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Li Z, Wu Z, Bo S, Chi J, Cui X, He W, Cui X, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Tong Y. Role of low-proportion, hydrophobic dissolved organic matter components in inhibiting methylmercury uptake by phytoplankton. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 358:142104. [PMID: 38653399 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142104] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Uptake of methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin, by phytoplankton is a major concern due to its role as the primary pathway for MeHg entry into aquatic food webs, thereby posing a significant risk to human health. While it is widely believed that the MeHg uptake by plankton is negatively correlated with the concentrations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water, ongoing debates continue regarding the specific components of DOM that exerts the dominant influence on this process. In this study, we employed a widely-used resin fractionation approach to separate and classify DOM derived from algae (AOM) and natural rivers (NOM) into distinct components: strongly hydrophobic, weakly hydrophobic, and hydrophilic fractions. We conduct a comparative analysis of different DOM components using a combination of spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques, aiming to identify their impact on MeHg uptake by Microcystis elabens, a prevalent alga in freshwater environments. We found that the hydrophobic components had exhibited more pronounced spectral characteristics associated with the protein structures while protein-like compounds between hydrophobic and hydrophilic components displayed significant variations in both distributions and the values of m/z (mass-to-charge ratio) of the molecules. Regardless of DOM sources, the low-proportion hydrophobic components usually dominated inhibition of MeHg uptake by Microcystis elabens. Results inferred from the correlation analysis suggest that the uptake of MeHg by the phytoplankton was most strongly and negatively correlated with the presence of protein-like components. Our findings underscore the importance of considering the diverse impacts of different DOM fractions on inhibition of phytoplankton MeHg uptake. This information should be considered in future assessments and modeling endeavors aimed at understanding and predicting risks associated with aquatic Hg contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhike Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; School of Resources and Environment, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621000, China
| | - Zhengyu Wu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Shao Bo
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jie Chi
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiaoyu Cui
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Wei He
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiaomei Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Eco-Environmental Protection of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Ministry of Education), School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yingxin Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Eco-Environmental Protection of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Ministry of Education), School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa, 850000, China.
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2
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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.
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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
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3
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Evers DC, Ackerman JT, Åkerblom S, Bally D, Basu N, Bishop K, Bodin N, Braaten HFV, Burton MEH, Bustamante P, Chen C, Chételat J, Christian L, Dietz R, Drevnick P, Eagles-Smith C, Fernandez LE, Hammerschlag N, Harmelin-Vivien M, Harte A, Krümmel EM, Brito JL, Medina G, Barrios Rodriguez CA, Stenhouse I, Sunderland E, Takeuchi A, Tear T, Vega C, Wilson S, Wu P. Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024:10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x. [PMID: 38683471 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention's progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | | | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826 Cidex 03, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsalla, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development Seychelles Fishing Authority, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Celia Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Cliamte Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Linroy Christian
- Department of Analytical Services, Dunbars, Friars Hill, St John, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Teck American Incorporated, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Luis E Fernandez
- Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 29106, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Shark Research Foundation Inc, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, NS, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France
| | - Agustin Harte
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chem. des Anémones 15, 1219, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eva M Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Ottawa, Canada and ScienTissiME Inc, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada
| | - José Lailson Brito
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 4002, CEP 20550-013, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Medina
- Director of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Iain Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Elsie Sunderland
- Harvard University, Pierce Hall 127, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Akinori Takeuchi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Health and Environmental Risk Division, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tim Tear
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Claudia Vega
- Centro de Innovaccion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA), Jiron Ucayali 750, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17001, Peru
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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4
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Baia-da-Silva DC, Mendes PFS, Silva DCBD, Chemelo VS, Bittencourt LO, Padilha PM, Oriá RB, Aschner M, Lima RR. What does scientometry tell us about mercury toxicology and its biological impairments? Heliyon 2024; 10:e27526. [PMID: 38586377 PMCID: PMC10998116 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic pollutant that poses risks to both human and environmental health, making it a pressing public health concern. This study aimed to summarize the knowledge on mercury toxicology and the biological impairments caused by exposure to mercury in experimental studies and/or diagnosis in humans. The research was conducted on the main collection of Web of Science, employing as a methodological tool a bibliometric analysis. The selected articles were analyzed, and extracted data such as publication year, journal, author, title, number of citations, corresponding author's country, keywords, and the knowledge mapping was performed about the type of study, chemical form of mercury, exposure period, origin of exposure, tissue/fluid of exposure measurement, mercury concentration, evaluation period (age), mercury effect, model experiments, dose, exposure pathway, and time of exposure. The selected articles were published between 1965 and 2021, with Clarkson TW being the most cited author who has also published the most articles. A total of 38% of the publications were from the USA. These studies assessed the prenatal and postnatal effects of mercury, emphasizing the impact of methylmercury on neurodevelopment, including motor and cognitive evaluations, the association between mercury and autism, and an evaluation of its protective effects against mercury toxicity. In observational studies, the blood, umbilical cord, and hair were the most frequently used for measuring mercury levels. Our data analysis reveals that mercury neurotoxicology has been extensively explored, but the association among the outcomes evaluated in experimental studies has yet to be strengthened. Providing metric evidence on what is unexplored allows for new studies that may help governmental and non-governmental organizations develop guidelines and policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane Claydes Baia-da-Silva
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Paulo Fernando Santos Mendes
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Diane Cleydes Baia da Silva
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Victória Santos Chemelo
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Oliveira Bittencourt
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
| | - Pedro Magalhães Padilha
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Reinaldo Barreto Oriá
- Laboratory of Tissue Healing, Ontogeny and Nutrition, Department of Morphology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Rafael Rodrigues Lima
- Laboratory of Functional and Structural Biology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, PA, Brazil
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5
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Reeves BC, Slife CC, Paterson G. Temporal and Spatial Comparison of Mercury Bioaccumulation in the Lower Trophic Levels of a Post-glacial Lake Food Web. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2024; 112:61. [PMID: 38602522 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-024-03870-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Total mercury (Hg) concentrations and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes were quantified among aquatic invertebrate and sediment samples collected from Keuka Lake in New York's Finger Lakes region to evaluate temporal and spatial variability in Hg bioaccumulation and trophic ecology among these lower trophic levels. Hg concentrations ranged from 6.3 to 158.8 ng/g (dry wt) across dreissenid mussel, zooplankton, and juvenile (< 10 mm) and adult (≥ 10 mm) mysid shrimp (Mysis diluviana) samples. Hg concentrations were higher in samples collected from the western basin in 2015 relative to those for samples collected from this basin in 2022 (p < 0.001). While no specific mechanisms could be identified to explain this difference, higher δ15N values for zooplankton collected in 2015 support conclusions regarding the role of zooplankton trophic status on Hg concentrations in these populations. Spatial patterns in Hg concentrations were of generally low variability among samples collected from the lake's east, west and south basins in 2022. Trophic positions as inferred by δ15N were represented by adult mysids > juvenile mysids > large zooplankton (≥ 500 µm) > dreissenid mussels ≥ small zooplankton (64-500 µm). Differences were evident among the regression slopes describing the relationships between sample Hg concentrations and δ15N values across the lake's three basins (p = 0.028). However, this was primarily attributed to high δ15N values measured in dreissenid mussels collected from the south basin in 2022. Biota sediment accumulation factors ranged from 0.2 to 2.3 and were highest for adult M. diluviana but mysid δ13C values generally supported a pelagic pathway of Hg exposure relative to benthic sediments. Overall, these results provide additional support regarding the contributions of lower trophic levels to Hg biomagnification in aquatic food-webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian C Reeves
- Great Lakes Research Center, Biological Sciences Department, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, USA
| | - Caitlin C Slife
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Gordon Paterson
- Great Lakes Research Center, Biological Sciences Department, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, USA.
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6
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Jeong H, Byeon E, Lee JS, Kim HS, Sayed AEDH, Bo J, Wang M, Wang DZ, Park HG, Lee JS. Single and combined effects of increased temperature and methylmercury on different stages of the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 466:133448. [PMID: 38244454 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133448] [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: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Rapid, anthropogenic activity-induced global warming is a severe problem that not only raises water temperatures but also shifts aquatic environments by increasing the bioavailability of heavy metals (HMs), with potentially complicated effects on aquatic organisms, including small aquatic invertebrates. For this paper, we investigated the combined effects of temperature (23 and 28 °C) and methylmercury (MeHg) by measuring physiological changes, bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, antioxidants, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in the marine rotifer Brachionus plicatilis. High temperature and MeHg adversely affected the survival rate, lifespan, and population of rotifers, and bioaccumulation, oxidative stress, and biochemical reactions depended on the developmental stage, with neonates showing higher susceptibility than adults. These findings demonstrate that increased temperature enhances potentially toxic effects from MeHg, and susceptibility differs with the developmental stage. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the combined effects of elevated temperature and MeHg on rotifers. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATION: Methylmercury (MeHg) is a widespread and harmful heavy metal that can induce lethal effects on aquatic organisms in even trace amounts. The toxicity of metals can vary depending on various environmental conditions. In particular, rising temperatures are considered a major factor affecting bioavailability and toxicity by changing the sensitivity of organisms. However, there are few studies on the combinational effects of high temperatures and MeHg on aquatic animals, especially invertebrates. Our research would contribute to understanding the actual responses of aquatic organisms to complex aquatic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haksoo Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Eunjin Byeon
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Jin-Sol Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Hyung Sik Kim
- School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Alaa El-Din H Sayed
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt
| | - Jun Bo
- Laboratory of Marine Biology and Ecology, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Minghua Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Da-Zhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment & Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Heum Gi Park
- Department of Marine Ecology and Environment, College of Life Sciences, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Gangneung 25457, South Korea
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
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7
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Zachritz AM, O'Reilly KE, Smith DL, Cooper MJ, Schlaht KM, Lamberti GA. Bioaccumulation of mercury in Lake Michigan painted turtles (Chrysemys picta). ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 196:75. [PMID: 38135786 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12129-1] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) contamination of aquatic environments can lead to bioaccumulation in organisms, but most previous work has focused on fish and not on semi-aquatic reptiles such as turtles that traverse both terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Here, we analyzed total Hg (THg) concentrations in 30 painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) collected from Lake Michigan (USA) coastal wetlands in 2013 to determine if (1) turtles bioaccumulated THg from the environment, (2) concentrations differed between turtle liver and muscle tissue, and (3) tissue concentrations were related to environmental concentrations (e.g., sediment THg). All individual turtles had detectable THg concentrations in both liver and muscle tissue. On average, THg concentrations were over three times higher in liver tissue compared to muscle tissue. We found a positive linear relationship between muscle THg concentrations and turtle body mass, a proxy for age, suggesting bioaccumulation in this species. Neither liver nor muscle THg concentrations followed the sediment contaminant gradient in the wetlands. Despite this, location was a strong predictor of tissue concentration in a linear model suggesting that other site-specific characteristics may be important. Overall, our results demonstrate that painted turtles accumulate mercury in liver and muscle tissues at different rates, which may be constrained by local conditions. Further research is needed to better understand the relationship between environmental mercury concentrations and body burdens in animals like turtles that traverse habitats. In addition, long-lived turtles could be incorporated into pollution monitoring programs to provide a more holistic picture of food web contamination and ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Zachritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
| | - Katherine E O'Reilly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Dayna L Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Matthew J Cooper
- Department of Biology, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI, 49101, USA
| | - Karl M Schlaht
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Gary A Lamberti
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
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8
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Leclerc M, Ponton DE, Bilodeau F, Planas D, Amyot M. Enhanced Bioaccumulation and Transfer of Monomethylmercury through Periphytic Biofilms in Benthic Food Webs of a River Affected by Run-of-River Dams. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:20792-20801. [PMID: 38016692 PMCID: PMC10720379 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05585] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Run-of-river (ROR) power plants impound limited terrestrial areas compared to traditional hydropower plants with large reservoirs and are assumed to have reduced impacts on mercury cycling. We conducted a study on periphyton and benthic communities from different habitats of the St. Maurice River (Québec, Canada) affected by two ROR power plants and their effect on the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of monomethylmercury (MMHg). Proportion of total mercury as MMHg reached maximum values about 2.9 times higher in flooded sites compared to unflooded sites. Impoundment by ROR would therefore provide favorable environments for the growth of periphyton, which can produce and accumulate MMHg. Periphyton MMHg concentrations significantly explained concentrations in some benthic macroinvertebrates, reflecting a local transfer. Through the analysis of δ13C and δ15N signatures, we found that flooding, creating scattered lenthic habitats, led to modifications in trophic structures by the introduction of new organic matter sources. The computed trophic magnification slopes did not show significant differences in the transfer efficiency of MMHg between sectors, while intercepts of flooded sectors were higher. Increases in MMHg concentrations in flooded areas are likely due to the impoundment, combined with watershed disturbances, and the creation of small habitats favorable to periphyton should be included in future predictive models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Leclerc
- GRIL,
GEOTOP, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 1375 Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux Ave., Montréal, Québec H2V 0B3, Canada
| | - Dominic E. Ponton
- GRIL,
GEOTOP, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 1375 Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux Ave., Montréal, Québec H2V 0B3, Canada
| | - François Bilodeau
- Hydro-Québec,
Direction Environnement, 800 De Maisonneuve Est Blvd., Montréal, Québec H2Z 1A4, Canada
| | - Dolors Planas
- GRIL,
GEOTOP, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, 141 Président-Kennedy Ave., Montréal, Québec H2X 1Y4, Canada
| | - Marc Amyot
- GRIL,
GEOTOP, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal, 1375 Thérèse-Lavoie-Roux Ave., Montréal, Québec H2V 0B3, Canada
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9
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Wu P, Yan H, Kainz MJ, Branfireun B, Bergström AK, Jing M, Bishop K. Investigating the diet source influence on freshwater fish mercury bioaccumulation and fatty acids-Experiences from Swedish lakes and Chinese reservoirs. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023:10.1007/s10646-023-02712-0. [PMID: 37966666 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02712-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Dietary uptake is key for transferring potentially toxic contaminants, such as mercury (Hg) and essential dietary nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), to consumers at higher trophic levels of aquatic food webs. We evaluated the role of diet sources for Hg bioaccumulation and PUFA retention in fish across lake food webs in seven Swedish lakes and two Chinese reservoirs. Fish total Hg (THg) and methyl-Hg (MeHg) differed greatly between the two countries: the Chinese fish contained less than 300 ng g-1 dry weight (d.w.) THg with less than 50% as MeHg, versus the Swedish fishes which contained approximately 2000 ng g-1 d.w. THg and nearly 100% as MeHg. Fatty acids enrichment of linoleic acids (LIN) were more prevalent in the Chinese fishes regardless of size (p < 0.05). Here we examined food web length, fish growth rates, and fatty acids patterns in relation to the quality of fish as a food source for both Hg and FA. Contrary to the expectation that biodilution of Hg throughout the food chain would explain these differences, a more complex picture emerged with high levels of Hg at the base of the food web in the Chinese reservoirs, a decoupling of fatty acid and Hg bioaccumulation, and a major role for both fish stocking and fish feed. It is hoped that this work will provide a nuanced picture of fish quality as a food source in different ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pianpian Wu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Haiyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China.
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster - Biologische Station Lunz, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Lunz am See, Austria
- Research Lab for Aquatic Ecosystems and -Health, Danube University Krems, Krems, Austria
| | | | | | - Min Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
- School of Public Health, the Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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10
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Yoshino K, Yamada K, Kanaya G, Komorita T, Okamoto K, Tanaka M, Tada Y, Henmi Y, Yamamoto M. Food Web Structures and Mercury Exposure Pathway to Fish in Minamata Bay. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2023; 85:360-373. [PMID: 37919444 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-023-01040-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed total mercury content (THg) and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope ratios in fish, subtidal macrobenthos, and particulate organic matter (POM) as a proxy for pelagic phytoplankton and attached microalgae as a proxy for microphytobenthos to investigate the mercury exposure pathway in fish. For four seasons, samples of the above-mentioned organisms were collected on five occasions (July and October 2018 and January, April, and July 2019) in Minamata Bay. Isotope analysis showed that Minamata Bay food web structures were almost entirely fueled by microphytobenthos. The THg values of the fish and macrobenthos species were positively correlated with their δ13C. This indicates that their diets, which were highly fueled by microphytobenthos, led to high THg bioaccumulation in both macrobenthos and fish. The feeding habits of fishes differ depending on the species, and they prey on organisms of many taxa, including fish (mainly Japanese anchovy), crabs, shrimp, copepods, annelids, and algae. Fish species that preyed on benthic crustaceans had high THg. These results suggest that the main pathway of Hg bioaccumulation in fish from Minamata Bay is the benthic food chain, which is primarily linked to benthic crustaceans fueled by microphytobenthos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Yoshino
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan.
| | - Katsumasa Yamada
- Aitsu Marine Station, Center for Water Cycle, Marine Environment and Disaster Management, Kumamoto University, Matstushima, Kami-Amakusa, Kumamoto, 861-6102, Japan
| | - Gen Kanaya
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Komorita
- Faculty of Environmental and Symbiotic Sciences, Prefectural University of Kumamoto, 3-1-100 Tsukide, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto, 862-8502, Japan
| | - Kai Okamoto
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Masaatsu Tanaka
- Department of Biology, Keio University, 4-1-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8521, Japan
| | - Yuya Tada
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Henmi
- Aitsu Marine Station, Center for Water Cycle, Marine Environment and Disaster Management, Kumamoto University, Matstushima, Kami-Amakusa, Kumamoto, 861-6102, Japan
| | - Megumi Yamamoto
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan
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11
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Seelen E, Liem-Nguyen V, Wünsch U, Baumann Z, Mason R, Skyllberg U, Björn E. Dissolved organic matter thiol concentrations determine methylmercury bioavailability across the terrestrial-marine aquatic continuum. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6728. [PMID: 37872168 PMCID: PMC10593767 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42463-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The most critical step for methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs is phytoplankton uptake of dissolved MeHg. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) has been known to influence MeHg uptake, but the mechanisms have remained unclear. Here we show that the concentration of DOM-associated thiol functional groups (DOM-RSH) varies substantially across contrasting aquatic systems and dictates MeHg speciation and bioavailability to phytoplankton. Across our 20 study sites, DOM-RSH concentrations decrease 40-fold from terrestrial to marine environments whereas dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the typical proxy for MeHg binding sites in DOM, only has a 5-fold decrease. MeHg accumulation into phytoplankton is shown to be directly linked to the concentration of specific MeHg binding sites (DOM-RSH), rather than DOC. Therefore, MeHg bioavailability increases systematically across the terrestrial-marine aquatic continuum as the DOM-RSH concentration decreases. Our results strongly suggest that measuring DOM-RSH concentrations will improve empirical models in phytoplankton uptake studies and will form a refined basis for modeling MeHg incorporation in aquatic food webs under various environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Seelen
- University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences, Groton, CT, USA.
- University of Southern California, Earth Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | | | - Urban Wünsch
- Technical University of Denmark, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Oceans and Arctic, 2800, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Zofia Baumann
- University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Robert Mason
- University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Sciences, Groton, CT, USA
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Forest Ecology and Management Umeå, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Umeå University, Department of Chemistry, Umeå, Sweden.
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12
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Bouchet S, Soerensen AL, Björn E, Tessier E, Amouroux D. Mercury Sources and Fate in a Large Brackish Ecosystem (the Baltic Sea) Depicted by Stable Isotopes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:14340-14350. [PMID: 37698522 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03459] [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: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Identifying Hg sources to aquatic ecosystems and processes controlling the levels of monomethylmercury (MMHg) is critical for developing efficient policies of Hg emissions reduction. Here we measured Hg concentrations and stable isotopes in sediment, seston, and fishes from the various basins of the Baltic Sea, a large brackish ecosystem presenting extensive gradients in salinity, redox conditions, dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition, and biological activities. We found that Hg mass dependent fractionation (Hg-MDF) values in sediments mostly reflect a mixing between light terrestrial Hg and heavier industrial sources, whereas odd Hg isotope mass independent fractionation (odd Hg-MIF) reveals atmospheric inputs. Seston presents intermediate Hg-MDF and odd Hg-MIF values falling between sediments and fish, but in northern basins, high even Hg-MIF values suggest the preferential accumulation of wet-deposited Hg. Odd Hg-MIF values in fish indicate an overall low extent of MMHg photodegradation due to limited sunlight exposure and penetration but also reveal large spatial differences. The photodegradation extent is lowest in the central basin with recurrent algal blooms due to their shading effect and is highest in the northern, least saline basin with high concentrations of terrestrial DOM. As increased loads of terrestrial DOM are expected in many coastal areas due to global changes, its impact on MMHg photodegradation needs to be better understood and accounted for when predicting future MMHg concentrations in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Bouchet
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau 64000, France
| | - Anne L Soerensen
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm 10405, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå 90187, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau 64000, France
| | - David Amouroux
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau 64000, France
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13
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Gojkovic Z, Simansky S, Sanabria A, Márová I, Garbayo I, Vílchez C. Interaction of Naturally Occurring Phytoplankton with the Biogeochemical Cycling of Mercury in Aquatic Environments and Its Effects on Global Hg Pollution and Public Health. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2034. [PMID: 37630594 PMCID: PMC10458190 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11082034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The biogeochemical cycling of mercury in aquatic environments is a complex process driven by various factors, such as ambient temperature, seasonal variations, methylating bacteria activity, dissolved oxygen levels, and Hg interaction with dissolved organic matter (DOM). As a consequence, part of the Hg contamination from anthropogenic activity that was buried in sediments is reinserted into water columns mainly in highly toxic organic Hg forms (methylmercury, dimethylmercury, etc.). This is especially prominent in the coastal shallow waters of industrial regions worldwide. The main entrance point of these highly toxic Hg forms in the aquatic food web is the naturally occurring phytoplankton. Hg availability, intake, effect on population size, cell toxicity, eventual biotransformation, and intracellular stability in phytoplankton are of the greatest importance for human health, having in mind that such Hg incorporated inside the phytoplankton cells due to biomagnification effects eventually ends up in aquatic wildlife, fish, seafood, and in the human diet. This review summarizes recent findings on the topic of organic Hg form interaction with natural phytoplankton and offers new insight into the matter with possible directions of future research for the prevention of Hg biomagnification in the scope of climate change and global pollution increase scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zivan Gojkovic
- Algae Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain; (A.S.); (I.G.); (C.V.)
| | - Samuel Simansky
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 118, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic; (S.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Alain Sanabria
- Algae Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain; (A.S.); (I.G.); (C.V.)
| | - Ivana Márová
- Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkynova 118, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic; (S.S.); (I.M.)
| | - Inés Garbayo
- Algae Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain; (A.S.); (I.G.); (C.V.)
| | - Carlos Vílchez
- Algae Biotechnology Group, CIDERTA, University of Huelva, 21007 Huelva, Spain; (A.S.); (I.G.); (C.V.)
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14
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Rodríguez-Viso P, Domene A, Sánchez A, Vélez D, Monedero V, Devesa V, Zúñiga M. Challenges and strategies for preventing intestinal damage associated to mercury dietary exposure. Toxicology 2023; 494:153580. [PMID: 37328091 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2023.153580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Food represents the major risk factor for exposure to mercury in most human populations. Therefore, passage through the gastrointestinal tract plays a fundamental role in its entry into the organism. Despite the intense research carried out on the toxicity of Hg, the effects at the intestinal level have received increased attention only recently. In this review we first provide a critical appraisal of the recent advances on the toxic effects of Hg at the intestinal epithelium. Next, dietary strategies aimed to diminish Hg bioavailability or modulate the epithelial and microbiota responses will be revised. Food components and additives, including probiotics, will be considered. Finally, limitations of current approaches to tackle this problem and future lines of research will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adrián Domene
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Alicia Sánchez
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Dinoraz Vélez
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Vicente Monedero
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Vicenta Devesa
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain
| | - Manuel Zúñiga
- Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Spain.
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15
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Jeong H, Byeon E, Kim DH, Maszczyk P, Lee JS. Heavy metals and metalloid in aquatic invertebrates: A review of single/mixed forms, combination with other pollutants, and environmental factors. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 191:114959. [PMID: 37146547 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Heavy metals (HMs) and metalloid occur naturally and are found throughout the Earth's crust but they are discharged into aquatic environments at high concentrations by human activities, increasing heavy metal pollution. HMs can bioaccumulate in higher organisms through the food web and consequently affect humans. In an aquatic environment, various HMs mixtures can be present. Furthermore, HMs adsorb on other environmental pollutants, such as microplastics and persistent organic pollutants, causing a synergistic or antagonistic effect on aquatic organisms. Therefore, to understand the biological and physiological effects of HMs on aquatic organisms, it is important to evaluate the effects of exposure to combinations of complex HM mixtures and/or pollutants and other environmental factors. Aquatic invertebrates occupy an important niche in the aquatic food chain as the main energy link between higher and lower organisms. The distribution of heavy metals and the resulting toxic effects in aquatic invertebrates have been extensively studied, but few reports have dealt with the relationship between HMs, pollutants, and environmental factors in biological systems with regard to biological availability and toxicity. This review describes the overall properties of individual HM and their effects on aquatic invertebrates and comprehensively reviews physiological and biochemical endpoints in aquatic invertebrates depending on interactions among HMs, other pollutants, and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haksoo Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Eunjin Byeon
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Duck-Hyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea
| | - Piotr Maszczyk
- Department of Hydrobiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jae-Seong Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, South Korea.
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16
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Chapelle V, Lambert J, Deom T, Tessier E, Amouroux D, Silvestre F. Early-life exposure to methylmercury induces reversible behavioral impairments and gene expression modifications in one isogenic lineage of mangrove rivulus fish Kryptolebias marmoratus. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2023; 258:106474. [PMID: 36893699 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2023.106474] [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: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a ubiquitous bioaccumulative neurotoxicant present in aquatic ecosystems. It is known to alter behaviors, sensory functions and learning abilities in fish and other vertebrates. Developmental and early-life stages exposure to MeHg can lead to brain damage with immediate consequences on larvae behavior, but may also induce long term effects in adults after a detoxification period. However, very little is known about developmental origin of behavioral impairment in adults due to early exposure to MeHg. The aim of this study is to assess whether early-life MeHg exposure induces immediate and/or delayed effects on behaviors, related genes expression and DNA methylation (one of epigenetic mechanisms). To reach this goal, newly hatched larvae of mangrove rivulus fish, Kryptolebias marmoratus, were exposed to two sub-lethal concentrations of MeHg (90 μg/L and 135 µg/L) for 7 days, and immediate and delayed effects were assessed respectively in 7 dph (days post-hatching) and 90 dph fish. This species naturally produces isogenic lineages due to its self-fertilizing reproduction system, which is unique among vertebrates. It allows to study how environment stressors can influence organism's phenotype while minimizing genetic variability. As results, both MeHg exposures are associated with a decreased foraging efficiency and thigmotaxis, and a dose-dependent reduction in larvae locomotor activity. Regarding molecular analysis in larvae whole bodies, both MeHg exposures induced significant decreased expression of DNMT3a, MAOA, MeCP2 and NIPBL, and significant increase of GSS, but none of those genes underwent methylation changes in targeted CpGs. None of significant behavioral and molecular impairments observed in 7-dph larvae were found in 90-dph adults, which highlight a distinction between immediate and delayed effects of developmental MeHg exposure. Our results suggest implications of aminergic system and its neurotransmitters, redox/methylation trade-off and possibly other epigenetic mechanisms in MeHg neurotoxicity underlying behavioral alterations in rivulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Chapelle
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Adaptive Physiology, Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium.
| | - J Lambert
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Adaptive Physiology, Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - T Deom
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Adaptive Physiology, Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium
| | - E Tessier
- Université de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France
| | - D Amouroux
- Université de Pau et des Pays de L'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France
| | - F Silvestre
- Laboratory of Evolutionary and Adaptive Physiology, Institute of Life, Earth, and the Environment, University of Namur, 61 Rue de Bruxelles, 5000, Namur, Belgium
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17
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Yue F, Li Y, Zhang Y, Wang L, Li D, Wu P, Liu H, Lin L, Li D, Hu J, Xie Z. Elevated methylmercury in Antarctic surface seawater: The role of phytoplankton mass and sea ice. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 882:163646. [PMID: 37094685 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury is a neurotoxin that is biomagnified in marine food webs. Its distribution and biogeochemical cycle in Antarctic seas are still poorly understood due to scarce studies. Here, we report the total methylmercury profiles (up to 4000 m) in unfiltered seawater (MeHgT) from the Ross Sea to the Amundsen Sea. We found high MeHgT levels in oxic unfiltered surface seawater (upper 50 m depth) in these regions. It was characterized by an obviously higher maximum concentration level of MeHgT (up to 0.44 pmol/L, at a depth of 3.35 m), which is higher than other open seas (including the Arctic Ocean, the North Pacific Ocean and the equatorial Pacific), and a high MeHgT average concentration in the summer surface water (SSW, 0.16 ± 0.12 pmol/ L). Further analyses suggest that the high phytoplankton mass and sea-ice fraction are important drivers of the high MeHgT level that we observed in the surface water. For the influence of phytoplankton, the model simulation showed that the uptake of MeHg by phytoplankton would not fully explain the high levels of MeHgT, and we speculated that high phytoplankton mass may emit more particulate organic matter as microenvironments that can sustain Hg in-situ methylation by microorganisms. The presence of sea-ice may not only harbor a microbial source of MeHg to surface water but also trigger increased phytoplankton mass, facilitating elevation of MeHg in surface seawater. This study provides insight into the mechanisms that impact the content and distribution of MeHgT in the Southern Ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fange Yue
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Yanbin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China; College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Longquan Wang
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Dan Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Peipei Wu
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Hongwei Liu
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Lijin Lin
- College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Dong Li
- Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Ji Hu
- Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), Hangzhou 310000, China
| | - Zhouqing Xie
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
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18
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Shinoda Y, Akiyama M, Toyama T. Potential Association between Methylmercury Neurotoxicity and Inflammation. Biol Pharm Bull 2023; 46:1162-1168. [PMID: 37661394 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b23-00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is the causal substrate of Minamata disease and a major environmental toxicant. MeHg is widely distributed, mainly in the ocean, meaning its bioaccumulation in seafood is a considerable problem for human health. MeHg has been intensively investigated and is known to induce inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration. However, the relationship between MeHg-induced inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration is not understood. In the present review, we first describe recent findings showing an association between inflammatory responses and certain MeHg-unrelated neurological diseases caused by neurodegeneration. In addition, cell-specific MeHg-induced inflammatory responses are summarized for the central nervous system including those of microglia, astrocytes, and neurons. We also describe MeHg-induced inflammatory responses in peripheral cells and tissue, such as macrophages and blood. These findings provide a concept of the relationship between MeHg-induced inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration, as well as direction for future research of MeHg-induced neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo Shinoda
- Department of Environmental Health, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences
| | - Masahiro Akiyama
- Research Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Keio University
| | - Takashi Toyama
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University
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19
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Jonsson S, Mastromonaco MN, Wang F, Bravo AG, Cairns WRL, Chételat J, Douglas TA, Lescord G, Ukonmaanaho L, Heimbürger-Boavida LE. Arctic methylmercury cycling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157445. [PMID: 35882324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157445] [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: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic mercury (Hg) undergoes long-range transport to the Arctic where some of it is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg), potentially leading to high exposure in some Arctic inhabitants and wildlife. The environmental exposure of Hg is determined not just by the amount of Hg entering the Arctic, but also by biogeochemical and ecological processes occurring in the Arctic. These processes affect MeHg uptake in biota by regulating the bioavailability, methylation and demethylation, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of MeHg in Arctic ecosystems. Here, we present a new budget for pools and fluxes of MeHg in the Arctic and review the scientific advances made in the last decade on processes leading to environmental exposure to Hg. Methylation and demethylation are key processes controlling the pool of MeHg available for bioaccumulation. Methylation of Hg occurs in diverse Arctic environments including permafrost, sediments and the ocean water column, and is primarily a process carried out by microorganisms. While microorganisms carrying the hgcAB gene pair (responsible for Hg methylation) have been identified in Arctic soils and thawing permafrost, the formation pathway of MeHg in oxic marine waters remains less clear. Hotspots for methylation of Hg in terrestrial environments include thermokarst wetlands, ponds and lakes. The shallow sub-surface enrichment of MeHg in the Arctic Ocean, in comparison to other marine systems, is a possible explanation for high MeHg concentrations in some Arctic biota. Bioconcentration of aqueous MeHg in bacteria and algae is a critical step in the transfer of Hg to top predators, which may be dampened or enhanced by the presence of organic matter. Variable trophic position has an important influence on MeHg concentrations among populations of top predator species such as ringed seal and polar bears distributed across the circumpolar Arctic. These scientific advances highlight key processes that affect the fate of anthropogenic Hg deposited to Arctic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofi Jonsson
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Feiyue Wang
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Warren R L Cairns
- CNR Institute of Polar Sciences and Ca' Foscari University, Venice, Italy
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas A Douglas
- U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Fort Wainwright, AK, USA
| | - Gretchen Lescord
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and Laurentian University, Vale Living with Lakes Center, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Liisa Ukonmaanaho
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00791 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- CNRS/INSU,Aix Marseille Université,Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
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20
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Shi XX, Wang F, Wang ZZ, Huang GY, Li M, Simal-Gandara J, Hao GF, Yang GF. Unveiling toxicity profile for food risk components: A manually curated toxicological databank of food-relevant chemicals. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022:1-16. [PMID: 36457196 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2152423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Rigorous risk assessment of chemicals in food and feed is essential to address the growing worldwide concerns about food safety. High-quality toxicological data on food-relevant chemicals are fundamental for risk modeling and assessment in the food safety area. The organization and analysis of substantial toxicity information can positively support decision-making by providing insight into toxicity trends. However, it remains challenging to systematically obtain fragmented toxicity data, and related toxicological resources are required to meet the current demands. In this study, we collected 221,439 experimental toxicity records for 5,657 food-relevant chemicals identified from extensive databases and literature, along with their information on chemical identification, physicochemical properties, environmental fates, and biological targets. Based on the aggregated data, a freely available web-based databank, Food-Relevant Available Chemicals Toxicology Databank (FRAC-TD) is presented, which supports multiple browsing ways and search criterions. Applying FRAC-TD for data-driven analysis, we revealed the underlying toxicity profiles of food-relevant chemicals in humans, mammals, and other species in the food chain. Expectantly, FRAC-TD could positively facilitate toxicological studies, toxicity prediction, and risk assessments in the food industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Xing Shi
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Fan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Zhi-Zheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Guang-Yi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Min Li
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
| | - Jesus Simal-Gandara
- Analytical Chemistry and Food Science Department, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Ourense, Spain
| | - Ge-Fei Hao
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Research and Development Center for Fine Chemicals, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, P.R. China
| | - Guang-Fu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology, Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent Biosensor Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, P. R. China
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21
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Chen B, Dong S. Mercury Contamination in Fish and Its Effects on the Health of Pregnant Women and Their Fetuses, and Guidance for Fish Consumption-A Narrative Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:15929. [PMID: 36498005 PMCID: PMC9739465 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
As a principal source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (3FAs), which provide vital health benefits, fish consumption also comes with the additional benefit of being rich in diverse nutrients (e.g., vitamins and selenium, high in proteins and low in saturated fats, etc.). The consumption of fish and other seafood products has been significantly promoted universally, given that fish is an important part of a healthy diet. However, many documents indicate that fish may also be a potential source of exposure to chemical pollutants, especially mercury (Hg) (one of the top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of concern worldwide), and this is a grave concern for many consumers, especially pregnant women, as this could affect their fetuses. In this review, the definition of Hg and its forms and mode of entrance into fish are introduced in detail and, moreover, the bio-accumulation of Hg in fish and its toxicity and action mechanisms on fish and humans, especially considering the health of pregnant women and their fetuses after the daily intake of fish, are also reviewed. Finally, some feasible and constructive suggestions and guidelines are recommended for the specific group of pregnant women for the consumption of balanced and appropriate fish diets in a rational manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojian Chen
- Food Science and Engineering, Haide College, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Shiyuan Dong
- College of Food Science and Technology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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22
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Li Z, Chi J, Shao B, Wu Z, He W, Liu Y, Sun P, Lin H, Wang X, Zhao Y, Chen L, Tong Y. Inhibition of methylmercury uptake by freshwater phytoplankton in presence of algae-derived organic matter. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 313:120111. [PMID: 36075338 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As the first step of methylmercury (MeHg) entry into the aquatic food webs, MeHg uptake by phytoplankton is crucial in determining the final human MeHg exposure risks. MeHg availability to plankton is regulated by dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water, while the extent of the impacts can vary largely based on the sources of DOM. Here, we investigated impacts of DOM sources on MeHg bioconcentration by three freshwater phytoplankton species (i.e. S. quadricauda, Chlorella sp., Microcystis elabens) in the laboratory system. We found that algae-derived DOM would prohibited the cellular MeHg bioconcentration by a percent up to 77-93%, while the soil-derived DOM didn't show similar inhibition effects. DOM characterization by the excitation‒emission matrices, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, ultra‒high performance liquid chromatography‒tandem quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry shown that the molecular size of S-containing compound, rather than thiol concentration, has played a crucial role in regulating the MeHg uptake by phytoplankton. Climate change and increasing nutrient loadings from human activities may affect plankton growth in the freshwater, ultimately changing the DOM compositions. Impacts of these changes on cellular MeHg uptakes by phytoplankton should be emphasized when exploring the aquatic Hg cycling and evaluating their risks to human beings and wild life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhike Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jie Chi
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Bo Shao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Zhengyu Wu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Wei He
- School of Water Resources and Environment, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yiwen Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Peizhe Sun
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Huiming Lin
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yingxin Zhao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Long Chen
- School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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23
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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.
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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
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24
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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.
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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
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25
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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.
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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
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26
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Kho F, Koppel DJ, von Hellfeld R, Hastings A, Gissi F, Cresswell T, Higgins S. Current understanding of the ecological risk of mercury from subsea oil and gas infrastructure to marine ecosystems. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2022; 438:129348. [PMID: 35797785 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Many oil and gas fields are nearing production cessation and will require decommissioning, with the preferred method being complete infrastructure removal in most jurisdictions. However, decommissioning in situ, leaving some disused components in place, is an option that may be agreed to by the regulators and reservoir titleholders in some circumstances. To understand this option's viability, the environmental impacts and risks of any residual contaminants assessed. Mercury, a contaminant of concern, is naturally present in hydrocarbon reservoirs, may contaminate offshore processing and transmission infrastructure, and can biomagnify in marine ecosystems. Mercury's impact is dependent on its speciation, concentration, and the exposure duration. However, research characterising and quantifying the amount of mercury in offshore infrastructure and the efficacy of decontamination is limited. This review describes the formation of mercury-contaminated products within oil and gas infrastructure, expected exposure pathways after environmental release, possible impacts, and key research gaps regarding the ecological risk of in situ decommissioned contaminated infrastructure. Suggestions are made to overcome these gaps, improving the in situ mercury quantification in infrastructure, understanding environmental controls on, and forecasting of, mercury methylation and bioaccumulation, and the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors within decommissioned infrastructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenny Kho
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; Curtin Corrosion Centre, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Darren J Koppel
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia; Australian Institute of Marine Science, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Rebecca von Hellfeld
- National Decommissioning Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
| | - Astley Hastings
- National Decommissioning Centre, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Francesca Gissi
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Tom Cresswell
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart Higgins
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
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27
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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.
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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
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28
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Knott KK, Coleman E, Cianci-Gaskill JA, O'Hearn R, Niswonger D, Brockman JD, Argerich A, North R, Wenzel J. Mercury, selenium, and fatty acids in the axial muscle of largemouth bass: evaluating the influence of seasonal and sexual changes in fish condition and reproductive status. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:761-781. [PMID: 35438434 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-022-02544-4] [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] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Largemouth bass (LMB, 265-475 mm) were collected to document whether changes in fish condition and reproductive status influenced the concentration of total mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) in axial muscle by season and sex. The fatty acid (FA) composition of fish was also examined to describe seasonal and sexual differences and identify whether arachidonic acid (ARA) could be used as a biomarker of Hg toxicity. There was a trend for females to have lower (p < 0.062) Se concentrations than males. The concentration of Se for females during spring (mean ± SD, 686 ± 51 ng/g dw) was 15% lower than males (806 ± 67 ng/g dw). Lower Se concentrations in females than males continued through summer and fall. Concentration of Hg for females during spring (152 ± 39 ng/g ww) was also 59% lower than males (373 ± 303 ng/g ww), but the difference was not significant (p > 0.2). The percent of lipids was greatest in fall and winter (3%) and comprised primarily of omega-3 fatty acids (35 g/100 g lipid). Fish condition as measured by percent lipids and relative weight was negatively (p < 0.02) related to Hg concentration for females and males. Lipid content for both sexes was also positively (p < 0.05) related to the Se:Hg ratio. Relative weight was positively related to the Se:Hg ratio for females during all seasons (p = 0.014), but only during spring and summer for males (p < 0.007). A low Se:Hg value was associated with an elevation in ARA for both sexes and a reduced hepatosomatic index in males. Data suggested that females transferred muscle stores of Se and Hg to developing oocytes during spring. This study generates hypotheses regarding the physiological drivers of seasonal and sexual variability in Hg, Se, and FA in LMB that may be applicable to other species and have implications for fisheries health and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina K Knott
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Ecological Health Unit, Science Branch, Columbia, MO, USA.
| | - Emma Coleman
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Ecological Health Unit, Science Branch, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jacob A Cianci-Gaskill
- School of Natural Resources, Anheuser‑Bush Natural Resources Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca O'Hearn
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Ecological Health Unit, Science Branch, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Darby Niswonger
- Missouri Department of Conservation, Central Region, Regional Resource Management Branch, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - John D Brockman
- University of Missouri Research Reactor Center, 1513 Research Park Drive, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Alba Argerich
- School of Natural Resources, Anheuser‑Bush Natural Resources Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Rebecca North
- School of Natural Resources, Anheuser‑Bush Natural Resources Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jeff Wenzel
- Division of Community and Public Health, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology, Jefferson City, MO, USA
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29
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Cardona GI, Escobar MC, Acosta-González A, Marín P, Marqués S. Highly mercury-resistant strains from different Colombian Amazon ecosystems affected by artisanal gold mining activities. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:2775-2793. [PMID: 35344092 PMCID: PMC8990959 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-11860-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Two sites of the Colombian Amazon region with different levels of human intervention and mercury pollution were selected for the collection of samples of river and lake water, sediments, and associated forest soils. The Tarapacá region, affected mainly by barrage mining, showed low mercury concentrations, whilst in the Taraira region, affected by underground mining, there were several points with high mercury pollution levels. A collection of 72 bacterial and 10 yeast strains with different levels of mercury resistance was isolated and characterized. Most of the highly resistant bacterial strains (MIC > 40 mg L−1 HgCl2) were isolated from soil and sediment samples and belonged to either Pseudomonas (60%) or Bacillus (20%). Most of highly resistant bacterial strains were positive for the presence of the merA gene, suggesting an active mercury resistance mechanism. This was confirmed in the two most resistant strains, Pseudomonas sp. TP30 and Burkholderia contaminans TR100 (MIC = 64 and 71 mg L−1 HgCl2, respectively), which in the presence of increasing mercury concentrations expressed the merA gene at increasing levels, concomitant with a significant mercury reduction activity. Analysis of the MerA sequences present in the different isolates suggested a high gene conservation within the taxonomic groups but also several horizontal gene transfer events between taxonomically distant genera. We also observed a positive correspondence between the presence of the merA gene and the number of antibiotics to which the strains were resistant to. The most resistant strains are good candidates for future applications in the bioremediation of mercury-contaminated sites in the Amazon. Key points • Amazon sediments affected by underground gold mining have higher Hg levels. • Highly Hg-resistant isolates belonged to Pseudomonas and Bacillus genera. • TR100 and TP30 strains showed remediation potential to be used in the Amazon region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gladys Inés Cardona
- Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, 110321, Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - María Camila Escobar
- Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Científicas SINCHI, 110321, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Patricia Marín
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Environmental Protection, Granada, Spain
| | - Silvia Marqués
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Estación Experimental del Zaidín, Department of Environmental Protection, Granada, Spain
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30
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Tianji L, Dingbang H, Xiao C, Xiaojing M, Fei Z, Bin W. Methylmercury induces lysosomal membrane permeabilization through JNK-activated Bax lysosomal translocation in neuronal cells. Toxicol Lett 2022; 357:73-83. [PMID: 34999165 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2021.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
MeHg, an environmental toxicant, is highly toxic to the central nervous system. Recent studies have reported that LMP is an important way in the lysosomal damage. However, the role and molecular mechanism of LMP in MeHg-induced neurotoxicity remain unknown. To study MeHg-induced LMP, we used 10μM MeHg to treat SH-SY5Y cells and 2μM MeHg to treat rat cerebral cortical neurons. Acridine orange (AO) staining and analysis of cathepsin B (CTSB) release were used to determine LMP. We found that MeHg reduced red AO fluorescence and induced CTSB release from lysosomes to the cytoplasm in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, pretreatment with the CTSB inhibitor alleviated cytotoxicity in neuronal cells. These results indicate MeHg induces LMP and subsequent CTSB-dependent cytotoxicity in neuronal cells. Bax is a pore-forming protein, which is involved in mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization. Intriguingly, we demonstrated that MeHg induced Bax to translocate to lysosomes by using immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis of subcellular fractions. Furthermore, downregulating Bax expression suppressed MeHg-induced LMP. Bax subcellular localization is regulated by protein interaction with the cytoplasmic 14-3-3. Our previous study demonstrated that JNK participated in neurotoxicity through regulating protein interaction. In the current study, we showed that JNK dissociated Bax-14-3-3 complex to facilitate Bax lysosomal translocation. Finally, inhibition of the JNK/Bax pathway could alleviate MeHg-induced cytotoxicity in neuronal cells. The present study implies that inhibiting lysosomal damage (LMP)-related signaling might alleviate MeHg neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Tianji
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Huang Dingbang
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Chen Xiao
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Meng Xiaojing
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China
| | - Zou Fei
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China.
| | - Wang Bin
- Department of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510515, China.
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31
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Proximity to Riparian Wetlands Increases Mercury Burden in Fish in the Upper St. Lawrence River. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14010070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury deposited in the Upper St. Lawrence River watershed by atmospheric deposition accumulated in riparian wetlands and is at risk of remobilization due to water level fluctuations. To examine if riparian wetlands are a source of mercury to fish, 174 yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and 145 round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus) were collected in 2019 from eight wetland and seven non-wetland habitats throughout the Upper St. Lawrence River. Mercury levels were significantly (p < 0.01) higher in fish collected from wetlands than those collected from non-wetland habitats for both yellow perch and round goby. Perch had mercury concentrations of 74.5 ± 35.4 ng/g dry wt in wetlands compared to 59.9 ± 23.0 ng/g dry wt in non-wetlands. Goby had mercury concentrations of 55.4 ± 13.8 ng/g dry wt in wetlands and non-wetland concentrations of 41.0 ± 14.0 ng/g dry wt. Riparian wetlands are areas of elevated mercury methylation and mobilization in the Upper St. Lawrence River and consequences to predators should be considered from the perspective of both wildlife preservation as well as fish consumption advisories for public health concerns.
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Spanu D, Butti L, Boldrocchi G, Bettinetti R, Recchia S, Monticelli D. Selective organomercury determination by ICP-MS made easy. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1206:339553. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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de Bakker LB, Gasparinetti P, de Queiroz JM, de Vasconcellos ACS. Economic Impacts on Human Health Resulting from the Use of Mercury in the Illegal Gold Mining in the Brazilian Amazon: A Methodological Assessment. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182211869. [PMID: 34831624 PMCID: PMC8622153 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182211869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Amazon results in the dumping of tons of mercury into the environment annually. Despite consensus on the impacts of mercury on human health, there are still unknowns regarding: (i) the extent to which mercury from ASGM can be dispersed in the environment until it becomes toxic to humans; and (ii) the economic value of losses caused by contamination becomes evident. The main objective of this study is to propose a methodology to evaluate the impacts of ASGM on human health in different contexts in the Brazilian Amazon. We connect several points in the literature based on hypotheses regarding mercury dispersion in water, its transformation into methylmercury, and absorption by fish and humans. This methodology can be used as a tool to estimate the extent of environmental damage caused by artisanal gold mining, the severity of damage to the health of individuals contaminated by mercury and, consequently, can contribute to the application of fines to environmental violators. The consequences of contamination are evaluated by dose-response functions relating to mercury concentrations in hair and the development of the following health outcomes: (i) mild mental retardation, (ii) acute myocardial infarction, and (iii) hypertension. From disability-adjusted life years and statistical life value, we found that the economic losses range from 100,000 to 400,000 USD per kilogram of gold extracted. A case study of the Yanomami indigenous land shows that the impacts of mercury from illegal gold mining in 2020 totaled 69 million USD, which could be used by local authorities to compensate the Yanomami people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Barcellos de Bakker
- Leonardo B. Bakker Assessoria, São Clemente Street, Rio de Janeiro 254, Rio de Janeiro 22260-004, Brazil
- Correspondence:
| | - Pedro Gasparinetti
- Conservation Strategy Fund, Av. Churchill 129, Rio de Janeiro 20020-050, Brazil;
| | - Júlia Mello de Queiroz
- Julia Queiroz Consultoria Desenvolvimento Verde, Maria Angelica Street, Rio de Janeiro 382, Rio de Janeiro 22461-152, Brazil;
| | - Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos
- Laboratory of Professional Education in Health Surveillance, Joaquim Venâncio Polytechnic School of Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil;
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Malcata Martins B, O'Driscoll NJ, Mallory ML, Canário J. A Review of Freshwater Invertebrates as Biomonitors of Methylmercury: the Importance of More Complete Physical and Chemical Reporting. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 107:801-808. [PMID: 34081149 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03274-9] [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: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a toxic and bioaccumulative organo-metallic compound that is naturally produced in many ecosystems. Organisms that occupy the lower trophic positions in food webs may be key factors in the assessment of MeHg biomagnification between ecosystems. Here we present a review of the peer-reviewed literature examining MeHg bioaccumulation in freshwater invertebrates, focused principally on insects. This review aims to characterize the invertebrates that bioaccumulate higher MeHg concentrations and therefore pose a higher risk to upper trophic levels and to clarify which ecosystems are more susceptible to bioaccumulation in lower trophic levels. However, we found that few studies provided robust environmental data (notably water chemistry) as part of their papers, dramatically limiting our ability to test for factors that might contribute to different concentrations of MeHg in invertebrates. We highlight the importance of providing physical and chemical characteristics of study sites in publications examining MeHg bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Adopting the proposed recommendations will improve the available information for future mercury risk assessment analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Malcata Martins
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, K.C. Irving Environmental Science Center, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - João Canário
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001, Lisboa, Portugal
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Bjerregaard P, Møller LM. Exposure to methylmercury and inorganic mercury in the food does not lead to trophic magnification in the sea star Asterias rubens. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 285:117401. [PMID: 34051567 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117401] [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: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury accumulated at the top of aquatic food chains constitutes a toxicological risk to humans and other top predators. Biomagnification of methylmercury takes place among vertebrates at the higher trophic levels, but this process is less elucidated in benthic invertebrates at the lower trophic levels. Therefore, we investigated the accumulation from food and elimination of methylmercury and inorganic mercury in the benthic sea star Asterias rubens (L.) - a representative of trophic level ~3 - in laboratory experiments. Sea stars fed over 49 days with contaminated mussels (Mytilus edulis) accumulate methylmercury and inorganic mercury to the highest concentrations in the digestive glands, the pyloric caeca, less in stomach, gonad, tube feet, aboral body wall and not to detectable levels in the coelomic fluid. Concerning whole body contents, steady states were reached for both methylmercury and inorganic mercury during the 7-week feeding period and the sea stars reached approximately ½ and ¼ of the concentrations in the mussel food for the two mercury forms, respectively. Half-lives for the elimination of the two mercury forms varied between 45 and 173 days in a 140-d elimination period following the feeding period; inorganic mercury was eliminated faster than methylmercury. Examination of total mercury concentrations in field-collected sea stars confirmed this lack of trophic magnification in relation to the major food items, soft parts of molluscs. We suggest that mercury is not trophically magnified in sea stars 1) because they eliminate methylmercury faster than larger fish and decapod crustaceans and 2) maybe more importantly, because inorganic mercury with its faster elimination constitutes a larger fraction of the total mercury in the food at the lower trophic levels - as opposed to methylmercury which dominates at the higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poul Bjerregaard
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense, Denmark.
| | - Lise Marianne Møller
- Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, DK-5230, Odense, Denmark
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36
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Ni FJ, Bhavsar SP, Poirier D, Branfireun B, Petro S, Arts MT, Chong-Kit R, Mitchell CPJ, Arhonditsis GB. Impacts of water level fluctuations on mercury concentrations in hydropower reservoirs: A microcosm experiment. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 220:112354. [PMID: 34116335 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydropower generation, a renewable source of electricity, has been linked to elevated methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in impoundments and aquatic biota. This study investigates the impact of water level fluctuations (WLF) on MeHg concentrations in water, sediment, and fish. Using a set of controlled microcosm experiments emulating the drawdown/refill dynamics and subsequent sediment exposure to air experienced in reservoirs, we demonstrate that less frequent WLFs, and/or increased exposure of sediment to air, can lead to elevated MeHg concentrations in sediment, and total mercury (THg) and MeHg concentrations in water. In examining the effects of WLF frequency (two-day, weekly, and monthly), the monthly treatment displayed the highest THg and MeHg water levels, while the weekly treatment was characterized by the highest MeHg levels in the sediment. Our work supports emerging evidence that longer duration between WLF creates a larger surface area of sediment exposed to air leading to conditions conducive to higher MeHg concentrations in sediments and water. In contrast, THg, MeHg, and fatty acid trends in fish were largely inconclusive characterized by similar among-treatment effects and minimal temporal variability over the course of our experiment. This result could partly be attributed to overall low mercury levels and simple "worm-forage fish" food web in our experiment. To elucidate the broader impacts of water fluctuations on aquatic chemistry and biota, other factors (e.g., longer WLF cycles, dissolved organic matter, temperature, more complex food webs) which modulate both methylation rates and food web dynamics must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity J Ni
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Satyendra P Bhavsar
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada; Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada.
| | - David Poirier
- Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Brian Branfireun
- Department of Biology and Centre for Environment & Sustainability, Western University, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Steve Petro
- Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Michael T Arts
- Department of Chemistry & Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Richard Chong-Kit
- Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, Toronto, Ontario M9P 3V6, Canada
| | - Carl P J Mitchell
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - George B Arhonditsis
- Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
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37
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Wu P, Kainz MJ, Valdés F, Zheng S, Winter K, Wang R, Branfireun B, Chen CY, Bishop K. Elevated temperature and browning increase dietary methylmercury, but decrease essential fatty acids at the base of lake food webs. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16859. [PMID: 34413329 PMCID: PMC8376977 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95742-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change scenarios predict increases in temperature and organic matter supply from land to water, which affect trophic transfer of nutrients and contaminants in aquatic food webs. How essential nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and potentially toxic contaminants, such as methylmercury (MeHg), at the base of aquatic food webs will be affected under climate change scenarios, remains unclear. The objective of this outdoor mesocosm study was to examine how increased water temperature and terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter supply (tDOM; i.e., lake browning), and the interaction of both, will influence MeHg and PUFA in organisms at the base of food webs (i.e. seston; the most edible plankton size for zooplankton) in subalpine lake ecosystems. The interaction of higher temperature and tDOM increased the burden of MeHg in seston (< 40 μm) and larger sized plankton (microplankton; 40–200 μm), while the MeHg content per unit biomass remained stable. However, PUFA decreased in seston, but increased in microplankton, consisting mainly of filamentous algae, which are less readily bioavailable to zooplankton. We revealed elevated dietary exposure to MeHg, yet decreased supply of dietary PUFA to aquatic consumers with increasing temperature and tDOM supply. This experimental study provides evidence that the overall food quality at the base of aquatic food webs deteriorates during ongoing climate change scenarios by increasing the supply of toxic MeHg and lowering the dietary access to essential nutrients of consumers at higher trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pianpian Wu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden. .,Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA.
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster Lunz- Biologische Station, Lunz Am See, Austria.,Department of Biomedical Research, Danube University Krems, Krems, Austria
| | | | - Siwen Zheng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Rui Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, USA
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Cosio C, Degli-Esposti D, Almunia C, Gaillet V, Sartelet H, Armengaud J, Chaumot A, Geffard O, Geffard A. Subcellular Distribution of Dietary Methyl-Mercury in Gammarus fossarum and Its Impact on the Amphipod Proteome. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10514-10523. [PMID: 34283579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c02385] [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] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The transfer of methyl-Hg (MeHg) from food is central for its effects in aquatic animals, but we still lack knowledge concerning its impact on invertebrate primary consumers. In aquatic environments, cell walls of plants are particularly recalcitrant to degradation and as such remain available as a food source for long periods. Here, the impact at the proteomic level of dietary MeHg in Gammarus fossarum was established and linked to subcellular distribution of Hg. Individuals of G. fossarum were fed with MeHg in cell wall or intracellular compartments of Elodea nuttallii. Hg concentrations in subcellular fractions were 2 to 6 times higher in animals fed with cell wall than intracellular compartments. At the higher concentrations tested, the proportion of Hg in metal-sensitive fraction increased from 30.0 ± 6.1 to 41.0 ± 5.7% for individuals fed with intracellular compartment, while biologically detoxified metal fraction increased from 30.0 ± 6.1 to 50.0 ± 2.8% when fed with cell wall compartment. Data suggested that several thresholds of proteomic response are triggered by increased bioaccumulation in each subcellular fraction in correlation with Hg exclusively bound to the metal-sensitive fraction, while the increase of biologically detoxified metal likely had a cost for fitness. Proteomics analysis supported that the different binding sites and speciation in shoots subsequently resulted in different fate and cellular toxicity pathways to consumers. Our data confirmed that Hg bound in cell walls of plants can be assimilated by G. fossarum, which is consistent with its feeding strategy, hence pointing cell walls as a significant source for Hg transfers and toxicity in primary consumers. The high accumulation of Hg in macrophytes makes them a risk for food web transfer in shallow ecosystems. The present results allowed gaining new insights into the effects and uptake mechanisms of MeHg in aquatic primary consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Cosio
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UMR-I 02 INERIS-URCA-ULH SEBIO, Campus du Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, Cedex, Reims 51687, France
| | | | - Christine Almunia
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, 30200 Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Véronique Gaillet
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UMR-I 02 INERIS-URCA-ULH SEBIO, Campus du Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, Cedex, Reims 51687, France
| | - Hervé Sartelet
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UMR CNRS/URCA 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire (MEDyC), Campus du Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, Cedex, Reims 51687, France
| | - Jean Armengaud
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, INRAE, Département Médicaments et Technologies pour la Santé (DMTS), SPI, 30200 Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France
| | - Arnaud Chaumot
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Olivier Geffard
- INRAE, UR RiverLy, Laboratoire d'écotoxicologie, F-69625 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Alain Geffard
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UMR-I 02 INERIS-URCA-ULH SEBIO, Campus du Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, Cedex, Reims 51687, France
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Lei P, Zhang J, Zhu J, Tan Q, Kwong RWM, Pan K, Jiang T, Naderi M, Zhong H. Algal Organic Matter Drives Methanogen-Mediated Methylmercury Production in Water from Eutrophic Shallow Lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10811-10820. [PMID: 34236181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Algal blooms bring massive amounts of algal organic matter (AOM) into eutrophic lakes, which influences microbial methylmercury (MeHg) production. However, because of the complexity of AOM and its dynamic changes during algal decomposition, the relationship between AOM and microbial Hg methylators remains poorly understood, which hinders predicting MeHg production and its bioaccumulation in eutrophic shallow lakes. To address that, we explored the impacts of AOM on microbial Hg methylators and MeHg production by characterizing dissolved organic matter with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and quantifying the microbial Hg methylation gene hgcA. We first reveal that the predominance of methanogens, facilitated by eutrophication-induced carbon input, could drive MeHg production in lake water. Specifically, bioavailable components of AOM (i.e., CHONs such as aromatic proteins and soluble microbial byproduct-like materials) increased the abundances (Archaea-hgcA gene: 438-2240% higher) and activities (net CH4 production: 16.0-44.4% higher) of Archaea (e.g., methanogens). These in turn led to enhanced dissolved MeHg levels (24.3-15,918% higher) for three major eutrophic shallow lakes in China. Nevertheless, our model results indicate that AOM-facilitated MeHg production could be offset by AOM-induced MeHg biodilution under eutrophication. Our study would help reduce uncertainties in predicting MeHg production, providing a basis for mitigating the MeHg risk in eutrophic lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jinjie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Qiaoguo Tan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology and Center for Marine Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, P. R. China
| | - Raymond W M Kwong
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Ke Pan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Naderi
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
- Environmental and Life Science Program (EnLS), Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
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40
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Strogyloudi E, Paraskevopoulou V, Campillo JA, Zervoudaki S, Bouga V, Catsiki VA, Dassenakis E, Krasakopoulou E. Metal and metallothionein levels in zooplankton in relation to environmental exposure: spatial and temporal variability (Saronikos Gulf, Greece). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:28640-28657. [PMID: 33544340 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12591-9] [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: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Metal and metallothionein (MT) in mixed zooplankton were investigated as means of monitoring metal availability regarding environmental exposure. Spatial and temporal variability of Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mn and Pb in zooplankton and seawater were studied in Saronikos Gulf (Aegean Sea, Eastern Mediterranean), once every second month during an annual cycle (2011-2012). Particulate organic carbon and chlorophyll α were also measured in seawater samples. Median zooplankton metal concentrations were 0.65, 32.4, 7.1, 864, 1420, 40.2 and 26.8 μg g-1 dw for Cd, Cu, Ni, Zn, Fe, Mn and Pb, respectively, and 109 μg g-1 ww for MTs. Metal levels in zooplankton and MTs were higher at sites influenced by human-derived pressures. Additionally, metal concentrations in pelagic fish flesh from the Greek MED-POL data base were used for bioconcentration and biomagnification factors calculation. Bioconcentration from water to zooplankton was higher than metal transfer from either seston to zooplankton or zooplankton to fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evangelia Strogyloudi
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 712, Mavro Lithari, 19013, Anavissos, Greece.
| | - Vasiliki Paraskevopoulou
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784, Athens, Greece
| | - Juan Antonio Campillo
- Centro Oceanográfico de Murcia, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, Apdo. 22, C/Varadero 1, 30740 San Pedro del Pinatar, Murcia, Spain
| | - Soultana Zervoudaki
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 712, Mavro Lithari, 19013, Anavissos, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Bouga
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784, Athens, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Angelique Catsiki
- Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 712, Mavro Lithari, 19013, Anavissos, Greece
| | - Emmanuil Dassenakis
- Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimioupoli Zografou, 15784, Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia Krasakopoulou
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of the Aegean, Lofos Panepistimiou, 81100, Mytilene, Greece
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Galvao P, Sus B, Lailson-Brito J, Azevedo A, Malm O, Bisi T. An upwelling area as a hot spot for mercury biomonitoring in a climate change scenario: A case study with large demersal fishes from Southeast Atlantic (SE-Brazil). CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 269:128718. [PMID: 33189394 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128718] [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: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Data concerning the monomethylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation in marine biota from Southeast Atlantic Ocean are scarce. This study purchased large specimens of demersal fishes from an upwelling region: Warsaw grouper (Epinephelus nigritus), Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) and Namorado sandperch (Pseudopercis numida). The authors addressed the bioaccumulation and toxicokinetic of mercury in fish organs, and the toxicological risk for human consumption of this metal in the muscle tissues accessed. Additionally, the present study discussed the possible implications of shifts in key variables of the environment related to a climate-changing predicted scenario, to the mercury biomagnification in a tropical upwelling system. The muscle was the main stock of MeHg, although the highest THg concentrations have been found in liver tissue. Regarding the acceptable maximum level (ML = 1 mg kg-1), E. nigritus and E. marginatus showed 22% of the samples above this limit. Concerning P. numida, 77% were above 0.5 mg kg-1, but below the ML. The %MeHg in liver and muscle showed no significative correlations, which suggest independent biochemical pathways to the toxicokinetic of MeHg, and constrains the indirect assessment of the mercury contamination in the edible tissue by the liver analyses. The present study highlights the food web features of a tropical upwelling ecosystem that promote mercury biomagnification. Additionally, recent studies endorse the enhancement of upwelling phenomenon due to the climate global changes which boost the pumping of mercury enriched water to the oceanic upper layer. Therefore, the upwelling areas might be hot spots for MeHg monitoring in marine biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petrus Galvao
- Programa de Biofísica Ambiental, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Bruna Sus
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Prof(a). Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA), Faculdade de Oceanografia - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - José Lailson-Brito
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Prof(a). Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA), Faculdade de Oceanografia - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Azevedo
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Prof(a). Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA), Faculdade de Oceanografia - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Olaf Malm
- Programa de Biofísica Ambiental, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Bisi
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores Prof(a). Izabel Gurgel (MAQUA), Faculdade de Oceanografia - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, 20550-013, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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42
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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.
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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
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Herman P, Fehér M, Molnár Á, Harangi S, Sajtos Z, Stündl L, Fábián I, Baranyai E. Iron and Manganese Retention of Juvenile Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Exposed to Contaminated Dietary Zooplankton (Daphnia pulex)-a Model Experiment. Biol Trace Elem Res 2021; 199:732-743. [PMID: 32447578 PMCID: PMC7746567 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-020-02190-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
In present study the effect of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) contamination was assessed by modeling a freshwater food web of water, zooplankton (Daphnia pulex), and zebrafish (Danio rerio) under laboratory conditions. Metals were added to the rearing media of D. pulex, and enriched zooplankton was fed to zebrafish in a feeding trial. The elemental analysis of rearing water, zooplankton, and fish revealed significant difference in the treatments compared to the control. In D. pulex the Mn level increased almost in parallel with the dose of supplementation, as well as the Fe level differed statistically. A negative influence of the supplementation on the fish growth was observed: specific growth rate (SGR%) and weight gain (WG) decreased in Fe and Mn containing treatments. The redundancy analysis (RDA) of concentration data showed strong correlation between the rearing water and D. pulex, as well as the prey organism of Fe- and Mn-enriched D. pulex and the predator organism of D. rerio. The bioconcentration factors (BCF) calculated for water to zooplankton further proved the relationship between the Fe and Mn dosage applied in the treatments and measured in D. pulex. Trophic transfer factor (TTF) results also indicate that significant retention of the metals occurred in D. rerio individuals, however, in a much lower extent than in the water to zooplankton stage. Our study suggests that Fe and Mn significantly accumulate in the lower part of the trophic chain and retention is effective through the digestive track of zebrafish, yet no biomagnification occurs. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Herman
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Partner Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4010, Hungary
| | - Milán Fehér
- Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Áron Molnár
- Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Sándor Harangi
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Partner Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4010, Hungary
| | - Zsófi Sajtos
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Partner Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4010, Hungary
| | - László Stündl
- Faculty of the Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - István Fábián
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Partner Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4010, Hungary
| | - Edina Baranyai
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Atomic Spectroscopy Partner Laboratory, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, H-4010, Hungary.
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Médieu A, Point D, Receveur A, Gauthier O, Allain V, Pethybridge H, Menkes CE, Gillikin DP, Revill AT, Somes CJ, Collin J, Lorrain A. Stable mercury concentrations of tropical tuna in the south western Pacific ocean: An 18-year monitoring study. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 263:128024. [PMID: 33297047 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Global anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions to the atmosphere since industrialization are widely considered to be responsible for a significant increase in surface ocean Hg concentrations. Still unclear is how those inputs are converted into toxic methylmercury (MeHg) then transferred and biomagnified in oceanic food webs. We used a unique long-term and continuous dataset to explore the temporal Hg trend and variability of three tropical tuna species (yellowfin, bigeye, and skipjack) from the southwestern Pacific Ocean between 2001 and 2018 (n = 590). Temporal trends of muscle nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) stable isotope ratios, amino acid (AA) δ15N values and oceanographic variables were also investigated to examine the potential influence of trophic, biogeochemical and physical processes on the temporal variability of tuna Hg concentrations. For the three species, we detected significant inter-annual variability but no significant long-term trend for Hg concentrations. Inter-annual variability was related to the variability in tuna sampled lengths among years and to tuna muscle δ15N and δ13C values. Complementary AA- and model-estimated phytoplankton δ15N values suggested the influence of baseline processes with enhanced tuna Hg concentrations observed when dinitrogen fixers prevail, possibly fuelling baseline Hg methylation and/or MeHg bioavailability at the base of the food web. Our results show that MeHg trends in top predators do not necessary capture the increasing Hg concentrations in surface waters suspected at the global oceanic scale due to the complex and variable processes governing Hg deposition, methylation, bioavailability and biomagnification. This illustrates the need for long-term standardized monitoring programs of marine biota worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Médieu
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France.
| | - David Point
- Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, GET, UMR CNRS 5563/IRD 234, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
| | - Aurore Receveur
- Pacific Community, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Nouméa, France
| | - Olivier Gauthier
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Valérie Allain
- Pacific Community, Oceanic Fisheries Programme, Nouméa, France
| | | | | | - David P Gillikin
- Department of Geology, Union College, 807 Union St., Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA
| | | | - Christopher J Somes
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Jeremy Collin
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | - Anne Lorrain
- Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, LEMAR, F-29280, Plouzané, France
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45
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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.
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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
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46
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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.
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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
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47
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Henao E, Cantera JR, Rzymski P. Conserving the Amazon River Basin: The case study of the Yahuarcaca Lakes System in Colombia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 724:138186. [PMID: 32268285 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Colombia is the fourth contributor to the Amazon River Basin (ARB) by surface, and the third by mean annual runoff. The Yahuarcaca Lakes System (YLS), consisting of four large interconnected water bodies situated on the floodplain of Amazon River, was identified as one of the key areas for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity in the Colombian ARB. This review aimed to provide a general overview of YLS, present its environmental and biological features, identify main ecological and health threats, and propose mitigation strategies and future research prospects. A systematic search was performed using various databases. In summary, YLS harbors significant biodiversity and provides a number of ecological services for local communities, encompassing fish and drinking water supply and utilization of the floodplain for agriculture. Ensuring its sustainability requires attention from local and international authorities, collaboration with indigenous communities and future interdisciplinary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Henao
- Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
| | - Jaime R Cantera
- Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia; Ecology of Estuaries and Mangrove Research Group (ECOMANGLARES), Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Piotr Rzymski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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Yoshino K, Mori K, Kanaya G, Kojima S, Henmi Y, Matsuyama A, Yamamoto M. Food sources are more important than biomagnification on mercury bioaccumulation in marine fishes. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 262:113982. [PMID: 32146359 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.113982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Marine animals often accumulate various harmful substances through the foods they ingest. The bioaccumulation levels of these harmful substances are affected by the degrees of pollution in the food and of biomagnification; however, which of these sources is more important is not well-investigated for mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation. Here we addressed this issue in fishes that inhabit the waters around Minamata Bay, located off the west coast of Kyushu Island in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The total Hg concentration (hereafter [THg]) and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) were analyzed in the muscle tissue of 10 fish species, of which more than five individuals were caught by gillnet. Except one species, each was separated into two trophic groups with respective lower and higher δ13C values ranging from -17‰ to -16‰ and -15‰ to -14‰, which suggested that the fishes depended more on either phytoplankton- and microphytobenthos-derived foods (i.e., pelagic and benthic trophic pathways), respectively. Linear mixed effects models showed that the Hg levels were significantly associated with both δ15N and the differences in the trophic groups. [THg] increased with δ15N (i.e., indicative of higher trophic levels), but the slopes did not differ between the two trophic groups. [THg] was significantly higher in the group with higher δ13C values than in those with lower δ13C values. The effect size from marginal R squared (R2) values showed that the variation in [THg] was strongly ascribed to the trophic group difference rather than δ15N. These results suggest that the substantial Hg bioaccumulation in the fishes of Minamata Bay is mainly an effect of ingesting the microphytobenthos-derived foods that contain Hg, and that the subsequent biomagnification is secondary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Yoshino
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan.
| | - Keisuke Mori
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan; Hinokuni Benthos Laboratory, 2133-4 Sumiyoshi Cho, Uto, Kumamoto, 869-0401, Japan
| | - Gen Kanaya
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Shigeaki Kojima
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8564, Japan
| | - Yasuhisa Henmi
- Aitsu Marine Station, Center for Water Cycle, Marine Environment and Disaster Management, Kumamoto University, Matstushima, Kami-Amakusa, Kumamoto, 861-6102, Japan
| | - Akito Matsuyama
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan
| | - Megumi Yamamoto
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, 4058-18 Hama, Minamata, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan
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Bishop K, Shanley JB, Riscassi A, de Wit HA, Eklöf K, Meng B, Mitchell C, Osterwalder S, Schuster PF, Webster J, Zhu W. Recent advances in understanding and measurement of mercury in the environment: Terrestrial Hg cycling. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 721:137647. [PMID: 32197286 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This review documents recent advances in terrestrial mercury cycling. Terrestrial mercury (Hg) research has matured in some areas, and is developing rapidly in others. We summarize the state of the science circa 2010 as a starting point, and then present the advances during the last decade in three areas: land use, sulfate deposition, and climate change. The advances are presented in the framework of three Hg "gateways" to the terrestrial environment: inputs from the atmosphere, uptake in food, and runoff with surface water. Among the most notable advances: These and other advances reported here are of value in evaluating the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention on reducing environmental Hg exposure to humans and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | | | - Ami Riscassi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 400123, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4123, USA.
| | - Heleen A de Wit
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349, Norway.
| | - Karin Eklöf
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Bo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China.
| | - Carl Mitchell
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - Stefan Osterwalder
- Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement, Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble 18 INP, 38000 Grenoble, France.
| | - Paul F Schuster
- U.S. Geological Survey, 3215 Marine Street, Suite E-127, Boulder, CO 80303-1066, USA.
| | - Jackson Webster
- Department of Civil Engineering, California State University, 400 W. 1st Street, 21 95929-0930 Chico, CA, USA.
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden.
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50
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Wu P, Zakem EJ, Dutkiewicz S, Zhang Y. Biomagnification of Methylmercury in a Marine Plankton Ecosystem. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:5446-5455. [PMID: 32054263 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b06075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury is greatly bioconcentrated and biomagnified in marine plankton ecosystems, and these communities form the basis of marine food webs. Therefore, the evaluation of the potential exposure of methylmercury to higher trophic levels, including humans, requires a better understanding of its distribution in the ocean and the factors that control its biomagnification. In this study, a coupled physical/ecological model is used to simulate the trophic transfer of monomethylmercury (MMHg) in a marine plankton ecosystem. The model includes phytoplankton, a microbial community, herbivorous zooplankton (HZ), and carnivorous zooplankton (CZ). The model captures both shorter food chains in oligotrophic regions, with small HZ feeding on small phytoplankton, and longer chains in higher nutrient conditions, with larger HZ feeding on larger phytoplankton and larger CZ feeding on larger HZ. In the model, trophic dilution occurs in the food webs that involve small zooplankton, as the grazing fluxes of small zooplankton are insufficient to accumulate more MMHg in themselves than in their prey. The model suggests that biomagnification is more prominent in large zooplankton and that the microbial community plays an important role in the trophic transfer of MMHg. Sensitivity analyses show that with increasing body size, the sensitivity of the trophic magnification ratio to grazing, mortality rates, and food assimilation efficiency (AEC) increases, while the sensitivity to excretion rates decreases. More predation or a longer zooplankton lifespan may lead to more prominent biomagnification, especially for large species. Because lower AEC results in more predation, modeled ratios of MMHg concentrations between large plankton are doubled or even tripled when the AEC decreases from 50% to 10%. This suggests that the biomagnification of large zooplankton is particularly sensitive to food assimilation efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Wu
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
| | - Emily J Zakem
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089 United States
| | - Stephanie Dutkiewicz
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 United States
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
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