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Bilingual Laboratory of Toxicology, Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Sun J, Zhang L, Zhou F, Shaw S, Roos A, Berger M, Bäcklin BM, Huang Y, Zheng X, Wang X, Chen D. Hepatic Fatty Acid Profiles Associated with Exposure to Emerging and Legacy Halogenated Contaminants in Two Harbor Seal Populations across the North Atlantic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:1830-1840. [PMID: 35068154 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06512] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fatty acids (FAs) have been extensively used as indicators of foraging ecology in marine mammals, yet their association with exposure to contaminants has rarely been investigated. The present study provided the first characterization of the relationship between hepatic FA profiles and exposure to a suite of contaminants in a sentinel species─the harbor seal (Phoca vitulina)─from the Gulf of Maine and the south coast of Sweden. FA profiles differed in the two seal populations, and the levels of legacy and alternative brominated flame retardants and polyhalogenated carbazoles were significantly elevated in Maine seals. Correlations between individual FAs and multiple flame retardants (FRs) and poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were found in seals from both populations. Moreover, several FR and PFAS chemicals were significantly associated with the estimated desaturating enzyme activity inferred from the FA profiles. The ratios of poly to monounsaturated FAs (∑PUFAs/∑MUFAs) and those of unsaturated to saturated FAs (∑UFAs/∑SFAs) were significantly associated with HBBZ, PFHxS, or BDE 47 in seals from Maine and Sweden, whereas ∑n - 6/∑n - 3 PUFAs was significantly associated with BDE 154 and 36-CCZ in Swedish and Maine seals, respectively. Our results suggest the lipid metabolism-disrupting potential of these contaminants in marine mammals and warrant continuous biomonitoring and risk assessment, considering the critical role of PUFAs in vital biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Sun
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Long Zhang
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Fengli Zhou
- Research Center of Harmful Algae and Marine Biology, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Susan Shaw
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill, Maine 04614, United States
| | - Anna Roos
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 5007, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Michelle Berger
- Shaw Institute, Blue Hill Research Center, Blue Hill, Maine 04614, United States
| | - Britt-Marie Bäcklin
- Department of Contaminant Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 5007, Stockholm SE-10405, Sweden
| | - Yichao Huang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, CN-230032 Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Xiaoshi Zheng
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaodong Wang
- Research Center of Harmful Algae and Marine Biology, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Da Chen
- School of Environment, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Health, Jinan University, CN-510632 Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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10
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Simokon MV, Trukhin AM. Analysis of essential and non-essential trace elements in the organs of a mother-fetus pair of spotted seals (Phoca largha) from the Sea of Japan. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:60622-60634. [PMID: 34164788 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14971-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of 22 essential and non-essential trace elements (Be, Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Tl, Pb, Th, U, and Hg) were measured in the organs of a mother-fetus pair (at the last trimester of pregnancy) of spotted seals from the Sea of Japan. The concentrations of eleven elements are reported for the first time. Eight organs of the pair were examined: lungs, heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, spleen, muscles, and bones. All trace elements detected in the organs of the mother were found also in the organs of the fetus at various concentrations. Placenta is not an effective barrier to prevent non-essential elements from getting into the fetus, but can control entry of some of them, e.g., aluminum, cadmium, and mercury. In most organs of the fetus, the concentrations of toxic trace elements (beryllium, antimony, thorium, and uranium) were noticeably higher than in the same organs of the mother, which indicates that during pregnancy female removes excess of non-essential trace elements by transferring them to the fetal body through the placental barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Simokon
- Pacific Branch, Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), per. Shevchenko 4, Vladivostok, Russia, 690091
| | - Alexey M Trukhin
- V.I. Il'ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Baltiyskaya 43, Vladivostok, Russia, 690041.
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11
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Lian M, Field CL, van Wijngaarden E, Rios C, Castellini JM, Greig DJ, Rea LD, Coleman DJ, Thomson CE, Gulland FMD, O'Hara TM. Assessment of clinical outcomes associated with mercury concentrations in harbor seal pups (Phoca vitulina richardii) in central California. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 758:143686. [PMID: 33279198 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Monomethyl mercury (MeHg+) from the diet can cause mild to severe neurotoxicosis in fish-eating mammals. Chronic and low-level in utero exposure also can be neurotoxic, as documented in laboratory animal studies and epidemiologic investigations. In free-ranging animals, it is challenging to study low-level exposure related neurotoxicosis, and few studies have investigated the relationship between mercury (Hg) and adverse outcomes in wild populations. Relative to Hg concentrations on admission we evaluated different types of behaviors for 267 Pacific harbor seal (HS; Phoca vitulina richardii) pups at The Marine Mammal Center from 2015 to 2019 during rehabilitation after stranding and maternal separation. Admitted HS pups underwent a clinical exam; including sex and weight determination, and hair (partly lanugo grown in utero) and blood samples were collected for total Hg concentration ([THg]) determination. All pups were monitored weekly (behavior assessments included response to tactile stimulation, movement, swimming, interactions with other seals, hand feeding, and feeding independently), and days in rehabilitation and survival were recorded. There was a significant negative correlation between [THg] and responses to tactile stimulation and movements, measured in both hair and whole blood (p < 0.05). This relationship was found both during the intensive care unit (ICU) stage, and during the pool stage of rehabilitation. Additionally, there was a significant association between greater [THg] and number of days spent in rehabilitation, although there was no relationship between [THg] and survival. There was a significant sex difference, with greater [THg] in female pups, which contrasts with previously published findings in juvenile and adult harbor seals. Our findings support small, but significant associations between gestational THg exposure and clinical effects for tactile sensory response and movement, and longer rehabilitation durations for HS pups, although there was considerable variability among animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Lian
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 900 Yukon Dr Rm. 194, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6160, USA.
| | - Cara L Field
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Edwin van Wijngaarden
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Carlos Rios
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Denise J Greig
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Lorrie D Rea
- Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1764 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Denver J Coleman
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Christine E Thomson
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA; Animal Referral Hospital Brisbane, Sinnamon Park, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Frances M D Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA 94965, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2141 Koyokuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA; Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Reindl AR, Saniewska D, Grajewska A, Falkowska L, Saniewski M. Alimentary exposure and elimination routes of rare earth elements (REE) in marine mammals from the Baltic Sea and Antarctic coast. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 754:141947. [PMID: 32916487 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Marine mammals found at the top of the trophic pyramid are excellent bioindicators of pollutants in the marine environment, the concentrations of which increase along with the trophic level of the organism. As these animals are usually protected species, their contamination has to be assessed non-invasively by analysing excrement and epidermal structures such as fur or claws. The present study involved testing the excrement and fur of the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) from the Southern Baltic coast and the Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonine) from Admiralty Bay, along with fish muscle (food) and the lithological background of both areas, for the presence of rare earth elements (REE). The soil on the Baltic coast is characterized by the predomination of light rare earth elements (LREE): yttrium, lanthanum and cerium (∑REE = 7.86 mg·kg-1 dw). In the soil and bedrock of Admiralty Bay all REEs were found except for terbium, thulium and lutetium (∑REE = 96.1 mg·kg-1 dw). The REE levels found in the muscles of Baltic herring (∑REE = 0.057 mg·kg-1 ww) were lower than those in the muscles of marbled rockcod (∑REE = 0.540 mg·kg-1 ww). The situation was analogous in the mammals, with the REE concentrations in grey seal fur (∑REE = 0.489 mg·kg-1 dw) and excrement (∑REE = 0.676 mg·kg-1 dw) being lower than those found in the fur (∑REE = 10.1 mg·kg-1 dw) and excrement (∑REE = 83.6 mg·kg-1 dw) of the elephant seal. The LREE/HREE partition coefficients in the grey seal excrement (3.37) and its fur (4.00), but also in the faeces of the elephant seal (2.63) and its fur (2.65), indicate that in each species the process of elimination from the body occurs in similar proportions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej R Reindl
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Grajewska
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42 Str., 81-342 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Lucyna Falkowska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Michał Saniewski
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42 Str., 81-342 Gdynia, Poland
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Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Hartman CA, Casazza ML, Feldheim CL, Herzog MP. Mercury exposure in mammalian mesopredators inhabiting a brackish marsh. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 273:115808. [PMID: 33497946 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Bioaccumulation of environmental contaminants in mammalian predators can serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. We examined mercury concentrations of raccoons (Procyon lotor; n = 37 individuals) and striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis; n = 87 individuals) in Suisun Marsh, California, a large brackish marsh that is characterized by contiguous tracts of tidal marsh and seasonally impounded wetlands. Mean (standard error; range) total mercury concentrations in adult hair grown from 2015 to 2018 were 28.50 μg/g dw (3.05 μg/g dw; range: 4.46-81.01 μg/g dw) in raccoons and 4.85 μg/g dw (0.54 μg/g dw; range: 1.53-27.02 μg/g dw) in striped skunks. We reviewed mammalian hair mercury concentrations in the literature and raccoon mercury concentrations in Suisun Marsh were among the highest observed for wild mammals. Although striped skunk hair mercury concentrations were 83% lower than raccoons, they were higher than proposed background levels for mercury in mesopredator hair (1-5 μg/g). Hair mercury concentrations in skunks and raccoons were not related to animal size, but mercury concentrations were higher in skunks in poorer body condition. Large inter-annual differences in hair mercury concentrations suggest that methylmercury exposure to mammalian predators varied among years. Mercury concentrations of raccoon hair grown in 2017 were 2.7 times greater than hair grown in 2015, 1.7 times greater than hair grown in 2016, and 1.6 times greater than hair grown in 2018. Annual mean raccoon and skunk hair mercury concentrations increased with wetland habitat area. Furthermore, during 2017, raccoon hair mercury concentrations increased with the proportion of raccoon home ranges that was wetted habitat, as quantified using global positioning system (GPS) collars. The elevated mercury concentrations we observed in raccoons and skunks suggest that other wildlife at similar or higher trophic positions may also be exposed to elevated methylmercury bioaccumulation in brackish marshes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, 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
| | - C Alex Hartman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Michael L Casazza
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Cliff L Feldheim
- California Department of Water Resources, 3500 Industrial Blvd #131, West Sacramento, CA 95691, USA
| | - Mark P Herzog
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
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Grajewska A, Falkowska L, Saniewska D, Pawliczka I. Fur and faeces - Routes of mercury elimination in the Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus grypus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 717:137050. [PMID: 32062253 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on evaluating the elimination of Hg by Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus grypus) via faeces and pelage. In addition, we investigated the potential for ecosystem contamination via these routes. Faeces and fur were collected in 2014-2017 from captive adult grey seals and their pups. The concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were measured in the samples. The amount of mercury eliminated in a labile form (the sum of the bioavailable Hg(II) and methylmercury) was also determined. An adult seal removed about 46% of mercury supplied with food via the faeces, of which only 17% was MeHg. Considering that mercury is mainly supplied to the body as MeHg, it can be assumed that mercury excreted along with faeces has undergone transformation inside the animal body. Despite the much higher THg and MeHg concentrations measured in fur, the incorporation of mercury into newly formed fur is a less effective method of Hg elimination removing just 4% of mercury entering the body via the alimentary route. The presence of mercury in lanugo is evidence of maternal transfer. First droppings of the pups were characterised by the highest content of MeHg and a low THg concentration. Then, despite the limited supply of mercury with food, and the rapid growth of the pup, the concentration of THg increased, suggesting that mercury started to be transformed into less toxic forms. It was estimated that faeces and fur expelled by seals could deliver about 800 g of mercury to the Baltic Sea. For both faeces and fur, most of the mercury (>95% for excrements and >85% for fur) was expelled in a labile form that can be quickly recycled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Grajewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Lucyna Falkowska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Iwona Pawliczka
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Professor Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine Station, ul. Morska 2, 84-150 Hel, Poland
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Trace Element Concentrations in Livers of Pacific Harbor Seals ( Phoca vitulina richardii) from San Juan County, Washington, USA. J Wildl Dis 2019. [PMID: 31622186 DOI: 10.7589/2019-04-087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Approximately 5,000 Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) reside year-round in San Juan County (SJC), Washington (US) in the center of the binational Salish Sea. We retrospectively analyzed total cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn) in livers of dead stranded harbor seals (n=57) collected in SJC between 2009 and 2012 to identify age-related and regional patterns of trace element exposure. Consistent with prior studies of contaminants in pinnipeds, Hg, Cd, and Se concentrations increased with age, and Se:Hg molar ratios approached 1:1 in adult seals. Concentrations of Cd and Hg were below putative marine mammal toxicity thresholds. Mercury concentrations were comparable among Salish Sea populations. Although SJC is less urbanized with fewer industrial inputs than South Puget Sound (SPS), SJC nonpups had greater concentrations of Cd, Cu, and Zn, and pups had greater concentrations of Zn compared to SPS seals. We hypothesize these regional differences could be due to prey preference and availability or to natural geochemical processes. Reported concentrations inform future sampling protocols and can assist in tracking long-term temporal and spatial trends of trace elements in marine organisms.
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HAIR, WHOLE BLOOD, AND BLOOD-SOAKED CELLULOSE PAPER-BASED RISK ASSESSMENT OF MERCURY CONCENTRATIONS IN STRANDED CALIFORNIA PINNIPEDS. J Wildl Dis 2019. [DOI: 10.7589/2018-11-276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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17
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Grajewska A, Falkowska L, Saniewska D, Pawliczka I. Changes in total mercury, methylmercury, and selenium blood levels during different life history stages of the Baltic grey seal (Halichoerus grypus grypus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 676:268-277. [PMID: 31048158 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2019] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Using the blood of grey seal pups, the blood and milk of female grey seals inhabiting the Hel Marine Station of Gdansk University's Institute of Oceanography (HMS), we monitored the transfer of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and selenium (Se) with blood during foetal life and nursing. Changes in the concentration of mercury and selenium were characterised in the pups' blood during their first three months of life when they transition from suckling, to a post-weaning fast, to eating fish. In the blood of pregnant females, there was a significant decrease in THg and MeHg concentrations throughout the gestation, indicating the transfer of these toxins through the placenta into the foetus. At no other stage of the pup's development was there such a high level of THg and MeHg as on the day of birth, despite the incorporation of mercury into the lanugo during foetal growth. This suggests that the maternal transfer of mercury during gestation may be the time of greatest mercury exposure for a young seal pup. The consumption of milk caused a rapid increase in weight and a lowering of the mercury level in the blood in the subsequent days of the pups' life. The postweaning fast was the period of the lowest mercury concentration. The switch to a diet consisting of fish caused a systematic increase in the concentration of mercury in the blood of the pups. Milk was the significant source of selenium for pups and the selenium concentration in females' blood was reduced during lactation. The nursing period seemed to have the greatest impact on the mercury and selenium blood levels in examined seals. Natural development of the grey seal pup created an opportunity to decrease the levels of toxic substances obtained through the maternal transfer during foetal growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Grajewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Lucyna Falkowska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Iwona Pawliczka
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Professor Krzysztof Skóra Hel Marine Station, ul. Morska 2, 84-150 Hel, Poland
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High-precision isotopic analysis sheds new light on mercury metabolism in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas). Sci Rep 2019; 9:7262. [PMID: 31086275 PMCID: PMC6513992 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43825-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Whales accumulate mercury (Hg), but do not seem to show immediate evidence of toxic effects. Analysis of different tissues (liver, kidney, muscle) and biofluids (blood, milk) from a pod of stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) showed accumulation of Hg as a function of age, with a significant decrease in the MeHg fraction. Isotopic analysis revealed remarkable differences between juvenile and adult whales. During the first period of life, Hg in the liver became isotopically lighter (δ202Hg decreased) with a strongly decreasing methylmercury (MeHg) fraction. We suggest this is due to preferential demethylation of MeHg with the lighter Hg isotopes and transport of MeHg to less sensitive organs, such as the muscles. Also changes in diet, with high MeHg intake in utero and during lactation, followed by increasing consumption of solid food contribute to this behavior. Interestingly, this trend in δ202Hg is reversed for livers of adult whales (increasing δ202Hg value), accompanied by a progressive decrease of δ202Hg in muscle at older ages. These total Hg (THg) isotopic trends suggest changes in the Hg metabolism of the long-finned pilot whales, development of (a) detoxification mechanism(s) (e.g., though the formation of HgSe particles), and Hg redistribution across the different organs.
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Murillo-Cisneros DA, O'Hara TM, Castellini JM, Sánchez-González A, Elorriaga-Verplancken FR, Marmolejo-Rodríguez AJ, Marín-Enríquez E, Galván-Magaña F. Mercury concentrations in three ray species from the Pacific coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico: Variations by tissue type, sex and length. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 126:77-85. [PMID: 29421137 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury concentrations ([THg]) were determined in muscle and liver of the bat ray (Myliobatis californica), shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) and banded guitarfish (Zapteryx exasperata). Generalized linear models (GLM) were used to determine the effects of size and sex in [THg] and showed that both are determinants of [THg] in these species. The [THg] in both tissues significantly increased with length especially in sexually mature organisms with a steeper slope for mature male than mature female. This may relate to elasmobranchs sexual dimorphism driven variation in growth rates. Median muscle [THg] was significantly greater than liver in each ray species but there were some individuals with higher liver [THg] than muscle. There were individuals with muscle [THg] higher than the advisory thresholds of 0.2 and 0.5mgkg-1ww (2.4 and 11% of the bat ray; 2.1 and 10% of the shovelnose guitarfish; 12.6 and 45% of the banded guitarfish, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela A Murillo-Cisneros
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. I.P.N. s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 901 Koyukuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 901 Koyukuk Dr, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7750, USA
| | - Alberto Sánchez-González
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. I.P.N. s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico
| | - Fernando R Elorriaga-Verplancken
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. I.P.N. s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico
| | - Ana J Marmolejo-Rodríguez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. I.P.N. s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico
| | - Emigdio Marín-Enríquez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, S.C. Av. IPN S/N, Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, 23096 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
| | - Felipe Galván-Magaña
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. I.P.N. s/n, Colonia Playa Palo de Santa Rita, Apartado Postal 592, La Paz, Baja California Sur C.P. 23000, Mexico.
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van Hees KE, Ebert DA. An evaluation of mercury offloading in two Central California elasmobranchs. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 590-591:154-162. [PMID: 28262360 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Elasmobranchs occupy high trophic levels, accumulate high concentrations of mercury in their tissues, and have high energetic levels of maternal investment to offspring, which may cause embryos to be exposed in utero to harmful concentrations of mercury. We investigated the maternal transfer of mercury in two common coastal elasmobranch species, Triakis semifasciata and Platyrhinoidis triseriata, to determine which reproductive parameters may influence mercury offloading, and whether embryos are at risk to mercury toxicity. Mercury concentration was measured in female muscle, female liver, and embryonic tissues. The behavior of mercury in adult female tissues differed between species, as liver mercury concentration was significantly correlated to muscle mercury concentration in P. triseriata but not in T. semifasciata. Embryos of both species were found with potentially harmful mercury concentrations in their muscle tissues. Embryo mercury concentration increased with female muscle mercury concentration, but the relationship to female liver mercury was more variable. The rate of mercury transfer and overall offloading potential were significantly greater in P. triseriata than T. semifasciata. It appears that female mercury concentration, either in muscle or liver, is an important influencing factor for mercury offloading, but the impact of the differing reproductive modes in these two species was less clear. More study on this subject will continue to elucidate the factors influencing mercury offloading in sharks and rays, and how contaminant risk affects populations on a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelley E van Hees
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA.
| | - David A Ebert
- Pacific Shark Research Center, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA.
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Formigaro C, Karamanlidis AA, Dendrinos P, Marsili L, Silvi M, Zaccaroni A. Trace element concentrations in the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 576:528-537. [PMID: 27810742 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. The biggest sub-population of the species survives in Greece, where understanding the effects of pollution on the survival of the species has been identified as a national research and conservation priority. From 1990 to 2013 we collected tissue samples from 59 deceased monk seals in order to: (i) Define the concentration of trace elements (As, Pb, Cd, Hg, Se, Cr, Ni) in three different matrices (i.e., blubber, liver and kidney), (ii) Determine whether differences in trace element concentrations are age- or gender-related, (iii) Evaluate the potential effects of these pollutants. The study recorded differences in trace element concentrations among matrices, but in general, trace element exposure in Mediterranean monk seals in Greece was low and within the non-acutely toxic levels for Pinnipeds. Only arsenic concentrations were at the upper limit of the normal range observed in other marine mammals (0.69±0.55mg/kg w.w. in blubber, 0.79±0.62mg/kg w.w. in liver and 0.79±0.59mg/kg w.w. in kidney). We recorded also exceptionally high Hg concentrations in a single adult female (24.88mg/kg w.w.). Age- and gender-related differences were also recorded and were due to various biological, ecological and chemical factors. Based on the results of the study, potentially adverse effects on the immune and endocrine system of the Mediterranean monk seal from some pollutants (e.g., As, Cd, Se, Ni, Cr) cannot be ruled out, which may expose the Mediterranean seal population in Greece to epizootics and stochastic phenomena of mass mortality. It is therefore of utmost importance that pollutant monitoring becomes an integral component of the standard monitoring protocol of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal in the eastern Mediterranean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Formigaro
- Large Pelagic Vertebrate Group, Department Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, 47042 Cesenatico (FC), Italy
| | - Alexandros A Karamanlidis
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou Str. 18, 10682 Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Dendrinos
- MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal, Solomou Str. 18, 10682 Athens, Greece
| | - Letizia Marsili
- Department of Environment, Earth and Physical Sciences, University of Siena, via Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena (SI), Italy
| | - Marina Silvi
- Large Pelagic Vertebrate Group, Department Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, 47042 Cesenatico (FC), Italy
| | - Annalisa Zaccaroni
- Large Pelagic Vertebrate Group, Department Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Vespucci 2, 47042 Cesenatico (FC), Italy.
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Zvěřina O, Coufalík P, Brat K, Červenka R, Kuta J, Mikeš O, Komárek J. Leaching of mercury from seal carcasses into Antarctic soils. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:1424-1431. [PMID: 27783245 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7879-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
More than 400 seal mummies and skeletons are now mapped in the northern part of James Ross Island, Antarctica. Decomposing carcasses represent a rare source of both organic matter and associated elements for the soil. Owing to their high trophic position, seals are known to carry a significant mercury body burden. This work focuses on the extent of the mercury input from seal carcasses and shows that such carcasses represent locally significant sources of mercury and methylmercury for the environment. Mercury contents in soil samples from the surrounding areas were determined using a single-purpose AAS mercury analyzer. For the determination of methylmercury, an ultra-sensitive isotopic dilution HPLC-ICP-MS technique was used. In the soils lying directly under seal carcasses, mercury contents were higher, with levels reaching almost 40 μg/kg dry weight of which methylmercury formed up to 2.8 % of the total. The spatial distribution implies rather slow vertical transport to the lower soil layers instead of a horizontal spread. For comparison, the background level of mercury in soils of the investigated area was found to be 8 μg/kg dry weight, with methylmercury accounting for less than 0.1 %. Apart from the direct mercury input, an enhanced level of nutrients in the vicinity of carcasses enables the growth of lichens and mosses with accumulative ability with respect to metals. The enhanced capacity of soil to retain mercury is also anticipated due to the high content of total organic carbon (from 1.6 to 7.5 %). According to the results, seal remains represent a clear source of mercury in the observed area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondřej Zvěřina
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Pavel Coufalík
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Analytical Chemistry, The Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Veveří 97, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kristián Brat
- Department of Respiratory Diseases and TB, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Respiratory Diseases and TB, University Hospital Brno, Jihlavská 20, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Rostislav Červenka
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Kuta
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Mikeš
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Komárek
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Costa DP. Marine foraging ecology influences mercury bioaccumulation in deep-diving northern elephant seals. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.0710. [PMID: 26085591 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury contamination of oceans is prevalent worldwide and methylmercury concentrations in the mesopelagic zone (200-1000 m) are increasing more rapidly than in surface waters. Yet mercury bioaccumulation in mesopelagic predators has been understudied. Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) biannually travel thousands of kilometres to forage within coastal and open-ocean regions of the northeast Pacific Ocean. We coupled satellite telemetry, diving behaviour and stable isotopes (carbon and nitrogen) from 77 adult females, and showed that variability among individuals in foraging location, diving depth and δ(13)C values were correlated with mercury concentrations in blood and muscle. We identified three clusters of foraging strategies, and these resulted in substantially different mercury concentrations: (i) deeper-diving and offshore-foraging seals had the greatest mercury concentrations, (ii) shallower-diving and offshore-foraging seals had intermediate levels, and (iii) coastal and more northerly foraging seals had the lowest mercury concentrations. Additionally, mercury concentrations were lower at the end of the seven-month-long foraging trip (n = 31) than after the two-month- long post-breeding trip (n = 46). Our results indicate that foraging behaviour influences mercury exposure and mesopelagic predators foraging in the northeast Pacific Ocean may be at high risk for mercury bioaccumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA 95620, USA
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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24
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Noël M, Jeffries S, Lambourn DM, Telmer K, Macdonald R, Ross PS. Mercury Accumulation in Harbour Seals from the Northeastern Pacific Ocean: The Role of Transplacental Transfer, Lactation, Age and Location. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2016; 70:56-66. [PMID: 26159879 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-015-0193-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) bioaccumulates in the aquatic food chain in the form of methylmercury, a compound well known for its neurotoxicity. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in hair collected from 209 harbour seals captured at 10 sites in British Columbia (Canada) and Washington State (USA) between 2003 and 2010. In addition, laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) allowed for a highly refined analysis of THg accumulation over time by examining nine whiskers taken from 4- to 6-week-old pups. We estimate that THg concentrations in pups increased sharply at a point corresponding to mid- to late gestation of their time in utero (4.7 ± 0.8 and 6.6 ± 1.3 µg/g dry weight (dw), respectively), and then again at the onset of nursing (8.1 ± 1.3 µg/g dw). These abrupt changes highlight the importance of both pre- and post-natal THg transfer from the mother to the growing fetus and the newborn pup. While THg levels varied among sites, hair analyses from seals collected at the same site demonstrated the influence of age in THg accumulation with pups (5.3 ± 0.3 µg/g) and juveniles (4.5 ± 0.5 µg/g) having lower levels than those in adults (8.3 ± 0.8 µg/g). Our results revealed that 33 % of the pups sampled (n = 167) had THg levels that surpassed a mammalian hair threshold for neurochemical alterations. This study suggests that Hg could represent a health concern to marine wildlife, especially as atmospheric emissions of this toxic element from human activities in the Pacific Rim and worldwide continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Noël
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6, Canada
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center, P.O. Box 3232, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X8, Canada
| | - Steven Jeffries
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 7801 Philips Road, Lakewood, WA, 98498, USA
| | - Dyanna M Lambourn
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 7801 Philips Road, Lakewood, WA, 98498, USA
| | - Kevin Telmer
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 3P6, Canada
- Artisanal Gold Council, 101-732 Cormorant St., Victoria, BC, V8W 4A5, Canada
| | - Robie Macdonald
- Institute of Ocean Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, BC, V8L 4B2, Canada
| | - Peter S Ross
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center, P.O. Box 3232, Vancouver, BC, V6B 3X8, Canada.
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25
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Cossaboon JM, Ganguli PM, Flegal AR. Mercury offloaded in Northern elephant seal hair affects coastal seawater surrounding rookery. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:12058-62. [PMID: 26372960 PMCID: PMC4593100 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1506520112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin that is biomagnified approximately 1-10 million-fold in aquatic carnivores such as the Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), whose excreta and molted pelage, in turn, constitute a source of environmental MeHg contamination at the base of marine food chains. The potential for this top-down contamination is greatest in coastal areas with productive marine ecosystems that provide ideal habitats for large marine mammal colonies that can number in the thousands. This recycling of MeHg was evidenced by comparing total mercury (HgT) and MeHg concentrations in seawater, and HgT in molted pelage of M. angustirostris, at the Año Nuevo State Reserve pinniped rookery with concentrations at neighboring coastal sites in Central California. Seawater MeHg concentrations around the rookery (average = 2.5 pM) were markedly higher than those at the comparison coastal sites (average = 0.30 pM), and were as high as 9.5 pM during the M. angustirostris molting season. As a consequence, excreta and molts from this marine mammal colony, and presumably other marine predator populations, constitute a major source of MeHg at the base of the local marine food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Cossaboon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, WIGS Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064;
| | - Priya M Ganguli
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, WIGS Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
| | - A Russell Flegal
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, WIGS Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
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26
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Van Hoomissen S, Gulland FMD, Greig DJ, Castellini JM, O'Hara TM. Blood and Hair Mercury Concentrations in the Pacific Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) Pup: Associations with Neurodevelopmental Outcomes. ECOHEALTH 2015; 12:490-500. [PMID: 25814195 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-015-1021-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Revised: 12/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Monomethylmercury (MeHg(+)) is an environmental pollutant, which at sufficiently high exposures, has induced neurotoxicosis in several animal species, including humans. Adverse neurological effects due to gestational exposure are of particular concern as MeHg(+) readily crosses the blood-brain and placental barriers. The degree to which environmental concentrations in marine prey affect free-living piscivorous wildlife, however, remains largely undetermined. We examined associations of gestational exposures to mercury on neurodevelopment and survival using hair and blood concentrations of total mercury ([THg]) in a stranded population of Pacific harbor seal pups from central California. A positive association was determined for the presence of abnormal neurological symptoms and increasing [THg] in blood (P = 0.04), but not hair. Neither hair nor blood [THg] was significantly associated with survival, or the neurodevelopmental milestone 'free-feeding', which was measured from the onset of hand-assisted feeding to the time at which pups were able to consume fish independently. Both hair and blood [THg] exceeded threshold values considered potentially toxic to humans and other mammalian wildlife species. The higher [THg] in blood associated with abnormal neurological symptoms may indicate an adverse effect of this pollutant on neurodevelopment in harbor seal pups. These data have broader implications with respect to human health and public policy as harbor seals and humans consume similar fish species, and it is possible that safeguard levels established for marine mammals could also extend to human populations that regularly consume fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samala Van Hoomissen
- School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware St SE Mmc88, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- , 8601 Lincoln Blvd. #3317, Los Angeles, CA, 90045, USA.
| | - Frances M D Gulland
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA, 94965, USA
| | - Denise J Greig
- The Marine Mammal Center, 2000 Bunker Road, Fort Cronkhite, Sausalito, CA, 94965, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Natural Science and Mathematics, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
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27
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Masbou J, Point D, Sonke JE, Frappart F, Perrot V, Amouroux D, Richard P, Becker PR. Hg Stable Isotope Time Trend in Ringed Seals Registers Decreasing Sea Ice Cover in the Alaskan Arctic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:8977-85. [PMID: 26132925 DOI: 10.1021/es5048446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Decadal time trends of mercury (Hg) concentrations in Arctic biota suggest that anthropogenic Hg is not the single dominant factor modulating Hg exposure to Arctic wildlife. Here, we present Hg speciation (monomethyl-Hg) and stable isotopic composition (C, N, Hg) of 53 Alaskan ringed seal liver samples covering a period of 14 years (1988-2002). In vivo metabolic effects and foraging ecology explain most of the observed 1.6 ‰ variation in liver δ(202)Hg, but not Δ(199)Hg. Ringed seal habitat use and migration were the most likely factors explaining Δ(199)Hg variations. Average Δ(199)Hg in ringed seal liver samples from Barrow increased significantly from +0.38 ± 0.08‰ (±SE, n = 5) in 1988 to +0.59 ± 0.07‰ (±SE, n = 7) in 2002 (4.1 ± 1.2% per year, p < 0.001). Δ(199)Hg in marine biological tissues is thought to reflect marine Hg photochemistry before biouptake and bioaccumulation. A spatiotemporal analysis of sea ice cover that accounts for the habitat of ringed seals suggests that the observed increase in Δ(199)Hg may have been caused by the progressive summer sea ice disappearance between 1988 and 2002. While changes in seal liver Δ(199)Hg values suggests a mild sea ice control on marine MMHg breakdown, the effect is not large enough to induce measurable HgT changes in biota. This suggests that Hg trends in biota in the context of a warming Arctic are likely controlled by other processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Masbou
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - David Point
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Frédéric Frappart
- †Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/IRD/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Vincent Perrot
- ‡Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l'Environnement et les Matériaux, CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau, 64053, France
| | - David Amouroux
- ‡Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut Pluridisciplinaire de Recherche sur l'Environnement et les Matériaux, CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau, 64053, France
| | - Pierre Richard
- §UMR Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Institut du Littoral et de l'Environnement, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Paul R Becker
- ∥National Institute of Standards and Technology, Analytical Chemistry Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, South Carolina 29412 United States
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28
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Climate change impacts on environmental and human exposure to mercury in the arctic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2015; 12:3579-99. [PMID: 25837201 PMCID: PMC4410204 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120403579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews information from the literature and the EU ArcRisk project to assess whether climate change results in an increase or decrease in exposure to mercury (Hg) in the Arctic, and if this in turn will impact the risks related to its harmful effects. It presents the state-of-the art of knowledge on atmospheric mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources worldwide, the long-range transport to the Arctic, and it discusses the likely environmental fate and exposure effects on population groups in the Arctic under climate change conditions. The paper also includes information about the likely synergy effects (co-benefits) current and new climate change polices and mitigation options might have on mercury emissions reductions in the future. The review concludes that reductions of mercury emission from anthropogenic sources worldwide would need to be introduced as soon as possible in order to assure lowering the adverse impact of climate change on human health. Scientific information currently available, however, is not in the position to clearly answer whether climate change will increase or decrease the risk of exposure to mercury in the Arctic. New research should therefore be undertaken to model the relationships between climate change and mercury exposure.
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29
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Noël M, Spence J, Harris KA, Robbins CT, Fortin JK, Ross PS, Christensen JR. Grizzly bear hair reveals toxic exposure to mercury through salmon consumption. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:7560-7567. [PMID: 24904971 DOI: 10.1021/es500631g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Mercury obtained from the diet accumulates in mammalian hair as it grows thus preserving a record of mercury intake over the growth period of a given hair segment. We adapted a microanalysis approach, using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, to characterize temporal changes in mercury exposure and uptake in wild and captive grizzly bears. Captive grizzlies fed diets containing known and varied amounts of mercury provided data to allow prediction of Hg ingestion rates in wild bears. Here, we show, for the first time, that 70% of the coastal grizzly bears sampled had Hg levels exceeding the neurochemical effect level proposed for polar bears. In a context where the international community is taking global actions to reduce Hg emissions through the "Minamata Convention on Mercury", our study provides valuable information on the exposure to mercury of these grizzly bears already under many threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Noël
- Stantec Consulting Ltd., 2042 Mills Road, Unit 11, Sidney, British Columbia V8L 4X2, Canada
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McHuron EA, Harvey JT, Castellini JM, Stricker CA, O'Hara TM. Selenium and mercury concentrations in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from central California: health implications in an urbanized estuary. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2014; 83:48-57. [PMID: 24823685 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 04/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We measured total selenium and total mercury concentrations ([TSe] and [THg]) in hair (n=138) and blood (n=73) of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from California to assess variation by geography and sex, and inferred feeding relationships based on carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopes. Harbor seals from Hg-contaminated sites had significantly greater [THg], and lesser [TSe] and TSe:THg molar ratios than seals from a relatively uncontaminated site. Males had significantly greater [THg] than females at all locations. Sulfur stable isotope values explained approximately 25% of the variability in [THg], indicating increased Hg exposure for seals with a greater use of estuarine prey species. Decreased [TSe] in harbor seals from Hg-contaminated regions may indicate a relative Se deficiency to mitigate the toxic effects of Hg. Further investigation into the Se status and the potential negative impact of Hg on harbor seals from Hg-contaminated sites is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McHuron
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA.
| | - James T Harvey
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - J Margaret Castellini
- Institute of Marine Science, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757220, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220, USA
| | - Craig A Stricker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Denver Federal Center, Building 21, MS963, Denver, CO 80225, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 755940, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, USA
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Correa L, Rea LD, Bentzen R, O'Hara TM. Assessment of mercury and selenium tissular concentrations and total mercury body burden in 6 Steller sea lion pups from the Aleutian Islands. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2014; 82:175-182. [PMID: 24661459 PMCID: PMC4123997 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Revised: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of total mercury ([THg]) and selenium ([TSe]) were measured in several tissue compartments in Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups; in addition we determined specific compartment and body burdens of THg. Compartmental and body burdens were calculated by multiplying specific compartment fresh weight by the [THg] (summing compartment burdens equals body burden). In all 6 pup tissue sets (1) highest [THg] was in hair, (2) lowest [THg] was in bone, and (3) pelt, muscle and liver burdens contributed the top three highest percentages of THg body burden. In 5 of 6 pups the Se:Hg molar ratios among compartments ranged from 0.9 to 43.0. The pup with the highest hair [THg] had Se:Hg molar ratios in 9 of 14 compartments that were ⩽ 0.7 potentially indicating an inadequate [TSe] relative to [THg].
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucero Correa
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755940, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940, USA.
| | - Lorrie D Rea
- Division of Wildlife Conservation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Institute of Northern Engineering, Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 755910, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5910, USA
| | - Rebecca Bentzen
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940, USA
| | - Todd M O'Hara
- Institute of Arctic Biology and Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Alaska Fairbanks, PO Box 757000, Fairbanks, AK 99775-5940, USA
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USE OF CELLULOSE FILTER PAPER TO QUANTIFY WHOLE-BLOOD MERCURY IN TWO MARINE MAMMALS: VALIDATION STUDY. J Wildl Dis 2014; 50:271-8. [DOI: 10.7589/2013-08-214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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33
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Akmajian A, Calambokidis J, Huggins JL, Lambourn D. Age, Region, and Temporal Patterns of Trace Elements Measured in Stranded Harbor Seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) from Washington Inland Waters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1898/nwn13-26.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrianne Akmajian
- Makah Fisheries Management, 150 Resort Drive, Neah Bay, WA 98357 USA; Cascadia Research Collective, 218 ½ W 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501 USA
| | - John Calambokidis
- Cascadia Research Collective, 218½ W 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501 USA
| | - Jessica L Huggins
- Cascadia Research Collective, 218½ W 4th Avenue, Olympia, WA 98501 USA
| | - Dyanna Lambourn
- Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Mammal Investigations, 7801 Phillips Road SW, Lakewood, WA 98498 USA
- Corresponding Editor: Robert Hoffman
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Hughes SN, Greig DJ, Miller WA, Byrne BA, Gulland FMD, Harvey JT. Dynamics of Vibrio with virulence genes detected in Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) off California: implications for marine mammal health. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2013; 65:982-994. [PMID: 23392641 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-013-0188-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Given their coastal site fidelity and opportunistic foraging behavior, harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) may serve as sentinels for coastal ecosystem health. Seals using urbanized coastal habitat can acquire enteric bacteria, including Vibrio that may affect their health. To understand Vibrio dynamics in seals, demographic and environmental factors were tested for predicting potentially virulent Vibrio in free-ranging and stranded Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) off California. Vibrio prevalence did not vary with season and was greater in free-ranging seals (29 %, n = 319) compared with stranded seals (17 %, n = 189). Of the factors tested, location, turbidity, and/or salinity best predicted Vibrio prevalence in free-ranging seals. The relationship of environmental factors with Vibrio prevalence differed by location and may be related to oceanographic or terrestrial contributions to water quality. Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio alginolyticus, and Vibrio cholerae were observed in seals, with V. cholerae found almost exclusively in stranded pups and yearlings. Additionally, virulence genes (trh and tdh) were detected in V. parahaemolyticus isolates. Vibrio cholerae isolates lacked targeted virulence genes, but were hemolytic. Three out of four stranded pups with V. parahaemolyticus (trh+ and/or tdh+) died in rehabilitation, but the role of Vibrio in causing mortality is unclear, and Vibrio expression of virulence genes should be investigated. Considering that humans share the environment and food resources with seals, potentially virulent Vibrio observed in seals also may be of concern to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie N Hughes
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 93059, USA.
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Savery LC, Evers DC, Wise SS, Falank C, Wise J, Gianios C, Kerr I, Payne R, Thompson WD, Perkins C, Zheng T, Zhu C, Benedict L, Wise JP. Global mercury and selenium concentrations in skin from free-ranging sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 450-451:59-71. [PMID: 23467177 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2012] [Revised: 01/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pollution of the ocean by mercury (Hg) is a global concern. Hg persists, bioaccumulates and is toxic putting high trophic consumers at risk. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), is a sentinel of ocean health due to its wide distribution, longevity and high trophic level. Our aim was to survey Hg concentrations worldwide in the skin of free-ranging sperm whales considering region, gender and age. Samples were collected from 343 whales in 17 regions during the voyage of the research vessel, Odyssey, between 1999 and 2005. Skin was analyzed for total Hg and detected in all but three samples with a global mean of 2.5±0.1 μg g(-1) ranging from 0.1 to 16.0 μg g(-1). The Mediterranean Sea had the highest regional mean with 6.1 μg g(-1) followed by Australia with 3.5 μg g(-1). Considering gender, females and males did not have significantly different global Hg concentrations. The variation among regions for females was significantly different with highest levels in the Mediterranean and lowest in Sri Lanka; however, males were not significantly different among regions. Considering age in males, adults and subadults did not have significantly different Hg concentrations, and were not significantly different among regions. The toxic effects of these Hg concentrations are uncertain. Selenium (Se), an essential element, antagonizes Hg at equimolar amounts. We measured total Se concentrations and found detectable levels in all samples with a global mean of 33.1±1.1 μg g(-1) ranging from 2.5 to 179 μg g(-1). Se concentrations were found to be several fold higher than Hg concentrations with the average Se:Hg molar ratio being 59:1 and no correlation between the two elements. It is possible Hg is being detoxified in the skin by another mechanism. These data provide the first global analysis of Hg and Se concentrations in a free-ranging cetacean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Savery
- Wise Laboratory of Environmental and Genetic Toxicology, University of Southern Maine, P.O. Box 9300, 96 Falmouth St., Portland, ME 04104, USA
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Habran S, Pomeroy PP, Debier C, Das K. Changes in trace elements during lactation in a marine top predator, the grey seal. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2013; 126:455-466. [PMID: 23010392 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2012.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2012] [Revised: 08/11/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Lactation in pinnipeds represents the most significant cost to mothers during the reproductive cycle. Dynamics of trace elements and their mobilization associated with energy reserves during such an intense physiological process remains poorly understood in marine mammals. The changes in tissue concentrations of 11 elements (Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn) were investigated in a longitudinal study during the lactation period and during the post-weaning fast period. Blood, milk, blubber, and hair samples were collected sequentially from 21 mother-pup pairs of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from the Isle of May in Scotland. Maternal transfer through the milk was observed for all trace elements, except for Cd. As an indicator of the placental transfer, levels in pup lanugo (natal coat) revealed also the existence of maternal transfer and accumulation of all assayed trace elements during the foetal development. The placental and mammary barriers against non-essential metal transfer to offspring appear to be absent or weak in grey seals. Examining the contamination levels showed that this grey seal population seems more highly exposed to Pb than other phocid populations (2.2 mg/kg dw of grey seal hair). In contrast, blood and hair levels reflected a lower Hg exposure in grey seals from the Isle of May than in harbour seals from the southeastern North Sea. This study also showed that trace element concentrations in blood and blubber could change rapidly over the lactation period. Such physiological processes must be considered carefully during biomonitoring of trace elements, and potential impacts that rapid fluctuations in concentrations can exert on seal health should be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Habran
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE, University of Liege, Belgium.
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Dietz R, Sonne C, Basu N, Braune B, O'Hara T, Letcher RJ, Scheuhammer T, Andersen M, Andreasen C, Andriashek D, Asmund G, Aubail A, Baagøe H, Born EW, Chan HM, Derocher AE, Grandjean P, Knott K, Kirkegaard M, Krey A, Lunn N, Messier F, Obbard M, Olsen MT, Ostertag S, Peacock E, Renzoni A, Rigét FF, Skaare JU, Stern G, Stirling I, Taylor M, Wiig Ø, Wilson S, Aars J. What are the toxicological effects of mercury in Arctic biota? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 443:775-90. [PMID: 23231888 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.11.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 188] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 11/10/2012] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
This review critically evaluates the available mercury (Hg) data in Arctic marine biota and the Inuit population against toxicity threshold values. In particular marine top predators exhibit concentrations of mercury in their tissues and organs that are believed to exceed thresholds for biological effects. Species whose concentrations exceed threshold values include the polar bears (Ursus maritimus), beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), pilot whale (Globicephala melas), hooded seal (Cystophora cristata), a few seabird species, and landlocked Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). Toothed whales appear to be one of the most vulnerable groups, with high concentrations of mercury recorded in brain tissue with associated signs of neurochemical effects. Evidence of increasing concentrations in mercury in some biota in Arctic Canada and Greenland is therefore a concern with respect to ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Department for Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, P.O. Box 358, Roskilde, DK-4000, Denmark.
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McHuron EA, Harvey JT, Castellini JM, O'Hara TM. Hair sampling location in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) affects selenium and mercury concentrations: implications for study design of trace element determination in pinnipeds. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2012; 64:2519-2522. [PMID: 23017952 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2012] [Revised: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Hair is used to determine trace elements exposure and status of pinnipeds because it is an excretory route for many elements and can be collected non-lethally. Despite increased use, there have been few studies on how sampling designs and procedures (e.g., hair type, collection site) affect results. The objective of this study was to determine whether concentrations of an essential (selenium; Se) and non-essential element (mercury; Hg) differed between hair samples collected from two body locations on harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Concentrations of Se and total Hg (THg) differed between mid-dorsal midline and neck samples, and although the absolute differences were relatively small (Δ(absolute) Se = 0.69 μg g(-1), Δ(absolute) THg = 2.86 μg g(-1)), the relative differences were large (Δ(relative) Se = 49%, Δ(relative) THg = 17%). These differences highlight the need to standardize the collection site for trace element determination in pinnipeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A McHuron
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA.
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Davis JA, Looker RE, Yee D, Marvin-Di Pasquale M, Grenier JL, Austin CM, McKee LJ, Greenfield BK, Brodberg R, Blum JD. Reducing methylmercury accumulation in the food webs of San Francisco Bay and its local watersheds. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 119:3-26. [PMID: 23122771 PMCID: PMC4062181 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
San Francisco Bay (California, USA) and its local watersheds present an interesting case study in estuarine mercury (Hg) contamination. This review focuses on the most promising avenues for attempting to reduce methylmercury (MeHg) contamination in Bay Area aquatic food webs and identifying the scientific information that is most urgently needed to support these efforts. Concern for human exposure to MeHg in the region has led to advisories for consumption of sport fish. Striped bass from the Bay have the highest average Hg concentration measured for this species in USA estuaries, and this degree of contamination has been constant for the past 40 years. Similarly, largemouth bass in some Bay Area reservoirs have some of the highest Hg concentrations observed in the entire US. Bay Area wildlife, particularly birds, face potential impacts to reproduction based on Hg concentrations in the tissues of several Bay species. Source control of Hg is one of the primary possible approaches for reducing MeHg accumulation in Bay Area aquatic food webs. Recent findings (particularly Hg isotope measurements) indicate that the decades-long residence time of particle-associated Hg in the Bay is sufficient to allow significant conversion of even the insoluble forms of Hg into MeHg. Past inputs have been thoroughly mixed throughout this shallow and dynamic estuary. The large pool of Hg already present in the ecosystem dominates the fraction converted to MeHg and accumulating in the food web. Consequently, decreasing external Hg inputs can be expected to reduce MeHg in the food web, but it will likely take many decades to centuries before those reductions are achieved. Extensive efforts to reduce loads from the largest Hg mining source (the historic New Almaden mining district) are underway. Hg is spread widely across the urban landscape, but there are a number of key sources, source areas, and pathways that provide opportunities to capture larger quantities of Hg and reduce loads from urban runoff. Atmospheric deposition is a lower priority for source control in the Bay Area due to a combination of a lack of major local sources. Internal net production of MeHg is the dominant source of MeHg that enters the food web. Controlling internal net production is the second primary management approach, and has the potential to reduce food web MeHg in some habitats more effectively and within a much shorter time-frame. Controlling net MeHg production and accumulation in the food web of upstream reservoirs and ponds is very promising due to the many features of these ecosystems that can be manipulated. The most feasible control options in tidal marshes relate to the design of flow patterns and subhabitats in restoration projects. Options for controlling MeHg production in open Bay habitat are limited due primarily to the highly dispersed distribution of Hg throughout the ecosystem. Other changes in these habitats may also have a large influence on food web MeHg, including temperature changes due to global warming, sea level rise, food web alterations due to introduced species and other causes, and changes in sediment supply. Other options for reducing or mitigating exposure and risk include controlling bioaccumulation, cleanup of contaminated sites, and reducing other factors (e.g., habitat availability) that limit at-risk wildlife populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Davis
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 4911 Central Avenue, Richmond, CA 94804, USA.
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Habran S, Crocker DE, Debier C, Das K. How are trace elements mobilized during the postweaning fast in Northern elephant seals? ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2012; 31:2354-2365. [PMID: 22833380 DOI: 10.1002/etc.1960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2012] [Revised: 05/23/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) pups undergo a substantial intertissue reorganization of protein, minerals, and other cellular components during their postweaning development, which might entail the mobilization of associated contaminants. The authors investigated the changes in concentrations of 11 elements (Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn) in a longitudinal study on 22 northern elephant seal pups during the postweaning fast. Slight changes in most element concentrations were observed in blood throughout the fast. Circulating levels of Hg, Se, and Cu appeared less altered during the postweaning fast than measured during suckling. Despite the considerable fat utilization, element concentrations, except Fe, in blubber remained stable throughout the fast, which suggests that elements are mobilized from blubber as efficiently as lipids. As indicators of the placental transfer, concentrations in lanugo hair revealed the existence of maternal transfer and accumulation of all assayed trace elements during fetal development. In addition, the new pelage, rapidly produced after weaning, appeared to be an important elimination route for toxic metals such as Hg, Cd, and Pb. The high mineral content detected in pup hair suggests that this species would be more exposed to trace elements than other phocids (except Cd and Pb). Nevertheless, this statement needs further monitoring and toxicological studies to determine better the exposition to trace elements and its potential impact on the health of the northern elephant seal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Habran
- Laboratory of Oceanology-MARE B6c, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
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Castellini JM, Rea LD, Lieske CL, Beckmen KB, Fadely BS, Maniscalco JM, O'Hara TM. Mercury concentrations in hair from neonatal and juvenile Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus): implications based on age and region in this northern Pacific marine sentinel piscivore. ECOHEALTH 2012; 9:267-277. [PMID: 22815134 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-012-0784-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 06/24/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global contaminant of concern for the fetus and the neonate of piscivores. Methylmercury, produced within marine ecosystems, is of particular concern as a readily absorbed neurotoxicant transported across the blood brain barrier and transplacentally. In the North Pacific Ocean, Steller sea lions are broadly distributed apex predators and, as such, integrate complex food webs and the associated exposure and possible adverse effects of toxic and infectious agents. Hair, including lanugo, was examined using regional and age groupings to assess mercury concentrations in young Alaskan Steller sea lions. The highest concentrations of mercury occurred in the youngest animals, likely via in utero exposure. Based on the adverse developmental outcomes of methylmercury toxicity this specific cohort is of concern. Regionally, higher concentrations of mercury were observed in the endangered western population of Steller sea lions and mirrored patterns observed in human biomonitoring studies of Alaskan coastal communities. These data have broader implications with respect to human and ecosystem health as Steller sea lions rely on similar prey species and foraging areas as those targeted by commercial fisheries and subsistence users and are therefore valuable sentinels of marine ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Margaret Castellini
- Institute of Marine Science, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220, USA.
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Lynch M, Kirkwood R, Gray R, Robson D, Burton G, Jones L, Sinclair R, Arnould JPY. Characterization and causal investigations of an alopecia syndrome in Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus). J Mammal 2012. [DOI: 10.1644/11-mamm-a-279.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Aubail A, Dietz R, Rigét F, Sonne C, Wiig Ø, Caurant F. Temporal trend of mercury in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard using teeth as a biomonitoring tissue. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 14:56-63. [DOI: 10.1039/c1em10681c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Lieske CL, Moses SK, Castellini JM, Klejka J, Hueffer K, O'Hara TM. Toxicokinetics of mercury in blood compartments and hair of fish-fed sled dogs. Acta Vet Scand 2011; 53:66. [PMID: 22152014 PMCID: PMC3264498 DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-53-66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 12/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding mercury (Hg) distribution in blood and the importance of hair as an excretory pathway is critical for evaluating risk from long term dietary Hg exposure. The major objective of this study was to characterize changes in total Hg concentrations in specific blood compartments and hair over time due to long term piscivory. METHODS Eight sled dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) were fed either a fish and kibble diet (n = 4), or a fish-free control diet (n = 4) for 12 weeks. Concentrations of Hg were monitored throughout the exposure period, and for 10 weeks post exposure, until Hg concentrations in all blood compartments of one of the exposed dogs dropped below detection limit. Additionally, foreleg hair was sampled during acclimation and weeks 0 and 12. RESULTS Hg was detected primarily in whole blood and packed cells, although it was sporadically detected at low concentrations in plasma and serum in two of the fish fed dogs. Dogs ingested an estimated average of 13.4 ± 0.58 μg Hg per kg body weight per day. Hg was detectable in whole blood and packed cells within a week of exposure. Detected concentrations continued to rise until plateauing at approximately 3-6 weeks of exposure at a mean of 9.2 ± 1.97 ng/g (ppb) in whole blood. Hg concentration decreased post exposure following 1st order elimination. The mean half-life (t1/2) in whole blood for Hg was 7 weeks. Mean Hg in hair for the fish-fed dogs at week 12 was 540 ± 111 ppb and was significantly greater (about 7-fold) than the Hg hair concentration for the control dogs. The hair to blood ratio for Hg in fish-fed dogs was 59.0 ± 7.6:1. CONCLUSIONS This study found the sled dog model to be an effective method for investigating and characterizing blood Hg distribution (whole blood, serum, plasma, packed cells) and toxicokinetics associated with a piscivorous diet, especially for Hg-exposed fur bearing mammals (such as polar bears). Although hair excretion and hair to blood Hg ratios were not similar to human concentrations and ratios, the sled dog toxicokinetics of Hg in blood, was more similar to that of humans than traditional laboratory animals (such as the rat).
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Habran S, Debier C, Crocker DE, Houser DS, Das K. Blood dynamics of mercury and selenium in northern elephant seals during the lactation period. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2011; 159:2523-2529. [PMID: 21752502 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Revised: 06/01/2011] [Accepted: 06/15/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The effects of reproduction and maternal investment (i.e., milk transfer) on trace element levels remain poorly understood in marine mammals. We examined the blood dynamics of mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) during lactation in the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), a top predator from the North Pacific Ocean. Total Hg and Se levels were measured in whole blood and milk of 10 mother-pup pairs on days 5 and 22 of lactation. Both Hg and Se were transferred to offspring through the milk. Results suggested that the maternal transfer of Se was prominent during lactation, whereas the Hg transfer was larger during gestation. The lactation period affected Hg and Se levels in the blood of elephant seal mothers and pups. Physiological processes and their relationship to body condition should be considered carefully when interpreting trace element levels in the framework of biomonitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Habran
- Laboratory for Oceanology - MARE Center B6c, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
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Agusa T, Yasugi SY, Iida A, Ikemoto T, Anan Y, Kuiken T, Osterhaus ADME, Tanabe S, Iwata H. Accumulation features of trace elements in mass-stranded harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in the North Sea coast in 2002: the body distribution and association with growth and nutrition status. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2011; 62:963-975. [PMID: 21429529 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2011.02.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 02/21/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Body distribution and growth- and nutritional status-dependent accumulation of 21 trace elements were investigated in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) stranded in the North Sea coast in 2002. Higher concentrations and burdens of Mn, Se, Mo, Ag, Sn, Hg, and Bi in the liver, Cd in the kidney, As in the blubber, and Co, Sr, and Ba in the bone were observed. Significant positive correlations of hepatic Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Hg, Tl, and Bi with standard body length were found, while significant negative relationships were detected for Mn, As, Rb, Sr, and Sb in the liver. Concentrations of Co, Se, Sr, Sn, Hg, and Bi in the liver, V, Sr, Ag, Sn, and Hg in the kidney, V, Mn, Co, Rb, Sr, Sn, Ba, and Pb in the blubber increased with decreasing blubber thickness of harbor seals, indicating enrichment of these elements in the target tissue by emaciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuro Agusa
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Matsuyama 790-8577, Japan
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Investigation of mercury concentrations in fur of phocid seals using stable isotopes as tracers of trophic levels and geographical regions. Polar Biol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-011-0996-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Wada H, Yates DE, Evers DC, Taylor RJ, Hopkins WA. Tissue mercury concentrations and adrenocortical responses of female big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) near a contaminated river. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2010; 19:1277-84. [PMID: 20596767 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-010-0513-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/07/2010] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Much of the research on mercury (Hg) in wild vertebrates has focused on piscivores and other animals at high trophic levels. However, recent studies indicated that insectivorous terrestrial vertebrates may also be at risk. In the present study, we examined blood and fur Hg concentrations as well as the adrenocortical responses of insectivorous big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) near the Hg-contaminated South River, VA and a nearby reference area. Baseline glucocorticoids and adrenocortical responses to handling have been widely used to assess the influence of environmental stressors because plasma glucocorticoids rise in response to various physical, psychological, and physiological challenges. Female bats captured at the contaminated site had 2.6 times higher blood and fur Hg concentrations than those captured at the reference site (blood: 0.11 vs. 0.04 μg/g wet weight; fur: 28.0 vs. 10.9 μg/g fresh weight). Fur Hg concentrations at the contaminated site were higher than most wild omnivorous and carnivorous mammals reported in the literature. Although fur and blood Hg concentrations were tightly correlated, fur Hg concentrations averaged 260 times higher than concentrations in blood. This suggests that fur may be an important depuration route for bats, just as it is in other mammals. Despite the high Hg concentrations in bat tissue, we did not observe any site difference in adrenocortical responses. Our results suggest that the bats at the contaminated site were exposed to Hg concentrations below those causing adverse effects on their adrenal axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Wada
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
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Grenier JL, Davis JA. Water quality in South San Francisco Bay, California: current condition and potential issues for the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2010; 206:115-147. [PMID: 20652671 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-6260-7_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The SBSPRP is an extensive tidal wetland restoration project that is underway at the margin of South San Francisco Bay, California. The Project, which aims to restore former salt ponds to tidal marsh and manage other ponds for water bird support, is taking place in the context of a highly urbanized watershed and an Estuary already impacted by chemical contaminants. There is an intimate relationship between water quality in the watershed, the Bay, and the transitional wetland areas where the Project is located. The Project seeks to restore habitat for endangered and endemic species and to provide recreational opportunities for people. Therefore, water quality and bioaccumulation of contaminants in fish and wildlife is an important concern for the success of the Project. Mercury, PCBs, and PBDEs are the persistent contaminants of greatest concern in the region. All of these contaminants are present at elevated concentrations both in the abiotic environment and in wildlife. Dioxins, pyrethroids, PAHs, and selenium are also problematic. Organochlorine insecticides have historically impacted the Bay, and they remain above thresholds for concern in a small proportion of samples. Emerging contaminants, such as PFCs and non-PBDE flame retardants, are also an important water quality issue. Beyond chemical pollutants, other concerns for water quality in South San Francisco Bay exist, and include biological constituents, especially invasive species, and chemical attributes, such as dissolved oxygen and salinity. Future changes, both from within the Project and from the Bay and watershed, are likely to influence water quality in the region. Project actions to restore wetlands could worsen, improve, or not affect the already impaired water quality in South Bay. Accelerated erosion of buried sediment as a consequence of Project restoration actions is a potentially serious regional threat to South Bay water and sediment quality. Furthermore, the planned restoration of salt ponds to tidal marsh has raised concerns about possible increased net production of methylmercury and its subsequent accumulation in the food web. This concern applies not only to the restored marshes, but also to the South Bay as a whole, which could be affected on a regional scale. The ponds that are converted to tidal marsh will sequester millions of cubic meters of sediment. Sequestration of sediment in marshes could remove contaminated sediment from the active zone of the Bay but could also create marshes with contaminated food webs. Some of the ponds will not be restored to marsh but will be managed for use by water birds. Therefore, the effect of dense avian populations on eutrophication and the introduction of pathogens should be considered. Water quality in the Project also could be affected by external changes, such as human population growth and climate change. To address these many concerns related to water quality, the SBSPRP managers, and others faced with management of wetland restoration at a regional scale, should practice adaptive management and ongoing monitoring for water quality, particularly monitoring bioaccumulation of contaminants in the food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Letitia Grenier
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 7770 Pardee Lane, Oakland, CA 94621, USA.
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Gray R, Canfield P, Rogers T. Trace element analysis in the serum and hair of Antarctic leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, and Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2008; 399:202-215. [PMID: 18486190 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2007] [Revised: 03/25/2008] [Accepted: 03/27/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Leopard seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, and Weddell seal, Leptonychotes weddellii, occupy an upper trophic level within the Antarctic ecosystem and are useful indicator species in the Southern Ocean of trace element concentrations. Reference values for the concentration of 19 trace elements were determined in the serum and hair of leopard and Weddell seals sampled in Eastern Antarctica. These reference values can be used as 'baseline' levels for monitoring trace element concentrations in these species. Greater trace element concentrations were determined in hair compared to serum, indicating different time scales of trace element accumulation in these samples. For the majority of trace elements, except for Se in the leopard seal samples and Cr in the Weddell seal samples, significant regression relationships for trace element concentrations in hair and serum were not elucidated. Significant differences were determined in the concentrations of seven out of 15 elements with hair type, moult and new, in the leopard seal; concentrations in moult hair were determined to be greater than in new hair for all elements except Zn. Hair analysis was determined to be useful for monitoring exposure to trace elements and when collected off the ice from moulting seals, hair can be employed as a non-invasive sample for trace element analysis in leopard and Weddell seals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Gray
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
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