1
|
Chen Y, Zheng L, Chen X, Hu J, Li C, Zhang L, Cheng H. Distribution of mercury and methylmercury in aquacultured fish in special waters formed by coal mining subsidence. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2024; 280:116546. [PMID: 38843747 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
In China, fence net aquaculture practices have been established in some subsidence waters that have been formed in coal mining subsidence areas. Within this dynamic ecological context, diverse fish species grow continuously until being harvested at the culmination of their production cycle. The purpose of this study was to investigate diverse factors influencing the bioavailability and distribution of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg), which have high physiological toxicity in fish, in the Guqiao coal mining subsidence area in Huainan, China. Mercury and MeHg were analyzed in 38 fish samples of eight species using direct mercury analysis (DMA-80) and gas chromatography-cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (GC-CVAFAS). The analysis results show that the ranges of Hg and MeHg content and methylation rate in the fish were 7.84-85.18 ng/g, 0.52-3.52 ng/g, and 0.81-42.68 %, respectively. Meanwhile, conclusions are also summarized as following: (1) Monophagous herbivorous fish that were fed continuously in fence net aquaculture areas had higher MeHg levels and mercury methylation rates than carnivorous fish. Hg and MeHg contents were affected by different feeding habits of fish. (2) Bottom-dwelling fish show higher MeHg levels, and habitat selection in terms of water depth also partially affected the MeHg content of fish. (3) The effect of fence net aquaculture on methylation of fish in subsidence water is mainly from feed and mercury-containing bottom sediments. However, a time-lag is observed in the physiological response of benthic fishes to the release of Hg from sediments. Our findings provides baseline reference data for the ecological impact of fence net aquaculture in waters affected by soil subsidence induced by coal mining in China. Prevalent environmental contaminants within coal mining locales, notably Hg, may infiltrate rain-induced subsidence waters through various pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yeyu Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Liugen Zheng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China.
| | - Xing Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Jie Hu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Chang Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Liqun Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| | - Hua Cheng
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Anhui Province Engineering Laboratory for Mine Ecological Remediation, Hefei, Anhui 230601, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jędruch A, Bełdowski J, Bełdowska M. Mercury dynamics at the base of the pelagic food web of the Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116363. [PMID: 38621354 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Planktonic organisms, which have direct contact with water, serve as the entry point for mercury (Hg), into the marine food web, impacting its levels in higher organisms, including fish, mammals, and humans who consume seafood. This study provides insights into the distribution and behavior of Hg within the Baltic Sea, specifically the Gulf of Gdańsk, focusing on pelagic primary producers and consumers. Phytoplankton Hg levels were primarily influenced by its concentrations in water, while Hg concentrations in zooplankton resulted from dietary exposure through suspended particulate matter and phytoplankton consumption. Hg uptake by planktonic organisms, particularly phytoplankton, was highly efficient, with Hg concentrations four orders of magnitude higher than those in the surrounding water. However, unlike biomagnification of Hg between SPM and zooplankton, biomagnification between zooplankton and phytoplankton was not apparent, likely due to the low trophic position and small size of primary consumers, high Hg elimination rates, and limited absorption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Jędruch
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland; University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Drouillard KG, Campbell L, Otieno D, Achiya J, Getabu A, Mwamburi J, Sitoki L, Omondi R, Shitandi A, Owuor B, Njiru J, Bullerjahn G, Mckay RM, Otiso KM, Tebbs E. Increasing mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification rates of Nile perch (Lates niloticus L.) in Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 916:170059. [PMID: 38242476 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170059] [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: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The Nile perch (Lates niloticus L.) commercial fishery for Lake Victoria in East Africa is an important source of revenue and employment. We focused on shifts in food web structure and total mercury (THg) bioaccumulation and biomagnification in Nile perch, and lower food web items collected from Winam Gulf (Kenya) sampled 24 years apart (1998 and 2022). Stable isotope carbon (δ13C) values were higher in all species from 2022 compared to 1998. Stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values in baseline organisms were lower in 2022 compared to 1998. In Nile perch, δ15N values were correlated with total length, but the δ15N-length regressions were steeper in 1998 compared to 2022 except for one large (158 cm) Nile perch from 1998 with an uncharacteristically low δ15N value. Total Hg concentrations were lower in lower trophic species from 2022 compared to 1998. However, the THg bioaccumulation rate (as a function of fish length) in Nile perch was greater in 2022 compared to 1998 resulting in 24.2 % to 42.4 % higher wet weight dorsal THg concentrations in 2022 Nile perch for market slot size (50 to 85 cm) fish. The contrasting observations of increased THg bioaccumulation with size in 2022 against decreases in the rate of trophic increase with size and lower THg concentrations of lower food web items imply reduced fish growth and potential bioenergetic stressors on Winam Gulf Nile perch. All samples except 1 large Nile perch (139 cm total length collected in 2022) had THg concentrations below the European Union trade limit (500 ng/g wet weight). However, for more vulnerable individuals (women, children and frequent fish eaters), we recommend a decrease in maximum monthly meal consumption for 55-75 cm Nile perch from 16 meals per month calculated for 1998 to a limit of 8 meals per month calculated for 2022.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ken G Drouillard
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Linda Campbell
- School of the Environment, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Dennis Otieno
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - James Achiya
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Job Mwamburi
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | | | | | | | - James Njiru
- Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - George Bullerjahn
- Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - R Michael Mckay
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kefa M Otiso
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
| | - Emma Tebbs
- Department of Geography, King's College London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Korejwo E, Panasiuk A, Wawrzynek-Borejko J, Jędruch A, Bełdowski J, Paturej A, Bełdowska M. Mercury concentrations in Antarctic zooplankton with a focus on the krill species, Euphausia superba. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167239. [PMID: 37742970 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The Antarctic is the most isolated region in the world; nevertheless, it has not avoided the negative impact of human activity, including the inflow of toxic mercury (Hg). Hg deposited in the Antarctic marine environment can be bioavailable and accumulate in the food web, reaching elevated concentrations in high-trophic-level biota, especially if methylated. Zooplankton, together with phytoplankton, are critical for the transport of pollutants, including Hg to higher trophic levels. For the Southern Ocean ecosystem, one of the key zooplankton components is the Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, the smaller euphausiid Thysanoessa macrura, and the amphipod Themisto gaudichaudii - a crucial food source for most predatory fish, birds, and mammals. The main goal of this study was to determine the Hg burden, as well as the distribution of different Hg forms, in these dominant Antarctic planktonic crustaceans. The results showed that the highest concentrations of Hg were found in T. gaudichaudii, a typically predatory taxon. Most of the Hg in the tested crustaceans was labile and potentially bioavailable for planktivorous organisms, with the most dangerous methylmercury (MeHg) accounting for an average of 16 % of the total mercury. Elevated Hg concentrations were observed close to the land, which is influenced by the proximity to penguin and pinniped colonies. In areas near the shore, volcanic activity might be a possible cause of the increase in mercury sulfide (HgS) content. The total Hg concentration increased with the trophic position and ontogenetic stage of predation, specific to adult organisms. In contrast, the proportion of MeHg decreased with age, indicating more efficient demethylation or elimination. The Hg magnification kinetics in the study area were relatively high, which may be related to climate-change induced alterations of the Antarctic ecosystem: additional food sources and reshaped trophic structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Korejwo
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry, and Biochemistry, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland.
| | - Anna Panasiuk
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography Laboratory of Marine Plankton Biology, Division of Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Justyna Wawrzynek-Borejko
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Marine Ecosystems Functioning, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Jędruch
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry, and Biochemistry, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry, and Biochemistry, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Alicja Paturej
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- University of Gdansk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Division of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Al. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Burke S, Muir DCG, Kirk J, Barst BD, Iqaluk D, Wang X, Pope M, Lamoureux SF, Lafrenière MJ. Divergent Temporal Trends of Mercury in Arctic Char from Paired Lakes Influenced by Climate-Related Drivers. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2712-2725. [PMID: 37712511 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate-driven changes including rising air temperatures, enhanced permafrost degradation, and altered precipitation patterns can have profound effects on contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), in High Arctic lakes. Two physically similar lakes, East Lake and West Lake at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory on Melville Island, Nunavut, Canada are being affected by climate change differently. Both lakes have experienced permafrost degradation in their catchments; however, West Lake has also undergone multiple underwater Mass Movement Events (MMEs; beginning in fall 2008), leading to a sustained 50-fold increase in turbidity. This provided the unique opportunity to understand the potential impacts of permafrost degradation and other climate-related effects on Hg concentrations and body condition of landlocked Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), an important sentinel species across the Circum-Arctic. Our objectives were to assess temporal trends in char Hg concentrations and to determine potential mechanisms driving the trends. There was a significant decrease in Hg concentrations in East Lake char, averaging 6.5%/year and 3.8%/year for length-adjusted and age-adjusted means, respectively, from 2008 to 2019. Conversely, in West Lake there was a significant increase, averaging 7.9%/year and 8.0%/year for length-adjusted and age-adjusted mean Hg concentrations, respectively, for 2009 to 2017 (the last year with sufficient sample size). The best predictors of length-adjusted Hg concentrations in West Lake were carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios, indicating a shift in diet including possible dietary starvation brought on by the profound increase in lake turbidity. Our study provides an example of how increasing lake turbidity, a likely consequence of climate warming in Arctic lakes, may influence fish condition and Hg concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2712-2725. © 2023 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha Burke
- Minnow Environmental, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jane Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin D Barst
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Debbie Iqaluk
- Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Xiaowa Wang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mike Pope
- Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott F Lamoureux
- Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Melissa J Lafrenière
- Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Feng G, Liu J, Li H, Liu JS, Duan Z, Wu L, Gao Y, Meng XZ. Insights from colony formation: The necessity to consider morphotype when assessing the effect of antibiotics on cyanobacteria. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 246:120704. [PMID: 37827036 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Colonial cyanobacteria have been identified as the primary contributor to the global occurrence of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs), which are further intensified by the presence of "pseudo-persistent" antibiotics. Nevertheless, the impact of antibiotics on the growth and size of colonial cyanobacteria remains unclear. In this study, the response of cyanobacterium Microcystis to varying doses of antibiotics was assessed (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 10, and 50 μg L-1) by comparing the unicellular and colonial morphotypes. Interestingly, the morphological structure of cyanobacteria plays a significant role in their reaction to antibiotics. In comparison to the unicellular morphotype, the colonial morphotype exhibited a greater promotion in growth rate (11 %-22 %) to low doses of antibiotics and was less inhibited (-121 %--62 %) under high doses. Furthermore, antibiotics may affect the size of cyanobacterial colonies by disrupting the secretion of algal organic matter, which also exhibited a two-phase pattern. This work sheds light on the significance of methodology research involving both unicellular and colonial cyanobacteria. Future research and lake management should prioritize studying the morphological traits of cyanobacteria under different levels of antibiotic exposure. This approach may lead to novel strategies for predicting cyanoHABs under antibiotic pollution more effectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ganyu Feng
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jianbin Liu
- Shanghai Qingpu District Environmental Monitoring Station, 15 Xidayinggang Road, Shanghai 201799, China
| | - Hongbo Li
- Beijing ENFI Environmental Protection Co., Ltd., 12 Fuxing Road, Beijing 100038, China
| | - Jin-Song Liu
- College of Advanced Materials Engineering, Jiaxing Nanhu University, 572 South Yuexiu Road, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhipeng Duan
- College of Environment, Hohai University, 1 Xikang Road, Nanjing 210098, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Liang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yunze Gao
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiang-Zhou Meng
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Jiaxing-Tongji Environmental Research Institute, 1994 Linggongtang Road, Jiaxing 314051, Zhejiang Province, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Kim D, Won EJ, Cho HE, Lee J, Shin KH. New insight into biomagnification factor of mercury based on food web structure using stable isotopes of amino acids. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 245:120591. [PMID: 37690411 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Although many attempts have been carried out to elaborate trophic magnification factor (TMF) and biomagnification factor (BMF), such as normalizing the concentration of pollutants and averaging diet sources, the uncertainty of the indexes still need to be improved to assess the bioaccumulation of pollutants. This study first suggests an improved BMF (i.e., BMF') applied to mercury bioaccumulation in freshwater fish from four sites before and after rainfall. The diet source and TP of each fish were identified using nitrogen stable isotope of amino acids (δ15NAAs) combined with bulk carbon stable isotope (δ13C). The BMF' was calculated normalizing with TP and diet contributions derived from MixSIAR. The BMF' values (1.3-27.2 and 1.2-27.8), which are representative of the entire food web, were generally higher than TMF (1.5-13.9 and 1.5-14.5) for both total mercury and methyl mercury, respectively. The BMF' implying actual mercury transfer pathway is more reliable index than relatively underestimated TMF for risk assessment. The ecological approach for BMF calculations provides novel insight into the behavior and trophic transfer of pollutants like mercury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dokyun Kim
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Ji Won
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea; Institute of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha-Eun Cho
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Kyung-Hoon Shin
- Department of Marine Sciences and Convergent Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan 15588, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Lepak JM, Johnson BM, Hooten MB, Wolff BA, Hansen AG. Predicting sport fish mercury contamination in heavily managed reservoirs: Implications for human and ecological health. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285890. [PMID: 37607193 PMCID: PMC10443864 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a concerning contaminant due to its widespread distribution and tendency to accumulate to harmful concentrations in biota. We used a machine learning approach called random forest (RF) to test for different predictors of Hg concentrations in three species of Colorado reservoir sport fish. The RF approach indicated that the best predictors of 864 mm northern pike (Esox lucius) Hg concentrations were covariates related to salmonid stocking in each study system, while system-specific metrics related to productivity and forage base were the best predictors of Hg concentrations of 381 mm smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and walleye (Sander vitreus). Protecting human and ecological health from Hg contamination requires an understanding of fish Hg concentrations and variability across the landscape and through time. The RF approach could be applied to identify potential areas/systems of concern, and predict whether sport fish Hg concentrations may change as a result of a variety of factors to help prioritize, focus, and streamline monitoring efforts to effectively and efficiently inform human and ecological health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse M. Lepak
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Brett M. Johnson
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Mevin B. Hooten
- Department of Statistics and Data Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Brian A. Wolff
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| | - Adam G. Hansen
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Zhou X, Xiao C, Li X, Chen T, Yang X. Microplastics in coastal blue carbon ecosystems: A global Meta-analysis of its distribution, driving mechanisms, and potential risks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:163048. [PMID: 36990230 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Microplastics, as emerging pollutants, have become a global environmental concern. Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) are threatened by microplastics. Although substantial studies have explored the dynamics and threats of microplastics in BCEs, the fate and driving factors of microplastics in BCEs on a global scale remain largely unknown. Here, the occurrence, driving factors, and risks of microplastics in global BCEs were investigated by synthesizing a global meta-analysis. The results showed that the abundance of microplastics in BCEs has notable spatial differences worldwide, with the highest microplastic concentrations in Asia, especially in South and Southeast Asia. Microplastic abundance is influenced by the vegetation habitat, climate, coastal environment, and river runoff. The interaction of geographic location, ecosystem type, coastal environment, and climate enhanced the effects of microplastic distribution. In addition, we found that microplastic accumulation in organisms varied according to feeding habits and body weight. Significant accumulation was observed in large fish; however, growth dilution effects were also observed. The effect of microplastics on the organic carbon content of sediments from BCEs varies by ecosystem; microplastic concentrations do not necessarily increase organic carbon sequestration. Global BCEs are at a high risk of microplastic pollution, with high microplastic abundance and toxicity driving the high pollution risk. Finally, this review provides scientific evidence that will form the basis for future microplastic research, focusing on the transport of microplastics in BCEs; effects on the growth, development, and primary productivity of blue carbon plants; and soil biogeochemical cycles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Cunde Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100088, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xueying Li
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Tao Chen
- School of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Xiaofan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100088, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 510006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sullivan CJ, Vokoun JC, Perkins CR. Spatiotemporal changes in largemouth bass mercury concentrations from Connecticut waterbodies, 1995-2021. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:780. [PMID: 37256366 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11405-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated spatiotemporal changes in the mean and variation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) mercury concentrations over three discrete time periods (1995, 2005-2006, and 2019-2021) across 56 Connecticut waterbodies. We detected largemouth bass raw mercury concentrations that exceeded the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Fish Tissue Residue Criterion (≥ 0.30 µg g-1 ww) in 75.1%, 63.3%, and 47.7% of all fish sampled during 1995, 2005-2006, and 2019-2021, respectively. Total length (TL)-adjusted largemouth bass mercury concentrations declined across all ecoregions in Connecticut between subsequent sampling periods but increased between 2005-2006 and 2019-2021 in the Northwest Hills/Uplands ecoregion. The coefficient of variation (CV) of largemouth bass TL-adjusted mercury concentrations increased through time, increasing from 25.78% during 1995 to 36.47% during 2019-2021. The probability of a largemouth bass having a raw mercury concentration > 0.30 µg g-1 ww increased with total length (TL), but the TL with a 50% probability varied across ecoregions and periods. The variation in largemouth bass mercury concentrations highlights the roles that changes to individual behaviors, food web structure, lake properties, and legacy mercury may play in shaping broad patterns and trends in mercury consumption risks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Sullivan
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-4087, USA.
| | - Jason C Vokoun
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-4087, USA
| | - Christopher R Perkins
- Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, 1376 Storrs Road, Storrs, CT, 06269-4087, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Kong X, Zhang J, Li Y, Otsuka S, Liu Q, He Q. Selenium in the liver facilitates the biodilution of mercury in the muscle of Planiliza haematocheilus in the Jiaozhou Bay, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 258:114981. [PMID: 37163907 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
There are increasing evidences that the biodilution effect can significantly reduce the biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in fish. The significant antagonism of selenium (Se) -Hg may have a potential diluting effect on Hg in fish; however, there is still lack of knowledge on such effect. To reveal the Se-Hg interaction and its role in controlling the biodilution effect of Hg, we investigated levels of Hg and Se in the muscle and liver of redlip mullet from Jiaozhou Bay, China, an urbanized semi-enclosed bay highly impacted by human activities. In general, Hg levels in fish muscle were significantly negatively correlated to the levels of Se in the liver and fish size for fish with a size of < 200 mm, indicating that the antagonistic effect of Se on Hg increased with fish growth. This relationship was not significant for fish with a size of > 200 mm, possibly because the normal metabolism of Hg in muscle was hindered by homeostatic regulation or physiological activities such as gonadal development in vivo. Furthermore, the molar ratio of Se in the liver/Hg in the muscle was significantly increasing with Se/Hg in the liver, suggesting that the liver may be the key organ involved in Se-Hg antagonism. Moreover, both ratios continued to decrease with increasing fish size, implying that the antagonistic effect weakens with fish growth. These results indicate that Hg sequestration by liver may be a key mechanism of Se-Hg antagonism in fish and function as a driver for the biodilution effect of Hg, especially at a size of < 200 mm. These findings are further supported by the established linear model of Se-Hg antagonism at different developmental stages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Kong
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Faculty of Science, Academic Assembly, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama 9308555, Japan.
| | - Yanbin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
| | - Shinpei Otsuka
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama 9308555, Japan
| | - Qian Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Qian He
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Wu P, Zhang Y. Toward a Global Model of Methylmercury Biomagnification in Marine Food Webs: Trophic Dynamics and Implications for Human Exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:6563-6572. [PMID: 37045790 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c01299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Marine fish is an excellent source of nutrition but also contributes the most to human exposure to methylmercury (MMHg), a neurotoxicant that poses significant risks to human health on a global scale and is regulated by the Minamata Convention. To better predict human exposure to MMHg, it is important to understand the trophic transfer of MMHg in the global marine food webs, which remains largely unknown, especially in the upper trophic level (TL) biota that is more directly relevant to human exposure. In this study, we couple a fish ecological model and an ocean methylmercury model to explore the influencing factors and mechanisms of MMHg transfer in marine fish food webs. Our results show that available MMHg in the zooplankton strongly determines the MMHg in fish. Medium-sized fish are critical intermediaries that transfer more than 70% of the MMHg circulating in food webs. Grazing is the main factor to control MMHg concentrations in different size categories of fish. Feeding interactions affected by ecosystem structures determine the degree of MMHg biomagnification. We estimate a total of 6.1 metric tons of MMHg potentially digested by the global population per year through marine fish consumption. The model provides a useful tool to quantify human exposure to MMHg through marine fish consumption and thus fills a critical gap in the effectiveness evaluation of the convention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Wu
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
- Frontiers Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycling, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Blazer VS, Walsh HL, Sperry AJ, Raines B, Willacker JJ, Eagles-Smith CA. A multi-level assessment of biological effects associated with mercury concentrations in smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 329:121688. [PMID: 37088253 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury (THg) was measured in muscle (fillet) and liver tissue of adult smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu collected at multiple sites in the Potomac and Susquehanna River drainages within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Smallmouth bass in these drainages have experienced episodic mortality events, a high prevalence of skin lesions and reproductive endocrine disruption (intersex or testicular oocytes and plasma vitellogenin in males). A multi-level assessment of general and reproductive health including indicators at the organismal, organ, cellular and molecular levels was conducted on adult smallmouth bass during the spring (prespawn) season. Concentrations of THg were correlated with increased visible abnormalities, increased macrophage aggregates and tissue parasite burdens. In male bass positive correlations of THg were observed with plasma vitellogenin and hepatic transcript abundance of estrogen receptor β1 and androgen receptor α, while there was a negative association with estrogen receptors α and β2 and androgen receptors β. In female bass there was a negative correlation between THg and plasma vitellogenin as well as hepatic transcript abundance of vitellogenin, choriogenin, estrogen receptor β2 and 17β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. Associations of THg concentrations with various biological indicators suggest mercury may be an important environmental stressor contributing to the observed adverse effects in smallmouth bass populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vicki S Blazer
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA.
| | - Heather L Walsh
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - Adam J Sperry
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - Brenna Raines
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Leetown Research Laboratory, 11649 Leetown Road, Kearneysville, WV, 25430, USA
| | - James J Willacker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zhang J, Li C, Tang W, Wu M, Chen M, He H, Lei P, Zhong H. Mercury in wetlands over 60 years: Research progress and emerging trends. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161862. [PMID: 36716881 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are considered the hotspots for mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry, garnering global attention. Therefore, it is important to review the research progress in this field and predict future frontiers. To achieve that, we conducted a literature analysis by collecting 15,813 publications about Hg in wetlands from the Web of Science Core Collection. The focus of wetland Hg research has changed dramatically over time: 1) In the initial stage (i.e., 1959-1990), research mainly focused on investigating the sources and contents of Hg in wetland environments and fish. 2) For the next 20 years (i.e., 1991-2010), Hg transformation (e.g., Hg reduction and methylation) and environmental factors that affect Hg bioaccumulation have attracted extensive attention. 3) In the recent years of 2011-2022, hot topics in Hg study include microbial Hg methylators, Hg bioavailability, methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation, Hg stable isotope, and Hg cycling in paddy fields. Finally, we put forward future research priorities, i.e., 1) clarifying the primary factors controlling MeHg production, 2) uncovering the MeHg demethylation process, 3) elucidating MeHg bioaccumulation process to better predict its risk, and 4) recognizing the role of wetlands in Hg circulation. This research shows a comprehensive knowledge map for wetland Hg research and suggests avenues for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chengjun Li
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wenli Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mengjie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mingying Chen
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huan He
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Pei Lei
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Environmental and Life Science Program (EnLS), Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ni FJ, Arhonditsis GB. Examination of the effects of toxicity and nutrition on a two prey-predator system with a metabolomics-inspired model. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
|
19
|
Li P, Wang R, Kainz MJ, Yin D. Algal Density Controls the Spatial Variations in Hg Bioconcentration and Bioaccumulation at the Base of the Pelagic Food Web of Lake Taihu, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:14528-14538. [PMID: 36194456 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c05625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Algal density can significantly impact mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation and biomagnification in aquatic food webs, but the underlying mechanisms remain controversial especially in subtropical and tropical regions. We conducted a comprehensive field study on Hg bioconcentration in phytoplankton and bioaccumulation in size-fractionated zooplankton across 17 sampling sites in Lake Taihu, a large shallow lake in eastern China with large spatial differences in algal density. The higher algal density in the northern sites is highly associated with the lower THg bioconcentration factor (BCF) in phytoplankton and lower THg bioaccumulation factor (BAF) in zooplankton. The low Hg BCFs or BAFs at productive sites could not be explained by algal bloom dilution but attributed to the low Hg bioavailability, which is highly associated with the elevated pH levels at productive sites. The smaller body size of the dominant zooplankton species at higher algal density sites also contributed to their lower Hg bioaccumulation. Importantly, we provide evidence that high algal density is associated with a low proportion of methylmercury (MeHg) in total Hg (% MeHg) in phytoplankton, which is further transferred to zooplankton. Such a low THg BCF or BAF and low % MeHg in plankton at high algal density sites hamper the entry of Hg into the pelagic food webs, which are important but yet underestimated driving forces for the low Hg contents in pelagic fish that are commonly observed in anthropogenic-impacted eutrophic lakes in subtropical regions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pengwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, A-3293Lunz am See, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Research, Danube University Krems, A-3500Krems, Austria
| | - Daqiang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai200092, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai200092, China
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Johnston TA, Lescord GL, Quesnel M, Savage PL, Gunn JM, Kidd KA. Age, body size, growth and dietary habits: What are the key factors driving individual variability in mercury of lacustrine fishes in northern temperate lakes? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 213:113740. [PMID: 35750129 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113740] [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: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fish total mercury concentration ([THg]) has been linked to various fish attributes, but the relative importance of these attributes in accounting for among-individual variation in [THg] has not been thoroughly assessed. We compared the contributions of ontogeny (age, length), growth (growth rate, body condition), and food web position (δ13C, δ15N) to among-individual variability in [THg] within populations of seven common fishes from 141 north temperate lakes. Ontogenetic factors accounted for most variation in [THg]; age was a stronger and less variable predictor than length for most species. Adding both indices of growth and food web position to these models increased explained variation (R2) in [THg] by 6-25% among species. Fish [THg] at age increased with growth rate, while fish [THg] at length decreased with growth rate, and the effect of body condition was consistently negative. Trophic elevation (inferred from δ15N) was a stronger predictor than primary production source (inferred from δ13C) for piscivores but not benthivores. Fish [THg] increased with δ15N in all species but showed a more variable relationship with δ13C. Among-individual variation in [THg] is primarily related to age or size in most temperate freshwater fishes, and effects of growth rate and food web position need to be considered in the context of these ontogenetic drivers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Johnston
- Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
| | - Gretchen L Lescord
- Biology Department, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada; Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - John M Gunn
- Biology Department, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Zheng S, Wang R, Kainz MJ, Liu C, Li P, Li Z, Yan H, Yin D. How phytoplankton biomass controls metal(loid) bioaccumulation in size-fractionated plankton in anthropogenic-impacted subtropical lakes: A comprehensive study in the Yangtze River Delta, China. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 224:119075. [PMID: 36116191 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119075] [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: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Phytoplankton biomass can significantly affect metal(loid) bioaccumulation in plankton, but the underlying mechanisms are still controversial. We investigated the bioaccumulation of eight metal(loid)s (As, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) in three size categories of planktonic organisms - seston (0.7-64 μm), mesozooplankton (200-500 μm), and macrozooplankton (>500 μm) - sampled from six freshwater lakes in two seasons in the Yangtze River Delta, China. Our results highlight phytoplankton biomass is the major driver on metal(loid) bioaccumulation in the studied anthropogenic-impacted subtropical lakes, mainly via affecting site-specific water physiochemical characteristics and plankton communities. However, such impact is highly dependent on chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentration. The bioaccumulation of metal(loid)s in size-fractionated plankton declined significantly with increasing phytoplankton biomass when Chl-a was below ∼50 μg L-1, mainly owing to the reduced metal(loid) bioavailability and subsequent bioaccumulation at more productive sites (with elevated pH and dissolved organic carbon), rather than algal bloom dilution. To a lesser extent, phytoplankton growth dilution and the smaller body-size of zooplankton at more productive sites also contributed to the lower metal(loid) bioaccumulation. The bioaccumulation of metal(loid)s was enhanced under severe algal bloom conditions (when Chl-a concentration was higher than ∼50 μg L-1). Although the underlying mechanisms still require further investigations, the potential risks of metal(loid) bioaccumulation under severe algal bloom conditions deserve special attention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siwen Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster Lunz - Biologische Station, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Lunz am See, Austria; Department of Biomedical Research, Danube University Krems, Krems 3500, Austria
| | - Chengying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Pengwei Li
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zixuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Haiyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Daqiang Yin
- Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200092, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Seelos M, Beutel M, McCord S, Kim S, Vigil K. Plankton population dynamics and methylmercury bioaccumulation in the pelagic food web of mine-impacted surface water reservoirs. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 849:4803-4822. [PMID: 36213552 PMCID: PMC9526464 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-05018-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Thermal stratification of reservoirs can lead to anaerobic conditions that facilitate the microbial conversion of mercury (Hg) to neurotoxic and bioaccumulative methylmercury (MeHg). But MeHg production is just the first step in a complex set of processes that affect MeHg in fish. Of particular relevance is uptake into suspended particulate matter (SPM) and zooplankton at the base of the pelagic food web. We assessed plankton dynamics and Hg uptake into the pelagic food web of four Hg-impaired California water reservoirs. Combining water chemistry, plankton taxonomy, and stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope values of SPM and zooplankton samples, we investigated differences among the reservoirs that may contribute to differing patterns in MeHg bioaccumulation. Methylmercury accumulated in SPM during the spring and summer seasons. Percent MeHg (MeHg/Hg*100%) in SPM was negatively associated with δ15N values, suggesting that "fresh" algal biomass could support the production and bioaccumulation of MeHg. Zooplankton δ13C values were correlated with SPM δ13C values in the epilimnion, suggesting that zooplankton primarily feed in surface waters. However, zooplankton MeHg was poorly associated with MeHg in SPM. Our results demonstrate seasonal patterns in biological MeHg uptake and how multiple data sources can help constrain the drivers of MeHg bioaccumulation. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10750-022-05018-0.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Seelos
- Environmental Systems Graduate Program, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343 USA
- Valley Water, San Jose, CA 95118 USA
| | - Marc Beutel
- Environmental Systems Graduate Program, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343 USA
| | | | - Sora Kim
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA 95343 USA
| | - Katie Vigil
- Department of Global Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112 USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Li Z, Chao M, He X, Lan X, Tian C, Feng C, Shen Z. Microplastic bioaccumulation in estuary-caught fishery resource. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 306:119392. [PMID: 35513196 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The environmental behavior of microplastics (MPs) in estuaries with saline and freshwater intersections is extremely complex. This increases the chance of MP ingestion by fishery resources, posing potentially tremendous health risks for humans. Herein, a total of 105 fishes from 14 different species, and 86 crustaceans (including shrimps and crabs) from five different species were sampled in the Yangtze River estuary and offshore, and MP bioaccumulation, accumulative organ, and the influencing factors were comprehensively studied. The results elucidated that MP accumulation in benthos was significantly higher than that in pelagic animals due to the lower acceptance threshold, assimilation efficiency and egestion rate for benthos. The MP content in crustaceans with the burrowing favoring the MP retention was significantly higher than that in fishes. MPs ingested by fish can accumulate in skin, gills and viscera rather than muscles. Most MPs accumulated in fishery resources were cellulose and polyethylene terephthalate characterized by black and gray fibrous and lengths ranging from 0.1 mm to 1 mm. The gill retention capacity of pelagic fish to smaller-size (<0.1 mm) MPs was pronouncedly stronger than that of benthic fish. It was more accurate to assess the ecological risk of MPs in terms of the maximum size of MPs accumulated in organisms. Compared with the offshore area, the incidence of MP uptake was higher in the estuary owing to anthropogenic impacts. This study helps understand the transfer of MPs in aquatic food webs and offers a foundation for assessing the risk of human exposure to MPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenling Li
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China
| | - Min Chao
- The Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, PR China
| | - Xiaokang He
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China
| | - Xiaoping Lan
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China
| | - Chenhao Tian
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China
| | - Chenghong Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China.
| | - Zhenyao Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China; The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Swinton MW, Myer PK, Schaller MF, Pettitt EA, Farrell JL, Nierzwicki-Bauer SA. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes explain methylmercury concentrations in stream food webs of Lake George, New York (USA). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:808-821. [PMID: 35482143 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-022-02548-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury has been studied extensively in lakes due to health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated fish, while stream ecosystems have received less attention. To better understand mercury bioavailability in the lower food web of streams, we collected macroinvertebrates (predators and detritivore) along with autochthonous (epilithic algae) and allochthonous (leaf litter) basal resources in eight streams entering Lake George. Samples were analyzed for methylmercury (MeHg), total mercury, and carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C & δ15N) to determine how mercury concentrations in basal resources, biomagnification rates, and environmental factors (watershed characteristics and water chemistry) effected MeHg concentrations in predatory macroinvertebrates. While biomagnification rates, calculated as trophic magnification slope, explained between 68% and 98% of MeHg variability within a stream food web, the range was small (0.310-0.387) resulting in the biotic components following a consistent pattern of increasing MeHg among streams. The stream order was negatively related to basin slope for all biotic components and explained 70% of MeHg variability in predatory macroinvertebrates. Methylmercury concentrations were significantly and negatively related to δ13C in predators, epilithic algae, and leaf litter. We believe the biofilms on leaf litter utilized bacterial-respired carbon dioxide decreasing δ13C (<-28‰) and increasing MeHg while epilithic algal δ13C increased due to enhanced primary production resulting in biodilution of MeHg. Methylmercury in basal resources responded to δ13C similarly but through different processes. Our findings show shallow slopes elevate MeHg in basal resources and explain most of the predator MeHg variation among streams with little influence of biomagnification rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M W Swinton
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA.
| | - P K Myer
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - M F Schaller
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - E A Pettitt
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - J L Farrell
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - S A Nierzwicki-Bauer
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
You D, Chang X, Guo L, Xie W, Huang S, Li X, Chai H, Wang Y. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in the blood of police and Beagle dogs from Harbin, China: Concentrations and associations with hematological parameters. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 299:134367. [PMID: 35358559 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.134367] [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: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been omnipresent in the environment and marine organisms. However, little is known about these compounds and their associations with hematological parameters in dogs. In this research, we investigated the concentrations and distributions of PFASs in the blood of dogs and explored the associations between PFASs concentrations in blood and hematological parameters. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was found to be the dominant PFAS in the blood (54.23%), followed by perfluorobutyric acid (PFBA) (16.05%) and perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) (12.05%). On average, PFASs concentration in dogs was 3.553 ng/mL (SD: 2.146). Moreover, age is a key factor influencing the levels of PFBA, PFOA, and PFBS in males, as well as seven PFASs (6:2 Cl-PFESA, PFBA, PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFDA, and PFNA) in female dogs' blood. The results revealed that PFHxS in dietary food accounted for most of the total daily PFASs consumption. We also discovered that greater PFASs exposure (including PFOA and PFOS) could significantly increase amylase (AMY) and decrease cholesterol (CHOL) levels. Furthermore, there are linear relationships between PFDA, PFNA and many biochemical parameters (AMY, CHOL, albumin/globulin (A/G), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatinine (CREA)). Thus, PFAS accumulation has a certain influence on dogs' health, and we must pay attention to the potential threat posed by these elements to dogs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan You
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Xiaochen Chang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Lijun Guo
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Wei Xie
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Shuping Huang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Xiang Li
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Hongliang Chai
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| | - Yajun Wang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hylton CA, Tsui MTK. Alteration of acute toxicity of inorganic and methyl mercury to Daphnia magna by dietary addition. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22865. [PMID: 34819591 PMCID: PMC8613259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02300-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute toxicity of inorganic mercury [Hg(II)] and methylmercury (MeHg) to Daphnia magna was characterized using a 48-h static, non-renewal acute toxicity test, in which we compared the toxicity of Hg(II) and MeHg in the absence (water-only) and presence of diet [green alga (Raphidocelis subcapitata), yeast, Cerophyll, and trout chow (YCT), or both]. Overall, Hg(II) is more toxic to D. magna than MeHg, with 48-h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) being 4.3 µg/L (95% confidence interval: 4.1–4.5 µg/L) for Hg(II) and 14.3 µg/L (13.2–15.3 µg/L) for MeHg. For Hg(II), the addition of any diet would significantly increase its 48-h LC50, but the 48-h LC50 for MeHg decreased significantly to 7.1 µg/L (6.4–7.8 µg/L) with the algal addition. We also show that the addition of diets significantly influenced the levels and speciation (dissolved vs. particulate) of both Hg forms in the test solution. The bioaccumulation of Hg(II) and MeHg was impacted by the dietary addition, and it appears that the body residue level triggering mortality varied widely among treatments. The results suggest that standard short-term toxicity tests (water-only) should be supplemented with extra tests with dietary addition to provide a more environmentally relevant estimation of short-term toxicity of chemical compounds.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Hylton
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA
| | - Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, 27402, USA. .,School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong SAR, China.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Baptista-Salazar C, Quadra GR, Sobek A, Jonsson S. Insights into the factors influencing mercury concentrations in tropical reservoir sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:1542-1553. [PMID: 34524328 PMCID: PMC8528188 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00156f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Thousands of dams are currently under construction or planned worldwide to meet the growing need for electricity. The creation of reservoirs could, however, lead to conditions that promote the accumulation of mercury (Hg) in surface sediments and the subsequent production of methylmercury (MeHg). Once produced, MeHg can bioaccumulate to harmful levels in organisms. It is unclear to what extent variations in physical features and biogeochemical factors of the reservoir impact Hg accumulation. The objective of this study was to identify key drivers of the accumulation of total Hg (THg) in tropical reservoir sediments. The concentration of THg in all analyzed depth intervals of 22 sediment cores from the five contrasting reservoirs investigated ranged from 16 to 310 ng g-1 (n = 212, in the different sediment cores, the maximum depth varied from 18 to 96 cm). Our study suggests reservoir size to be an important parameter determining the concentration of THg accumulating in tropical reservoir sediments, with THg ranging up to 50 ng g-1 in reservoirs with an area exceeding 400 km2 and from 100 to 200 ng g-1 in reservoirs with an area less than 80 km2. In addition to the reservoir size, the role of land use, nutrient loading, biome and sediment properties (e.g., organic carbon content) was tested as potential drivers of THg levels. The principal component analysis conducted suggested THg to be related to the properties of the watershed (high degree of forest cover and low degree of agricultural land use), size and age of the reservoir, water residence time and the levels of nutrients in the reservoir. A direct correlation between THg and tested variables was, however, only observed with the area of the reservoir.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabrielle R Quadra
- Laboratório de Ecologia Aquática, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza. Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, 36036 900, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Anna Sobek
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Sofi Jonsson
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
McIlwraith HK, Kim J, Helm P, Bhavsar SP, Metzger JS, Rochman CM. Evidence of Microplastic Translocation in Wild-Caught Fish and Implications for Microplastic Accumulation Dynamics in Food Webs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:12372-12382. [PMID: 34499472 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The presence of microplastics within the gut of animals is well documented. Whether microplastics bioaccumulate in organisms and biomagnify in food webs remains unclear and relies on the ability of microplastics to translocate to other tissues. Here, we demonstrate the widespread presence of microplastics and other anthropogenic microparticles in the gastrointestinal tract, fillet, and livers of seven species of sportfish from Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. Larger fish had a higher microplastic load compared to smaller fish, but the opposite trend was observed with translocated microplastics standardized by fish mass (i.e., smaller fish contained more translocated particles per gram wet weight than larger fish). Moreover, we observed no evidence of biomagnification as there was no significant relationship between the trophic level and total or translocated microplastics per individual. Overall, this suggests that microplastics are translocating, but that excretion of translocated particles or growth dilution may be occurring rather than bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Moreover, the assemblages of shapes and material types varied among tissues, suggesting that particle characteristics may predict biological fate. Our findings highlight the need for further work to understand the mechanisms of microplastic translocation and excretion and the implications for the dynamics of microplastics accumulation in food webs and human exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hayley K McIlwraith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Joel Kim
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| | - Paul Helm
- Environmental Monitoring & Reporting Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Suite 1016V, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E8, Canada
| | - Satyendra P Bhavsar
- Environmental Monitoring & Reporting Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
- School of the Environment, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks St., Suite 1016V, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E8, Canada
| | - Jeremy S Metzger
- Environmental Monitoring & Reporting Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Chelsea M Rochman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3B2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Wu G, Tang S, Han J, Li C, Liu L, Xu X, Xu Z, Chen Z, Wang Y, Qiu G. Distributions of Total Mercury and Methylmercury in Dragonflies from a Large, Abandoned Mercury Mining Region in China. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 81:25-35. [PMID: 34027570 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-021-00854-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Dragonflies (Order Odonata) often are considered to be biosentinels of environmental contamination, e.g., heavy metals and/or persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Dragonflies (n = 439) belonging to 15 species of 8 genera were collected from an abandoned mercury (Hg) mining region in China to investigate the bioaccumulation of total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg). THg and MeHg concentrations in dragonflies varied widely within ranges of 0.06-19 mg/kg (average: 1.5 ± 2.2 mg/kg) and 0.02-5.7 mg/kg (average: 0.75 ± 0.65 mg/kg), respectively. THg and MeHg were positively correlated with bodyweight (THg: r2 = 0.10, P = 0.000; MeHg: r2 = 0.09, P = 0.000). Significant variations were observed among species, with the highest MeHg value (in Orthetrum triangulare) was fivefold higher than the lowest (in Pantala flavescens). These variations were consistent with those of nitrogen isotope (δ15N) values, indicating that increased δ15N, i.e., trophic levels, may reflect increased exposure and uptake of biomagnifying MeHg in dragonflies. A toxicological risk assessment found hazard quotients for specialist dragonfly-consuming birds of up to 7.2, which is 2.4 times greater than the permissible limit of 3, suggesting a potential toxicological risk of exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaoen Wu
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003 , China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Shunlin Tang
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003 , China.
| | - Jialiang Han
- 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
| | - Chan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Lin Liu
- 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
| | - Xiaohang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Zhidong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Yajie Wang
- College of Food Science, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Buckman KL, Mason RP, Seelen E, Taylor VF, Balcom PH, Chipman J, Chen CY. Patterns in forage fish mercury concentrations across Northeast US estuaries. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 194:110629. [PMID: 33358725 PMCID: PMC7946743 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biogeochemical conditions and landscape can have strong influences on mercury bioaccumulation in fish, but these effects across regional scales and between sites with and without point sources of contamination are not well understood. Normal means clustering, a type of unsupervised machine learning, was used to analyze relationships between forage fish (Fundulus heteroclitus and Menidia menidia) mercury (Hg) concentrations and sediment and water column Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations, ancillary variables, and land classifications within the sub-watershed. The analysis utilized data from 38 sites in 8 estuarine systems in the Northeast US, collected over five years. A large range of mercury concentrations and land use proportions were observed across sites. The cluster correlations indicated that for Fundulus, benthic and pelagic Hg and MeHg concentrations were most related to tissue concentrations, while Menidia Hg was most related to water column MeHg, reflecting differing feeding modes between the species. For both species, dissolved MeHg was most related to tissue concentrations, with sediment Hg concentrations influential at contaminated sites. The models considering only uncontaminated sites showed reduced influence of bulk sediment MeHg for both species, but Fundulus retained sediment drivers at some sites, with dissolved MeHg still highly correlated for both. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC), chlorophyll, land use, and other ancillary variables were of lesser importance in driving bioaccumulation, though DOC was strongly related within some clusters, likely in relation to dissolved Hg. Land use, though not of primary importance, showed relationships opposite to those observed in freshwater, with development positively correlated and forests and agriculture negatively correlated with tissue concentrations across clusters and species. Clusters were composed of sites from geographically distinct systems, indicating the greater importance of small scale drivers of MeHg formation and uptake into the food web over system or region-wide influences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate L Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Robert P Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, 06340, USA
| | - Emily Seelen
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, 06340, USA
| | - Vivien F Taylor
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Prentiss H Balcom
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, 06340, USA
| | - Jonathan Chipman
- Department of Geography, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Zhang Z, Wang WX, Zheng N, Cao Y, Xiao H, Zhu R, Guan H, Xiao H. Methylmercury biomagnification in aquatic food webs of Poyang Lake, China: Insights from amino acid signatures. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 404:123700. [PMID: 33045461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
As the dominant mercury species in fish, methylmercury (MeHg) biomagnifies during its trophic transfer through aquatic food webs. MeHg is known to bind to cysteine, forming the complex of MeHg-cysteine. However, relationship between MeHg and cysteine in large-scale food webs has not been explored and contrasted with MeHg biomagnification models. Here, we quantified the compound-specific nitrogen isotopic analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA), MeHg, and amino acid composition in aquatic organisms of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. The trophic positions (TPAA) of organisms ranged from 1.0 ± 0.1-3.7 ± 0.2 based on CSIA-AA approach. The trophic magnification factor (TMF) of MeHg, derived from the regression slope of Log-transformed MeHg in organisms upon their TPAA for the entire food web was 9.5 ± 0.5. Significantly positive regression between MeHg and cysteine (R2 = 0.64, p < 0.01) was documented, suggesting MeHg-cysteine complex may potentially play a critical role in the bioaccumulation of MeHg. Furthermore, TMFs of MeHg calculated with and without cysteine normalization compared well (7.7-8.7) when excluding primary producers. Our results implied that MeHg may biomagnify as the complex of MeHg-cysteine and contribute to our understanding of MeHg trophic transfer at the molecular level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongyi Zhang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Wen-Xiong Wang
- Research Centre for the Oceans and Human Health, City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China; School of Energy and Environment, State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Nengjian Zheng
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Yansheng Cao
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Hongwei Xiao
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Renguo Zhu
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Hui Guan
- The State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Huayun Xiao
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of the Causes and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, East China University of Technology, Nanchang, 330013, China.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Ye X, Rountos KJ, Lee CS, Fisher NS. Effects of methylmercury on the early life stages of an estuarine forage fish using two different dietary sources. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 164:105240. [PMID: 33418125 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105240] [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: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Marine fish accumulate methylmercury (MeHg) to elevated concentrations, often higher than in freshwater systems. As a neurotoxic compound, high MeHg tissue concentrations could affect fish behavior which in turn could affect their populations. We examined the sublethal effects of MeHg on larvae of the Sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), an estuarine fish, using artificial or natural diets with varying MeHg concentrations (0-4.8 ppm). Larvae were fed control and MeHg-contaminated diets at low or normal (10% of their body mass) daily food rations from 7 to 29 days when they reached juvenile stage. Growth, respiration, swimming activity and prey capture ability were assessed. Food ration affected Hg toxicity in our study. Natural diets containing 3.2 ppm MeHg had no impacts on growth and swimming in fish that were fed normal food rations but depressed growth and swimming at low food rations. MeHg toxicity did not differ between artificial and natural foods, however fish accumulated more MeHg from the former. Artificial food containing 4.8 ppm MeHg only affected prey capture after 21 days of exposure. Sheepshead minnows, a forage fish species occupying a low trophic level in coastal waters, can be MeHg tolerant, especially when food is abundant, and can serve as an enriched Hg source for higher trophic level predators.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiayan Ye
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Konstantine J Rountos
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA; Department of Biology, St. Joseph's College, Patchogue, NY, 11772, USA
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA; New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11790, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Peace A, Frost PC, Wagner ND, Danger M, Accolla C, Antczak P, Brooks BW, Costello DM, Everett RA, Flores KB, Heggerud CM, Karimi R, Kang Y, Kuang Y, Larson JH, Mathews T, Mayer GD, Murdock JN, Murphy CA, Nisbet RM, Pecquerie L, Pollesch N, Rutter EM, Schulz KL, Scott JT, Stevenson L, Wang H. Stoichiometric Ecotoxicology for a Multisubstance World. Bioscience 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaa160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Nutritional and contaminant stressors influence organismal physiology, trophic interactions, community structure, and ecosystem-level processes; however, the interactions between toxicity and elemental imbalance in food resources have been examined in only a few ecotoxicity studies. Integrating well-developed ecological theories that cross all levels of biological organization can enhance our understanding of ecotoxicology. In the present article, we underline the opportunity to couple concepts and approaches used in the theory of ecological stoichiometry (ES) to ask ecotoxicological questions and introduce stoichiometric ecotoxicology, a subfield in ecology that examines how contaminant stress, nutrient supply, and elemental constraints interact throughout all levels of biological organization. This conceptual framework unifying ecotoxicology with ES offers potential for both empirical and theoretical studies to deepen our mechanistic understanding of the adverse outcomes of chemicals across ecological scales and improve the predictive powers of ecotoxicology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angela Peace
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States
| | - Paul C Frost
- Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole D Wagner
- Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
| | | | - Chiara Accolla
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
| | | | - Bryan W Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
| | - David M Costello
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States
| | - Rebecca A Everett
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Kevin B Flores
- Department of Mathematics and the Center for Research in Scientific Computation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
| | - Christopher M Heggerud
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Roxanne Karimi
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States
| | - Yun Kang
- Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona, United States
| | - Yang Kuang
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States
| | - James H Larson
- US Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States
| | - Teresa Mathews
- Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
| | - Gregory D Mayer
- Department of Environmental Toxicology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States
| | - Justin N Murdock
- Department of Biology, Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, Tennessee, United States
| | - Cheryl A Murphy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States
| | - Roger M Nisbet
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Laure Pecquerie
- Université de Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, Plouzane, France
| | - Nathan Pollesch
- University of Wisconsin's Aquatic Sciences Center and with the US Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes Toxicology and Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota, United States
| | - Erica M Rutter
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of California, Merced, Merced, California, United States
| | - Kimberly L Schulz
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - J Thad Scott
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States
| | - Louise Stevenson
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; with the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California; and with the Department of Biological Sciences at Bowling Green State University, in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Chen CY, Buckman KL, Shaw A, Curtis A, Taylor M, Montesdeoca M, Driscoll C. The influence of nutrient loading on methylmercury availability in Long Island estuaries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 268:115510. [PMID: 33221612 PMCID: PMC8410480 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Estuaries provide critical habitat for food webs supporting fish and shellfish consumed by humans, but estuarine ecosystem health has been threatened by increases in nitrogen loading as well as inputs of the neurotoxin, mercury (Hg), which biomagnifies in food webs and poses risk to humans and wildlife. In this study, the effects of nutrient loading on the fate of Hg in shallow coastal estuaries were examined to evaluate if their interaction enhances or reduces Hg bioavailability in sediments, the water column, and concentrations in lower trophic level fish (Fundulus heteroclitus and Menidia menidia). Multiple sites were sampled within two human impacted coastal lagoons, Great South Bay (GSB) and Jamaica Bay (JB), on the southern coast of Long Island, NY, United States of America (U.S.A.). Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), Hg, and methylmercury (MeHg) were measured in surface sediments and the water column, and total Hg (THg) was measured in two species of forage fish. Minimal differences were found in dissolved and particulate Hg, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and salinity between the two bays. Across lagoons, concentrations of chlorophyll-a were correlated with total suspended solids (TSS), and water column THg and MeHg was largely associated with the particulate fraction. Methylmercury concentrations in particulates decreased with increasing TSS and chlorophyll-a, evidence of biomass dilution of MeHg with increasing productivity at the base of the food chain. Water column Hg was associated with THg concentrations in Atlantic silversides, while mummichog THg concentrations were related to sediment concentrations, reflecting their different feeding strategies. Finally, higher nutrient loading (lower C:N in sediments) while related to lower particulate concentrations coincided with higher bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for Hg in both fish species. Thus, in shallow coastal lagoons, increased nutrient loading resulted in decreased Hg concentrations at the base of the food web but resulted in greater bioaccumulation of Hg to fish relative to its availability in algal food.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Kate L Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Amy Shaw
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Amanda Curtis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Mariah Taylor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Mario Montesdeoca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Charles Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Seelos M, Beutel M, Austin CM, Wilkinson E, Leal C. Effects of hypolimnetic oxygenation on fish tissue mercury in reservoirs near the new Almaden Mining District, California, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 268:115759. [PMID: 33120343 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115759] [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: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Almaden, Calero, and Guadalupe reservoirs (San Jose, CA, USA) are small (<13 million m3) surface water reservoirs polluted by the former New Almaden Mining District, North America's most productive historical mercury (Hg) mine. Stevens Creek Reservoir (Cupertino, CA, USA) also has elevated fish Hg concentrations, but no historical mining source. We report a 15-year dataset to evaluate the effectiveness of line diffuser hypolimnetic oxygenation systems (HOSs) in reducing methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in reservoir water and fish after four consecutive years of operation. HOSs were installed in each reservoir to increase dissolved oxygen concentrations in bottom water, thereby suppressing the activity of anaerobic bacteria (e.g., sulfate-reducing bacteria) known to produce MeHg. Before HOS operation, MeHg concentrations increased in bottom waters of all four reservoirs during periods of thermal stratification and profundal hypoxia. MeHg concentrations decreased significantly in bottom waters during HOS operation, with mean reductions of 63%-85% below pre-oxygenation concentrations. However, MeHg concentrations were unchanged or increased in surface waters. This could be the result of enhanced mixing between surface and bottom waters as a result of line diffuser oxygenation, or continued Hg methylation occurring in the oxic water column and littoral sediments. Despite little change in whole water column MeHg concentrations, we observed modest but significant declining trends in fish tissue Hg in Guadalupe and Stevens Creek reservoirs. Results suggest that oxygenation, rather than directly lowering MeHg in water, may have mixed nutrients into surface waters, thereby enhancing primary productivity and indirectly affecting Hg bioaccumulation by diluting concentrations in phytoplankton.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Seelos
- Valley Water, San Jose, CA, 95118, USA; Environmental Systems Graduate Program, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
| | - Marc Beutel
- Environmental Systems Graduate Program, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Carrie M Austin
- San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Oakland, CA, 94612, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Razavi NR, Halfman JD, Cushman SF, Massey T, Beutner R, Foust J, Gilman B, Cleckner LB. Mercury concentrations in fish and invertebrates of the Finger Lakes in central New York, USA. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1673-1685. [PMID: 31820166 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02132-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Deleterious health effects in humans and wildlife are associated with the consumption of fish contaminated by mercury (Hg). This study was conducted to assess Hg concentrations in biota of the Finger Lakes (New York, USA), a region where fisheries are important for the economy but where no assessment of the drivers of food web Hg dynamics exists to date. Additionally, this region is of interest for the study of Hg bioaccumulation because of the importance of agricultural land cover, which can affect lake trophic status and thus the bioavailability of methyl Hg (MeHg). The study objectives were to (1) assess if fish Hg concentrations were of concern to humans and wildlife, (2) determine if differences in biota Hg concentrations exist among lakes, and (3) assess models developed for New York State as predictors of present day Finger Lakes fish Hg concentrations. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to assess predictors of fish Hg concentrations using lower trophic level MeHg concentrations, water quality, and lake and land cover characteristics. Fish concentrations were above the EPA criterion (300 ng/g wet weight, ww) in 24% of fish, but only Walleye (Sander vitreus) from Owasco Lake exceeded New York State Department of Health consumption guidelines (1000 ng/g ww). The threshold indicating biological changes within fish (500 ng/g ww) was exceeded in 11% of the individuals sampled. Significant differences were found among lakes for all fish species except Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides). Notably, Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) had significantly lower Hg concentrations in Cayuga Lake compared to other Finger Lakes. This trend was not mirrored in the lower food web, as benthic invertebrates had higher MeHg concentrations in Cayuga Lake. Using models developed for New York State in 2003-2005, observed concentrations in 90% of fish were different (±200 ng/g ww) than expected. Findings from this study suggest Hg dynamics in the Finger Lakes require consideration of fish age, growth rates, and food web structure to accurately predict fish Hg concentrations among lakes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Roxanna Razavi
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA.
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
| | - John D Halfman
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
- Department of Geoscience, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
- Environmental Studies Program, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
| | - Susan F Cushman
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
- Environmental Studies Program, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
- Department of Biology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
| | - Trevor Massey
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
| | - Robert Beutner
- IT Services, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
| | - John Foust
- Environmental Conservation and Horticulture, Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, NY, 14424, USA
| | - Bruce Gilman
- Environmental Conservation and Horticulture, Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, NY, 14424, USA
| | - Lisa B Cleckner
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
- Environmental Studies Program, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Riva-Murray K, Richter W, Roxanna Razavi N, Burns DA, Cleckner LB, Burton M, George SD, Freehafer D. Mercury in fish from streams and rivers in New York State: Spatial patterns, temporal changes, and environmental drivers. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1686-1708. [PMID: 32440861 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02225-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentrations in freshwater fish across the state of New York frequently exceed guidelines considered harmful to humans and wildlife, but statewide distribution and temporal changes are not well known for the state's streams and rivers. We analyzed existing data to describe recent spatial patterns, identify key environmental drivers, and assess temporal changes. Size classes within sportfishes and prey fishes formed 'functional taxa' (FT), and standardized scores were generated from 2007-2016 data for 218 sites. Muscle Hg in ≥1 sportfish FT exceeded human-health guidelines of 50 ng/g (sensitive populations) and 300 ng/g (general population, GP) at 93 and 56% of sites, respectively, but exceeded 1000 ng/g (a state threshold) at only 10% of sites. Whole-body Hg in ≥1 prey fish FT exceeded wildlife thresholds of 40 ng/g and 100 ng/g at 91 and 51% of sites, respectively. Environmental drivers of recent spatial patterns include extent of forest cover and storage, the latter an indicator of wetlands. Standardized Hg scores increased with increasing atmospheric Hg deposition and storage across rural 'upland' regions of New York. However, scores were not related to atmospheric deposition in more-developed 'lowland' regions due to the limited methylation potential of urban landscapes. Comparisons of 2010-2015 sportfish Hg concentrations with those of 1998 and 2000-2005 showed inconsistent temporal changes both among and within eight sites examined. Some recent stream and river fish Hg spatial patterns differed from those of lake-based studies, highlighting the importance of New York's flowing waters to future Hg monitoring and risk assessment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karen Riva-Murray
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
| | - Wayne Richter
- Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY, 12233, USA
- Department of Biology, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866, USA
| | - N Roxanna Razavi
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Douglas A Burns
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Lisa B Cleckner
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY, 14556, USA
| | - Mark Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Scott D George
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Douglas Freehafer
- U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Burke SM, Zimmerman CE, Laske SM, Koch JC, Derry AM, Guernon S, Branfireun BA, Swanson HK. Fish growth rates and lake sulphate explain variation in mercury levels in ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140564. [PMID: 32758814 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury concentrations in freshwater food webs are governed by complex biogeochemical and ecological interactions that spatially vary and are often mediated by climate. The Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska (ACP) is a heterogeneous, lake-rich landscape where variability in mercury accumulation is poorly understood. Earlier research indicated that the level of catchment influence on lakes varied spatially on the ACP, and affected mercury accumulation in lake sediments. This work sought to determine drivers of spatial variation in mercury accumulation in lake food webs on the ACP. Three lakes that were a priori identified as "high catchment influence" (Reindeer Camp region) and three lakes that were a priori identified as "low catchment influence" (Atqasuk region) were sampled, and variability in water chemistry, food web ecology, and mercury accumulation was investigated. Among-lake differences in ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) length-adjusted methylmercury concentrations were significantly explained by sulphate concentration in lake water, a tracer of catchment runoff input. This effect was mediated by fish growth, which had no pattern between regions. Together, lake water sulphate concentration and fish age-at-size (proxy for growth) accounted for nearly all of the among-lake variability in length-adjusted methylmercury concentrations in stickleback (R2adj = 0.94, p < 0.01). The percentage of total mercury as methylmercury (a proxy for net Hg methylation) was higher in sediments of more autochthonous, "low catchment influence" lakes (p < 0.05), and in the periphyton of more allochthonous, "high catchment influence" lakes (p < 0.05). The results indicate that dominant sources of primary production (littoral macrophyte/biofilm vs. pelagic phytoplankton) and food web structure (detrital vs. grazing) are regulated by catchment characteristics on the ACP, and that this ultimately influences the amount of methylmercury in the aquatic food web. These results have important implications for predicting future mercury concentrations in fish in lakes where fish growth rates and catchment inputs may change in response to a changing climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S M Burke
- Department of Biology and Water Institute, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - C E Zimmerman
- U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - S M Laske
- U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - J C Koch
- U. S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Dr., Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
| | - A M Derry
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), P.O. Box 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - S Guernon
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), P.O. Box 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - B A Branfireun
- Western University, Department of Biological Sciences, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - H K Swanson
- Department of Biology and Water Institute, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Martyniuk MAC, Couture P, Tran L, Beaupré L, Power M. Seasonal variation of total mercury and condition indices of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in Northern Québec, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 738:139450. [PMID: 32534279 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The winter ecology of anadromous Arctic charr, an important fish species for Indigenous populations, has remained poorly detailed in the literature beyond descriptions of seasonal fasting and resulting declines in condition. However, prolonged periods of reduced feeding can have significant consequences for other variables, such as tissue contaminant levels. To more thoroughly detail seasonal changes, biological information (fork length, total weight, age, sex, somatic condition), stable isotopes (δ13C, % carbon, δ15N, % nitrogen), dorsal muscle % lipid, caloric densities, and total mercury (THg) concentrations were assessed in anadromous Arctic charr collected from Deception Bay, Canada, during the summer and over-wintering periods. Significant reductions in somatic condition, total weight, and % nitrogen, consistent with prolonged periods of fasting, were found for post-winter captured Arctic charr, but % lipid and caloric densities were significantly higher in these fish. THg also varied seasonally and was significantly higher in summer collected tissue. When tested individually via linear regression, significant relationships were seasonally dependent, but limited in number. All previously mentioned parameters were then incorporated into multi-variable models which better explained variations in the data. While there was no clear best model for explaining the % lipid values, caloric densities, and THg, season, condition, and stable isotope values (% carbon and % nitrogen) were the best indicators of % lipid content and caloric densities. THg concentrations were best explained by total weight, somatic condition, and δ13C. Seasonal variation in fish condition measures and THg may be indicative of condition selective mortality that yields apparent improvement through the disproportionate removal of poorer conditioned fish from the population during the over-wintering period. This hypothesis was further supported by mortality estimates and the results of the multi-predictor variable models. Collectively, this research highlights the importance of understanding seasonal dynamics for anadromous Arctic charr populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrice Couture
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique - Centre Eau Terre Environnement, 490 Rue de la Couronne, Québec, Canada, G1K 9A9
| | - Lilian Tran
- Nunavik Research Centre - Makivik Corporation, P.O. Box 179, Kuujjuaq, Québec, Canada, J0M 1C0
| | - Laurie Beaupré
- Makivik Corporation, 1111 Boulevard Dr. Frederik-Philips, Saint-Laurent, Québec, Canada, H4M 2X6
| | - Michael Power
- University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Wang Y, Yao J, Dai J, Ma L, Liu D, Xu H, Cui Q, Ma J, Zhang H. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in blood of captive Siberian tigers in China: Occurrence and associations with biochemical parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 265:114805. [PMID: 32480004 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been ubiquitously detected in the environment and marine animals. However, little is known about these substances and their associations with health parameters in wild terrestrial mammals. In this study, we determined PFAS levels and distribution in the blood of captive Siberian tigers in Harbin, China, and evaluated potential exposure pathways by daily intake. In addition, for the first time, we explored the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and clinical parameters. Results showed that perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) was the dominant PFAS compound in blood (accounting for 64%), followed by perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS). In addition, 6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (6:2 Cl-PFESA) concentrations were also detected in blood and dietary food. Furthermore, significant positive age relationships were observed for levels of perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), PFOA, PFOS, and 6:2 Cl-PFESA in the blood of female tigers. Results showed that PFOA and PFOS in dietary food accounted for over 70% of total daily intake of PFASs, indicating that meat consumption is a predominant exposure pathway in tigers. We also found positive associations between higher exposure to PFASs (including PFOA, PFOS, and 6:2 Cl-PFESA) and elevated serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), a marker of liver damage. Thus, comprehensive health assessments of PFAS burdens in wildlife are needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yajun Wang
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China
| | - Jingzhi Yao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Jiayin Dai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Liying Ma
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China
| | - Dan Liu
- Siberian Tiger Park, Harbin, 150028, PR China
| | - Haitao Xu
- Siberian Tiger Park, Harbin, 150028, PR China
| | - Qianqian Cui
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China
| | - Jianzhang Ma
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, PR China
| | - Hongxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Mathews TJ, Stevenson LM, Pickhardt PC, Murphy CA, Nisbet RM, Antczak P, Garcia-Reyero N, Gergs A. The Effect of Dietary Exposure to Coal Ash Contaminants within Food Ration on Growth and Reproduction in Daphnia magna. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:1998-2007. [PMID: 32667689 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Coal ash contains numerous contaminants and is the focus of regulatory actions and risk assessments due to environmental spills. We exposed Daphnia magna to a gradient of coal ash contamination under high and low food rations to assess the sublethal effects of dietary exposures. Whereas exposure to contaminants resulted in significant reductions in growth and reproduction in daphnids, low, environmentally relevant food rations had a much greater effect on these endpoints. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1998-2007. © 2020 SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa J Mathews
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Louise M Stevenson
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | | | - Cheryl A Murphy
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Roger M Nisbet
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA
| | - Philipp Antczak
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, Germany
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Thomas SM, Melles SJ, Mackereth RW, Tunney TD, Chu C, Oswald CJ, Bhavsar SP, Johnston TA. Climate and landscape conditions indirectly affect fish mercury levels by altering lake water chemistry and fish size. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 188:109750. [PMID: 32526497 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109750] [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: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury pollution is a global environmental problem that threatens ecosystems, and negatively impacts human health and well-being. Mercury accumulation in fish within freshwater lakes is a complex process that appears to be driven by factors such as individual fish biology and water chemistry at the lake-scale, whereas, climate, and land-use/land-cover conditions within lake catchments can be influential at relatively larger scales. Nevertheless, unravelling the intricate network of pathways that govern how lake-scale and large-scale factors interact to affect mercury levels in fish remains an important scientific challenge. Using structural equation models (SEMs) and multiple long-term databases we identified direct and indirect effects of lake-scale and larger-scale factors on mercury levels in Walleye and Northern Pike - two species that are valued in inland fisheries. At the lake-level, the most parsimonious path models contained direct effects of fish weight, DOC, and pH, as well as an indirect effect of DOC on fish mercury levels via fish weight. Interestingly, lakeshed-, climate-, and full-path models that combine the effects of both lakeshed and climate revealed indirect effects of surrounding landscape conditions and latitude via DOC, pH, and fish weight but no direct effects on fish mercury levels. These results are generally consistent across species and lakes, except for some differences between stratified and non-stratified lakes. Our findings imply that understanding climate and land-use driven alterations of water chemistry and fish biology will be critical to predicting and mitigating fish mercury bioaccumulation in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shyam M Thomas
- Department of Chemistry & Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
| | - Stephanie J Melles
- Department of Chemistry & Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Robert W Mackereth
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Thunder Bay, ON P7E 2V6, Canada
| | - Tyler D Tunney
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Habitat Section, Gulf Fisheries Centre, Moncton, NB E1C 9B6, Canada
| | - Cindy Chu
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Aquatic Research and Monitoring Section, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
| | - Claire J Oswald
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Satyendra P Bhavsar
- Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Toronto, ON M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Thomas A Johnston
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, Vale Living with Lakes Centre, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON P3E 2C6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Backstrom CH, Buckman K, Molden E, Chen CY. Mercury Levels in Freshwater Fish: Estimating Concentration with Fish Length to Determine Exposures Through Fish Consumption. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2020; 78:604-621. [PMID: 32047945 PMCID: PMC7193739 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-020-00717-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic pollutant that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in aquatic food webs, impacting the health of piscivorous wildlife and human consumers of predatory fish. While fish mercury levels have been correlated with various biotic and abiotic factors, many studies only measure adults to characterize the health of locally fished populations, omitting information about how local fish bioaccumulate mercury relative to their growth. In this study, we sought to establish length: total mercury (THg) concentration relationships in juvenile and adult fish of four genera (sunfish, yellow perch, white perch, and killifish) across six freshwater pond systems of Nantucket Island to determine safe consumption sizes across species and environmental conditions. A wide length range (2-21 cm) was utilized to develop linear regression models of ln-THg versus fish length. In most cases, different genera within the same pond indicated similar slopes, supporting that all four genera share comparable features of feeding and growth. Comparing individual species across ponds, differences in ln-THg versus fish length were attributable to known environmental Hg-modulators including surface water MeHg levels, pH, and watershed area. Referencing human health and wildlife criteria, our results confirm that numerous Nantucket freshwater ecosystems contain elevated fish THg levels, which could impact the health of not only piscivorous wildlife in all measured ponds but also recreational fishers in at least two measured systems. Future studies should measure THg levels across juvenile and adult fish to detect potential differences in the slope of THg concentration across fish length relevant for local consumption advice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Callum Hoyt Backstrom
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, HB 6044, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Kate Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, HB 6044, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Emily Molden
- Nantucket Land Council, 6 Ash Lane, Nantucket, MA, 02554, USA
| | - Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, HB 6044, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Mercury-methylating bacteria are associated with copepods: A proof-of-principle survey in the Baltic Sea. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230310. [PMID: 32176728 PMCID: PMC7075563 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin that biomagnifies in marine food webs. Inorganic mercury (Hg) methylation is conducted by heterotrophic bacteria inhabiting sediment or settling detritus, but endogenous methylation by the gut microbiome of animals in the lower food webs is another possible source. We examined the occurrence of the bacterial gene (hgcA), required for Hg methylation, in the guts of dominant zooplankters in the Northern Baltic Sea. A qPCR assay targeting the hgcA sequence in three main clades (Deltaproteobacteria, Firmicutes and Archaea) was used in the field-collected specimens of copepods (Acartia bifilosa, Eurytemora affinis, Pseudocalanus acuspes and Limnocalanus macrurus) and cladocerans (Bosmina coregoni maritima and Cercopagis pengoi). All copepods were found to carry hgcA genes in their gut microbiome, whereas no amplification was recorded in the cladocerans. In the copepods, hgcA genes belonging to only Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes were detected. These findings suggest a possibility that endogenous Hg methylation occurs in zooplankton and may contribute to seasonal, spatial and vertical MeHg variability in the water column and food webs. Additional molecular and metagenomics studies are needed to identify bacteria carrying hgcA genes and improve their quantification in microbiota.
Collapse
|
46
|
Yu ZG, Zhang L, Wu Y, Jin B. Efflux behavior of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in the marine copepod Tigriopus japonicus. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 703:135655. [PMID: 31767324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135655] [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: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine copepods play an important role in transferring mercury to higher trophic levels in aquatic ecosystems. Exposure time is an important environmental parameter that potentially influences the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of Hg in copepods, which increases the uncertainty in risk assessments of Hg in food chains. In the present study, we employed the radiotracer technique to evaluate the efflux behavior of inorganic mercury [Hg(II)] and methylmercury (MeHg), and the effects of exposure time in a population of Tigriopus japonicus copepods. Exposure treatments were compared to understand the effects of exposure time (1 d, 3 d, and 7 d) on the release routes and efflux rate constants (ke) of Hg in copepods. During a depuration period of 5 d, the ke value of Hg(II) in the three exposure treatments ranged from 0.190-0.330 d-1, while the ke of MeHg was generally slower and ranged from 0.031-0.051 d-1. The exposure time significantly affected the efflux rates of Hg(II), i.e., a longer exposure time caused a higher retained Hg(II) burden in copepods, while no significant changes were observed in the MeHg treatments. The release routes of Hg in T. japonicus included excretion, feces production, and reproduction. In all the treatments, the excretion of Hg was the most important release route. The relative contribution of reproduction significantly increased in the MeHg exposure treatments, while the contribution of water excretion decreased with exposure time. Our study demonstrated that the retention of Hg(II) and the maternal transfer of MeHg were time-dependent and significantly affected by exposure time. Long-term exposure caused a decrease in the ke of Hg(II) and increase in the contribution of MeHg transfer to nauplii, thereby indicating an increasing risk of biological transmission of Hg under long-term exposure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Guo Yu
- School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, 210044 Nanjing, China; State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China.
| | - Le Zhang
- School of Hydrology and Water Resources, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, 210044 Nanjing, China
| | - Yun Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CIC-AEET), School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China.
| | - Biao Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Chen H, Li J, Yan L, Cao J, Li D, Huang GY, Shi WJ, Dong W, Zha J, Ying GG, Zhong H, Wang Z, Huang Y, Luo Y, Xie L. Subchronic effects of dietary selenium yeast and selenite on growth performance and the immune and antioxidant systems in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 97:283-293. [PMID: 31863904 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2019] [Revised: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Selenium is an essential element but toxic at high levels in animals. The effects of Se on growth performance and the immune system in Nile tilapia remain inconclusive. In this study, Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus was fed on selenium yeast (Se(Y))- and selenite (Se(IV))-enriched feed at 0, 3, 6, and 12 μg/g (dry wt) for 45 and 90 d. The growth, bioaccumulation, biochemical markers related to antioxidant, immunological, nervous and digestive systems were evaluated in various fish tissues (liver, intestine, kidney, muscle, brain, spleen, gills). The results showed that the accumulation of Se(Y) was 1.3-2 folds of Se(IV) in most tissues. The growth of tilapia was enhanced by both Se(Y) and Se(IV) at 3 μg/g after 90 d, with Se(Y) better than Se(IV) in tilapia feed. After 45 d, the levels of lipid peroxidation, the activity of the antioxidant enzymes, and the transcriptional levels of the immune related genes (IL-1β, IFN-γ and TNF-α) and stress proteins (HSP70 and MT) were enhanced in all treatments, except that of MT in the 12 μg/g Se(Y) group. In addition, both Se species inhibited the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain and one digestive enzyme α-glucosidase (α-Glu) in the intestine at 12 μg/g. However, after 90 d, the effects on most biochemical markers were less pronounced, implying a possible acclimation after prolonged duration. The results demonstrate Se is beneficial to O. niloticus at low levels and toxic at elevated levels. The immunostimulation by Se might be greatly weakened after long term feeding Se-enriched feed. This study helps to better understand the effects of Se on the antioxidant and immune systems and to establish the optimal Se levels in the feed and duration for O. niloticus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongxing Chen
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jian Li
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Analysis and Test Research, Nanning, 530022, China
| | - Liang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Jinling Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Ecological Animal Husbandry and Environment Veterinary Medicine, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, 030801, China
| | - Dan Li
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Guo-Yong Huang
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Wen-Jun Shi
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Wu Dong
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Toxicant Monitoring and Toxicology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028000, China
| | - Jinmiao Zha
- Key Laboratory of Drinking Water Science and Technology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Guang-Guo Ying
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Huan Zhong
- Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Zhifang Wang
- Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, 530021, China
| | - Yifan Huang
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Analysis and Test Research, Nanning, 530022, China
| | - Yongju Luo
- Guangxi Academy of Fishery Sciences, Nanning, 530021, China.
| | - Lingtian Xie
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, South China Normal University, University Town, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Mercury Bioaccumulation in Lacustrine Fish Populations Along a Climatic Gradient in Northern Ontario, Canada. Ecosystems 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-019-00464-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
49
|
Broadley HJ, Cottingham KL, Baer NA, Weathers KC, Ewing HA, Chaves-Ulloa R, Chickering J, Wilson AM, Shrestha J, Chen CY. Factors affecting MeHg bioaccumulation in stream biota: the role of dissolved organic carbon and diet. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2019; 28:949-963. [PMID: 31410744 PMCID: PMC6814552 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02086-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The bioaccumulation of the neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg) in freshwater ecosystems is thought to be mediated by both water chemistry (e.g., dissolved organic carbon [DOC] and dissolved mercury [Hg]) and diet (e.g., trophic position and diet composition). Hg in small streams is of particular interest given their role as a link between terrestrial and aquatic processes. Terrestrial processes determine the quantity and quality of streamwater DOC, which in turn influence the quantity and bioavailability of dissolved MeHg. To better understand the effects of water chemistry and diet on Hg bioaccumulation in stream biota, we measured DOC and dissolved Hg in stream water and mercury concentration in three benthic invertebrate taxa and three fish species across up to 12 tributary streams in a forested watershed in New Hampshire, USA. As expected, dissolved total mercury (THg) and MeHg concentrations increased linearly with DOC. However, mercury concentrations in fish and invertebrates varied non-linearly, with maximum bioaccumulation at intermediate DOC concentrations, which suggests that MeHg bioavailability may be reduced at high levels of DOC. Further, MeHg and THg concentrations in invertebrates and fish, respectively, increased with δ15N (suggesting trophic position) but were not associated with δ13C. These results show that even though MeHg in water is strongly determined by DOC concentrations, mercury bioaccumulation in stream food webs is the result of both MeHg availability in stream water and trophic position.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J Broadley
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
- Environmental Studies Program, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, 04240, USA.
| | | | - Nicholas A Baer
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, 03257, USA
| | | | - Holly A Ewing
- Environmental Studies Program, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, 04240, USA
| | - Ramsa Chaves-Ulloa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Department of General Education, Western Governors University, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jessica Chickering
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, 03257, USA
| | - Adam M Wilson
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, 03257, USA
| | - Jenisha Shrestha
- Department of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH, 03257, USA
| | - Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Wang WX, Tan QG. Applications of dynamic models in predicting the bioaccumulation, transport and toxicity of trace metals in aquatic organisms. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 252:1561-1573. [PMID: 31277025 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 06/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
This review evaluates the three dynamic models (biokinetic model: BK, physiologically based pharmacokinetic model: PBPK, and toxicokinetic-toxicodynamic model: TKTD) in our understanding of the key questions in metal ecotoxicology in aquatic systems, i.e., bioaccumulation, transport and toxicity. All the models rely on the first-order kinetics principle of metal uptake and elimination. The BK model basically treats organisms as a single compartment, and is both physiologically and geochemically based. With a good understanding of each kinetic parameter, bioaccumulation of metals in any aquatic organisms can be studied holistically and mechanistically. Modeling efforts are not merely restrained from the prediction of metal accumulation in the tissues, but instead provide the direction of the key processes that need to be addressed. PBPK is more physiologically based since it mainly addresses the transportation, transformation and distribution of metals in the organisms. It can be treated conceptually as a multi-compartmental kinetic model, whereas the physiology is driving the development of any good PBPK model which is no generic for aquatic animals and contaminants. There are now increasingly applications of the PBPK modeling specifically in metal studies, which reveal many important processes that are impossible to be teased out by direct experimental measurements without adequate modeling. TKTD models further focus on metal toxicity in addition to metal bioaccumulation. The TK part links exposure and bioaccumulation, while the TD part links bioaccumulation and toxic effects. The separation of TK and TD makes it possible to model processes, e.g., toxicity modification by environmental factors, interaction between different metals, at both the toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic levels. TKTD models provide a framework for making full use of metal toxicity data, and thus provide more information for environmental risk assessments. Overall, the three models reviewed here will continue to provide guiding principles in our further studies of metal bioaccumulation and toxicity in aquatic organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Xiong Wang
- Department of Ocean Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Clearwater Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong; HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
| | - Qiao-Guo Tan
- Center for Marine Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Key Laboratory of the Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems of Ministry of Education, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361102, China
| |
Collapse
|