1
|
Jędruch A, Bełdowski J, Bełdowska M. Mercury dynamics at the base of the pelagic food web of the Gulf of Gdańsk, southern Baltic Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 202:116363. [PMID: 38621354 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Planktonic organisms, which have direct contact with water, serve as the entry point for mercury (Hg), into the marine food web, impacting its levels in higher organisms, including fish, mammals, and humans who consume seafood. This study provides insights into the distribution and behavior of Hg within the Baltic Sea, specifically the Gulf of Gdańsk, focusing on pelagic primary producers and consumers. Phytoplankton Hg levels were primarily influenced by its concentrations in water, while Hg concentrations in zooplankton resulted from dietary exposure through suspended particulate matter and phytoplankton consumption. Hg uptake by planktonic organisms, particularly phytoplankton, was highly efficient, with Hg concentrations four orders of magnitude higher than those in the surrounding water. However, unlike biomagnification of Hg between SPM and zooplankton, biomagnification between zooplankton and phytoplankton was not apparent, likely due to the low trophic position and small size of primary consumers, high Hg elimination rates, and limited absorption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Jędruch
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland; University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Department of Marine Chemistry and Biochemistry, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, Department of Chemical Oceanography and Marine Geology, Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bradford MA, Mallory ML, O'Driscoll NJ. Ecology and environmental characteristics influence methylmercury bioaccumulation in coastal invertebrates. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 346:140502. [PMID: 37866498 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140502] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying mercury (Hg) concentrations in invertebrates is fundamental to determining risk for bioaccumulation in higher trophic level organisms in coastal food webs. Bioaccumulation is influenced by local mercury concentrations, site geochemistry, individual feeding ecologies, and trophic position. We sampled seven species of invertebrates from five coastal sites in the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy, and determined body concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg), total mercury (THg), and stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C). To evaluate the effects of environmental chemistry on Hg production and bioaccumulation, bulk sediments from all sites were analysed for THg, %Loss on ignition (LOI) (carbon), and sulfur isotopes (δ34S), and concentrations of MeHg, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), sulfate, and sulfide were measured in porewaters. The mean concentration of MeHg in tissues for all invertebrates sampled was 10.03 ± 7.04 ng g-1). MeHg in porewater (mean = 0.22-1.59 ng L-1) was the strongest predictor of invertebrate MeHg, but sediment δ34S (-0.80-14.1‰) was also a relatively strong predictor. δ34S in tissues (measured in three species; Corophium volutator, Ilyanassa obsoleta, and Littorina littorea) were positively related to MeHg in invertebrates (r = 0.55, 0.22, and 0.71 respectively), and when used in combination with δ15N and δ13C values improved predictions of Hg concentrations in biota. Hg concentrations in the amphipod Corophium volutator (mean MeHg = 10.60 ± 1.90 ng g-1) were particularly well predicted using porewater and sediment chemistry, highlighting this species as a useful bioindicator of Hg contamination in sediments of the Bay of Fundy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Molly A Bradford
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada.
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang J, Li C, Tang W, Wu M, Chen M, He H, Lei P, Zhong H. Mercury in wetlands over 60 years: Research progress and emerging trends. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 869:161862. [PMID: 36716881 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are considered the hotspots for mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry, garnering global attention. Therefore, it is important to review the research progress in this field and predict future frontiers. To achieve that, we conducted a literature analysis by collecting 15,813 publications about Hg in wetlands from the Web of Science Core Collection. The focus of wetland Hg research has changed dramatically over time: 1) In the initial stage (i.e., 1959-1990), research mainly focused on investigating the sources and contents of Hg in wetland environments and fish. 2) For the next 20 years (i.e., 1991-2010), Hg transformation (e.g., Hg reduction and methylation) and environmental factors that affect Hg bioaccumulation have attracted extensive attention. 3) In the recent years of 2011-2022, hot topics in Hg study include microbial Hg methylators, Hg bioavailability, methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation, Hg stable isotope, and Hg cycling in paddy fields. Finally, we put forward future research priorities, i.e., 1) clarifying the primary factors controlling MeHg production, 2) uncovering the MeHg demethylation process, 3) elucidating MeHg bioaccumulation process to better predict its risk, and 4) recognizing the role of wetlands in Hg circulation. This research shows a comprehensive knowledge map for wetland Hg research and suggests avenues for future studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Chengjun Li
- Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area, Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Wenli Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mengjie Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Mingying Chen
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Huan He
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Pei Lei
- School of Environment, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210023, China.
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; Environmental and Life Science Program (EnLS), Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wang Q, Wang J, Zhong Q, Su W, Ma Y, Du J, Xiao T. Trace elements accumulation over a century in sediment cores from a tectonic lake on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau: Source identification and risk assessment. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 329:117030. [PMID: 36584509 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117030] [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: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A record of trace elements in lake sediment can help in assessing the impact of anthropogenic activities on aquatic environments. In the present work, the trace elements profiles (Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, As, and Cd) were determined in four sediment cores (QH01, QH02, QH07, and Z04) collected in 2012 and 2014 from Lake Qinghai to reconstruct the history of anthropogenic activity in the watershed and to evaluate the pollution status and eco-environmental risks of a typical Third Pole lake environment over the past century. The concentrations of Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn, As, and Cd in these studies ranged between 19.4 and 34.2 μg g-1, 35.6-53.6 μg g-1, 3.10-26.8 μg g-1, 56.4-93.5 μg g-1, 6.20-15.3 μg g-1, and 0.086-0.572 μg g-1, respectively. Statistical analyses indicated that the Pb, Zn, and Cd contents combination of coal, gasoline burning, and agricultural activities in the Lake Qinghai catchment and larger-scale atmospheric inputs during the past 60 years. The enrichment factors for Pb, Zn, and Cd in the sediments of Lake Qinghai are considered to be related to the region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and national socioeconomic development. Enrich factor of Cd values was higher than 3.5 and maximum values of the geo-accumulation index of Pb and Cd were observed in the top layer of the sediment (0-2 cm), indicating moderate contamination. The RI values suggest that the risks to the ecological environment of Lake Qinghai are increasing since the 1950s. The results of this study illustrate that Lake Qinghai is still experiencing high trace elements pollution pressure due to the rapid environmental changes caused by anthropogenic activities on the remote and isolated Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiugui Wang
- Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Land Surface Processes and Ecological Conservation (Ministry of Education), Qinghai Normal University, China
| | - Jinlong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Qiangqiang Zhong
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Weigang Su
- Qinghai Earthquake Agency, Xining 810001, China
| | - Yujun Ma
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Land Surface Processes and Ecological Conservation (Ministry of Education), Qinghai Normal University, China
| | - Jinzhou Du
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Tangfu Xiao
- Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Bradford MA, Mallory ML, O'Driscoll NJ. The Complex Interactions Between Sediment Geochemistry, Methylmercury Production, and Bioaccumulation in Intertidal Estuarine Ecosystems: A Focused Review. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2022; 110:26. [PMID: 36571620 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-022-03653-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Due to their natural geochemistry, intertidal estuarine ecosystems are vulnerable to bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxin that readily bioaccumulates in organisms. Determining MeHg concentrations in intertidal invertebrates at the base of the food web is crucial in determining MeHg exposure in higher trophic level organisms like fish and birds. The processes that govern the production of MeHg in coastal ecosystems are influenced by many geochemical factors including sulfur species, organic matter, and salinity. The interactions of these factors with mercury are complex, and a wide variety of results have been reported in the literature. This paper reviews conceptual models to better clarify the various geochemical and physical factors that impact MeHg production and bioavailability in intertidal ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Hilgendag IR, Swanson HK, Lewis CW, Ehrman AD, Power M. Mercury biomagnification in benthic, pelagic, and benthopelagic food webs in an Arctic marine ecosystem. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156424. [PMID: 35662606 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous toxic metal that biomagnifies in food webs, and can reach high concentrations in top predators. Evaluating Hg biomagnification in Arctic marine food webs is critical for understanding Hg dynamics and estimating exposure to understudied fish and wildlife consumed by humans. The majority of studies conducted on Hg biomagnification in the Arctic have focused on pelagic food webs. Benthic and benthopelagic food webs in Arctic marine ecosystems also support many species of subsistence and commercial importance, and data are lacking for these systems. In this study, we investigated food web structure and Hg biomagnification for the benthic, pelagic, and benthopelagic marine food webs of inner Frobisher Bay in Nunavut. Stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N), as well as total (THg) and methyl (MeHg) mercury concentrations were measured in fish, invertebrates, and zooplankton. Biomagnification in each food web was quantified with Trophic Magnification Slopes (TMS) and Trophic Magnification Factors (TMF). The highest TMS and TMF values were exhibited by the benthopelagic food web (TMS = 0.201; TMF = 1.59), followed by the pelagic food web (TMS = 0.183; TMF = 1.52), and lastly the benthic food web (TMS = 0.079; TMF = 1.20), with δ15N explaining 88%, 79%, and 9% of variation in Hg concentrations, respectively. TMS and TMF values were generally low compared to other Arctic marine food webs. Results from food web structure analyses indicated that the benthic food web had the greatest trophic diversity, trophic redundancy, and largest isotopic niche area of all food webs studied. Greater food web complexity may thus result in reduced MeHg biomagnification, but further study is required. Acquiring Hg and food web structure data is critical for predicting the effects of climate-induced environmental change on Hg dynamics, especially in the context of Arctic marine ecosystems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabel R Hilgendag
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Heidi K Swanson
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Ashley D Ehrman
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Freshwater Institute, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Michael Power
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chaudhary DK, Kim H, Reible D, Lee M, Kim S, Kim LH, Kim S, Hong Y. Seasonal trends of mercury bioaccumulation and assessment of toxic effects in Asian clams and microbial community from field study of estuarine sediment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113439. [PMID: 35537496 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated seasonal trends in bioaccumulation potential and toxic effects of mercury (Hg) in Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) and microbial community. For this, a clam-exposure experiment was performed during summer, fall, and winter seasons in four different sites (HS1: control/clean site; HS2, HS3, and HS4: contaminated sites) of Hyeongsan River estuary, South Korea. Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in whole sediments were highest at HS4 site during fall, sustained similar levels during winter, but decreased during summer. Unlike whole sediment, pore water reported higher levels in summer, and gradually declined during fall and winter. Asian clams from HS4 site collected during summer presented highest bioaccumulations of THg (521.52 μg/kg, dry weight) and MeHg (161.04 μg/kg, dry weight), which also correlated with the higher levels of Hg present in pore water in the same season. Moreover, biota-sediment-pore water accumulation factor (BSpAF) were comparatively greater in clams collected from HS2∼HS4 compared to HS1 sites, suggesting that porewater was a better indicator of accumulation of Hg. Upregulation of biomarker genes responsible for detoxifying process (gsts1), scavenging oxidative stress (cat), and protein reparation (hsp70 and hsp90) were observed in clams collected from HS2∼HS4. The overexpression of these biomarkers implied that Asian clams can be considered as promising warning tools for Hg-contamination. Both bacterial and metabolic diversities were negatively affected by higher levels of THg and MeHg. Phylum Proteobacteria was enriched in HS2∼HS4 compared to HS1. In contrast, phylum Bacteroidetes showed a reverse trend. The metabolic profile was highest in HS1 and lowest in HS4, revealing higher stress of Hg in HS4 site. Overall, the outcomes of this field study broaden the information on seasonal trends of bioaccumulation of Hg and its toxic effects. These findings may be helpful in Hg monitoring and management programs in other river systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dhiraj Kumar Chaudhary
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwansuk Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Danny Reible
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA, 79409
| | - Mikyung Lee
- Water Environmental Engineering Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, Hwangyong-ro 42, Seogu, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunyoung Kim
- Water Environmental Engineering Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, Hwangyong-ro 42, Seogu, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Lan Hee Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungpyo Kim
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, 30019, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongseok Hong
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University Sejong Campus, 2511 Sejong-ro, Sejong City, 30019, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Skogsberg E, McGovern M, Poste A, Jonsson S, Arts MT, Varpe Ø, Borgå K. Seasonal pollutant levels in littoral high-Arctic amphipods in relation to food sources and terrestrial run-off. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 306:119361. [PMID: 35523379 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Increasing terrestrial run-off from melting glaciers and thawing permafrost to Arctic coastal areas is expected to facilitate re-mobilization of stored legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg), potentially increasing exposure to these contaminants for coastal benthic organisms. We quantified chlorinated POPs and Hg concentrations, lipid content and multiple dietary markers, in a littoral deposit-feeding amphipod Gammarus setosus and sediments during the melting period from April to August in Adventelva river estuary in Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic Aarchipelago. There was an overall decrease in concentrations of ∑POPs from April to August (from 58 ± 23 to 13 ± 4 ng/g lipid weight; lw), Hg (from 5.6 ± 0.7 to 4.1 ± 0.5 ng/g dry weight; dw) and Methyl Hg (MeHg) (from 5 ± 1 to 0.8 ± 0.7 ng/g dw) in G. setosus. However, we observed a seasonal peak in penta- and hexachlorobenzene (PeCB and HCB) in May (2.44 ± 0.3 and 23.6 ± 1.7 ng/g lw). Sediment concentrations of POPs and Hg (dw) only partly correlated with the contaminant concentrations in G. setosus. Dietary markers, including fatty acids and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, indicated a diet of settled phytoplankton in May-July and a broader range of carbon sources after the spring bloom. Phytoplankton utilization and chlorobenzene concentrations in G. setosus exhibited similar seasonal patterns, suggesting a dietary uptake of chlorobenzenes that is delivered to the aquatic environment during spring snowmelt. The seasonal decrease in contaminant concentrations in G. setosus could be related to seasonal changes in dietary contaminant exposure and amphipod ecology. Furthermore, this decrease implies that terrestrial run-off is not a significant source of re-mobilized Hg and legacy POPs to littoral amphipods in the Adventelva river estuary during the melt season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emelie Skogsberg
- University of Oslo, Department of Biosciences, Oslo, Norway; The University Centre in Svalbard, Department of Arctic Biology, Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Maeve McGovern
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway; The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Amanda Poste
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway; The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Sofi Jonsson
- Stockholm University, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Michael T Arts
- Ryerson University, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto, M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Øystein Varpe
- The University Centre in Svalbard, Department of Arctic Biology, Longyearbyen, Norway; Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Bergen, Norway; University of Bergen, Department of Biological Sciences, Bergen, Norway
| | - Katrine Borgå
- University of Oslo, Department of Biosciences, Oslo, Norway.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jonsson S, Liem-Nguyen V, Andersson A, Skyllberg U, Nilsson MB, Lundberg E, Björn E. Geochemical and Dietary Drivers of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Estuarine Benthic Invertebrates. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:10141-10148. [PMID: 35770966 PMCID: PMC9301910 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sediments represent the main reservoir of mercury (Hg) in aquatic environments and may act as a source of Hg to aquatic food webs. Yet, accumulation routes of Hg from the sediment to benthic organisms are poorly constrained. We studied the bioaccumulation of inorganic and methylmercury (HgII and MeHg, respectively) from different geochemical pools of Hg into four groups of benthic invertebrates (amphipods, polychaetes, chironomids, and bivalves). The study was conducted using mesocosm experiments entailing the use of multiple isotopically enriched Hg tracers and simulation of estuarine systems with brackish water and sediment. We applied different loading regimes of nutrients and terrestrial organic matter and showed that the vertical localization and the chemical speciation of HgII and MeHg in the sediment, in combination with the diet composition of the invertebrates, consistently controlled the bioaccumulation of HgII and MeHg into the benthic organisms. Our results suggest a direct link between the concentration of MeHg in the pelagic planktonic food web and the concentration of MeHg in benthic amphipods and, to some extent, in bivalves. In contrast, the quantity of MeHg in benthic chironomids and polychaetes seems to be driven by MeHg accumulation via the benthic food web. Accounting for these geochemical and dietary drivers of Hg bioaccumulation in benthic invertebrates will be important to understand and predict Hg transfer between the benthic and the pelagic food web, under current and future environmental scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofi Jonsson
- Department
of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå
Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, SE-910 20 Hörnefors, Sweden
| | - Van Liem-Nguyen
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agneta Andersson
- Umeå
Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, SE-910 20 Hörnefors, Sweden
- Department
of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå
University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Department
of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mats B. Nilsson
- Department
of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erik Lundberg
- Umeå
Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University, SE-910 20 Hörnefors, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
He X, Wallace WG, Reinfelder JR. Grass Shrimp ( Palaemonetes pugio) as a Trophic Link for Methylmercury Accumulation in Urban Salt Marshes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:8071-8081. [PMID: 35584355 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01184] [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: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Grass shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) represent a potential link in the transfer of methylmercury (MeHg) from salt marsh sediments to transient young-of-the-year (YOY) fish. Across six salt marshes subject to varying degrees of Hg contamination, MeHg concentration in grass shrimp was significantly correlated with MeHg in sediment (p < 0.05, R2 = 0.81). Bioenergetic models show that grass shrimp alone account for 12-90% of MeHg observed in YOY striped bass and 6-22% of MeHg in YOY summer flounder. Direct accumulation of MeHg from grass shrimp to YOY fish increased with MeHg levels in grass shrimp and sediment. However, in the most contaminated salt marshes with the highest levels of MeHg in grass shrimp and sediment, indirect accumulation of MeHg from grass shrimp by YOY summer flounder, whose diet is dominated by benthic forage fish (mummichog), is predicted to plateau because higher concentrations of MeHg in grass shrimp are offset by a lower proportion of grass shrimp in the mummichog diet. Our results demonstrate that grass shrimp are an important trophic link in the bioaccumulation of MeHg in salt marsh food webs and that MeHg accumulation in YOY fish varies with both the concentration of MeHg in salt marsh sediments and benthic food web structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoshuai He
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - William G Wallace
- Department of Biology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, Staten Island, New York 10314, United States
| | - John R Reinfelder
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lotufo GR, Biedenbach JM, Farrar JD, Chanov MK, Hester BW, Warbritton CR, Steevens JA, Netchaev JM, Bednar AJ, Moore DW. Interlaboratory Comparison of Three Sediment Bioaccumulation Tests. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2022; 41:1260-1275. [PMID: 35349191 PMCID: PMC9310598 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Standard bioaccumulation tests are commonly conducted using Macoma nasuta (clam), and Alitta virens (polychaete) for marine tests, and Lumbriculus variegatus (an oligochaete) for freshwater tests. Because the interlaboratory variability associated with these tests is unknown, four experienced laboratories conducted standard 28-day bioaccumulation tests with the above species using sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Chemical analysis of tissue samples was performed by a single laboratory. The intralaboratory variance among replicates was relatively low for PCB tissue concentrations, with coefficients of variation (CVs) ranging from 9% to 28% for all laboratories and species, with the exception of one laboratory reporting higher variability for L. variegatus (CV = 51%). Intralaboratory variance for PCB tissue concentrations was higher than interlaboratory variance for A. virens and L. variegatus, and the magnitude of difference (MOD) for laboratory means ranged from 1.4 to 2.0 across species. Intralaboratory variability was also low for lipid content, and lipid normalization of PCB and PAH body residues generally had little impact on variability. In addition to variability across bioassay laboratories, analytical variability was evaluated by different laboratories measuring the concentration of PCBs and total lipids in a subsample of tissue homogenate of sediment-exposed test organisms. Variability associated with tissue analysis was higher than bioassay laboratory variability only in tests with L. variegatus. Statistical differences between samples may be observed due to the low intralaboratory variability; however, the biological significance of these differences may be limited because the MOD is low. Considering the MOD when comparing bioaccumulation across treatments accounts for uncertainty related to inherent variability of the test in the interpretation of statistically significant results. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1260-1275. © 2022 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. This article has been contributed to by US Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - J. Daniel Farrar
- US Army Engineer Research and Development CenterVicksburgMississippiUSA
| | | | | | - C. Ryan Warbritton
- US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research CenterColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | - Jeffery A. Steevens
- US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research CenterColumbiaMissouriUSA
| | | | - Anthony J. Bednar
- US Army Engineer Research and Development CenterVicksburgMississippiUSA
| | - David W. Moore
- US Army Engineer Research and Development CenterVicksburgMississippiUSA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Zhang H, Liu S, Ai L, Cao P, Wu K, Cui J, Wang H, Mohamed CAR, Shi X. Distribution and assessment of heavy metal in sediments of Malacca Strait. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 178:113575. [PMID: 35334328 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113575] [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: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we explored the heavy metal elements in 42 surface sediments from the Malacca Strait in terms of distribution, controlling factors, environmental quality, and primary sources. An analysis of grain size revealed finer sediments near the coast of Malaysia, which gradually thickened toward offshore. In addition, heavy metal elements were abundantly distributed near the coastal area of Malaysia, with a gradual decrease toward the sea; their content increased within waters close to the Perak estuary. Source analysis of heavy metals showed that Cr, Hg, Zn, Cd, and Cu were mostly derived from natural weathering, and their distribution was significantly influenced by sediment grain size. As and Pb were affected by human activities. The environmental quality assessment results showed that Cu, Cr, Cd, and Zn in our study regions were pollution-free. Pb elements showed low-to-moderate pollution, and Hg showed a certain degree of ecological risk due to its high toxicity coefficient. The content of As elements in surface sediments increased significantly when compared to the background value, with several evaluation methods indicating a high-risk index. According to these findings, the area near the mouth of the Perak River is the most polluted, followed by the surrounding coastal areas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Shengfa Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China; Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China.
| | - Lina Ai
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Kaikai Wu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China; Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, China
| | - Jingjing Cui
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Hongmin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China
| | - Che Abd Rahim Mohamed
- Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of Malaysia, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
| | - Xuefa Shi
- Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Metallogeny, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao 266061, China; Laboratory for Marine Geology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266061, China
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Lehel J, Grúz A, Bartha A, Pintér I, Lénárt Z, Major L, Menyhárt L, Szabó R, Budai P. Comparison of metal burden in different muscle tissues of Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:2375-2384. [PMID: 34370194 PMCID: PMC8732976 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15600-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of 12 metals (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) were examined in the pectoral and thigh muscle of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo). The samples were collected from Central Tisza-Jászság Nature Conservation Area in Hungary. The tissue samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The aim of the study was to examine the impacts of heavy metal pollution on the water birds, determine the concentrations of the abovementioned metals in the different muscle tissues of these wetland birds, and provide the basic materials for monitoring the environmental pollution. Among the investigated elements/metals, the detected concentrations of As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo and Ni were below the detection limit. Higher concentration of Cu, Hg, Mn and Pb was measured in the pectoral muscle compared to the thigh muscle, but only in the case of Cu and Mn were found significant differences between the tissues. In the case of the Zn concentration, the higher value was detected in the thigh muscle. There were no statistical differences between males and females in either metal concentrations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- József Lehel
- Department of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary.
| | - Adrienn Grúz
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary.
| | - András Bartha
- Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, Department of Animal Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - Imre Pintér
- Division of Plant Protection and Soil Conservation, Department of Agriculture, Government Office of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County, Vízpart blvd. 28, Szolnok, H-5000, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Lénárt
- Department of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - László Major
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - László Menyhárt
- Institute of Technology, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - Rita Szabó
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - Péter Budai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Chen CY, Buckman KL, Shaw A, Curtis A, Taylor M, Montesdeoca M, Driscoll C. The influence of nutrient loading on methylmercury availability in Long Island estuaries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 268:115510. [PMID: 33221612 PMCID: PMC8410480 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Estuaries provide critical habitat for food webs supporting fish and shellfish consumed by humans, but estuarine ecosystem health has been threatened by increases in nitrogen loading as well as inputs of the neurotoxin, mercury (Hg), which biomagnifies in food webs and poses risk to humans and wildlife. In this study, the effects of nutrient loading on the fate of Hg in shallow coastal estuaries were examined to evaluate if their interaction enhances or reduces Hg bioavailability in sediments, the water column, and concentrations in lower trophic level fish (Fundulus heteroclitus and Menidia menidia). Multiple sites were sampled within two human impacted coastal lagoons, Great South Bay (GSB) and Jamaica Bay (JB), on the southern coast of Long Island, NY, United States of America (U.S.A.). Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), Hg, and methylmercury (MeHg) were measured in surface sediments and the water column, and total Hg (THg) was measured in two species of forage fish. Minimal differences were found in dissolved and particulate Hg, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and salinity between the two bays. Across lagoons, concentrations of chlorophyll-a were correlated with total suspended solids (TSS), and water column THg and MeHg was largely associated with the particulate fraction. Methylmercury concentrations in particulates decreased with increasing TSS and chlorophyll-a, evidence of biomass dilution of MeHg with increasing productivity at the base of the food chain. Water column Hg was associated with THg concentrations in Atlantic silversides, while mummichog THg concentrations were related to sediment concentrations, reflecting their different feeding strategies. Finally, higher nutrient loading (lower C:N in sediments) while related to lower particulate concentrations coincided with higher bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for Hg in both fish species. Thus, in shallow coastal lagoons, increased nutrient loading resulted in decreased Hg concentrations at the base of the food web but resulted in greater bioaccumulation of Hg to fish relative to its availability in algal food.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Kate L Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Amy Shaw
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Amanda Curtis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Mariah Taylor
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Mario Montesdeoca
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Charles Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Jędruch A, Bełdowska M. Mercury forms in the benthic food web of a temperate coastal lagoon (southern Baltic Sea). MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 153:110968. [PMID: 32063552 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The study was conducted in the coastal zone of the southern Baltic. The research material consisted of macrozoobenthos and elements of its diet. The samples were analysed for Hg and its labile and stable forms, using the thermodesorption method. The results showed that the level of total Hg in zoobenthos was associated with dietary preferences and the share of bioavailable Hg in its food. The Hg fractionation in the macrofauna was conditioned by biological features (morphological structure) and environmental parameters (oxygenation, pH) which shape the mobility and assimilation of Hg. The absorption of the most toxic organic Hg in macrofauna was more effective in aerobic conditions, at low primary production and with the limited inflow of organic matter. The trophic transfer of Hg was favoured by the limited biomass of primary producers, and consequently of zoobenthos. An important factor influencing the biomagnification was also the share of labile Hg in macrozoobenthos.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Jędruch
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Bełdowska
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Andrade VS, Wiegand C, Pannard A, Gagneten AM, Pédrot M, Bouhnik-Le Coz M, Piscart C. How can interspecific interactions in freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates modify trace element availability from sediment? CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 245:125594. [PMID: 31855766 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess how bioturbation by freshwater benthic macroinvertebrates with different biological traits alone or in combination could modify trace elements (TE) fate between sediment and water, and if water TE concentration and animal TE content impair their body stores. Three macroinvertebrate species were exposed to TE contaminated sediment for 7 days: the omnivorous Echinogammarus berilloni (Amphipoda), the sediment feeding Tubifex tubifex (Oligochaeta) and the filter feeding Pisidium sp. (Bivalvia). Treatments were one without invertebrates (control), two with amphipods or mussels alone, and the combinations amphipod-mussel, and amphipod-mussel-worms. Water TE concentration increased significantly in 2 or 3 species mesocosms, concerning mainly Rare Earth Elements, Cr, U and Pb, known to be associated to the colloidal phase. By contrast, water soluble TE were not affected by animals. For both, amphipods and mussels, TE body content increased with the number of coexisting species. For amphipods, this increase concerned both, soluble and colloid-associated TE, possibly due to intense contact and feeding from sediment and predation on tubificids. TE bioaccumulation in mussel was less important and characterized by soluble TE, with water filtration as most plausible uptake route. Protein, triglyceride and Whole Body Energy Budget increased in amphipods with the number of coexisting species (probably by feeding on mussels' feces and tubificids) whereas triglycerides declined in mussels (presumably filtration was disturbed by amphipods). This study highlights interspecific interactions as key drivers explaining both: TE bioturbation, depending on their water solubility or colloidal association, and the exposure/contamination of species through another species activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Soledad Andrade
- Lab. de Ecotoxicología, Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Ruta Nacional Nº 168, Km 472.4, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, C1425FQB, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14A, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Claudia Wiegand
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14A, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Alexandrine Pannard
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14A, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Ana María Gagneten
- Lab. de Ecotoxicología, Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Ciudad Universitaria, Ruta Nacional Nº 168, Km 472.4, 3000, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Mathieu Pédrot
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 15, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Martine Bouhnik-Le Coz
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 15, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Christophe Piscart
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO - UMR 6553, 263 Avenue Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, Bâtiment 14A, F-35000, Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Xu X, Huo Q, Dong Y, Zhang S, Yang Z, Xian J, Yang Y, Cheng Z. Bioaccumulation and health risk assessment of trace metals in fish from freshwater polyculture ponds in Chengdu, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:33466-33477. [PMID: 31522399 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06412-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The freshwater polyculture pond culturing occupied an important position in the aquaculture industry. Accumulation of trace metals was investigated in water, sediments, and fish (Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio, Ctenopharyngodon idellus) from typical polyculture ponds in Chengdu, China. The results showed most of the pond water in Chengdu were safe for fish cultivation. The Cd and Cr concentrations in sediment samples from sites S3, S4, and S9 which were near the industrial park and road with a high traffic volume were higher than those of the other sites. Cu, Cr, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Pb in sediments were unpolluted, while Cd was unpolluted to moderately polluted due to anthropogenic activities. Cu, Cd, and Pb in fish pond sediment of Chengdu had higher potential mobility under normal environmental circumstances. The trace metal concentrations in liver of three fish species were all higher than those in muscle tissues. The order of bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values for trace metals was Cr > Cu > Pb > Zn > Cd > Ni > 20. The concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cr in the muscle of three fish species were all below the local and international maximum permissible levels. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) of trace metals in aquaculture fish ponds in Chengdu were lower than 1, which indicated that the consumption of grass, crucian, and common carp cultivated in the aquaculture ponds of Chengdu pose no health risk to the residents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxun Xu
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment Protection of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Qinglin Huo
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yuanyuan Dong
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Shirong Zhang
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment Protection of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Zhanbiao Yang
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Junren Xian
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Yuanxiang Yang
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Zhang Cheng
- College of Environment, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Curtis AN, Bourne K, Borsuk ME, Buckman KL, Demidenko E, Taylor VF, Chen CY. Effects of temperature, salinity, and sediment organic carbon on methylmercury bioaccumulation in an estuarine amphipod. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 687:907-916. [PMID: 31412494 PMCID: PMC6697058 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global contaminant that poses a human health risk in its organic form, methylmercury (MeHg), through consumption of fish and fishery products. Bioaccumulation of Hg in the aquatic environment is controlled by a number of factors expected to be altered by climate change. We examined the individual and combined effects of temperature, sediment organic carbon, and salinity on the bioaccumulation of MeHg in an estuarine amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus, when exposed to sediment from two locations in the Gulf of Maine (Kittery and Bass Harbor) that contained different levels of MeHg and organic carbon. Higher temperatures and lower organic carbon levels individually increased uptake of MeHg by L. plumulosus as measured by the biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF), while the effect of salinity on BSAF differed by sediment source. Multi-factor statistical modeling using all data revealed a significant interaction between temperature and organic carbon for both sediments, in which increased temperature had a negative effect on BSAF at the lowest carbon levels and a positive effect at higher levels. Our results suggest that increased temperature and carbon loading, of a magnitude expected as a result from climate change, could be associated with a net decrease in amphipod BSAF of 50 to 71%, depending on sediment characteristics. While these are only first-order projections, our results indicate that the future fate of MeHg in marine food webs is likely to depend on a number of factors beyond Hg loading.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N Curtis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, United States.
| | - Kimberly Bourne
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Mark E Borsuk
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, United States
| | - Kate L Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, United States
| | - Eugene Demidenko
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, United States; Department of Mathematics, Dartmouth College, NH 03755, United States
| | - Vivien F Taylor
- Department of Earth Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, United States
| | - Celia Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, United States
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Li D, Xie L, Carvan MJ, Guo L. Mitigative effects of natural and model dissolved organic matter with different functionalities on the toxicity of methylmercury in embryonic zebrafish. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 252:616-626. [PMID: 31185350 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.05.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) occurs ubiquitously in aquatic environments and plays an intrinsic role in altering the chemical speciation and toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg). However, interactions between MeHg and natural DOM remain poorly understood, especially at the functional group level. We report here the mitigative effects of three natural organic matter (NOM) and five model-DOM under different concentrations (0, 1, 3, 10, 30 and 100 mg-C/L) on the toxicity of MeHg in embryonic zebrafish (<4 h post-fertilization, hpf). NOM are those from the Mississippi River, Yukon River, and Suwannee River, while model-DOM include those containing thiosalicylic acid, L-glutathione, dextran, alginic acid, and humic acid. We selected a MeHg concentration (100 n-mol/L) that reduces the survival rate of embryos at 24 hpf by 18% and increases malformations at 72 and 96 hpf. In the presence of DOM, however, the malformation rates induced by MeHg can be mitigated to a different extent depending on DOM concentrations, specific functional groups, and/or specific components. Model DOM with aromatic thiols was the most effective at mitigating the effects of MeHg, followed by L-glutathione, carbohydrates, and humic acid. NOM also mitigated the toxicity of MeHg dependent on their composition and/or effective DOM components as characterized by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix techniques. Specifically, humic-like DOM components are more effective in reducing the MeHg toxicity in the embryonic zebrafish compared to protein-like components. Further studies are needed to elucidate the interactions between DOM and MeHg and the mitigative mechanisms at the molecular level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 600 E Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53204, USA; Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lingtian Xie
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Theoretical Chemistry, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Michael J Carvan
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 600 E Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53204, USA
| | - Laodong Guo
- School of Freshwater Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 600 E Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53204, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Liu J, Cao L, Dou S. Trophic transfer, biomagnification and risk assessments of four common heavy metals in the food web of Laizhou Bay, the Bohai Sea. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 670:508-522. [PMID: 30909029 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the trophic transfer of four common toxic metals (Cd, Cr, Cu and Hg) in the food web and assessed their potential ecological risks in Laizhou Bay, a spawning area for fishery populations in the Bohai Sea, North China. Based on the predation relations of 43 species that were representatives of the main trophic levels (TLs), a simplified food web was constructed using stomach content analysis and stable nitrogen isotope ratio (δ15N) analysis. Using copepods as the baseline species (TL = 2.00), the TLs of the organisms ranged from 1.96 (Polychaeta) to 4.47 (Japanese flounder) and showed the following ranking order: predatory pelagic or demersal fish > medium demersal fish > crustacean, cephalopod, small pelagic or demersal fish > zooplankton and Polychaeta. The metals showed different trophic transfer behaviors in the food web. Hg and Cr tended to be efficiently biomagnified between TLs, along the main food chains and in the food web. Cu biodiluted significantly with increasing TLs, while Cd showed no biomagnification or biodilution trends in the food web. At low or moderate levels of Cd and Hg, potential ecological risks were detected in the water and sediments at only a few sites, indicating their overall low ecological risks in the environment. The metals in the important fishery species (four top predatory fish, two cephalopods and eight crustaceans) were below the permissible limits, except for Cd in octopus and paddle crab, which reached or exceeded the most restrictive criteria. Based on the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) criteria, the safe weekly human consumption levels by humans of the predatory fish, cephalopods and crustaceans were species-specific (0.20-4.44 kg) and should be cautiously assessed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jinhu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environment Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Liang Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environment Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China
| | - Shuozeng Dou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environment Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Xu X, Bryan AL, Mills GL, Korotasz AM. Mercury speciation, bioavailability, and biomagnification in contaminated streams on the Savannah River Site (SC, USA). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 668:261-270. [PMID: 30852203 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Water, sediment, and biota from two streams on the Savannah River Site were sampled to study mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry. Total and methyl- Hg (MHg) concentrations were measured for all samples, speciation models were used to explore Hg speciation in the water, and Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) were applied to indicate the vertical profiles of labile Hg (DGT-Hg). Trophic position (δ15N) was estimated for biota and used to establish MHg biomagnification model. The speciation model indicated Hg methylation in the water occurred on settling particles and the most bioavailable Hg species to bacteria were complexes of inorganic Hg and labile organic ligands. Correspondingly, dissolved organic carbon concentrations were positively related to MHg concentrations in the water. In the sediment, the sharp increase of DGT-Hg around the sediment water interface underscores the importance of this interface, which determines the differences in the accumulation and generation of labile Hg among different waterbodies. The positive correlation between sediment MHg and sulfate concentrations suggested possible methylation reaction by dissimilatory sulfate reducing bacteria in the sediment. The food web magnification factors of MHg were 9.6 (95% CI: 4.0-23.4) and 4.4 (95% CI: 2.5-7.7) for the two streams established with trophic data of biofilm, invertebrates, and fish. Meanwhile, DGT-Hg concentrations in the water were positively correlated to biofilm Hg concentrations, which can be combined with the MHg biomagnification model to generate a modified biomagnification model that estimate MHg bioaccumulation with only labile Hg concentrations in the water. With this approach, Hg accumulation in abiotic and biotic environmental compartments was connected and the different bioaccumulation patterns of Hg in different waterbodies were explained with both geochemical and biological factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Xu
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia. PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA.
| | - Albert L Bryan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia. PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| | - Gary L Mills
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia. PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| | - Alexis M Korotasz
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia. PO Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Buckman KL, Seelen EA, Mason RP, Balcom P, Taylor VF, Ward JE, Chen CY. Sediment organic carbon and temperature effects on methylmercury concentration: A mesocosm experiment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 666:1316-1326. [PMID: 30970496 PMCID: PMC6461384 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The fate and mobility of mercury, and its bioaccumulation primarily as methylmercury (MeHg), in marine ecosystems are influenced by climate related environmental factors, including increased temperature and carbon loading. To investigate the interactions between sediment organic carbon and temperature MeHg bioaccumulation, mesocosm experiments were conducted examining relationships between sediment, water column and biota (sediment-dwelling amphipod and juvenile oyster) MeHg concentration. Experimental treatments consisted of a two by two design of high and low temperature (15 & 25 °C) and high and low sediment organic carbon (4-5% and 13% LOI, pre-experiment). Sediment organic carbon had significant individual effects on MeHg concentration in water and biota, with higher carbon associated with lower MeHg. Temperature individual effects were significant for sediment, water, and only amphipod MeHg concentration, with higher temperature treatments indicating higher MeHg concentration. There were significant temperature × carbon interactions observed for sediment, dissolved, and oyster MeHg concentration. Sediment carbon reduction had greater influence than temperature on increasing MeHg concentrations in both the water column and biota. MeHg concentrations in the bulk sediment were not correlated with MeHg in the water column or in the biota, indicating that even when sediments are the only source of MeHg, bulk sediment measurements do not provide a good proxy for bioaccumulation and that the concentration in bulk sediments is not the primary determinant of MeHg entry into the food web.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K L Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States of America.
| | - E A Seelen
- Department of Marine Science, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States of America
| | - R P Mason
- Department of Marine Science, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States of America
| | - P Balcom
- Department of Marine Science, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States of America; Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
| | - V F Taylor
- Department of Earth Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States of America
| | - J E Ward
- Department of Marine Science, University of Connecticut, Groton, CT, United States of America
| | - C Y Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Choi H, Jeong E, Nguyen VH, Hanh DVB, Dan NP, Shin KH, Han S. Characteristics of sediment affecting monomethylmercury accumulation in benthic fish of the Mekong Delta. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:503-510. [PMID: 30525225 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4327] [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: 06/30/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The Mekong River Delta (Vietnam) is a flat, low-lying area formed by a dense network of main tributaries of the Tien and Hau Rivers, providing a nourishing habitat for aquatic organisms. A sediment survey of the total mercury (Hg), monomethylmercury (MMHg), and geochemical variables was carried out from the coast to 131 km upriver to establish an overview of the environmental factors affecting the bioaccumulation of Hg and MMHg in delta fish. The survey results revealed that the total Hg (12-90 ng g-1 ) and MMHg (0.014-1.5 ng g-1 ) concentrations were in the range of uncontaminated sediment. Statistical analysis using various geochemical factors demonstrated that sediment MMHg concentrations and fractions of MMHg over total Hg in sediment were higher at sites with higher total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen sites. The current levels of TOC in Mekong Delta sediment are relatively low (0.2-1.5%); however, expanding dam constructions and aquacultures related to salinity intrusion are reinforcing the carbon burial rate by increasing the fine fractions. Based on the positive relationship found between MMHg and TOC in sediment, proper management efforts are necessary to reduce MMHg production in the Mekong River Delta sediment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:503-510. © 2018 SETAC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hyojung Choi
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunji Jeong
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Viet Huu Nguyen
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Dang Vu Bich Hanh
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City District 10, Vietnam
| | - Nguyen Phuoc Dan
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City District 10, Vietnam
| | - Kyung-Hoon Shin
- Department of Marine and Convergence Sciences, College of Science and Technology, Hanyang University, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Seunghee Han
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science & Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Liang P, Wu S, Zhang C, Xu J, Christie P, Zhang J, Cao Y. The role of antibiotics in mercury methylation in marine sediments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2018; 360:1-5. [PMID: 30075378 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.07.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The role of antibiotics commonly used in fish culture activities in methylmercury (MeHg) formation in mariculture sediments (MS) and in reference sediments (RS) was studied using simulation microcosms. MS and RS were split into three equal batches. Two batches were spiked with Hg(NO3)2 aqueous solution at levels of 2 and 8 mg kg-1 (dry weight basis) and the remainder served as a control batch. Tetracycline (TC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) (2.5 g and 10 g of each) were added to each treatment. Sediment THg concentration decreased during the culture period possibly due to complexation of Hg with the antibiotics resulting in the dissolution of Hg compounds from the sediment. More importantly, the MeHg concentration increased after 32 days together with a decrease in the concentrations of the antibiotics in the sediment. The complexation of TC or OTC with Hg resulted in the transport of electrons from TC or OTC to Hg2+ due to the high electronegativity of Hg2+. Subsequently, Hg2+ was reduced to Hg° which reacted with CH3+ derived from TC or OTC. The use of antibiotics may therefore promote the formation of MeHg in sediments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng Liang
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, 311300, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination and Bioremediation, Hangzhou 311300, China.
| | - Shengchun Wu
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, 311300, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination and Bioremediation, Hangzhou 311300, China.
| | - Chan Zhang
- College of Law and Political Science, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, China
| | - Jialin Xu
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, 311300, China
| | - Peter Christie
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, 311300, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination and Bioremediation, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, 311300, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination and Bioremediation, Hangzhou 311300, China
| | - Yucheng Cao
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Lin'an, 311300, China; Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination and Bioremediation, Hangzhou 311300, China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Gilmour C, Bell T, Soren A, Riedel G, Riedel G, Kopec D, Bodaly D, Ghosh U. Activated carbon thin-layer placement as an in situ mercury remediation tool in a Penobscot River salt marsh. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 621:839-848. [PMID: 29216592 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The efficacy of thin layer in situ soil amendments was tested as a potential tool for methylmercury (MeHg) risk mitigation in Penobscot River, ME, salt marsh. Salt marshes are sites of high MeHg accumulation within the Penobscot, and key targets for remediation. The study was a fully-crossed small plot study, with four treatments (activated carbon (AC), biochar, FeCl2, and lime) and unamended controls at two sites. Plots were monitored for two years. Porewater MeHg concentrations were the main endpoint, with impacts on sediment biogeochemistry as a secondary study goal. AC-based SediMite™ was effective in reducing MeHg, and to a less extent total Hg, in surficial pore waters. AC reduced MeHg concentrations by >90% at the one month time point, and continued to significantly reduce pore water MeHg through about a year. AC was less effective in reducing total Hg in pore water, yielding about 70% reduction at one month, and 50-65% reduction at 8months. Biochar provided lower, and more variable reduction in porewater MeHg, but was not effective in reducing total Hg. Biochar amendment also increased soil MeHg. Neither FeCl2 nor lime amendments reduced pore water Hg or MeHg levels. About 50% of AC treatment applied as SediMite™ pellets was retained in marsh soils after one year. This study is one of the first field trials of in situ amendment for MeHg remediation. Our results show that thin-layer AC placement is a potential remediation tool for Hg risk to biota, especially in marshes where net MeHg accumulation is often strong.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Gilmour
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 20657, United States.
| | - Tyler Bell
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 20657, United States
| | - Ally Soren
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 20657, United States
| | - Georgia Riedel
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 20657, United States
| | - Gerhardt Riedel
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 20657, United States
| | - Dianne Kopec
- Penobscot River Mercury Study, Bangor, ME, United States
| | - Drew Bodaly
- Penobscot River Mercury Study, Bangor, ME, United States
| | - Upal Ghosh
- University of Maryland Baltimore County, Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Taylor DL, Calabrese NM. Mercury content of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) from southern New England coastal habitats: Contamination in an emergent fishery and risks to human consumers. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2018; 126:166-178. [PMID: 29421084 PMCID: PMC5808593 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury (Hg; ppm dry weight) was measured in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, collected from Narraganset Bay and adjacent coastal lagoons and tidal rivers (Rhode Island/Massachusetts, USA) from May to August 2006-2016. For juvenile crabs (21-79mm carapace width, CW), total Hg was significantly greater in chelae muscle tissue (mean±1 SD=0.32±0.21ppm; n=65) relative to whole bodies (0.21±0.16ppm; n=19), and irrespective of tissue-type, crab Hg was positively related to CW indicating bioaccumulation of the toxicant. Across a broader range of crab sizes (43-185mm CW; n=465), muscle Hg concentrations were significantly higher in crabs from the Taunton River relative to other locations (0.71±0.35ppm and 0.20±0.10ppm, respectively). Spatial variations in crab Hg dynamics were attributed to habitat-specific Hg burdens of their prey, including bivalves, gastropods, polychaetes, and shrimp. Prey Hg, in turn, was directly related to localized sediment Hg and methylmercury conditions. Biota-sediment accumulation factors for crabs and prey were negatively correlated with sediment organic content, verifying that organically-enriched substrates reduce Hg bioavailability. From a human health perspective, frequent consumption of crabs from the Taunton River may pose a human health risk (23% of legal-size crabs exceeded US EPA threshold level); thus justifying spatially-explicit Hg advisories for this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David L Taylor
- Roger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, USA.
| | - Nicholas M Calabrese
- Roger Williams University, Department of Marine Biology, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809, USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Ramasamy EV, Jayasooryan KK, Chandran MSS, Mohan M. Total and methyl mercury in the water, sediment, and fishes of Vembanad, a tropical backwater system in India. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2017; 189:130. [PMID: 28243932 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-5845-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mercury contamination in the water bodies of developing countries is a serious concern due to its toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation. Vembanad, a tropical backwater lake situated at the southwest coast of India, is the largest Ramsar site in southern India. The lake supports thousands of people directly and indirectly through its resources and ecosystem services. It is highly polluted with toxic pollutants such as heavy metals, as it receives effluent discharges from Kerala's major industrial zone. In the present study, water, pore water, sediment, and fish samples collected from Vembanad Lake were analysed for total mercury (THg) and methyl mercury (MHg) contents. The maximum concentrations of THg and MHg in surface water samples were31.8 and 0.21 ng/L, respectively, and those in bottom water samples were 206 and 1.22 ng/L, respectively. Maximum concentration of THg in surface sediment was observed during monsoon season (2850 ng/g) followed by that in the pre-monsoon season (2730 ng/g) and the post-monsoon season (2140 ng/g). The highest sediment concentration of MHg (202.02 ng/g) was obtained during monsoon season. The spatial variation in the mercury contamination clearly indicates that the industrial discharge into the Periyar River is a major reason for pollution in the lake. The mercury pollution was found to be much higher in Vembanad Lake than in other wetlands in India. The bioaccumulation was high in carnivorous fishes, followed by benthic carnivores. The THg limit in fish for human consumption (0.5 mg/kg dry wt.) was exceeded for all fish species, except for Glossogobius guiris and Synaptura orientalis. The concentration of THg was five times higher in Megalops cyprinoides and four times higher in Gazza minuta. Significant variation was observed among species with different habits and habitats. Overall, risk assessment factors showed that the mercury levels in the edible fishes of Vembanad Lake can pose serious health impacts to the human population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E V Ramasamy
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India
| | - K K Jayasooryan
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India
| | - M S Shylesh Chandran
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India
| | - Mahesh Mohan
- School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Beauvais-Flück R, Chaumot A, Gimbert F, Quéau H, Geffard O, Slaveykova VI, Cosio C. Role of cellular compartmentalization in the trophic transfer of mercury species in a freshwater plant-crustacean food chain. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2016; 320:401-407. [PMID: 27585272 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.08.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) represents an important risk for human health through the food webs contamination. Macrophytes bioaccumulate Hg and play a role in Hg transfer to food webs in shallow aquatic ecosystems. Nevertheless, the compartmentalization of Hg within macrophytes, notably major accumulation in the cell wall and its impact on trophic transfer to primary consumers are overlooked. The present work focusses on the trophic transfer of inorganic Hg (IHg) and monomethyl-Hg (MMHg) from the intracellular and cell wall compartments of the macrophyte Elodea nuttallii - considered a good candidate for phytoremediation - to the crustacean Gammarus fossarum. The results demonstrated that Hg accumulated in both compartments was trophically bioavailable to gammarids. Besides IHg from both compartments were similarly transferred to G. fossarum, while for MMHg, uptake rates were ∼2.5-fold higher in G. fossarum fed with the cell wall vs the intracellular compartment. During the depuration phase, Hg concentrations in G. fossarum varied insignificantly suggesting that both IHg and MMHg were strongly bound to biological ligands in the crustacean. Our data imply that cell walls have to be considered as an important source of Hg to consumers in freshwater food webs when developing procedures for enhancing aquatic environment protection during phytoremediation programs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Beauvais-Flück
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 66 bd Carl-Vogt, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Arnaud Chaumot
- Irstea, UR MALY Milieux Aquatiques, ÿcologie et Pollutions, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, F-69616 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Frédéric Gimbert
- Department of Chrono-Environment, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR UFC/CNRS 6249 USC INRA, 16 route de Gray, F-25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
| | - Hervé Quéau
- Irstea, UR MALY Milieux Aquatiques, ÿcologie et Pollutions, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, F-69616 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Olivier Geffard
- Irstea, UR MALY Milieux Aquatiques, ÿcologie et Pollutions, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, F-69616 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Vera I Slaveykova
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 66 bd Carl-Vogt, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Geneva, 66 bd Carl-Vogt, CH-1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Le Roux S, Baker P, Crouch A. Bioaccumulation of total mercury in the earthworm Eisenia andrei. SPRINGERPLUS 2016; 5:681. [PMID: 27347466 PMCID: PMC4899346 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-016-2282-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Earthworms are a major part of the total biomass of soil fauna and play a vital role in soil maintenance. They process large amounts of plant and soil material and can accumulate many pollutants that may be present in the soil. Earthworms have been explored as bioaccumulators for many heavy metal species such as Pb, Cu and Zn but limited information is available for mercury uptake and bioaccumulation in earthworms and very few report on the factors that influence the kinetics of Hg uptake by earthworms. It is known however that the uptake of Hg is strongly influenced by the presence of organic matter, hence the influence of ligands are a major factor contributing to the kinetics of mercury uptake in biosystems. In this work we have focused on the uptake of mercury by earthworms (Eisenia andrei) in the presence of humic acid (HA) under varying physical conditions of pH and temperature, done to assess the role of humic acid in the bioaccumulation of mercury by earthworms from soils. The study was conducted over a 5-day uptake period and all earthworm samples were analysed by direct mercury analysis. Mercury distribution profiles as a function of time, bioaccumulation factors (BAFs), first order rate constants and body burden constants for mercury uptake under selected conditions of temperature, pH as well as via the dermal and gut route were evaluated in one comprehensive approach. The results showed that the uptake of Hg was influenced by pH, temperature and the presence of HA. Uptake of Hg2+ was improved at low pH and temperature when the earthworms in soil were in contact with a saturating aqueous phase. The total amount of Hg2+ uptake decreased from 75 to 48 % as a function of pH. For earthworms in dry soil, the uptake was strongly influenced by the presence of the ligand. Calculated BAF values ranged from 0.1 to 0.8. Mercury uptake typically followed first order kinetics with rate constants determined as 0.2 to 1 h−1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shirley Le Roux
- SensorLab, Chemistry Department, University of the Western Cape, PB X17, Bellville, 7535 South Africa
| | - Priscilla Baker
- SensorLab, Chemistry Department, University of the Western Cape, PB X17, Bellville, 7535 South Africa
| | - Andrew Crouch
- Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Chakraborty P, Ramteke D, Gadi SD, Bardhan P. Linkage between speciation of Cd in mangrove sediment and its bioaccumulation in total soft tissue of oyster from the west coast of India. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 106:274-282. [PMID: 26874748 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This study established a mechanistic linkage between Cd speciation and bioavailability in mangrove system from the west coast of India. High bioaccumulation of Cd was found in the oyster (Crassostrea sp.) even at low Cd loading in the bottom sediment. Bioaccumulation of Cd in the oyster gradually increased with the increasing concentrations of water soluble, exchangeable and carbonate/bicarbonate forms of Cd in the sediments. Fe/Mn oxyhydroxide phase was found to control Cd bioavailability in the sediment system. Cd-associated with sedimentary organic matter was bioavailable and organic ligands in the sediments were poor chelating agents for Cd. This study suggests that bioaccumulation of Cd in oyster (Crassostrea sp.) depends not on the total Cd concentration but on the speciation of Cd in the system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Darwin Ramteke
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Subhadra Devi Gadi
- Carmel College of Arts, Science & Commerce for Women, Nuvem, Goa 403604, India
| | - Pratirupa Bardhan
- CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Lewis AS, Huntington TG, Marvin-DiPasquale MC, Amirbahman A. Mercury remediation in wetland sediment using zero-valent iron and granular activated carbon. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 212:366-373. [PMID: 26874318 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.11.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands are hotspots for production of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) that can bioaccumulate in the food web. The objective of this study was to determine whether the application of zero-valent iron (ZVI) or granular activated carbon (GAC) to wetland sediment could reduce MeHg production and bioavailability to benthic organisms. Field mesocosms were installed in a wetland fringing Hodgdon Pond (Maine, USA), and ZVI and GAC were applied. Pore-water MeHg concentrations were lower in treated compared with untreated mesocosms; however, sediment MeHg, as well as total Hg (THg), concentrations were not significantly different between treated and untreated mesocosms, suggesting that smaller pore-water MeHg concentrations in treated sediment were likely due to adsorption to ZVI and GAC, rather than inhibition of MeHg production. In laboratory experiments with intact vegetated sediment clumps, amendments did not significantly change sediment THg and MeHg concentrations; however, the mean pore-water MeHg and MeHg:THg ratios were lower in the amended sediment than the control. In the laboratory microcosms, snails (Lymnaea stagnalis) accumulated less MeHg in sediment treated with ZVI or GAC. The study results suggest that both GAC and ZVI have potential for reducing MeHg bioaccumulation in wetland sediment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ariel S Lewis
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA
| | | | | | - Aria Amirbahman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ortiz VL, Mason RP, Ward JE. An examination of the factors influencing mercury and methylmercury particulate distributions, methylation and demethylation rates in laboratory-generated marine snow. MARINE CHEMISTRY 2015; 177:753-762. [PMID: 26644635 PMCID: PMC4669965 DOI: 10.1016/j.marchem.2015.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In the marine environment, settling particulates have been widely studied for their role as effective vertical transporters of nutrients and metals scavenged from the euphotic zone to the benthos. These particulates are composed of transparent exopolymers, plankton and bacterial cells, detritus and organic matter, and form various size fractions from colloids (<0.2μm) to aggregates, and finally marine snow (>300 μm). As marine snow forms in the water column, anoxic layers form around and within the aggregation potentially creating a prime environment for the methylation of mercury (Hg), which occurs primarily in low oxygen environments. To examine this process, marine aggregates were produced from sieved estuarine seawater (100 μm) in 1-L glass bottles spiked with stable isotope enriched methylmercury (CH3199Hg) and inorganic mercury (200Hg(II)) at 18° C using a roller-table. After the rolling period, different particle-size fractions were collected and analyzed, including: visible marine snow (>300μm), particulates 8 to 300 μm, and particulates 0.2 to 8μm. Particulate analysis indicated higher incorporation of both forms of Hg into marine snow compared to unrolled treatments, with greater incorporation of 200Hg(II) than CH3199Hg. In addition, inorganic Hg was methylated and CH3Hg was demethylated in the larger particulate fractions (>8μm). Methylation and demethylation rates were assessed based on changes in isotopic composition of Hg(II) and CH3Hg, and found to be comparable to methylation rates found in sediments. These results indicate that net Hg methylation can occur in marine snow and smaller aggregates in oxic coastal waters, and that this net formation of CH3Hg may be an important source of CH3Hg in both coastal and open ocean surface environments.
Collapse
|
35
|
Dang F, Zhao J, Greenfield BK, Zhong H, Wang Y, Yang Z, Zhou D. Soil geochemistry and digestive solubilization control mercury bioaccumulation in the earthworm Pheretima guillemi. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2015; 292:44-51. [PMID: 25781374 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury presents a potential risk to soil organisms, yet our understanding of mercury bioaccumulation in soil dwelling organisms is limited. The influence of soil geochemistry and digestive processes on both methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg) bioavailability to earthworms (Pheretima guillemi) was evaluated in this study. Earthworms were exposed to six mercury-contaminated soils with geochemically contrasting properties for 36 days, and digestive fluid was concurrently collected to solubilize soil-associated mercury. Bioaccumulation factors were 7.5-31.0 and 0.2-0.6 for MeHg and THg, respectively, and MeHg accounted for 17-58% of THg in earthworm. THg and MeHg measured in soils and earthworms were negatively associated with soil total organic carbon (TOC). Earthworm THg and MeHg also increased with increasing soil pH. The proportion of MeHg and THg released into the digestive fluid (digestive solubilizable mercury, DSM) was 8.3-18.1% and 0.4-1.3%, respectively. The greater solubilization of MeHg by digestive fluid than CaCl2, together with a biokinetic model-based estimate of dietary MeHg uptake, indicated the importance of soil ingestion for MeHg bioaccumulation in earthworms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fei Dang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
| | - Ben K Greenfield
- Department of Environmental Health Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yujun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhousheng Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241003, China
| | - Dongmei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Contribution of Shellfish Consumption to Lower Mercury Health Risk for Residents in Northern Jiaozhou Bay, China. Bioinorg Chem Appl 2015; 2015:159521. [PMID: 26101470 PMCID: PMC4458521 DOI: 10.1155/2015/159521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish and marine mammal consumption are an important pathway for human exposure to mercury. The low mercury content in shellfish poses a low mercury health risk to people who consume shellfish. The objectives of this study are to detect mercury concentrations in different species of shellfish and to calculate the mercury health risk from shellfish consumption among traditional residents near northern Jiaozhou Bay. A total of 356 shellfish samples, which comprised 7 species from 5 different places in northern Jiaozhou Bay, were collected from April to June in 2012. The average mercury content in the collected shellfish ranged from 0.024 mg·kg−1 to 0.452 mg·kg−1. A total of 44 shellfish samples (12.36%) had mercury levels exceeding the national pollution-free aquatic products limit (0.3 mg·kg−1). Generally, the viscus had the highest mercury content among all parts of the shellfish. A positive correlation between mercury content and total weight/edible part weight was found in most species of the collected shellfish. The results showed that shellfish consumption resulted in the lower risk of mercury exposure to residents based on the calculation of daily intake (DI) and target hazard quotient (THQ).
Collapse
|
37
|
Conder JM, Fuchsman PC, Grover MM, Magar VS, Henning MH. Critical review of mercury sediment quality values for the protection of benthic invertebrates. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2015; 34:6-21. [PMID: 25319944 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Revised: 03/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Sediment quality values (SQV) are commonly used-and misused-to characterize the need for investigation, understand causes of observed effects, and derive management strategies to protect benthic invertebrates from direct toxic effects. The authors compiled more than 40 SQVs for mercury, nearly all of which are "co-occurrence" SQVs derived from databases of paired chemistry and benthic invertebrate effects data obtained from field-collected sediment. Co-occurrence SQVs are not derived in a manner that reflects cause-effect, concentration-response relationships for individual chemicals such as mercury, because multiple potential stressors often co-occur in the data sets used to derive SQVs. The authors assembled alternative data to characterize mercury-specific effect thresholds, including results of 7 laboratory studies with mercury-spiked sediments and 23 studies at mercury-contaminated sites (e.g., chloralkali facilities, mercury mines). The median (± interquartile range) co-occurrence SQVs associated with a lack of effects (0.16 mg/kg [0.13-0.20 mg/kg]) or a potential for effects (0.88 mg/kg [0.50-1.4 mg/kg]) were orders of magnitude lower than no-observed-effect concentrations reported in mercury-spiked toxicity studies (3.3 mg/kg [1.1-9.4 mg/kg]) and mercury site investigations (22 mg/kg [3.8-66 mg/kg]). Additionally, there was a high degree of overlap between co-occurrence SQVs and background mercury levels. Although SQVs are appropriate only for initial screening, they are commonly misused for characterizing or managing risks at mercury-contaminated sites. Spiked sediment and site data provide more appropriate and useful alternative information for characterization and management purposes. Further research is recommended to refine mercury effect thresholds for sediment that address the bioavailability and causal effects of mercury exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:6-21. © 2014 SETAC.
Collapse
|
38
|
Hodson PV, Norris K, Berquist M, Campbell LM, Ridal JJ. Mercury concentrations in amphipods and fish of the Saint Lawrence River (Canada) are unrelated to concentrations of legacy mercury in sediments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 494-495:218-228. [PMID: 25051324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Past industrial activity at Cornwall, Ontario, Canada has contaminated Lake Saint Francis, a fluvial lake on the Saint Lawrence River, with mercury (Hg). A spatial survey of Hg concentrations in sediments, amphipods, and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in 2008 inferred current sources of Hg to the lake and spatial variations in risks to human consumers. Patterns of total and methyl Hg concentrations in sediment reflected upstream inputs, declining concentrations downstream, and highest concentrations at north shore sites near industrial sources; concentrations were lowest on the south shore because river currents limit north-south advective exchange. Surprisingly, concentrations of total or methyl Hg in sediments and pore water were unrelated to concentrations in amphipods and yellow perch. Concentrations in biota, and risks to consumers of fish, were highest at north shore sites near tributaries, and not at the most contaminated industrial sites. These results suggest that 'legacy' Hg in surficial sediments is not bioavailable to aquatic biota; tributaries and atmospheric deposition are possible sources of bioavailable Hg; and that sediment remediation would not resolve issues of Hg in fish. Fish consumption advisories for the entire lake based on single samples of fish could over- or under-protect consumers, depending on sampling location. To understand the actual risk to fish consumers for a large and complex lake system with multiple sources of Hg, more intensive sampling is needed to assess the spatial distribution of risk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Hodson
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Kristin Norris
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Berquist
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda M Campbell
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey J Ridal
- Saint Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Jonsson S, Skyllberg U, Nilsson MB, Lundberg E, Andersson A, Björn E. Differentiated availability of geochemical mercury pools controls methylmercury levels in estuarine sediment and biota. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4624. [DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
|
40
|
Taylor VF, Bugge D, Jackson B, Chen CY. Pathways of CH3Hg and Hg ingestion in benthic organisms: an enriched isotope approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:5058-65. [PMID: 24678910 PMCID: PMC4014141 DOI: 10.1021/es404159k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a widespread contaminant in marine food webs, and identifying uptake pathways of mercury species, CH3Hg(+) and Hg(2+), into low trophic level organisms is important to understanding its entry into marine food webs. Enriched stable isotope tracers were used to study benthic vs. pelagic pathways of CH3Hg(+) and Hg(2+) uptake via food to the infaunal estuarine amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus. Algal cells differentially labeled with isotopically enriched CH3Hg(+) or Hg(2+) were added simultaneously to the sediment and water column of microcosms, and Hg species were monitored in amphipods and in sediment and water compartments. Methylation of Hg(2+) occurred during the course of the experiment, enhancing the uptake of Hg(2+) spikes. Trophic transfer of Hg from algae added to the water column was determined to be the major uptake route for amphipods, suggesting inputs of contaminated organic matter from the pelagic zone are important to mercury bioaccumulation even in organisms living in sediments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vivien F. Taylor
- Trace
Element Analysis Core, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
- Phone: 603-646-3318. E-mail:
| | - Deenie Bugge
- Department
of Biology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| | - Brian
P. Jackson
- Trace
Element Analysis Core, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| | - Celia Y. Chen
- Department
of Biology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Pizarro-Barraza C, Gustin MS, Peacock M, Miller M. Evidence for sites of methylmercury formation in a flowing water system: impact of anthropogenic barriers and water management. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 478:58-69. [PMID: 24530585 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.01.081] [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: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The Truckee River, California-Nevada, USA is impacted by mercury (Hg) contamination associated with legacy gold mining. In this work, we investigated the potential for hot-spots of methylmercury (MeHg) formation in the river. Mercury concentrations in multiple media were also used to assess the impacts of anthropogenic barriers, restoration, and water management in this flowing water ecosystem. Water samples were collected on a seasonal time step over 3 years, and analyzed for total Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations, along with a variety of other water quality parameters. In addition, we measured THg and MeHg in sediments, THg in macroinvertebrates, and THg and δ(15)N and δ(13)C concentrations in fish. Differences in stable isotopes and Hg concentrations in fish were applied to understand the mobility of fish in the river. Mercury concentrations of specific macroinvertebrate species were used to identify sites of MeHg production. In general, loads of Hg and nutrients in the river reach above the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area were similar to that reported for pristine systems, while within and below the city, water quality impacts were observed. Fish isotope data showed that in the city reach food resources were different than those upriver and downriver. Based on Hg and isotope data, mobility of the fish in the river is impacted by anthropogenic obstructions and water manipulation. Below the city, particle bound Hg, derived from the legacy mining, continues to be input to the Truckee River. This Hg is deposited in riparian habitats and areas of river restoration, where it is methylated and becomes available to biota. During spring, when flows were highest, MeHg produced and stored in the sediments is mobilized and transported downriver. Fish and macroinvertebrate concentrations increased downriver indicating passive uptake from water. The information presented here could be useful for those doing river restoration and water manipulation in mercury contaminated environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Pizarro-Barraza
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Mae Sexauer Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | - Mary Peacock
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| | - Matthieu Miller
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV 89557, USA
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Chen CY, Borsuk ME, Bugge DM, Hollweg T, Balcom PH, Ward DM, Williams J, Mason RP. Benthic and pelagic pathways of methylmercury bioaccumulation in estuarine food webs of the northeast United States. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89305. [PMID: 24558491 PMCID: PMC3928433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a contaminant of global concern that bioaccumulates and bioamagnifies in marine food webs. Lower trophic level fauna are important conduits of MeHg from sediment and water to estuarine and coastal fish harvested for human consumption. However, the sources and pathways of MeHg to these coastal fisheries are poorly known particularly the potential for transfer of MeHg from the sediment to biotic compartments. Across a broad gradient of human land impacts, we analyzed MeHg concentrations in food webs at ten estuarine sites in the Northeast US (from the Hackensack Meadowlands, NJ to the Gulf of Maine). MeHg concentrations in water column particulate material, but not in sediments, were predictive of MeHg concentrations in fish (killifish and Atlantic silversides). Moreover, MeHg concentrations were higher in pelagic fauna than in benthic-feeding fauna suggesting that MeHg delivery to the water column from methylation sites from within or outside of the estuary may be an important driver of MeHg bioaccumulation in estuarine pelagic food webs. In contrast, bulk sediment MeHg concentrations were only predictive of concentrations of MeHg in the infaunal worms. Our results across a broad gradient of sites demonstrate that the pathways of MeHg to lower trophic level estuarine organisms are distinctly different between benthic deposit feeders and forage fish. Thus, even in systems with contaminated sediments, transfer of MeHg into estuarine food webs maybe driven more by the efficiency of processes that determine MeHg input and bioavailability in the water column.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celia Y. Chen
- Dartmouth College, Department of Biological Sciences, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Mark E. Borsuk
- Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Deenie M. Bugge
- Dartmouth College, Department of Biological Sciences, Hanover, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Terill Hollweg
- Stratus Consulting, Boulder, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Prentiss H. Balcom
- University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Science, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Darren M. Ward
- Humboldt State University, Department of Fisheries Biology, Arcata, California, United States of America
| | - Jason Williams
- Washington State University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pullman, Washington, United States of America
| | - Robert P. Mason
- University of Connecticut, Department of Marine Science, Groton, Connecticut, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Brent RN, Berberich DA. Use of artificial stream mesocosms to investigate mercury uptake in the South River, Virginia, USA. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2014; 66:201-12. [PMID: 24253586 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-013-9964-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a globally distributed pollutant that biomagnifies in aquatic food webs. In the United States, 4,769 water bodies fail to meet criteria for safe fish consumption due to mercury bioaccumulation. Although the majority of these water bodies are affected primarily by atmospheric deposition of mercury, legacy contamination from mining or industrial activities also contribute to fish consumption advisories for mercury. The largest mercury impairment in Virginia, a 130-mile stretch of the South and South Fork Shenandoah rivers, is posted with a fish-consumption advisory for mercury contamination that originated from mercuric sulfate discharges from a textile facility in Waynesboro, Virginia, between 1929 and 1950. Although discharges of mercury to the river ceased >60 years ago, mercury levels in fish remain greater than levels safe for human consumption. This is due to the continued cycling of historic mercury in the river and its eventual uptake and biomagnification through aquatic food webs. This study investigated the relative importance of waterborne versus sediment-borne mercury in controlling biological uptake of mercury into the aquatic food web. Twelve artificial stream channels were constructed along the contaminated South River in Crimora, Virginia, and the uncontaminated North River in nearby Port Republic, Virginia, to provide four experimental treatments: a control with no Hg exposure, a Hg in sediment exposure, a Hg in water exposure, and a Hg in sediment and water exposure. After 6 weeks of colonization and growth, algae in each treatment was collected and measured for mercury accumulation. Mercury accumulation in water-only exposures was four times greater than in sediment-only exposures and was equivalent to accumulation in treatments with combined water and sediment exposure. This indicates that mercury in the water column is much more important in controlling biological uptake than mercury in near-field sediments. As a result, future remediation efforts need to focus on strategies that either remove mercury from the water column or decrease flux to the water column.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Brent
- Department of Integrated Science and Technology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807, USA,
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Gilmour CC, Riedel GS, Riedel G, Kwon S, Landis R, Brown SS, Menzie CA, Ghosh U. Activated carbon mitigates mercury and methylmercury bioavailability in contaminated sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:13001-13010. [PMID: 24156748 DOI: 10.1021/es4021074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
There are few available in situ remediation options for Hg contaminated sediments, short of capping. Here we present the first tests of activated carbon and other sorbents as potential in situ amendments for remediation of mercury and methylmercury (MeHg), using a study design that combined 2 L sediment/water microcosms with 14 day bioaccumulation assays. Our key end points were pore water concentrations, and bioaccumulation of total Hg and MeHg by a deposit-feeding oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus. Four amendments were tested: an activated carbon (AC); CETCO Organoclay MRM (MRM); Thiol-SAMMS (TS), a thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica; and AMBERSEP GT74, an ion-exchange resin. Amendments were tested in four separate microcosm assays using Hg-contaminated sediments from two freshwater and two estuarine sites. AC and TS amendments, added at 2-7% of the dry weight of sediments significantly reduced both MeHg concentrations in pore waters, relative to unamended controls (by 45-95%) and bioaccumulation of MeHg by Lumbriculus (by between 30 and 90%). Both amendments had only small impacts on microcosm surface water, sediment and pore water chemistry, with the exception of significant reductions in pore water dissolved organic matter. The effectiveness of amendments in reducing bioaccumulation was well-correlated with their effectiveness in increasing sediment:water partitioning, especially of MeHg. Sediments with low native sediment:water MeHg partition coefficients were most effectively treated. Thus, in situ sediment sorbent amendments may be able to reduce the risk of biotic Hg and MeHg uptake in contaminated sediments, and subsequent contamination of food webs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia C Gilmour
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, Maryland 21037, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Amirbahman A, Massey DI, Lotufo G, Steenhaut N, Brown LE, Biedenbach JM, Magar VS. Assessment of mercury bioavailability to benthic macroinvertebrates using diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2013; 15:2104-2114. [PMID: 24084872 DOI: 10.1039/c3em00355h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Mercury-specific diffusive gradient in thin films (DGTs) were used in laboratory microcosms as a biomonitoring tool to assess the lability of mercury (Hg) total and monomethylmercury Hg (MeHg), and to develop a relationship between chemical lability and bioavailability in estuarine sediments. Time-series deployment of DGTs in sediments showed that sediment-bound MeHg is more labile than sediment-bound inorganic Hg. In subsequent experiments, DGTs were deployed simultaneously with three benthic macroinvertebrates (the estuarine amphipod, Leptocheirus plumulosus; the estuarine polychaete, Nereis virens; and the marine clam, Macoma nasuta) in sediments for up to 55 days. All organisms and their co-deployed DGTs exhibited an initial period of rapid Hg uptake followed by slower uptake reaching apparent steady state. Strong correlative relationships were generally observed between paddle-type DGTs and macroinvertebrate tissue data (r(2) between 0.57 and 0.97). Further, %MeHg:Total Hg ratios for M. nasuta and N. virens (38.5 ± 12.2 and 19.2 ± 5.2) were similar to their corresponding ratios for the DGTs (33.1 ± 13.3 and 24.4 ± 11.0), and they were significantly higher than the same ratios for sediment (2.9 ± 0.3) and pore water (8.5 ± 4.9). The %MeHg:Total Hg ratios for L. plumulosus (68.5 ± 6.2) were significantly higher than those for the DGTs. This may be because the tissue and DGT data for this organism were not truly co-located as L. plumulosus burrows close to the sediment surface, and the DGTs sampled the sediment surface. Overall, our results suggest that for benthic macroinvertebrates in estuarine sediments studied here, (a) sediment MeHg is more bioavailable than inorganic Hg, (b) sediment and pore-water concentration measurements are not good predictors for the extent of bioaccumulation of Hg species, and (c) DGTs are an effective biomonitoring tool for the assessment of bioavailability of Hg species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aria Amirbahman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
46
|
Razavi NR, Ridal JJ, de Wit W, Hickey MBC, Campbell LM, Hodson PV. Ebullition rates and mercury concentrations in St. Lawrence river sediments and a benthic invertebrate. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2013; 32:857-865. [PMID: 23296404 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 11/18/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Ebullition, the release of gas from anaerobic decomposition in sediments, was recorded in a mercury-contaminated depositional zone (Zone 1) of the St. Lawrence River Area of Concern in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. The aim of the present study was to test if this disturbance affected the bioavailability of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in surficial sediments to a benthic invertebrate (Echinogammarus ischnus). Ebullition rates ranged from <1 to 2,800 ml/m(2) daily, with methane gas comprising 29 to 84% of the total. No direct effects of ebullition were found on either abiotic (sediment or pore water THg or MeHg concentrations) or biotic (amphipod THg or MeHg concentrations) variables measured. Instead, amphipod MeHg concentrations were best predicted by pore water THg and MeHg concentrations, organic matter of surficial sediments, and water depth and location. Trend surface analyses demonstrated that a shallow, southwestern part of Zone 1 was most contaminated with pore water mercury, which decreased in a gradient toward the northeast. Further study is needed to determine if the amount of sediment resuspended by ebullition affects the spatial distribution of mercury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Roxanna Razavi
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Lessard CR, Poulain AJ, Ridal JJ, Blais JM. Steady-state mass balance model for mercury in the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2013; 174:229-235. [PMID: 23287073 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2012] [Revised: 11/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/01/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
We have developed a local mass balance model for the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario that describes the fate and transport of mercury in three forms, elemental, divalent, and methylated, in a five compartment environment (air, water, sediments, periphyton, and benthos). Our objective was to construct a steady-state mass balance model to determine the dominant sources and sinks of mercury in this environment. We compiled mercury concentrations, fluxes, and transformation rates from previous studies completed in this section of the river to develop the model. The inflow of mercury was the major source to this system, accounting for 0.42 mol month(-1), or 95.5% of all mercury inputs, whereas outflow was 0.28 mol month(-1), or 63.6% of all losses, and sediment deposition was 0.12 mol month(-1), or 27.3% of all losses. Uncertainty estimates were greatest for advective fluxes in surface water, porewater, periphyton, and benthic invertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte R Lessard
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
TENG D, LV S, GUO F, JIANG T. DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF HEAVY METALS IN SURFACE SEDIMENTS OF THE YANGTZE ESTUARY AND ADJACENT AREAS AND ITS ECOLOGICAL RISK. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1140.2012.02011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
49
|
Driscoll CT, Chen CY, Hammerschmidt CR, Mason RP, Gilmour CC, Sunderland EM, Greenfield BK, Buckman KL, Lamborg CH. Nutrient supply and mercury dynamics in marine ecosystems: a conceptual model. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 119:118-31. [PMID: 22749872 PMCID: PMC3646528 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Revised: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest and concern over the impacts of mercury (Hg) inputs to marine ecosystems. One of the challenges in assessing these effects is that the cycling and trophic transfer of Hg are strongly linked to other contaminants and disturbances. In addition to Hg, a major problem facing coastal waters is the impacts of elevated nutrient, particularly nitrogen (N), inputs. Increases in nutrient loading alter coastal ecosystems in ways that should change the transport, transformations and fate of Hg, including increases in fixation of organic carbon and deposition to sediments, decreases in the redox status of sediments and changes in fish habitat. In this paper we present a conceptual model which suggests that increases in loading of reactive N to marine ecosystems might alter Hg dynamics, decreasing bioavailabilty and trophic transfer. This conceptual model is most applicable to coastal waters, but may also be relevant to the pelagic ocean. We present information from case studies that both support and challenge this conceptual model, including marine observations across a nutrient gradient; results of a nutrient-trophic transfer Hg model for pelagic and coastal ecosystems; observations of Hg species, and nutrients from coastal sediments in the northeastern U.S.; and an analysis of fish Hg concentrations in estuaries under different nutrient loadings. These case studies suggest that changes in nutrient loading can impact Hg dynamics in coastal and open ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately none of the case studies is comprehensive; each only addresses a portion of the conceptual model and has limitations. Nevertheless, our conceptual model has important management implications. Many estuaries near developed areas are impaired due to elevated nutrient inputs. Widespread efforts are underway to control N loading and restore coastal ecosystem function. An unintended consequence of nutrient control measures could be to exacerbate problems associated with Hg contamination. Additional focused research and monitoring are needed to critically examine the link between nutrient supply and Hg contamination of marine waters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles T. Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA, 315-443-3434 (phone), 315-443-1243 (fax)
| | - Celia Y. Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, HB 6044, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Chad R. Hammerschmidt
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Robert P. Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Cynthia C. Gilmour
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, PO Box 28, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | - Elsie M. Sunderland
- Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ben K. Greenfield
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Kate L. Buckman
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 7770 Pardee Lane, Oakland, CA 94610, USA
| | - Carl H. Lamborg
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Luengen AC, Fisher NS, Bergamaschi BA. Dissolved organic matter reduces algal accumulation of methylmercury. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2012; 31:1712-9. [PMID: 22605491 DOI: 10.1002/etc.1885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2011] [Revised: 01/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/06/2012] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) significantly decreased accumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) by the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana in laboratory experiments. Live diatom cells accumulated two to four times more MeHg than dead cells, indicating that accumulation may be partially an energy-requiring process. Methylmercury enrichment in diatoms relative to ambient water was measured by a volume concentration factor (VCF). Without added DOM, the maximum VCF was 32 × 10(4) , and the average VCF (from 10 to 72 h) over all experiments was 12.6 × 10(4) . At very low (1.5 mg/L) added DOM, VCFs dropped by approximately half. At very high (20 mg/L) added DOM, VCFs dropped 10-fold. Presumably, MeHg was bound to a variety of reduced sulfur sites on the DOM, making it unavailable for uptake. Diatoms accumulated significantly more MeHg when exposed to transphilic DOM extracts than hydrophobic ones. However, algal lysate, a labile type of DOM created by resuspending a marine diatom in freshwater, behaved similarly to a refractory DOM isolate from San Francisco Bay. Addition of 67 µM L-cysteine resulted in the largest drop in VCFs, to 0.28 × 10(4) . Although the DOM composition influenced the availability of MeHg to some extent, total DOM concentration was the most important factor in determining algal bioaccumulation of MeHg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Allison C Luengen
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|