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Skalny AV, Korobeinikova TV, Kirichuk AA, Aschner M, Paoliello MMB, Barbosa F, Farina M, Tinkov AA. Trends of hair Hg accumulation in reproductive-age women living in Central Russia and the calculated costs of Hg-induced IQ loss in the period between 2005 and 2021. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2024; 85:127493. [PMID: 38986393 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2024.127493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate hair mercury (Hg) content in reproductive-age women living in Central Russia (Moscow and Moscow region), and to calculate the potential costs of the potential Hg-induced IQ loss in a hypothetical national birth cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 36,263 occupationally non-exposed women aged between 20 and 40 years living in Moscow (n = 30,626) or Moscow region (n = 5637) in the period between 2005 and 2021 participated in this study. Hair Hg content was evaluated with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Hair Hg levels in reproductive-age women were used for assessment of the potential IQ loss and its costs. RESULTS The results demonstrate that hair Hg content in the periods between 2010 and 2015, and 2016-2021 was significantly lower than that in 2005-2009 by 26 % and 51 %, respectively. The highest hair Hg level was observed in women in 2005 (0.855 µg/g), being more than 2.5-fold higher than the lowest value observed in 2020 (0.328 µg/g). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant inverse association between the year of analysis and hair Hg content (β = -0.288; p < 0.001). The calculations demonstrate that in 2005 the costs of IQ loss in children exceeded 1.0 (1.6) billion USD, whereas in 2020 the costs of IQ loss accounted to approximately 0.15 (0.28) billion USD. CONCLUSION Taken together, our data demonstrate that Hg accumulation in reproductive-age women reduced significantly in Russia from 2005 to 2021 resulting in predicted economic benefits by decreasing the costs of Hg-induced IQ loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anatoly V Skalny
- Laboratory of Ecobiomonitoring and Quality Control, Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya Str. 14, Yaroslavl 150000, Russia; Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Bolshaya Pirogovskaya St., 2-4, Moscow 119146, Russia; Department of Human Ecology and Bioelementology, and Department of Medical Elementology, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow 117198, Russia
| | - Tatiana V Korobeinikova
- Laboratory of Ecobiomonitoring and Quality Control, Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya Str. 14, Yaroslavl 150000, Russia
| | - Anatoly A Kirichuk
- Department of Human Ecology and Bioelementology, and Department of Medical Elementology, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow 117198, Russia
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Monica M B Paoliello
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Fernando Barbosa
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis 88040-900, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Farina
- Department of Clinical Analyses, Toxicology and Food Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo-USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Alexey A Tinkov
- Laboratory of Ecobiomonitoring and Quality Control, Yaroslavl State University, Sovetskaya Str. 14, Yaroslavl 150000, Russia; Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics, IM Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Bolshaya Pirogovskaya St., 2-4, Moscow 119146, Russia.
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Eklöf K, von Brömssen C, Huser B, Åkerblom S, Augustaitis A, Veiteberg Braaten HF, de Wit HA, Dirnböck T, Elustondo D, Grandin U, Holubová A, Kleemola S, Krám P, Lundin L, Löfgren S, Markensten H, Moldan F, Pihl Karlsson G, Rönnback P, Valinia S, Vuorenmaa J. Trends in mercury, lead and cadmium concentrations in 27 European streams and rivers: 2000-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024:124761. [PMID: 39154885 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Temporal trends for concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were evaluated from year 2000 to 2020 in 20 (Hg), 23 (Pb) and 11 (Cd) watercourses in remote forest catchments in Europe. Decreasing trends were observed in 15% (Hg), 39% (Pb) and 45% (Cd) of the watercourses during the period of evaluation. Decreasing trends were mainly observed between 2000 and 2005 for Hg and between 2000 and 2015 for Pb and Cd. For the last five years of the studied time period (2015-2020), more watercourses showed significant increasing, rather than decreasing Hg, Pb and Cd trends. This was interpreted as a legacy effect of metals still retained in catchment soils. The overall negative trends during the earlier part of the study period were likely driven by declining deposition of metals over Europe, especially for Pb and Cd. Other changes related to metal transport and chemistry may have contributed to the observed trends as well, including recovery from acidification and the ongoing browning of surface waters at northern latitudes. Here we found that organic carbon could explain the seasonal variation in Hg and Pb, but was not related the interannual trends. This study highlights the need for long-term monitoring and robust statistical methods that can detect multidirectional, long-term change in water chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Eklöf
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claudia von Brömssen
- Department of Energy and Technology, Applied Statistics and Mathematics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Brian Huser
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Staffan Åkerblom
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Algirdas Augustaitis
- Faculty of Forest Sciences and Ecology, Agriculture Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, LT-53362, Kaunas dstr., Lithuania
| | | | - Heleen A de Wit
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway
| | - Thomas Dirnböck
- Ecosystem Research and Environmental Information Management, Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände5, AT-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - David Elustondo
- University of Navarra, BIOMA Institute for Biodiversity and the Environment, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ulf Grandin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Adéla Holubová
- Air Quality Department, Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Košetice Observatory, 394 24, Czech Republic
| | - Sirpa Kleemola
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pavel Krám
- Department of Environmental Geochemistry and Biogeochemistry, Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3, CZ-11821 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lars Lundin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Löfgren
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hampus Markensten
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Filip Moldan
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, P.O. Box 53021, SE-40014 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Gunilla Pihl Karlsson
- IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, P.O. Box 53021, SE-40014 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Pernilla Rönnback
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Salar Valinia
- Ensucon AB, Sankt Eriksgatan 63B, 11234 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jussi Vuorenmaa
- Finnish Environment Institute, Latokartanonkaari 11, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Evers DC, Ackerman JT, Åkerblom S, Bally D, Basu N, Bishop K, Bodin N, Braaten HFV, Burton MEH, Bustamante P, Chen C, Chételat J, Christian L, Dietz R, Drevnick P, Eagles-Smith C, Fernandez LE, Hammerschlag N, Harmelin-Vivien M, Harte A, Krümmel EM, Brito JL, Medina G, Barrios Rodriguez CA, Stenhouse I, Sunderland E, Takeuchi A, Tear T, Vega C, Wilson S, Wu P. Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:325-396. [PMID: 38683471 PMCID: PMC11213816 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention's progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | | | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826 Cidex 03, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsalla, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development Seychelles Fishing Authority, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Celia Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Cliamte Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Linroy Christian
- Department of Analytical Services, Dunbars, Friars Hill, St John, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Teck American Incorporated, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Luis E Fernandez
- Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 29106, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Shark Research Foundation Inc, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, NS, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France
| | - Agustin Harte
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chem. des Anémones 15, 1219, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eva M Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Ottawa, Canada and ScienTissiME Inc, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada
| | - José Lailson Brito
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 4002, CEP 20550-013, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Medina
- Director of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Iain Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Elsie Sunderland
- Harvard University, Pierce Hall 127, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Akinori Takeuchi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Health and Environmental Risk Division, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tim Tear
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Claudia Vega
- Centro de Innovaccion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA), Jiron Ucayali 750, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17001, Peru
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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Christian LD, Burton MEH, Mohammed A, Nelson W, Shah TA, Bertide-Josiah L, Yurek HG, Evers DC. An evaluation of fish and invertebrate mercury concentrations in the Caribbean Region. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:397-414. [PMID: 38836941 PMCID: PMC11213769 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02754-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Mercury is a ubiquitous pollutant of global concern but the threat of exposure is not homogenously distributed at local, regional, or global scales. The primary route of human exposure to mercury is through consumption of aquatic foods, which are culturally and economically important in the wider Caribbean Region, especially for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). We compiled more than 1600 samples of 108 unique species of fish and aquatic invertebrates collected between 2005 and 2023 from eleven countries or territories in the wider Caribbean Region. There was wide variability in total mercury concentrations with 55% of samples below the 0.23 µg/g wet weight (ww) guideline from the U.S. FDA/EPA (2022) for 2 or 3 weekly servings and 26% exceeding the 0.46 µg/g ww guideline consistent with adverse effects on human health from continual consumption, particularly for sensitive populations. Significant relationships were found between total mercury concentrations and taxonomic family, sampling country, fish length, and trophic level. The data analyzed here support the need for further sampling with concrete geospatial data to better understand patterns and mechanisms in mercury concentrations and allow for more informed decision making on the consumption of fish and invertebrates from the wider Caribbean Region as well as supporting efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of national, regional, and international mercury policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linroy D Christian
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda.
| | | | - Azad Mohammed
- The University of The West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Wendy Nelson
- Institute of Marine Affairs, Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago
| | | | - Laël Bertide-Josiah
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda
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5
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Cao H, Mao K, Zhang H, Wu Q, Ju H, Feng X. Thermal stability and micrdose-based coupling CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor for amplification-free detection of hgcA gene in paddy soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 909:168536. [PMID: 37977400 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168536] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The lack of point-of-use (POU) methods hinders the utilization of the hgcA gene to rapidly evaluate methylmercury risks. CRISPR/Cas12a is a promising technology, but shortcomings such as low sensitivity, a strict reaction temperature and high background signal limit its further utilization. Here, a thermally stable microsystem-based CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor was constructed to achieve POU analysis for hgcA. First, three target gRNAs were designed to recognize hgcA. Then, a microsystem was developed to eliminate the background signal. Next, the effect of temperature on the activity of the Cas12a-gRNA complex was explored and its thermal stability was discovered. After that, coupling gRNA assay was introduced to improve sensitivity, exhibiting a limit of detection as low as 0.49 pM with a linear range of 0.98-125 pM, and a recovery rate between 90 and 110 % for hgcA. The biosensor was finally utilized to assess hgcA abundance in paddy soil, and high abundance of hgcA was found in these paddy soil samples. This study not only systematically explored the influence of temperature and microsystem on CRISPR/Cas12a, providing vital references for other novel CRISPR-based detection methods, but also applied the CRISPR-based analytical method to the field of environmental geochemistry for the first time, demonstrating enormous potential for POU detection in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haorui Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kang Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
| | - Qingqing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huangxian Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
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Laudon H, Mosquera V, Eklöf K, Järveoja J, Karimi S, Krasnova A, Peichl M, Pinkwart A, Tong CHM, Wallin MB, Zannella A, Hasselquist EM. Consequences of rewetting and ditch cleaning on hydrology, water quality and greenhouse gas balance in a drained northern landscape. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20218. [PMID: 37980440 PMCID: PMC10657473 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47528-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Drainage for forestry has created ~ 1 million km of artificial waterways in Sweden, making it one of the largest human-induced environmental disturbances in the country. These extensive modifications of both peatland and mineral soil dominated landscapes still carry largely unknown, but potentially enormous environmental legacy effects. However, the consequences of contemporary ditch management strategies, such as hydrological restoration via ditch blocking or enhancing forest drainage to promote biomass production via ditch cleaning, on water resources and greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes are unclear. To close the gap between science and management, we have developed a unique field research platform to experimentally evaluate key environmental strategies for drained northern landscapes with the aim to avoid further environmental degeneration. The Trollberget Experimental Area (TEA) includes replicated and controlled treatments applied at the catchment scale based on a BACI approach (before-after and control-impact). The treatments represent the dominant ecosystem types impacted by ditching in Sweden and the boreal zone: (1) rewetting of a drained peatland, (2) ditch cleaning in productive upland forests and (3) leaving these ditches unmanaged. Here we describe the TEA platform, report initial results, suggest ways forward for how to best manage this historical large-scale alteration of the boreal landscape, as well as warn against applying these treatments broadly before more long-term results are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hjalmar Laudon
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Virginia Mosquera
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karin Eklöf
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Järvi Järveoja
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Shirin Karimi
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alisa Krasnova
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Matthias Peichl
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alexander Pinkwart
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Cheuk Hei Marcus Tong
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Marcus B Wallin
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alberto Zannella
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eliza Maher Hasselquist
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
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7
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Shao B, Li Z, Wu Z, Yang N, Cui X, Lin H, Liu Y, He W, Zhao Y, Wang X, Tong Y. Impacts of autochthonous dissolved organic matter on the accumulation of methylmercury by phytoplankton and zooplankton in a eutrophic coastal ecosystem. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 336:122457. [PMID: 37633436 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) within the pelagic food webs is a crucial determinant of the MeHg concentration in the organisms at higher trophic levels. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is recognized for its influence on mercury (Hg) cycling in the aquatic environment because of its role in providing metabolic substrate for heterotrophic organism and serving as a strong ligand for MeHg. However, the impact of DOM on MeHg bioaccumulation in pelagic food chains remain controversial. Here, we explored MeHg bioaccumulation within a pelagic food web in China, in the eutrophic Bohai Sea and adjacent seas, covering a range of DOM concentrations and compositions. Our findings show that elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and phytoplankton biomass may contribute to a reduction in MeHg uptake by phytoplankton. Moreover, we observe that a higher level of autochthonous DOM in the water may result in more significant MeHg biomagnification in zooplankton. This can be explained by alterations in the structure of pelagic food webs and/or an increase in the direct consumption of DOM and particulate organic matter (POM) containing MeHg. Our study offers direct field monitoring evidence of dual roles played by DOM in regulating MeHg transfers from water to phytoplankton and zooplankton in coastal pelagic food webs. A thorough understanding of the intricate interactions is essential for a more comprehensive evaluation of ecological risks associated with MeHg exposure in coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Shao
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zhike Li
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zhengyu Wu
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Ning Yang
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiaoyu Cui
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Huiming Lin
- College of Urban & Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Wei He
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yingxin Zhao
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- College of Urban & Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China.
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8
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Kozak N, Kahilainen KK, Pakkanen HK, Hayden B, Østbye K, Taipale SJ. Mercury and amino acid content relations in northern pike (Esox lucius) in subarctic lakes along a climate-productivity gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 233:116511. [PMID: 37369304 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a highly toxic element for consumers, but its relation to amino acids and physiology of wild fish is not well known. The main aim of this study was to evaluate how total mercury content (THg) of northern pike (Esox lucius) is related to amino acids and potentially important environmental and biological factors along a climate-productivity gradient of ten subarctic lakes. Linear regression between THg and sixteen amino acids content [nmol mg-1 dry weight] from white dorsal muscle of pike from these lakes were tested. Lastly, a general linear model (GLM) for age-corrected THg was used to test which factors are significantly related to mercury content of pike. There was a positive relationship between THg and proline. Seven out of sixteen analysed amino acids (histidine, threonine, arginine, serine, glutamic acid, glycine, and aspartic acid) were significantly negatively related to warmer and more productive lakes, while THg showed a positive relationship. GLM model indicated higher THg was found in higher trophic level pike with lower cysteine content and inhabiting warmer and more productive lakes with larger catchment containing substantial proportion of peatland area. In general, THg was not only related to the biological and environmental variables but also to amino acid content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kozak
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Anne Evenstad Veg 80, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway.
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland; Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Käsivarrentie 14622, FI-99490, Kilpisjärvi, Finland
| | - Hannu K Pakkanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O.Box 35 (YA), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Brian Hayden
- Biology Department, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Kjartan Østbye
- Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Campus Evenstad, Anne Evenstad Veg 80, NO-2480, Koppang, Norway; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1066, Blindern, NO-0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sami J Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O.Box 35 (YA), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
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9
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Piro AJ, Taipale SJ, Laiho HM, Eerola ES, Kahilainen KK. Fish muscle mercury concentration and bioaccumulation fluctuate year-round - Insights from cyprinid and percid fishes in a humic boreal lake. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 231:116187. [PMID: 37224941 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Boreal lakes demonstrate pronounced seasonality, where the warm open-water season and subsequent cold and ice-covered season dominate natural cycles. While fish muscle total mercury concentration (mg/kg) [THg] is well documented in open-water summer months, there is limited knowledge on the ice-covered winter and spring mercury dynamics in fish from various foraging and thermal guilds. This year-round study tested how seasonality influences [THg] and its bioaccumulation in three percids, perch (Perca fluviatilis), pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernua), and three cyprinids, roach (Rutilus rutilus), bleak (Alburnus alburnus), and bream (Abramis brama) in deep boreal mesotrophic Lake Pääjärvi, southern Finland. Fish were sampled and [THg] was quantified in the dorsal muscle during four seasons in this humic lake. Bioaccumulation regression slopes (mean ± STD, 0.039 ± 0.030, range 0.013-0.114) between [THg] and fish length were steepest during and after spawning and shallowest during autumn and winter for all species. Fish [THg] was significantly higher in the winter-spring than summer-autumn in all percids, however, not in cyprinids. The lowest [THg] was observed in summer and autumn, likely due to recovery from spring spawning, somatic growth and lipid accumulation. Fish [THg] was best described by multiple regression models (R2adj: 52-76%) which included total length and varying combinations of seasonally changing environmental (water temperature, total carbon, total nitrogen, and oxygen saturation) and biotic factors (gonadosomatic index, and sex) in all species. The seasonal variation in [THg] and bioaccumulation slopes across multiple species suggests a need for standardized sampling seasons in long-term monitoring to avoid any seasonality bias. From the fisheries and fish consumption perspective in seasonally ice-covered lakes, monitoring of both winter-spring and summer-autumn would improve knowledge of [THg] variation in fish muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Piro
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland.
| | - S J Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - H M Laiho
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland
| | - E S Eerola
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland
| | - K K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900, Lammi, Finland
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10
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Moslemi-Aqdam M, Low G, Low M, Laird BD, Branfireun BA, Swanson HK. Estimates, spatial variability, and environmental drivers of mercury biomagnification rates through lake food webs in the Canadian subarctic. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 217:114835. [PMID: 36400218 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114835] [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: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Biomagnification of mercury (Hg) through lake food webs is understudied in rapidly changing northern regions, where wild-caught subsistence fish are critical to food security. We investigated estimates and among-lake variability of Hg biomagnification rates (BMR), relationships between Hg BMR and Hg levels in subsistence fish, and environmental drivers of Hg BMR in ten remote subarctic lakes in Northwest Territories, Canada. Lake-specific linear regressions between Hg concentrations (total Hg ([THg]) in fish and methyl Hg ([MeHg]) in primary consumers) and baseline-adjusted δ15N ratios were significant (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.58-0.88), indicating biomagnification of Hg through food webs of all studied lakes. Quantified using the slope of Hg-δ15N regressions, Hg BMR ranged from 0.16 to 0.25, with mean ± standard deviation of 0.20 ± 0.03). Using fish [MeHg] rather than [THg] lowered estimates of Hg BMR by ∼10%, suggesting that the use of [THg] as a proxy for [MeHg] in fish can influence estimates of Hg BMR. Among-lake variability of size-standardized [THg] in resident fish species from different trophic guilds, namely Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and Northern Pike (Esox lucius), was not significantly explained by among-lake variability in Hg BMR. Stepwise multiple regressions indicated that among-lake variability of Hg BMR was best explained by a positive relationship with catchment forest cover (p = 0.009, r2 = 0.59), likely reflecting effects of forest cover on water chemistry of downstream lakes and ultimately, concentrations of biomagnifying MeHg (and percent MeHg of total Hg) in resident biota. These findings improve our understanding of Hg biomagnification in remote subarctic lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - George Low
- Dehcho Aboriginal Aquatic Resources & Oceans Management, Hay River, NT, Canada
| | - Mike Low
- Dehcho Aboriginal Aquatic Resources & Oceans Management, Hay River, NT, Canada
| | - Brian D Laird
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | | | - Heidi K Swanson
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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11
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Keva O, Kiljunen M, Hämäläinen H, Jones RI, Kahilainen KK, Kankaala P, Laine MB, Schilder J, Strandberg U, Vesterinen J, Taipale SJ. Allochthony, fatty acid and mercury trends in muscle of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) along boreal environmental gradients. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:155982. [PMID: 35588838 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155982] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental change, including joint effects of increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total phosphorus (TP) in boreal northern lakes may affect food web energy sources and the biochemical composition of organisms. These environmental stressors are enhanced by anthropogenic land-use and can decrease the quality of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in seston and zooplankton, and therefore, possibly cascading up to fish. In contrast, the content of mercury in fish increases with lake browning potentially amplified by intensive forestry practises. However, there is little evidence on how these environmental stressors simultaneously impact beneficial omega-3 fatty acid (n3-FA) and total mercury (THg) content of fish muscle for human consumption. A space-for-time substitution study was conducted to assess whether environmental stressors affect Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) allochthony and muscle nutritional quality [PUFA, THg, and their derivative, the hazard quotient (HQ)]. Perch samples were collected from 31 Finnish lakes along pronounced lake size (0.03-107.5 km2), DOC (5.0-24.3 mg L-1), TP (5-118 μg L-1) and land-use gradients (forest: 50.7-96.4%, agriculture: 0-32.6%). These environmental gradients were combined using principal component analysis (PCA). Allochthony for individual perch was modelled using source and consumer δ2H values. Perch allochthony increased with decreasing lake pH and increasing forest coverage (PC1), but no correlation between lake DOC and perch allochthony was found. Perch muscle THg and omega-6 fatty acid (n6-FA) content increased with PC1 parallel with allochthony. Perch muscle DHA (22:6n3) content decreased, and ALA (18:3n3) increased towards shallower murkier lakes (PC2). Perch allochthony was positively correlated with muscle THg and n6-FA content, but did not correlate with n3-FA content. Hence, the quality of perch muscle for human consumption decreases (increase in HQ) with increasing forest coverage and decreasing pH, potentially mediated by increasing fish allochthony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ossi Keva
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Mikko Kiljunen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Heikki Hämäläinen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Roger I Jones
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, Pääjärventie 320, FI-16900 Lammi, Finland
| | - Paula Kankaala
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Miikka B Laine
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jos Schilder
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Ursula Strandberg
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Jussi Vesterinen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland; Association for Water and Environment of Western Uusimaa, Lohja, Finland
| | - Sami J Taipale
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35 (YA), FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
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12
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McKinney MA, Chételat J, Burke SM, Elliott KH, Fernie KJ, Houde M, Kahilainen KK, Letcher RJ, Morris AD, Muir DCG, Routti H, Yurkowski DJ. Climate change and mercury in the Arctic: Biotic interactions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 834:155221. [PMID: 35427623 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Global climate change has led to profound alterations of the Arctic environment and ecosystems, with potential secondary effects on mercury (Hg) within Arctic biota. This review presents the current scientific evidence for impacts of direct physical climate change and indirect ecosystem change on Hg exposure and accumulation in Arctic terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms. As the marine environment is elevated in Hg compared to the terrestrial environment, terrestrial herbivores that now exploit coastal/marine foods when terrestrial plants are iced over may be exposed to higher Hg concentrations. Conversely, certain populations of predators, including Arctic foxes and polar bears, have shown lower Hg concentrations related to reduced sea ice-based foraging and increased land-based foraging. How climate change influences Hg in Arctic freshwater fishes is not clear, but for lacustrine populations it may depend on lake-specific conditions, including interrelated alterations in lake ice duration, turbidity, food web length and energy sources (benthic to pelagic), and growth dilution. In several marine mammal and seabird species, tissue Hg concentrations have shown correlations with climate and weather variables, including climate oscillation indices and sea ice trends; these findings suggest that wind, precipitation, and cryosphere changes that alter Hg transport and deposition are impacting Hg concentrations in Arctic marine organisms. Ecological changes, including northward range shifts of sub-Arctic species and altered body condition, have also been shown to affect Hg levels in some populations of Arctic marine species. Given the limited number of populations and species studied to date, especially within Arctic terrestrial and freshwater systems, further research is needed on climate-driven processes influencing Hg concentrations in Arctic ecosystems and their net effects. Long-term pan-Arctic monitoring programs should consider ancillary datasets on climate, weather, organism ecology and physiology to improve interpretation of spatial variation and time trends of Hg in Arctic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada.
| | - John Chételat
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Samantha M Burke
- Minnow Aquatic Environmental Services, Guelph, ON N1H 1E9, Canada
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Magali Houde
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, QC H2Y 5E7, Canada
| | - Kimmo K Kahilainen
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, FI-16900 Lammi, Finland
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Adam D Morris
- Northern Contaminants Program, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Gatineau, QC J8X 2V6, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - David J Yurkowski
- Arctic Aquatic Research Division, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
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13
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Zhang H, Wang W, Lin C, Feng X, Shi J, Jiang G, Larssen T. Decreasing mercury levels in consumer fish over the three decades of increasing mercury emissions in China. ECO-ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH (ONLINE) 2022; 1:46-52. [PMID: 38078199 PMCID: PMC10702889 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Fish consumption is the primary dietary route of human exposure to methylmercury. It has been well documented that elevated mercury concentration in fish in North America and Europe is linked to anthropogenic mercury emissions. China is the world's largest producer, consumer, and emitter of mercury, as well as the world's largest commercial fish producer and consumer. Although mercury pollution in fish in China is currently receiving much attention worldwide, its status remains largely unknown. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis on total mercury concentrations in marine and freshwater fish samples, covering 35,464 samples collected in China over the past 30 years. It is found that, opposite to the increasing emission and documented mercury contamination events, mercury levels in fish have gradually decreased in China over the past 30 years. The results were in sharp contrast to those found in North America and Europe. The mercury concentrations in fish were significantly anticorrelated with the fish catch and fish aquaculture and were inverse to trophic levels. Overfishing and the short lifecycle of aquaculture fish, both reducing the trophic level and the duration of mercury accumulation, were the most likely causes leading to the decline of mercury concentrations found in fish in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway
| | - Wenxiong Wang
- School of Energy and Environment and State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Chejen Lin
- Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Jianbo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Thorjørn Larssen
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Økernveien 94, 0579 Oslo, Norway
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14
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Jędruch A, Falkowska L, Saniewska D, Durkalec M, Nawrocka A, Kalisińska E, Kowalski A, Pacyna JM. Status and trends of mercury pollution of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland. AMBIO 2021; 50:1698-1717. [PMID: 33755895 PMCID: PMC8285459 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01505-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to assess the current status and trends of total mercury (THg) contamination of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland. The study shows that the reduced domestic and worldwide atmospheric emission of Hg resulted in decreased THg level in the terrestrial biotope and biosphere. Considering that Poland is one of the main Hg emitters in Europe, the THg concentrations in its abiotic environment are still elevated. However, the THg level in terrestrial organisms is relatively low, which is because a large proportion of Hg deposited on land is accumulated in organic-rich soils. Regarding the THg concentration, consumption of wildlife and livestock from Poland is safe for humans. Nevertheless, the authors indicate the need for effective environmental monitoring, based on selected bioindicators, which is crucial considering the slowing reduction of Hg emission combined with the consequences of the changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Jędruch
- Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Gdańsk, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Lucyna Falkowska
- Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Gdańsk, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Institute of Oceanography, Department of Marine Chemistry and Environmental Protection, University of Gdańsk, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Maciej Durkalec
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Al. Partyzantów 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Nawrocka
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Al. Partyzantów 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Kalisińska
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical Biotechnology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Pomeranian Medical University, Al. Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Artur Kowalski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Józef M. Pacyna
- Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, ul. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Kraków, Poland
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15
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van Klink R, Bowler DE, Gongalsky KB, Swengel AB, Gentile A, Chase JM. Meta-analysis reveals declines in terrestrial but increases in freshwater insect abundances. Science 2020; 368:417-420. [PMID: 32327596 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax9931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 372] [Impact Index Per Article: 93.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Recent case studies showing substantial declines of insect abundances have raised alarm, but how widespread such patterns are remains unclear. We compiled data from 166 long-term surveys of insect assemblages across 1676 sites to investigate trends in insect abundances over time. Overall, we found considerable variation in trends even among adjacent sites but an average decline of terrestrial insect abundance by ~9% per decade and an increase of freshwater insect abundance by ~11% per decade. Both patterns were largely driven by strong trends in North America and some European regions. We found some associations with potential drivers (e.g., land-use drivers), and trends in protected areas tended to be weaker. Our findings provide a more nuanced view of spatiotemporal patterns of insect abundance trends than previously suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roel van Klink
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. .,Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany.,WBBS Foundation, 9409 TV, Loon, Netherlands
| | - Diana E Bowler
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.,Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), 04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Konstantin B Gongalsky
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119071, Russia.,M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | | | - Alessandro Gentile
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jonathan M Chase
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Computer Science, Martin Luther University-Halle Wittenberg, 06099 Halle (Saale), Germany
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16
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Braaten HFV, Lindholm M, de Wit HA. Five decades of declining methylmercury concentrations in boreal foodwebs suggest pivotal role for sulphate deposition. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 714:136774. [PMID: 31982764 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Widespread declines in mercury (Hg) in fish in pristine lakes in Fennoscandia since the 1970s are unexplained. Interactions between climate, atmospheric deposition, and elemental cycling of carbon (C), sulphur (S) and Hg are complex and affect Hg bioaccumulation. A parallel significant decline in methyl-Hg (MeHg) concentrations in aquatic macroinvertebrates (Chironomidae) was found between 1976-78 and 2004-15 in an intensely studied, pristine boreal lake (Langtjern, boreal Fennoscandia). Monitoring at Langtjern demonstrated a four-fold decrease in aqueous sulphate concentrations (SO4, 50-year record), significant lake browning (30-year records), increasing sediment Hg concentrations (50-year record), warming (45-year record) and increased runoff (40-year record). Contrasting Hg trends in biota (downward) and sediment (upward) indicated a disconnect between lake Hg loading and foodweb Hg bioaccumulation. We suggest that reduced SO4-deposition has 1) constrained substrate availability for SO4-reducing methylating bacteria (causing reduced foodweb MeHg exposure despite increased Hg loading to the lake), and 2), increased the binding affinity between aqueous organic matter and Hg species (leading to reduced MeHg bioavailability). The downward MeHg trend at the base of the foodweb at Langtjern is mirrored at higher trophic levels by strong declines in perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike (Esox lucius) Hg concentrations in boreal Fennoscandia. A plausible explanation is that declining SO4-deposition, rather than climate change or reduced atmospheric Hg, is currently driving reduced MeHg contamination in northern freshwater foodwebs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Markus Lindholm
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Norway; Rudolf Steiner University College, Oslo, Norway
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17
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Ecke F, Benskin JP, Berglund ÅMM, de Wit CA, Engström E, Plassmann MM, Rodushkin I, Sörlin D, Hörnfeldt B. Spatio-temporal variation of metals and organic contaminants in bank voles (Myodes glareolus). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 713:136353. [PMID: 31955071 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental contamination with metals and organic compounds is of increasing concern for ecosystem and human health. Still, our knowledge about spatial distribution, temporal changes and ecotoxicological fate of metals and organic contaminants in wildlife is limited. We studied concentrations of 69 elements and 50 organic compounds in 300 bank voles (Myodes glareolus), Europe's most common mammal, sampled in spring and autumn 2017-2018 in five monitoring areas, representing three biogeographic regions. In addition, we compared measured concentrations with previous results from bank voles sampled within the same areas in 1995-1997 and 2001. In general, our results show regional differences, but no consistent patterns among contaminants and study areas. The exception was for the lowest concentrations of organic contaminants (e.g. perfluorooctane sulfonate, PFOS), which were generally found in the northern Swedish mountain area. Concentrations of metals and organic contaminants in adults varied seasonally with most organic contaminants being higher in spring; likely induced by diet shifts but potentially also related to age differences. In addition, metal concentrations varied between organs (liver vs. kidney), age classes (juveniles vs. adults; generally higher in adults) as well as between males and females. Concentrations of chromium and nickel in kidney and liver in the northernmost mountain area were lower in 2017-2018 than in 1995-1997 and in three of four areas, lead concentrations were lower in 2017-2018 than in 2001. Current metal concentrations (except mercury) are not expected to negatively affect the voles. Concentrations of hexachlorobenzene displayed highest concentrations in 2001 in the mountains, while it was close to detection limit in 2017-2018. Likewise, PFOS concentrations decreased in the mountains and in south-central lowland forests between 2001 and 2017-2018. Our results suggest that season, age class and sex need to be considered when designing and interpreting results from monitoring programs targeting inorganic and organic contaminants in wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Ecke
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Jonathan P Benskin
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Åsa M M Berglund
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Cynthia A de Wit
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emma Engström
- ALS Scandinavia AB, Aurorum 10, SE-977 75 Luleå, Sweden; Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Merle M Plassmann
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ilia Rodushkin
- ALS Scandinavia AB, Aurorum 10, SE-977 75 Luleå, Sweden; Division of Geosciences, Luleå University of Technology, SE-971 87 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Dieke Sörlin
- ALS Scandinavia AB, Aurorum 10, SE-977 75 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Birger Hörnfeldt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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Klapstein SJ, Walker AK, Saunders CH, Cameron RP, Murimboh JD, O'Driscoll NJ. Spatial distribution of mercury and other potentially toxic elements using epiphytic lichens in Nova Scotia. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 241:125064. [PMID: 31683434 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The use of naturally occurring epiphytic lichens can be an effective tool for regional monitoring of mercury (Hg) and other potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Nova Scotia, Canada is a hotspot for mercury and other trace metal accumulation in ecosystems; partially attributed to long-range transport of air pollution. The relative contribution of local and international sources of Hg to local air in Nova Scotia is unknown. This study assessed the potential of epiphytic lichens (Usnea spp.) as passive samplers for PTE air pollution in Nova Scotia. Lichens (n = 190) collected across mainland Nova Scotia were analyzed for PTEs. Results indicate that there are 3 distinct clusters of PTEs which suggest patterns and sources for each elemental cluster. Hg was correlated with longitude and prevailing wind direction, and Hg was not significantly different in site-specific hotspot sampling nor year of sampling. Our data support the hypothesis that Hg in lichens is from historical and ongoing long-range transport and diffuse emission patterns rather than localized pollution sources. PTE concentrations were shown to have median values that are similar to other remote regions (such as the Antarctic) however the maximum values were observed to be substantially higher for some elements (e.g. lead, cadmium). This research supports the use of lichens as biomonitors and provides a baseline for future monitoring efforts to identify changes in PTE distribution in Nova Scotia with ongoing industrial activity and a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara J Klapstein
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada.
| | - Allison K Walker
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | | | - Robert P Cameron
- Nova Scotia Department of Environment, Protected Areas Branch, Canada
| | - John D Murimboh
- Chemistry Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
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Wu P, Kainz M, Åkerblom S, Bravo AG, Sonesten L, Branfireun B, Deininger A, Bergström AK, Bishop K. Terrestrial diet influences mercury bioaccumulation in zooplankton and macroinvertebrates in lakes with differing dissolved organic carbon concentrations. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 669:821-832. [PMID: 30897439 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dietary uptake is a key step in conveying both toxic mercury (Hg; particularly as highly bioavailable methylmercury, MeHg) and essential dietary biochemicals, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), across trophic levels within aquatic food webs. Using stable isotopes and fatty acids we evaluated the role of food sources in size-fractioned plankton and littoral macroinvertebrates for the bioaccumulation of total Hg and MeHg in six oligotrophic and one mesotrophic Swedish lakes with differing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We found that the consumption of both algal and terrestrial diets (assessed by PUFA and long-chain saturated fatty acids, respectively) predicted >66% of the Hg concentration variability in meso- (100-500 μm) and macrozooplankton (>500 μm) in oligotrophic lakes. In the mesotrophic lake, total Hg bioaccumulation in higher trophic level biota, carnivorous macroinvertebrates was also significantly related to terrestrial diet sources (R2 = 0.65, p < 0.01). However, lake pH and DOC correlated to total Hg bioaccumulation and bioconcentration across all lakes, suggesting the consumption of different diet sources is mediated by the influence of lake characteristics. This field study reveals that using dietary biomarkers (stable isotopes and fatty acids) together with the physico-chemical lake parameters pH and nutrients together improve our ability to predict Hg bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs. Fatty acids used as dietary biomarkers provide correlative evidence of specific diet source retention in consumers and their effect on Hg bioaccumulation, while pH and nutrients are the underlying physico-chemical lake parameters controlling differences in Hg bioaccumulation between lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pianpian Wu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden.
| | - Martin Kainz
- WasserCluster - Biologische Station Lunz, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Lunz am See, Austria
| | - Staffan Åkerblom
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden; Statistics Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andrea Garcia Bravo
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lars Sonesten
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
| | - Brian Branfireun
- Department of Biology and Centre for Environment and Sustainability, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Anne Deininger
- Department of Natural Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Grimstad, Norway; Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
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