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Weir EM, Kidd KA, Hamilton BM, Wu J, Servos MR, Bartlett AJ, Tetreault GR, Gillis PL. Microparticles in Wild and Caged Biota, Sediments, and Water Relative to Large Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Discharges. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024. [PMID: 38450757 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Anthropogenically modified microparticles including microplastics are present in municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents; however, it is unclear whether biotic exposures are elevated downstream of these outfalls. In the fall of 2019, the present study examined whether microparticle levels in resident fish, environmental samples, and caged organisms were elevated near the Waterloo and Kitchener WWTP outfalls along the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Wild rainbow darters (Etheostoma caeruleum) were collected from a total of 10 sites upstream and downstream of both WWTPs, along with surface water and sediment samples to assess spatial patterns over an approximately 70-km river stretch. Amphipods (Hyalella azteca), fluted-shell mussels (Lasmigona costata), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were also caged upstream and downstream of one WWTP for 14 or 28 days. Whole amphipods, fish digestive tracts, and mussel tissues (hemolymph, digestive glands, gills) were digested with potassium hydroxide, whereas environmental samples were processed using filtration and density separation. Visual identification, measurement, and chemical confirmation (subset only) of microparticles were completed. Elevated abiotic microparticles were found at several upstream reference sites as well as at one or both wastewater-impacted sites. Microparticles in amphipods, all mussel tissues, and wild fish did not show patterns indicative of increased exposures downstream of effluent discharges. In contrast, elevated microparticle counts were found in trout caged directly downstream of the outfall. Across all samples, cellulose fibers (mainly blue and clear colors) were the most common. Overall, results suggest little influence of WWTP effluents on microparticles in biota but rather a ubiquitous presence across most sites that indicates the importance of other point and nonpoint sources to this system. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-15. © 2024 His Majesty the King in Right of Canada and The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellie M Weir
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bonnie M Hamilton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jiabao Wu
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark R Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrienne J Bartlett
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gerald R Tetreault
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patricia L Gillis
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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2
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Kidd KA, Backhaus T, Brodin T, Inostroza PA, McCallum ES. Environmental Risks of Pharmaceutical Mixtures in Aquatic Ecosystems: Reflections on a Decade of Research. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024; 43:549-558. [PMID: 37530415 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) occur as variable mixtures in surface waters receiving discharges of human and animal wastes. A key question identified a decade ago is how to assess the effects of long-term exposures of these PPCP mixtures on nontarget organisms. We review the recent progress made on assessing the aquatic ecotoxicity of PPCP mixtures-with a focus on active pharmaceutical ingredients-and the challenges and research needs that remain. New knowledge has arisen from the use of whole-mixture testing combined with component-based approaches, and these studies show that mixtures often result in responses that meet the concentration addition model. However, such studies have mainly been done on individual species over shorter time periods, and longer-term, multispecies assessments remain limited. The recent use of targeted and nontargeted gene analyses has improved our understanding of the diverse pathways that are impacted, and there are promising new "read-across" methods that use mammalian data to predict toxicity in wildlife. Risk assessments remain challenging given the paucity of ecotoxicological and exposure data on PPCP mixtures. As such, the assessment of PPCP mixtures in aquatic environments should remain a priority given the potential for additive-as well as nontarget-effects in nontarget organisms. In addition, we need to improve our understanding of which species, life stages, and relevant endpoints are most sensitive to which types of PPCP mixtures and to expand our knowledge of environmental PPCP levels in regions of the globe that have been poorly studied to date. We recommend an increased use of new approach methodologies, in particular "omics," to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanics of mixture effects. Finally, we call for systematic research on the role of PPCP mixtures in the development of antimicrobial resistance. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:549-558. © 2023 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Thomas Backhaus
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Pedro A Inostroza
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Erin S McCallum
- Department of Wildlife, Fish & Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
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3
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Sidhu HK, Kidd KA, Emilson EJS, Stastny M, Venier L, Kielstra BW, McCarter CPR. Increasing spruce budworm defoliation increases catchment discharge in conifer forests. Sci Total Environ 2024; 912:168561. [PMID: 37981128 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Forest insect outbreaks cause significant reductions in the forest canopy through defoliation and tree mortality that modify the storage and flow of water, potentially altering catchment runoff and stream discharge patterns. Despite a growing understanding of the impacts of insect outbreaks on the hydrology of broadleaf forests, little is known about these impacts to catchment hydrology in northern conifer-dominated forests. We measured the effects of cumulative defoliation by spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) on stream discharge and runoff in 12 experimental catchments (6.33-9.85 km2) across the central Gaspé Peninsula in eastern Québec, Canada over a three-year period (2019-2021). Six catchments were aerially treated with BtK (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki) insecticide to suppress the outbreak and six catchments were left untreated, leading to a defoliation gradient across the study sites. Stage-discharge relationships were established between June and October from 2019 to 2021. Stream volumetric discharge (r = 0.71, p < 0.01, t(34) = 5.85), runoff (r = 0.55, p < 0.01, t(34) = 3.81) and runoff ratios (r = 0.67, p < 0.01, t(33) = 5.19) were all strongly positively correlated with cumulative defoliation intensity, likely by reducing available water storage in the catchment and therefore enhancing runoff generation. Seasonally, volumetric discharge, runoff, and runoff ratios were more strongly correlated with defoliation in the summer than autumn months, likely because available catchment storage was more limited following the freshet. Overall, we found that insect defoliation impacts forested catchment hydrology similar to other landscape disturbances, and such consequences should be considered in forest management and the control of forest insect outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- H K Sidhu
- School of Earth, Environment, and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - K A Kidd
- School of Earth, Environment, and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - E J S Emilson
- Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Stastny
- Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - L Venier
- Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - B W Kielstra
- Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - C P R McCarter
- School of Earth, Environment, and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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4
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Guerin AJ, Kidd KA, Maltais MJ, Mercer A, Hunt HL. Spatial patterns of sediment contamination and their influence on benthic infaunal communities in a highly tidal and industrial estuary in Atlantic Canada. Mar Pollut Bull 2024; 198:115872. [PMID: 38096692 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Sediment contamination can be elevated in ports, harbours, and estuaries with legacies of exploitation, negatively impacting infaunal invertebrate communities. Saint John Harbour (45.25° N, 66.05° W), New Brunswick, Canada, is an active harbour with strong tides and a long history of human activity. To examine spatial patterns of sediment contamination, samples were collected between 2011 and 2021 from subtidal sites near potential contaminant sources. Invertebrate data from the same samples were used to investigate potential effects on biological communities. Contaminant concentrations in the inner parts of the harbour were elevated compared to reference sites, but generally did not reach levels comparable to other highly contaminated harbours in the region. Effects on invertebrates were detectable, particularly at sites with higher contamination, although physical factors (depth, sediment grain size) were more important. Dynamic tidal conditions in the harbour may reduce the accumulation of contaminants in subtidal sediments and their impacts on infaunal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Guerin
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | - Marie-Josée Maltais
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada
| | - Angella Mercer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada
| | - Heather L Hunt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada
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Velichka J, Kidd KA, Munkittrick K, Shanmuganathan M, Britz-McKibbin P, Curry RA. Elements and omega-3 fatty acids in fishes along a large, dammed river. Environ Pollut 2023; 336:122375. [PMID: 37586688 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Damming of a river can trap and elevate levels of sediment-bound elements and alter food web dynamics in created reservoirs. It follows that dams may alter how elements and other nutrients, like the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are accumulated in fish and thus the chemical composition of species above and below this barrier to migration. This study examined the spatial and species differences in contaminants and nutrients in fish from the Wolastoq | Saint John River (New Brunswick, Canada) in association with a large hydroelectric dam (Mactaquac Generating Station; MQGS), a river which supports both recreational fisheries and subsistence fishing by Indigenous communities. In 2020 and 2021, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, American Eel, and Striped Bass were collected from locations upstream (reservoir and river) and downstream of the MQGS and analyzed for mercury (Hg) and 30 other trace elements, n-3 FAs, δ15N, and δ13C. Fish from the reservoir were highest in the beneficial elements P, S, and K, while fish from upstream of the reservoir had lower levels of toxic elements, including Hg. The dam appeared to alter food web dynamics, as fish from the reservoir and immediately downstream of the dam had higher δ15N and reservoir fish were depleted in δ13C. DHA and Hg were positively corelated with δ15N, and EPA in Smallmouth Bass was higher in sites where fish had higher δ13C. Overall, this study suggests that the dam altered food web dynamics and the uptake of contaminants and nutrients by fish, and that location and species are important factors when examining the risks and benefits of consuming wild fish from a system impacted by a large dam.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenni Velichka
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada; Canadian Rivers Institute Biology Department, And Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada.
| | - Kelly Munkittrick
- Canadian Rivers Institute Biology Department, And Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 3535 Research Rd NW, Calgary, New Brunswick, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Meera Shanmuganathan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Philip Britz-McKibbin
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - R Allen Curry
- Canadian Rivers Institute Biology Department, And Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
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Guerin AJ, Kidd KA, Maltais MJ, Mercer A, Hunt HL. Temporal and Spatial Trends in Benthic Infauna and Potential Drivers, in a Highly Tidal Estuary in Atlantic Canada. Estuaries Coast 2023; 46:1612-1631. [PMID: 37520332 PMCID: PMC10371968 DOI: 10.1007/s12237-023-01222-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Infaunal invertebrate communities of coastal marine sediments are often impacted by human activities, particularly in harbours and estuaries. However, while many studies have attempted to identify the key factors affecting benthic infauna, few have done so for highly energetic tidal estuaries. Samples were collected over a decade (2011-2020) from a series of reference sites in Saint John Harbour (45.25° N, 66.05° W), a highly tidal estuary in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. These data were used to examine spatial and temporal trends in infaunal invertebrate communities and sediment properties and to determine the extent to which the biological patterns were driven by measured physical and chemical variables. There were substantial differences among sites in infaunal invertebrate abundance (median ranging from 688 to 13,700 individuals per square meter), infaunal species richness (median ranging from 8 to 22), and Shannon diversity (median ranging from 1.26 to 2.34); multivariate analysis also revealed variation in species composition among sites. Sediment contaminant concentrations also varied among sites, but differences tended to be smaller (e.g. median chromium concentrations ranging from 21.6 to 27.6 mg/kg). Sample contaminant concentrations were all below probable effect levels, and almost all below threshold effect levels (Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines), but relationships with biological data were still detectable. However, physical variables (depth, sediment characteristics) were better predictors of biological variables and community composition. These results confirm the importance of physical factors in shaping infaunal communities in soft-sediment habitats in tidally influenced coastal waters. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12237-023-01222-w.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen A. Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
| | - Marie-Josée Maltais
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB Canada
| | - Angella Mercer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB Canada
| | - Heather L. Hunt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB Canada
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7
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Roldán-Wong NT, Ceballos-Vázquez BP, Yee-Duarte JA, Camacho-Mondragón MA, Kidd KA, Shumilin E, Arellano-Martínez M. Human health risk assessment of metals and arsenic via consumption of commercial bivalves in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:51692-51710. [PMID: 36811782 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25841-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Although various studies have reported the bioaccumulation of metals in bivalves of commercial interest from the Gulf of California (GC), the risk associated with their consumption remains poorly understood. In this study, our own and bibliographic concentrations of 14 elements in 16 species of bivalves from 23 locations were used to investigate (1) the species-specific and regional accumulation of metals and arsenic in bivalves, (2) the human health risks by age and sex, and (3) the maximum allowable consumption rates (CRlim). The assessments were done according to the US Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. The results indicate that the bioaccumulation of elements varies markedly between groups (oysters > mussels > clams) and localities (higher on Sinaloa due to intense anthropogenic activities). However, consuming bivalves from the GC remains safe for human health. To prevent health effects for residents or consumers on the GC, we recommend (1) following the CRlim proposed herein; (2) monitoring levels of Cd, Pb, and As (inorganic) in bivalves, as the elements of top concern, mainly when are consumed by children; (3) calculating CRlim for more species and locations, including at least: As, Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn; and (4) determine the regional consumption rates of bivalves.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bertha Patricia Ceballos-Vázquez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita. C.P. 23096, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Josué Alonso Yee-Duarte
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias Marinas y Costeras, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California Sur, Carretera Al Sur KM 5.5, C.P. 23080, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Marian Alejandra Camacho-Mondragón
- Asociación de Científicos del Mar de Baja California Sur, S. de R.L. de C.V. Calle Sin Nombre Entre Miguel Alemán y Callejón Dos, Col. El Centenario. C.P. 23205, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Evgueni Shumilin
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita. C.P. 23096, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
| | - Marcial Arellano-Martínez
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional S/N Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita. C.P. 23096, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
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Thera JC, Kidd KA, Stewart AR, Bertolo RF, O'Driscoll NJ. Using tissue cysteine to predict the trophic transfer of methylmercury and selenium in lake food webs. Environ Pollut 2022; 311:119936. [PMID: 35964789 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The biomagnification of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) and selenium (Se) through aquatic food webs using nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) varies among ecosystems but underlying mechanisms are yet unexplained. Given the strong links between MeHg and thiol-containing amino acids and proteins containing selenocysteine, our hypothesis was that cysteine content is a better predictor of MeHg and Se transfer through lake food webs than δ15N. Food web samples were collected from six lakes in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada, and the regression slopes of log MeHg or Se versus protein-bound cysteine or bulk δ15N were compared. Across all six lakes, MeHg varied by a factor of 10 among taxa and was significantly and positively related to both cysteine (R2 = 0.65-0.80, p < 0.001) and δ15N (R2 = 0.88-0.94, p < 0.001), with no among-system differences in these slopes. In contrast, total Se concentrations varied by less than a factor of 2 among taxa in four lakes and were significantly related to cysteine in only two food webs (R2 = 0.20 & 0.37, p = 0.014 & < 0.001); however, δ15N was not a predictor of Se in any lake (p = 0.052-0.777). Overall, these novel results indicate that cysteine content predicts MeHg, and sometimes Se, across trophic levels, providing a potential mechanism for among-system differences in their biomagnification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Thera
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada; Department of Biology & School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
| | | | - Robert F Bertolo
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
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Perrotta BG, Kidd KA, Walters DM. PCB exposure is associated with reduction of endosymbionts in riparian spider microbiomes. Sci Total Environ 2022; 842:156726. [PMID: 35716742 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microbial communities, including endosymbionts, play diverse and critical roles in host biology and reproduction, but contaminant exposure may cause an imbalance in the microbiome composition with subsequent impacts on host health. Here, we examined whether there was a significant alteration of the microbiome community within two taxa of riparian spiders (Tetragnathidae and Araneidae) from a site with historical polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in southern Ontario, Canada. Riparian spiders specialize in the predation of adult aquatic insects and, as such, their contaminant levels closely track those of nearby aquatic ecosystems. DNA from whole spiders from sites with either low or high PCB contamination was extracted, and spider microbiota profiled by partial 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The most prevalent shift in microbial communities we observed was a large reduction in endosymbionts in spiders at the high PCB site. The abundance of endosymbionts at the high PCB site was 63 % and 98 % lower for tetragnathids and araneids, respectively, than at the low PCB site. Overall, this has potential implications for spider reproductive success and food webs, as riparian spiders are critical gatekeepers of energy and material fluxes at the land-water interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G Perrotta
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Contractor, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - David M Walters
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, USA
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10
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Johnston TA, Lescord GL, Quesnel M, Savage PL, Gunn JM, Kidd KA. Age, body size, growth and dietary habits: What are the key factors driving individual variability in mercury of lacustrine fishes in northern temperate lakes? Environ Res 2022; 213:113740. [PMID: 35750129 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Fish total mercury concentration ([THg]) has been linked to various fish attributes, but the relative importance of these attributes in accounting for among-individual variation in [THg] has not been thoroughly assessed. We compared the contributions of ontogeny (age, length), growth (growth rate, body condition), and food web position (δ13C, δ15N) to among-individual variability in [THg] within populations of seven common fishes from 141 north temperate lakes. Ontogenetic factors accounted for most variation in [THg]; age was a stronger and less variable predictor than length for most species. Adding both indices of growth and food web position to these models increased explained variation (R2) in [THg] by 6-25% among species. Fish [THg] at age increased with growth rate, while fish [THg] at length decreased with growth rate, and the effect of body condition was consistently negative. Trophic elevation (inferred from δ15N) was a stronger predictor than primary production source (inferred from δ13C) for piscivores but not benthivores. Fish [THg] increased with δ15N in all species but showed a more variable relationship with δ13C. Among-individual variation in [THg] is primarily related to age or size in most temperate freshwater fishes, and effects of growth rate and food web position need to be considered in the context of these ontogenetic drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Johnston
- Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
| | - Gretchen L Lescord
- Biology Department, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada; Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - John M Gunn
- Biology Department, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Negrazis L, Kidd KA, Erdozain M, Emilson EJS, Mitchell CPJ, Gray MA. Effects of forest management on mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification along the river continuum. Environ Pollut 2022; 310:119810. [PMID: 35940481 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Forest management can alter the mobilization of mercury (Hg) into headwater streams and its conversion to methylmercury (MeHg), the form that bioaccumulates in aquatic biota and biomagnifies through food webs. As headwater streams are important sources of organic materials and nutrients to larger systems, this connectivity may also increase MeHg in downstream biota through direct or indirect effects of forestry on water quality or food web structure. In this study, we collected water, seston, food sources (biofilm, leaves, organic matter), five macroinvertebrate taxa and fish (slimy sculpin; Cottus cognata) at 6 sites representing different stream orders (1-5) within three river basins with different total disturbances from forestry (both harvesting and silviculture). Methylmercury levels were highest in water and some food sources from the basin with moderate disturbance (greater clearcutting but less silviculture). Water, leaves, stoneflies and fish increased in MeHg or total Hg along the river continuum in the least disturbed basin, and there were some dissipative effects of forest management on these spatial patterns. Trophic level (δ15N) was a significant predictor of MeHg (and total Hg in fish) within food webs across all 18 sites, and biomagnification slopes were significantly lower in the basin with moderate total disturbance but not different in the other two basins. The elevated MeHg in lower trophic levels but its reduced trophic transfer in the basin with moderate disturbance was likely due to greater inputs of sediments and of dissolved organic carbon that is more humic, as these factors are known to both increase transport of Hg to streams and its uptake in primary producers but to also decrease MeHg bioaccumulation in consumers. Overall, these results suggest that the type of disturbance from forestry affects MeHg bioaccumulation and trophic transfer in stream food webs and some longitudinal patterns along a river continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Negrazis
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Maitane Erdozain
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Erik J S Emilson
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Carl P J Mitchell
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 28 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
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12
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Millar EN, Kidd KA, Surette MG, Bennett CJ, Salerno J, Gillis PL. Effects of municipal wastewater effluents on the digestive gland microbiome of wild freshwater mussels (Lasmigona costata). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2022; 241:113774. [PMID: 35777341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Gut microbial communities are vital for maintaining host health, and are sensitive to diet, environment, and chemical exposures. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) release effluents containing antimicrobials, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants that may negatively affect the gut microbiome of downstream organisms. This study investigated changes in the diversity and composition of the digestive gland microbiome of flutedshell mussels (Lasmigona costata) from upstream and downstream of two large (service >100,000) WWTPs. Mussel digestive gland microbiome was analyzed following the extraction, PCR amplification, and sequencing of bacterial DNA using the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16 S rRNA gene. Bacterial alpha diversity decreased at sites downstream of the second WWTP and these sites were dissimilar in beta diversity from sites upstream and downstream of the first upstream WWTP. The microbiomes of mussels collected downstream of the first WWTP had increased relative abundances of Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, with a decrease in Cyanobacteria, compared to upstream mussels. Meanwhile, those collected downstream of the second WWTP increased in Proteobacteria and decreased in Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Tenericutes. Increased Proteobacteria has been linked to adverse effects in mammals, but their functions in mussels is currently unknown. Finally, effluent-derived bacteria were found in the microbiome of mussels downstream of both WWTPs but not in those from upstream. Overall, results show that the digestive gland microbiome of mussels collected upstream and downstream of WWTPs differed, which has implications for altered host health and the transport of WWTP-derived bacteria through aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N Millar
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Michael G Surette
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - C James Bennett
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph Salerno
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Patricia L Gillis
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Xu Z, Wang Y, Wu F, Feng C, Cheng Y, Dong Z, Kidd KA, Brooks BW, Leung KMY. Sturgeons Are Biodiversity Priorities Needing Special Protection from Chemicals and Waste. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:9847-9850. [PMID: 35772017 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zihan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
- College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ying Wang
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Chenglian Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Yinghao Cheng
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhaomin Dong
- School of Space and Environment, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Bryan W Brooks
- Department of Environmental Science, Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76798, United States
- Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Zátiší 728/II, CZ-389 25, Vodňany, Czech Republic
| | - Kenneth M Y Leung
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution and Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
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14
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Nielsen KM, DeCamp L, Birgisson M, Palace VP, Kidd KA, Parrott JL, McMaster ME, Alaee M, Blandford N, Ussery EJ. Comparative Effects of Embryonic Metformin Exposure on Wild and Laboratory-Spawned Fathead Minnow ( Pimephales promelas) Populations. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:10193-10203. [PMID: 35748754 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Metformin is routinely detected in aquatic ecosystems because of its widespread use as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Laboratory studies have shown that exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of metformin can alter metabolic pathways and impact the growth of early life stage (ELS) fish; however, it is unknown whether these effects occur in wild populations. Herein, we evaluate whether findings from laboratory studies are representative and describe the relative sensitivities of both populations. Duplicate exposures (0, 5, or 50 μg/L metformin) were conducted using wild- and lab-spawned fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) embryos. Apart from the water source, exposure conditions remained constant. Wild embryos were exposed to previously dosed lake water to account for changes in bioavailability, while reconstituted freshwater was used for the laboratory study. Developmental metformin exposure differentially impacted the growth and morphology of both cohorts, with energy dyshomeostasis and visual effects indicated. The fitness of wild-spawned larvae was impacted to a greater extent relative to lab-spawned fish. Moreover, baseline data reveal important morphological differences between wild- and lab-spawned ELS fatheads that may diminish representativeness of lab studies. Findings also confirm the bioavailability of metformin in naturally occurring systems and suggest current exposure scenarios may be sufficient to negatively impact developing fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Nielsen
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas 78373, USA
| | - Lily DeCamp
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas 78373, USA
| | - Mona Birgisson
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas 78373, USA
| | - Vince P Palace
- International Institute for Sustainable Development─Experimental Lakes Area, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 0T4, Canada
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology & School of Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Joanne L Parrott
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Mark E McMaster
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Mehran Alaee
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | | | - Erin J Ussery
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
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15
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Charbonneau KL, Kidd KA, Kreutzweiser DP, Sibley PK, Emilson EJS, O'Driscoll NJ, Gray MA. Are There Longitudinal Effects of Forest Harvesting on Carbon Quality and Flow and Methylmercury Bioaccumulation in Primary Consumers of Temperate Stream Networks? Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:1490-1507. [PMID: 35297511 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Forest harvesting affects dissolved organic matter (DOM) and aqueous mercury inputs as well as the food web structure in small-headwater streams, but how these upstream changes manifest downstream is unclear. To address this uncertainty, we examined DOM quality, autochthony in the caddisfly Hydropsychidae (using δ2 H), and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in stream water and the caddisfly along a longitudinal gradient (first- to fourth-order streams, subcatchments of 50-1900 ha) in paired partially harvested and reference catchments in central Ontario, Canada. Although measures of DOM quality (specific ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm 2.20-11.62) and autochthony in caddisflies (4.9%-34.0%) varied among sites, no upstream-to-downstream differences in these measures were observed between the paired harvested and reference catchments. In contrast, MeHg levels in stream water (0.06-0.35 ng/L) and caddisflies (29.7-192 µg/kg dry wt) were significantly higher in the upstream sites but not the farthest downstream sites in the harvested catchments compared to the reference catchments. This suggests that while current mitigation measures used by forestry companies did not prevent elevated MeHg in water and invertebrates at smaller spatial scales (subcatchments of 50-400 ha), these upstream impacts did not manifest at larger spatial scales (subcatchments of 800-1900 ha). The present study advances our understanding of spatially cumulative impacts within harvested catchments, which is critical to help forest managers maintain healthy forest streams and their provisioning of aquatic ecosystem services. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:1490-1507. © 2022 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli L Charbonneau
- Department of Biological Sciences & Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biological Sciences & Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - David P Kreutzweiser
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul K Sibley
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erik J S Emilson
- Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management & Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
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16
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Aristone C, Mehdi H, Hamilton J, Bowen KL, Currie WJS, Kidd KA, Balshine S. Impacts of wastewater treatment plants on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in summer and winter. Sci Total Environ 2022; 820:153224. [PMID: 35063520 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Treated effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a major source of contamination that can impact population size, community structure, and biodiversity of aquatic organisms. However, because the majority of field research occurs during warmer periods of the year, the impacts of wastewater effluent on aquatic communities during winter has largely been neglected. In this study, we assessed the impacts of wastewater effluent on aquatic benthic macroinvertebrate (benthos) communities along the effluent gradients of two WWTPs discharging into Hamilton Harbour, Canada, during summer and winter using artificial substrates incubated for 8 weeks. At the larger of the two plants, benthic macroinvertebrate abundance was higher and diversity was lower at sites downstream of the outfall compared to upstream sites in both seasons. Whereas at the smaller plant, the opposite was observed, abundance increased and diversity decreased with distance from the outfall in both seasons. While the impacts of wastewater on benthic communities were largely similar between seasons, we did detect several general seasonal trends - family diversity of macroinvertebrates was lower during winter at both WWTPs and total abundance was also lower during winter, but only significantly so at the smaller WWTP. Further, benthic macroinvertebrate community composition differed significantly along the effluent gradients, with sites closest and farthest from the outfall being the most dissimilar. Our contrasting results between the WWTPs demonstrate that plants, with different treatment capabilities and effluent-receiving environments (industrial/urban versus wetland), can dictate how wastewater effluent impacts benthic macroinvertebrate communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Aristone
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Hossein Mehdi
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Jonathan Hamilton
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Kelly L Bowen
- Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Warren J S Currie
- Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations University, 204 - 175 Longwood Road S., Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1, Canada.
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
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17
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Celis JE, Espejo W, de A Padilha J, Kidd KA, Gonçalves R, Dorneles P, Oliveira D, Malm O, Celis CA, Chiang G. Trophodynamics of trace elements in marine organisms from cold and remote regions of southern hemisphere. Environ Res 2022; 206:112421. [PMID: 34838759 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Trace metals bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and some of them biomagnify through food webs, posing a threat to the organisms or their human consumers. Although the trophodynamics of many trace metals is well known in the northern hemisphere, much less is known about metals in aquatic food webs from cold and remote coastal zones of the southern hemisphere. To fill this gap, we investigated the trophodynamics of Al, Co, Cr, Li, Mo, Ni, Sr, and V, which were measured in marine macroinvertebrates and fishes from inshore and offshore locations in each of the Chilean Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula area. In Patagonia, there was biodilution of these metals across the whole food web, while biomagnification of Li and Ni was significantly found across the lower food web at the offshore site. In Antarctica, significant biodilution of Al, Li, Ni, Mo, Sr and V occurred through the whole food web for the inshore site, but no tendency (biodilution or biomagnification) was found (p > 0.05) across the organisms at lower trophic levels for the offshore site. Our data suggest that the geographic location and species influences the trophodynamics of these trace elements and expand our understanding of metal fate in remote locations of the southern hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- José E Celis
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile
| | - Winfred Espejo
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile; GEMA, Center for Genomics, Ecology & Environment, Universidad Mayor, Camino La Pirámide, 5750, Huechuraba, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Janeide de A Padilha
- Radioisotope Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University, 1280, Main Street West Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Gonçalves
- Chemistry Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Paulo Dorneles
- Radioisotope Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Douglas Oliveira
- Chemistry Department, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Olaf Malm
- Radioisotope Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Christopher A Celis
- Comisión Chilena de Energía Nuclear, Nueva Bilbao, 12501, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Ecology & Biodiversity Department & Sustainability Research Centre, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
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18
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Parrott JL, Restivo VE, Kidd KA, Zhu J, Shires K, Clarence S, Khan H, Sullivan C, Pacepavicius G, Alaee M. Chronic Embryo-Larval Exposure of Fathead Minnows to the Pharmaceutical Drug Metformin: Survival, Growth, and Microbiome Responses. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:635-647. [PMID: 33788292 PMCID: PMC9291798 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Metformin is a glucose-lowering drug commonly found in municipal wastewater effluents (MWWEs). The present study investigated the chronic effects of metformin in early-life stages of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Endpoints assessed were growth, survival, and deformities. The larval gut microbiome was also examined using 16 S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing to determine microbial community composition and alpha and beta diversity. Eggs and larvae were exposed to metformin measured concentrations (mean [standard deviation]) of 0.020 (0.017) μg/L (for controls) and 3.44 (0.23), 33.6 (1.6), and 269 (11) μg/L in a daily static-renewal setup, with 20 embryos per beaker. The low and middle metformin exposure concentrations represent river and MWWE concentrations of metformin. To detect small changes in growth, we used 18 replicate beakers for controls and 9 replicates for each metformin treatment. Over the 21-d exposure (5 d as embryos and 16 d posthatch [dph]), metformin did not affect survival or growth of larval fish. Hatch success, time to hatch, deformities in hatched fry, and survival were similar across all treatments. Growth (wet wt, length, and condition factor) assessed at 9 and 16 dph was also unaffected by metformin. Assessment of the microbiome showed that the larvae microbiome was dominant in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, with small increases in Proteobacteria and decreases in Firmicutes with increasing exposure to metformin. No treatment effects were found for microbiome diversity measures. Control fish euthanized with the anesthetic tricaine methane sulfonate had decreased alpha diversity compared to those sampled by spinal severance. This experiment demonstrates that metformin at environmentally relevant concentrations (3.44 and 33.6 μg/L) and at 10 times MWWE concentrations (269 µg/L) does not adversely affect larval growth or gut microbiome in this ubiquitous freshwater fish species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:635-647. © 2021 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne L. Parrott
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | | | - Karen A. Kidd
- Department of BiologyMcMaster UniversityHamiltonOntarioCanada
- School of Earth, Environment and SocietyMcMaster UniversityHamiltonOntarioCanada
| | - Juliet Zhu
- Department of BiologyMcMaster UniversityHamiltonOntarioCanada
| | - Kallie Shires
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Stacey Clarence
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Hufsa Khan
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Cheryl Sullivan
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Grazina Pacepavicius
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Mehran Alaee
- Water Science and Technology DirectorateEnvironment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
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19
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Páez YC, Betancourt CMA, Sansón GG, Kidd KA, Curry RA, Aceves DK. Mercury concentrations and stable isotopes (δ 15N and δ 13C) in fish muscle indicate human impacts in tropical coastal lagoons. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 176:113454. [PMID: 35217423 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coastal lagoons are essential nursery habitats of many marine fishes, but they are often sites of intense human activities that impact water quality and potentially the fish using these habitats. We compared the variability in nutrient uptake (using δ15N and δ13C) and total mercury (THg) levels in juveniles and adults of three common species in two lagoons on the central Mexican coast of the Pacific Ocean during the wet and dry seasons. One of three species, Achirus mazatlanus had higher THg, δ15N, and δ13C levels in the lagoon with the greatest wastewater inputs (Barra de Navidad). Delta13C varied seasonally for all three species and THg was higher in the dry season for Lutjanus argentiventris and in males of A. mazatlanus. Our results demonstrate that mercury and stable isotopes can identify impacts of human activities on estuarine ichthyofauna and the importance of understanding seasonal and spatial variability of measures that could impact monitoring and predictions of impacts in these lagoons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yureidy Cabrera Páez
- Department of Studies for Sustainable Development of Coastal Zone and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of Guadalajara, Gómez-Farías 82, San Patricio-Melaque, Cihuatlán 48980, Mexico
| | - Consuelo María Aguilar Betancourt
- Department of Studies for Sustainable Development of Coastal Zone and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of Guadalajara, Gómez-Farías 82, San Patricio-Melaque, Cihuatlán 48980, Mexico
| | - Gaspar González Sansón
- Department of Studies for Sustainable Development of Coastal Zone and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of Guadalajara, Gómez-Farías 82, San Patricio-Melaque, Cihuatlán 48980, Mexico
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology & School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - R Allen Curry
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Biology, Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3, Canada.
| | - Daniel Kosonoy Aceves
- Department of Studies for Sustainable Development of Coastal Zone and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of Guadalajara, Gómez-Farías 82, San Patricio-Melaque, Cihuatlán 48980, Mexico
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20
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Millar EN, Surette MG, Kidd KA. Altered microbiomes of aquatic macroinvertebrates and riparian spiders downstream of municipal wastewater effluents. Sci Total Environ 2022; 809:151156. [PMID: 34687704 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) contain numerous contaminants, including antimicrobials, that could affect the composition of the beneficial bacterial communities associated with host aquatic organisms. There is also potential for these effects to transfer to terrestrial predators. Riparian spiders and five families of aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected from sites upstream and downstream of two WWTPs, Waterloo and Kitchener, discharging to the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Whole-body microbiota were analyzed following the extraction, PCR amplification, and sequencing of bacterial DNA using the V3-V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genetic barcode. Changes in the relative abundance of major microbiome phyla were observed in all downstream aquatic insects except Hydropsychidae caddisflies, which exhibited little site variation. Shannon alpha diversity differed among sites for Tetragnathidae spiders, Perlidae, Hydropsychidae, and Heptageniidae. Downstream of the Waterloo WWTP alpha diversity decreased in spiders, while downstream of the Kitchener WWTP this measure decreased in Perlidae and increased in spiders. Bray-Curtis beta diversity was dissimilar among sites in all invertebrate taxa; upstream sites differed from those downstream of Waterloo in spiders, Perlidae, and Hydropsychidae, and from those downstream of Kitchener in spiders, Perlidae, and Hydropsychidae. Finally, effluent-derived bacteria were found in the microbiomes of downstream spiders and aquatic insects and not upstream. Overall, results indicated that the microbiomes of invertebrates collected downstream differed from those collected upstream of WWTPs, which has implications for altered host health and transport of WWTP-derived bacteria through aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise N Millar
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael G Surette
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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21
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Loughery JR, Crowley E, Kidd KA, Martyniuk CJ. Behavioral and hypothalamic transcriptome analyses reveal sex-specific responses to phenanthrene exposure in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Comp Biochem Physiol Part D Genomics Proteomics 2021; 40:100905. [PMID: 34500131 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Environmental concentrations of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene can become elevated with petroleum processing, industrial activities, and urban run-off into waterbodies. However, mechanisms related to its neurotoxicity in fish are not fully described. Here, we exposed adult fathead minnows (FHM) to an average measured concentration of 202 μg phenanthrene/L over a 47-d period. Behaviors of male and female FHM were assessed using a novel aquarium test. Phenanthrene exposed females displayed equilibrium loss, while phenanthrene exposed males spent less time in the aquarium bottom, suggesting phenanthrene reduced anxiety-related behavior. To elucidate putative mechanisms underlying behaviors, we determined the hypothalamic transcriptome profile, a critical integration centre for the regulation of behaviors. There were 1075 hypothalamic transcripts differentially expressed between males and females (sex-specific) while 15 transcripts were phenanthrene-specific. Thus, sex of the animal was more pervasive at influencing the transcriptome compared to phenanthrene and this may partially explain the divergent behavioral responses between sexes. Transcripts altered by phenanthrene included palmitoylated 3 membrane protein, plectin 1,ATP synthase membrane subunit c, and mitochondrial ribosomal protein S11. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed less than 5% of the gene networks perturbed by phenanthrene were shared between males and females, thus phenanthrene altered the hypothalamic transcriptome in a sex-specific manner. Gene networks shared between both sexes and associated with phenanthrene-induced neurotoxicity included processes related to mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction, epinephrine/norepinephrine release, and glutamate biosynthesis pathways. Such energy deficits and neurotransmitter disruptions are hypothesized to lead to behavioral deficits in fish. This study provides mechanistic insights into phenanthrene-induced neurotoxicity and how it may relate to changes in fish behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Loughery
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - E Crowley
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
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22
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Garcia-Cegarra AM, Jung JL, Orrego R, Padilha JDA, Malm O, Ferreira-Braz B, Santelli RE, Pozo K, Pribylova P, Alvarado-Rybak M, Azat C, Kidd KA, Espejo W, Chiang G, Bahamonde P. Persistence, bioaccumulation and vertical transfer of pollutants in long-finned pilot whales stranded in Chilean Patagonia. Sci Total Environ 2021; 770:145259. [PMID: 33517007 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Long-finned pilot whales (LFPW) are cetaceans with strong social groups often involved in mass strandings worldwide. However, these beachings occur for reasons that are not fully understood. In 2016, 124 LFPW were stranded on the Chilean Patagonian islands, offering a unique opportunity to obtain crucial information on the ecology, biology, and genetics of this population. In addition, we examined whether persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and trace elements (TEs) were responsible for this mass mortality. Stable isotopes (δ13C & δ15N) and genetic analyses were used to reconstruct the trophic ecology, social structure, and kinship of LFPW and compared to POPs and TEs levels found in LFPW. Mitochondrial DNA analyses on 71 individuals identified four maternal lineages within the stranded LFPW. Of these animals, 32 individuals were analyzed for a suite of POPs, TEs, and lipid content in blubber. The highest levels were found for ΣDDXs (6 isomers) (542.46 ± 433.46 ng/g, lw) and for total Hg (2.79 ± 1.91 mg/kg, dw). However, concentrations found in these LFPW were lower than toxicity thresholds and those reported for LFPW stranded in other regions. Evidence was found of ΣDDX, Σ7PCBs, and Cd bioaccumulation and maternal transfer of POPs in mother/offspring groups. Nevertheless, no clear relationship between contaminant concentrations and LFPW mortality was established. Further research is still needed to assess LFPW populations including conservations status and exposure to chemicals in remote areas such as Patagonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Garcia-Cegarra
- Centro de Investigación de Fauna Marina y Avistamiento de Cetáceos (CIFAMAC), Mejillones, Chile; Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Antofagasta, Chile.
| | - Jean-Luc Jung
- Université de Brest, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle,CNRS, Sorbonne Université, ISYEB, F-29200 Brest, France
| | - Rodrigo Orrego
- Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory (AQUATOX), University of Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Janeide de A Padilha
- Radiositopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Olaf Malm
- Radiositopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bernardo Ferreira-Braz
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo E Santelli
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karla Pozo
- Recetox (Research Center for Toxic Compounds in the Environment), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Czech Republic; Faculty of Engineering and Technology, San Sebastián University, Concepción, Chile
| | - Petra Pribylova
- Recetox (Research Center for Toxic Compounds in the Environment), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Czech Republic
| | - Mario Alvarado-Rybak
- Sustainability Research Center & PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Life Science Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudio Azat
- Sustainability Research Center & PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Life Science Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology & School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Canada
| | - Winfred Espejo
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Sustainability Research Center & PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Life Science Faculty, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile; MaREA, Laboratorio de Ecologia y Salud Acuática, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
| | - Paulina Bahamonde
- Laboratory of Aquatic Environmental Research, Centro de Estudios Avanzados - HUB Ambiental UPLA, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile..
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23
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Erdozain M, Kidd KA, Emilson EJS, Capell SS, Luu T, Kreutzweiser DP, Gray MA. Forest management impacts on stream integrity at varying intensities and spatial scales: Do biological effects accumulate spatially? Sci Total Environ 2021; 763:144043. [PMID: 33383512 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The effects of forest harvesting on headwaters are quite well understood, yet our understanding of whether impacts accumulate or dissipate downstream is limited. To address this, we investigated whether several biotic indicators changed from smaller to larger downstream sites (n = 6) within three basins that had intensive, extensive or minimal forest management in New Brunswick (Canada). Biofilm biomass and grazer abundance significantly increased from upstream to downstream, whereas organic matter decomposition and the autotrophic index of biofilms decreased. However, some spatial trends differed among basins and indicated either cumulative (macroinvertebrate abundance, predator density, sculpin GSI) or dissipative (autotrophic index, cotton decomposition) effects downstream, potentially explained by sediment and nutrient dynamics related to harvesting. No such among-basin differences were observed for leaf decomposition, biofilm biomass, macroinvertebrate richness or sculpin condition. Additionally, results suggest that some of the same biological impacts of forestry observed in small headwaters also occurred in larger systems. Although the intensive and extensive basins had lower macroinvertebrate diversity, there were no other signs of biological impairment, suggesting that, overall, current best management practices protect biological integrity downstream despite abiotic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitane Erdozain
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada; Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Erik J S Emilson
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Scott S Capell
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Taylor Luu
- Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - David P Kreutzweiser
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 28 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
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24
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Mehdi H, Lau SC, Synyshyn C, Salena MG, McCallum ES, Muzzatti MN, Bowman JE, Mataya K, Bragg LM, Servos MR, Kidd KA, Scott GR, Balshine S. Municipal wastewater as an ecological trap: Effects on fish communities across seasons. Sci Total Environ 2021; 759:143430. [PMID: 33187712 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents are a ubiquitous source of contamination whose impacts on fish and other aquatic organisms span across multiple levels of biological organization. Despite this, few studies have addressed the impacts of WWTP effluents on fish communities, especially during the winter-a season seldom studied. Here, we assessed the impacts of wastewater on fish community compositions and various water quality parameters during the summer and winter along two effluent gradients in Hamilton Harbour, an International Joint Commission Area of Concern in Hamilton, Canada. We found that fish abundance, species richness, and species diversity were generally highest in sites closest to the WWTP outfalls, but only significantly so in the winter. Fish community compositions differed greatly along the effluent gradients, with sites closest and farthest from the outfalls being the most dissimilar. Furthermore, the concentrations of numerous contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the final treated effluent were highest during the winter. Water quality of sites closer to the outfalls was poorer than at sites farther away, especially during the winter. We also demonstrated that WWTPs can significantly alter the thermal profile of effluent-receiving environments, increasing temperature by as much as ~9 °C during the winter. Our results suggest that wastewater plumes may act as ecological traps in winter, whereby fish are attracted to the favourable temperatures near WWTPs and are thus exposed to higher concentrations of CECs. This study highlights the importance of winter research as a key predictor in further understanding the impacts of wastewater contamination in aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Mehdi
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Samantha C Lau
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Caitlyn Synyshyn
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Matthew G Salena
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Erin S McCallum
- Department of Wildlife Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agriculture Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Melissa N Muzzatti
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Jennifer E Bowman
- Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Road W, Burlington, Ontario L7T 4H4, Canada.
| | - Kyle Mataya
- Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Road W, Burlington, Ontario L7T 4H4, Canada.
| | - Leslie M Bragg
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Mark R Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations University, 204 - 175 Longwood Road S., Hamilton, ON L8P 0A1, Canada.
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
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25
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Erdozain M, Kidd KA, Emilson EJS, Capell SS, Kreutzweiser DP, Gray MA. Forest management impacts on stream integrity at varying intensities and spatial scales: Do abiotic effects accumulate spatially? Sci Total Environ 2021; 753:141968. [PMID: 32911166 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Though effects of forest harvesting on small streams are well documented, little is known about the cumulative effects in downstream systems. The hierarchical nature and longitudinal connectivity of river networks make them fundamentally cumulative, but lateral and vertical connectivity and instream processes can dissipate the downstream transport of water and materials. To elucidate such effects, we investigated how a suite of abiotic indicators changed from small streams to larger downstream sites (n = 6) within three basins ranging in forest management intensity (intensive, extensive, minimal) in New Brunswick (Canada) in the summer and fall of 2017 and 2018. Inorganic sediments, the inorganic/organic ratios and water temperatures significantly increased longitudinally, whereas nutrients and the fluorescence index of dissolved organic carbon (DOC; indication of terrestrial source) decreased. However, some longitudinal trends differed across basins and indicated downstream cumulative (inorganic sediments, the inorganic/organic ratios and to a lesser extent DOC concentration and humification) as well as dissipative (temperatures, nutrients, organic sediments) effects of forest management. Overall, we found that the effects previously reported for small streams with managed forests also occur at downstream sites and suggest investigating whether different management practices can be used within the extensive basin to reduce these cumulative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitane Erdozain
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada; Department of Biology, School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Erik J S Emilson
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Scott S Capell
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - David P Kreutzweiser
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen St. East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Canadian Rivers Institute, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, 28 Dineen Drive, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
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26
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Restivo VE, Kidd KA, Surette MG, Servos MR, Wilson JY. Rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) from a river impacted by municipal wastewater effluents have altered gut content microbiomes. Sci Total Environ 2021; 751:141724. [PMID: 32889463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent contains pharmaceuticals and personal care products known to affect fish health and reproduction. The microbiome is a community of bacteria integral in maintaining host health and is influenced by species, diet, and environment. This study investigated changes in the diversity and composition of the gut content microbiome of rainbow darter (Etheostoma caeruleum) at ten sites on the Grand River, Ontario, Canada. Gut contents were collected in fall 2018 from these fish at sites upstream and downstream of two municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs; Waterloo and Kitchener). 16S rRNA genes were sequenced to determine the composition and diversity (alpha and beta) of microbial taxa present. Gut content bacterial alpha diversity increased downstream of both WWTP outfalls; dominance of bacterial amplicon sequence variants decreased compared to upstream fish. Fish collected at different sites had distinct bacterial communities, with upstream samples dominant in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, and downstream samples increasingly abundant in Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria. In mammals, increased abundance of Proteobacteria is indicative of microbial dysbiosis and has been linked to altered health outcomes, but this is not yet known for fish. This research indicates that the fish gut content microbiome was altered downstream of WWTP effluent outfalls and could lead to negative health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Michael G Surette
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark R Servos
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joanna Y Wilson
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Chiang G, Kidd KA, Díaz-Jaramillo M, Espejo W, Bahamonde P, O'Driscoll NJ, Munkittrick KR. Methylmercury biomagnification in coastal aquatic food webs from western Patagonia and western Antarctic Peninsula. Chemosphere 2021; 262:128360. [PMID: 33182080 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant of concern because its organic and more toxic form, methylHg (MeHg), bioaccumulates and biomagnifies through aquatic food webs to levels that affect the health of fish and fish consumers, including humans. Although much is known about trophic transfer of MeHg in aquatic food webs at temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere, it is unclear whether its fate is similar in biota from coastal zones of the southeastern Pacific. To assess this gap, MeHg, total Hg and food web structure (using δ13C and δ15N) were measured in marine macroinvertebrates, fishes, birds, and mammals from Patagonian fjords and the Antarctic Peninsula. Trophic magnification slopes (TMS; log MeHg versus δ15N) for coastal food webs of Patagonia were high when compared with studies in the northern hemisphere, and significantly higher near freshwater inputs as compared to offshore sites (0.244 vs 0.192). Similarly, in Antarctica, the site closer to glacial inputs had a significantly higher TMS than the one in the Southern Shetland Islands (0.132 vs 0.073). Composition of the food web also had an influence, as the TMS increased when mammals and seabirds were excluded (0.132-0.221) at a coastal site. This study found that both the composition of the food web and the proximity to freshwater outflows are key factors influencing the TMS for MeHg in Patagonian and Antarctic food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Chiang
- CAPES, Center for Applied Ecology & Sustainability, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, 1280, Main Street W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Mauricio Díaz-Jaramillo
- IIMyC, Estresores Múltiples en El Ambiente (EMA), FCEyN UNMdP CONICET, Funes 3350 (B7602AYL), Mar Del Plata, 7600, Argentina
| | - Winfred Espejo
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinarian Sciences, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile
| | - Paulina Bahamonde
- Núcleo Milenio INVASAL, Concepción, Chile; HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA - Centro de Estudios Avanzado, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
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Kroetsch SA, Kidd KA, Monk WA, Culp JM, Compson ZG, Pavey SA. The effects of taxonomy, diet, and ecology on the microbiota of riverine macroinvertebrates. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:14000-14019. [PMID: 33391698 PMCID: PMC7771166 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Freshwater macroinvertebrates play key ecological roles in riverine food webs, such as the transfer of nutrients to consumers and decomposition of organic matter. Although local habitat quality drives macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, little is known about their microbiota. In most animals, the microbiota provides benefits, such as increasing the rate at which nutrients are metabolized, facilitating immune system development, and defending against pathogenic attack. Our objectives were to identify the bacteria within aquatic invertebrates and determine whether their composition varied with taxonomy, habitat, diet, and time of sample collection. In 2016 and 2017, we collected 264 aquatic invertebrates from the mainstem Saint John (Wolastoq) River in New Brunswick, Canada, representing 15 orders. We then amplified the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene within each individual, which revealed nearly 20,000 bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The microbiota across all aquatic invertebrates were dominated by Proteobacteria (69.25% of the total sequence reads), but they differed significantly in beta diversity, both among host invertebrate taxa (genus-, family-, and order-levels) and temporally. In contrast to previous work, we observed no microbiota differences among functional feeding groups or traditional feeding habits, and neither water velocity nor microhabitat type structured microbiota variability. Our findings suggest that host invertebrate taxonomy was the most important factor in modulating the composition of the microbiota, likely through a combination of vertical and horizontal bacterial transmission, and evolutionary processes. This is one of the most comprehensive studies of freshwater invertebrate microbiota to date, and it underscores the need for future studies of invertebrate microbiota evolution and linkages to environmental bacteria and physico-chemical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn A. Kroetsch
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of New BrunswickSaint JohnNew BrunswickCanada
- Canadian Rivers InstituteUniversity of New BrunswickSaint JohnNew BrunswickCanada
| | - Karen A. Kidd
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of New BrunswickSaint JohnNew BrunswickCanada
- Canadian Rivers InstituteUniversity of New BrunswickSaint JohnNew BrunswickCanada
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth SciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonOntarioCanada
| | - Wendy A. Monk
- Environment and Climate Change Canada @ Canadian Rivers InstituteFaculty of Forestry and Environmental ManagementUniversity of New BrunswickFrederictonNew BrunswickCanada
| | - Joseph M. Culp
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaDepartment of Biology and Geography and Environmental StudiesWilfrid Laurier UniversityWaterlooOntarioCanada
| | - Zacchaeus G. Compson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada @ Canadian Rivers InstituteUniversity of New BrunswickFrederictonNew BrunswickCanada
- Centre for Environmental Genomics Applications (CEGA)St. John’sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada
| | - Scott A. Pavey
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of New BrunswickSaint JohnNew BrunswickCanada
- Canadian Rivers InstituteUniversity of New BrunswickSaint JohnNew BrunswickCanada
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Yee-Duarte JA, Racotta IS, Camacho-Mondragón MA, Roldán-Wong NT, Carreño-León DP, Shumilin E, Kidd KA, Arellano-Martínez M. Contrasting reproductive health of female clams Megapitaria squalida from two nearby metal-polluted sites in the Gulf of California: Potential effects of copper, lead, and cobalt. Mar Pollut Bull 2020; 160:111583. [PMID: 32861942 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We studied the effects of chronic exposure to metals on energy reserves and reproduction in the clam Megapitaria squalida in two nearby populations exposed to different levels of pollution from mining operations in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Female M. squalida from San Lucas beach had good reproductive health status, whereas Santa Rosalia specimens consistently showed low energy reserves, massive oocyte resorption throughout the year, high frequencies of undifferentiated individuals, low proportions of ripe and spawning organisms, smaller and fewer oocytes per follicle, and significantly lower follicular areas. Ovarian levels of Co, Cu, Pb, Mn, and Zn were consistently higher in clams from Santa Rosalia. The poor reproductive health of clams inhabiting this site may be attributed to their long-term exposure to high Co, Cu, and Pb concentrations, as these have been shown to cause toxicity and reproductive impairments in other marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josué Alonso Yee-Duarte
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico; Instituto Nacional de Pesca y Acuacultura, Centro Regional de Investigación Acuícola y Pesquera La Paz, Carretera a Pichilingue Km 1, Col. Esterito, C.P. 23020 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
| | - Ilie S Racotta
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Mar Bermejo 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23000 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
| | - Marian Alejandra Camacho-Mondragón
- Instituto Nacional de Pesca y Acuacultura, Centro Regional de Investigación Acuícola y Pesquera La Paz, Carretera a Pichilingue Km 1, Col. Esterito, C.P. 23020 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
| | - Nefertiti Taydé Roldán-Wong
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
| | - Diana Patricia Carreño-León
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste, Mar Bermejo 195, Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23000 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
| | - Evgueni Shumilin
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Marcial Arellano-Martínez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico.
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Espejo W, Padilha JDA, Kidd KA, Dorneles P, Malm O, Chiang G, Celis JE. Concentration and Trophic Transfer of Copper, Selenium, and Zinc in Marine Species of the Chilean Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula Area. Biol Trace Elem Res 2020; 197:285-293. [PMID: 31828723 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-019-01992-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Patagonia and Antarctica are biodiverse regions in the Southern Hemisphere, but little is known about the levels of trace elements in marine organisms from these remote coastal ecosystems. In this study, selenium (Se), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N; relative trophic level) were measured in 36 marine species collected from two locations of the Chilean Patagonia and two locations of the Antarctic Peninsula area to determine whether biomagnification of these trace elements occurs in the food webs. Results indicated that Cu, Se, and Zn levels were slightly lower than those in similar species from elsewhere, and the highest metal levels were found in marine macroinvertebrates compared with fishes. There was evidence of Cu, Se, and Zn biomagnification but only within the lower-trophic-level organisms. When assessing whole food webs, levels of these elements typically decreased from macroinvertebrates to fishes or birds, suggesting lower risks of metal toxicity to higher-level consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winfred Espejo
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Fundación MERI, 7650720, Santiago, Chile
| | - Janeide de A Padilha
- Radioisotopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Geography & Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Paulo Dorneles
- Radioisotopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Olaf Malm
- Radioisotopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Fundación MERI, 7650720, Santiago, Chile
| | - José E Celis
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Av. Vicente Méndez 595, Chillán, Chile.
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31
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Kidd KA, Graves SD, McKee GI, Dyszy K, Podemski CL. Effects of Whole-Lake Additions of Ethynylestradiol on Leech Populations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020; 39:1608-1619. [PMID: 32692460 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Leeches are widespread, found in many freshwater habitats, and have diverse dietary habits. Despite their close phylogenetic relationships to Mollusca, a phylum with species affected by exogenous estrogens, it is unclear whether Hirudinea may also be impacted. A whole-lake experiment was done at the Experimental Lakes Area in Ontario, Canada, to assess whether 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) affected fishes and other species. Herein, we examined whether EE2 impacted leech community composition, species abundance, growth rates, gonad size, and cocoon production, when compared with reference lakes using a before-after-control-impact design. Each month baited leech traps were set overnight in the littoral zone at 10 sites around experimental Lake 260 and 2 reference lakes, and individuals were identified, weighed, and measured. Male and female organs of common species Haemopis marmorata were measured. Across all lakes, 9 species representing 3 families were collected. There were no apparent effects of EE2 on numbers, species richness, or community composition; however, condition in 1 of 5 species increased significantly after EE2 exposures. Total gonadosomatic index (GSI) and the GSI for all male or all female organs combined for H. marmorata were not affected by EE2 additions. However, some individual reproductive organs including relative sperm sac length (+), relative epididymis weight (-), relative vaginal bulb length (+), and relative ovisac + albumen gland length (+) changed after EE2 additions. Finally, whereas overall cocoon production was similar, it occurred earlier in the EE2-amended lake. In summary, few individual through community measures of leeches responded to low ng/L concentrations of EE2, suggesting that Hirudinea are less sensitive to this endocrine disruptor than other invertebrates and vertebrates. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1608-1619. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephanie D Graves
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Graydon I McKee
- Department of Biology and School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Cheryl L Podemski
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Erdozain M, Emilson CE, Kreutzweiser DP, Kidd KA, Mykytczuk N, Sibley PK. Forest management influences the effects of streamside wet areas on stream ecosystems. Ecol Appl 2020; 30:e02077. [PMID: 31971643 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Riparian zones contain areas of strong hydrological connectivity between land and stream, referred to as variable source areas (VSAs), and are considered biogeochemical control points. However, little is known about whether VSAs influence stream communities and whether this connectivity is affected by forest management. To address this, we used multiple biotic and abiotic indicators to (1) examine the influence of VSAs on riparian vegetation and stream ecosystems by comparing VSA and non-VSA reaches and (2) explore how forest management may affect the influence of VSAs on stream ecosystems. We detected some significant differences between VSA and non-VSA reaches in the riparian vegetation (greater understory and lower tree density) and stream ecosystem indicators (greater dissolved organic matter aromaticity, microbial biomass, peroxidase activity and collector-gatherer density, and lower dissolved organic carbon concentrations, algal biomass, and predatory macroinvertebrate density), which suggests that VSAs may create a more heterotrophic ecosystem locally. However, we show some evidence that forest management activities (specifically, road density) can alter the influence of VSAs and eliminate the differences observed at lower forest management intensities, and that the most hydrologically connected areas seem more sensitive to disturbance. Therefore, we suggest that the heterogeneity in hydrological connectivity along riparian zones should be considered when planning forest harvesting operations and road building (e.g., wider riparian buffers around VSAs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitane Erdozain
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Caroline E Emilson
- Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - David P Kreutzweiser
- Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Nadia Mykytczuk
- Vale Living with Lakes Centre, Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, Ontario, P3E 2C6, Canada
| | - Paul K Sibley
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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33
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Edge CB, Baker LF, Lanctôt CM, Melvin SD, Gahl MK, Kurban M, Navarro-Martín L, Kidd KA, Trudeau VL, Thompson DG, Mudge JF, Houlahan JE. Compensatory indirect effects of an herbicide on wetland communities. Sci Total Environ 2020; 718:137254. [PMID: 32087583 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The direct effects of large-scale disturbances are readily studied because their effects are often apparent and result in large changes to ecosystems. Direct effects can cascade through the ecosystem, leading to indirect effects that are often subtle and difficult to detect. Managing anthropogenic disturbances, such as chemical contamination, requires an understanding of both direct and indirect effects to predict, measure, and characterize the impact. Using a replicated whole-ecosystem experiment and path analyses (assesses the effects of a set of variables on a specified outcome, similar to multiple regression), we examined the direct and indirect effects of a glyphosate-based herbicide and nutrient enrichment on wetland communities. The latter did not impact any measured endpoints. The strongest drivers of macrophyte, benthic invertebrate, and amphibian assemblages were the ephemerality and the size of wetlands, factors which were not altered by herbicide applications. The herbicide had a direct negative effect on macrophyte cover, amphibian larval abundance, and the proportion of predatory benthic invertebrates. However, both amphibians and invertebrates were positively affected by the reduction in the macrophyte cover caused by the herbicide applications. The opposing directions of the direct and indirect effects lead to no net change in either group. The compensatory dynamics observed herein highlight the need for a better understanding of indirect effects pathways to determine whether common anthropogenic disturbances alter the ecological communities in small wetland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Edge
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre, New Brunswick, Canada.
| | - Leanne F Baker
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chantal M Lanctôt
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Steven D Melvin
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University Gold Coast, Australia
| | - Megan K Gahl
- College of Natural Sciences, Minerva Schools at KGI, CA, USA
| | | | - Laia Navarro-Martín
- Institute of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada; Biology Department, University of New Brunswick Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Vance L Trudeau
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dean G Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joseph F Mudge
- The Co-operators General Insurance Company, Business Intelligence, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeff E Houlahan
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
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34
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McMahon HM, Arciszewski TJ, Munkittrick KR, Kidd KA. Regional and Long-Term Analyses of Stable Isotopes of Fish and Invertebrates Show Evidence of the Closure of a Pulp Mill and the Influence of Additional Stressors. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020; 39:1207-1218. [PMID: 32113190 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A bleached kraft pulp mill discharging effluent to the Mattagami River in northern Ontario, Canada, closed after almost 90 yr of operation. During its operation, effluent from the mill influenced biota in the downstream areas. To assess shifts in the reliance of biota from mill-derived nutrients, the isotopic composition (δ13 C and δ15 N) of white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) muscle and whole mayflies (Hexagenia sp.) were compared before (1990s) and after the pulp mill's closure (2012-2014). To better understand other potential sources of spatial and temporal change, samples from 3 other tributaries in the basin with dams, ongoing pulp mill operations, sites receiving sewage, and at several reference sites were collected and compared. Irrespective of time period, biota collected at sites downstream of both dams and active pulp mills tended to have elevated δ13 C values, but variable changes in δ15 N (negligible in most cases) when compared with upstream samples. The isotopic composition of mayflies varied at reference sites over time, with decreasing values of δ13 C and δ15 N (mayflies only) with increasing depth, and there was evidence of lower δ13 C in fish after the pulp mill closure. Overall, these results suggest the importance of long-term, regional-scale measurements for documenting the effects of stressors on nutrient use by aquatic species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1207-1218. © 2020 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M McMahon
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Tim J Arciszewski
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Kelly R Munkittrick
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
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White CFH, Gray MA, Kidd KA, Duffy MS, Lento J, Monk WA. Prevalence and Intensity of Salmincola edwardsii in Brook Trout in Northwest New Brunswick, Canada. J Aquat Anim Health 2020; 32:11-20. [PMID: 31965614 DOI: 10.1002/aah.10091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Parasites can compromise the health and fitness of individual fish, and it is important to generate baseline information that can then be used to document changes in the abundance and distribution of potentially pathogenic parasites. The ectoparasitic copepod Salmincola edwardsii was assessed with respect to prevalence (percentage of infected fish per site), infection intensity (number of parasites per infected fish), and attachment location on Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis in northwest New Brunswick, Canada. Ten sample sites were assessed, with six sites on two streams in the Quisibis River basin and four sites on three streams in the Restigouche River basin. Parasite species identity was supported by 100% sequence identity with S. edwardsii in a variable region within 28S rDNA. The prevalence of fish infected per site ranged from 19.0% to 79.6%, with an overall prevalence of 48.5 ± 19.1% (mean ± SD) per site. Mean infection intensity was 1.5 ± 0.9 copepods/fish (range = 1-7), with parasites almost exclusively surrounding the dorsal fin and/or adipose fin (97.6%). There was no influence of trout age-class on parasite prevalence. Some fish presented with fin erosion at the site of parasite attachment (12.5%), and 6.2% also presented with hyperplastic skin lesions where no parasites were observed, that could be misinterpreted as secondary bacterial or fungal infections. Skin and fin damage were significantly more common when fish were infected with three or more individual parasites. The pathogenic potential of this parasite makes its presence noteworthy as a risk to salmonids that are both recreationally and ecologically important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carson F H White
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Michelle A Gray
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
- Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, L8S 4K1, Canada
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Michael S Duffy
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Jennifer Lento
- Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Wendy A Monk
- Environment and Climate Change Canada at Canadian Rivers Institute, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada
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Thera JC, Kidd KA, Bertolo RF, O'Driscoll NJ. Tissue content of thiol-containing amino acids predicts methylmercury in aquatic invertebrates. Sci Total Environ 2019; 688:567-573. [PMID: 31254822 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic invertebrates vary in methylmercury (MeHg) levels among systems which has been attributed, in part, to environmental conditions, but may also be linked to differences in their biochemical composition. As MeHg is known to bind to thiol-containing amino acids such as cysteine in proteins of fish, our objective was to determine if these amino acids explain MeHg variability among aquatic invertebrate taxa. Benthic macroinvertebrates from diverse functional feeding groups and bulk zooplankton were collected from six acidic lakes in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada, and analyzed for MeHg, cysteine (as cysteic acid), methionine (as methionine sulfone), and nitrogen (relative trophic level, δ15N) and carbon (carbon source, δ13C) isotopes. MeHg was significantly and positively related to cysteine or methionine in zooplankton, caddisfly and stonefly tissues (R2 from 0.24 to 0.57). In addition, methionine or cysteine in combination with δ15N and/or δ13C were better predictors of MeHg levels in stoneflies, mayflies, caddisflies and zooplankton among these lakes (R2adj = 0.25-0.91). Overall, these novel findings suggest that the variability in MeHg of aquatic invertebrates can be explained, in part, by their tissue levels of thiol-containing amino acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Thera
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB E2L 4L5, Canada; Department of Biology & School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Robert F Bertolo
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3X9, Canada.
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada.
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McCallum ES, Nikel KE, Mehdi H, Du SNN, Bowman JE, Midwood JD, Kidd KA, Scott GR, Balshine S. Municipal wastewater effluent affects fish communities: A multi-year study involving two wastewater treatment plants. Environ Pollut 2019; 252:1730-1741. [PMID: 31284215 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is a major stressor in receiving environments, relatively few studies have addressed how its discharge affects natural fish communities. Here, we assessed fish community composition over three years along a gradient of effluent exposure from two distinct WWTPs within an International Joint Commission Area of Concern on the Great Lakes (Hamilton Harbour, Canada). We found that fish communities changed with distance from both WWTPs, and were highly dissimilar between sites that were closest to and furthest from the wastewater outfall. Despite differences in the size and treatment technology of the WWTPs and receiving habitats downstream, we found that the sites nearest the outfalls had the highest fish abundances and contained a common set of signature fish species (i.e., round goby Neogobius melanostomus, green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus). Non-native and stress tolerant species were also more abundant near one of the studied WWTPs when compared to the reference site, and the number of young-of-the-year fish collected did not vary along the effluent exposure gradients. Overall, we show that fish are attracted to wastewater outfalls raising the possibility that these sites may act as an ecological trap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin S McCallum
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Kirsten E Nikel
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Hossein Mehdi
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sherry N N Du
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Jennifer E Bowman
- Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd W, Burlington, ON L7T 4H4, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Midwood
- Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada; Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations University, 204 - 175 Longwood Road S., Hamilton, ON, L8P 0A1, Canada
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
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Kurek J, MacKeigan PW, Veinot S, Mercer A, Kidd KA. Ecological Legacy of DDT Archived in Lake Sediments from Eastern Canada. Environ Sci Technol 2019; 53:7316-7325. [PMID: 31187621 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Historic forest management practices led to widespread aerial application of insecticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), to North American conifer forests during ∼1950-1970. Lake basins thus may provide an important archive of inputs and aquatic responses to these organochlorines. We use dated sediment cores from five study lakes in multiple watersheds in New Brunswick (NB), Canada, to provide a regional paleo-ecotoxicological perspective on this potential legacy stressor in remote lake ecosystems. Peak sedimentary levels of p, p'- and o, p'-DDT (ΣDDT) and breakdown products ΣDDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) and ΣDDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) generally occurred during the 1970s to 1980s. Sediments exceeded probable effect levels (PELs) by ∼450 times at the most impacted lake. Modern sediments in all study lakes still contained levels of DDT-related compounds that exceed PELs. For the first time, we show that aerial applications of DDT to eastern Canadian forests likely resulted in large shifts to primary consumers within several lake food webs, principally through lake-specific impacts on zooplankton community composition. Modern pelagic zooplankton communities are now much different compared to communities present before DDT use, suggesting that a regional organochlorine legacy may exist in the modern food webs of many remote NB lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Kurek
- Department of Geography and Environment , Mount Allison University , 144 Main Street , Sackville , New Brunswick E4L 1A7 , Canada
| | - Paul W MacKeigan
- Department of Geography and Environment , Mount Allison University , 144 Main Street , Sackville , New Brunswick E4L 1A7 , Canada
| | - Sarah Veinot
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biological Sciences , University of New Brunswick , 100 Tucker Park Road , Saint John , New Brunswick E2L 4L5 , Canada
| | - Angella Mercer
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biological Sciences , University of New Brunswick , 100 Tucker Park Road , Saint John , New Brunswick E2L 4L5 , Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Department of Biological Sciences , University of New Brunswick , 100 Tucker Park Road , Saint John , New Brunswick E2L 4L5 , Canada
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences , McMaster University , 1280 Main Street West , Hamilton , Ontario L8S 4K1 , Canada
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Kidd KA, Burkhard LP, Babut M, Borgå K, Muir DCG, Perceval O, Ruedel H, Woodburn K, Embry MR. Practical advice for selecting or determining trophic magnification factors for application under the European Union Water Framework Directive. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019; 15:266-277. [PMID: 30298984 PMCID: PMC6719707 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
European Union Directive 2013/39/EU, which amended and updated the Water Framework Directive (WFD; 2000/60/EC) and its daughter directive (2008/105/EC), sets Environmental Quality Standards for biota (EQSbiota ) for a number of bioaccumulative chemicals. These chemicals pose a threat to both aquatic wildlife and human health via the consumption of contaminated prey or the intake of contaminated food originating from the aquatic environment. EU member states will need to establish programs to monitor the concentration of 11 priority substances in biota and assess compliance against these new standards for the classification of surface water bodies. An EU-wide guidance effectively addresses the implementation of EQSbiota . Flexibility is allowed in the choice of target species used for monitoring to account for both diversity of habitats and aquatic community composition across Europe. According to that guidance, the consistency and comparability of monitoring data across member states should be enhanced by adjusting the data on biota contaminant concentrations to a standard trophic level by use of the appropriate trophic magnification factor (TMF), a metric of contaminant biomagnification through the food web. In this context, the selection of a TMF value for a given substance is a critical issue, because this field-derived measure of trophic magnification can show variability related to the characteristics of ecosystems, the biology and ecology of organisms, the experimental design, and the statistical methods used for TMF calculation. This paper provides general practical advice and guidance for the selection or determination of TMFs for reliable application within the context of the WFD (i.e., adjustment of monitoring data and EQS derivation). Based on a series of quality attributes for TMFs, a decision tree is presented to help end users select a reasonable and relevant TMF. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;15:266-277. © 2018 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lawrence P Burkhard
- Mid‐Continent Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects LaboratoryUS Environmental Protection AgencyDuluthMinnesota
| | - Marc Babut
- RIVERLY Research UnitNational Research Institute of Science and Technology for Environment and Agriculture (IRSTEA)Villeurbanne CedexFrance
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of BiosciencesUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Derek CG Muir
- Environment & Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | | | - Heinz Ruedel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME)SchmallenbergGermany
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Kopec AD, Kidd KA, Fisher NS, Bowen M, Francis C, Payne K, Bodaly RA. Spatial and temporal trends of mercury in the aquatic food web of the lower Penobscot River, Maine, USA, affected by a chlor-alkali plant. Sci Total Environ 2019; 649:770-791. [PMID: 30176487 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentrations in aquatic biota, including fish and shellfish, were measured over the period 2006-2012 in the lower Penobscot River and upper estuary (Maine, USA). The Penobscot is a system contaminated with Hg by a chlor-alkali plant that operated from 1967 to 2000, discharging 6-12 tons of mercury into the river. Mercury levels in aquatic biota were highest at sites downstream of the chlor-alkali plant and spatial trends were similar to those of sediments. Mean total Hg concentrations in fish muscle (adjusted for size or age) in the most affected areas were 521 (480, 566; 95% CI) ng/g ww in American eels, 321 (261,395) in mummichog, 121 (104, 140) in rainbow smelt, 155 (142,169) in tomcod, 55.2 (42.7,71.4) in winter flounder, and 328 (259,413) in American lobster tail and 522 (488,557) ng/g dw in blue mussel. Levels exceeded the 50 ng/g ww considered protective for piscivorous predators and were of concern for human health, with American eels and American lobster exceeding Maine's mercury action level of 200 ng/g ww. Calculations of trophic position (using nitrogen isotopes) suggested that the spatial patterns observed in total Hg concentrations were not due to changes in feeding habits of the species. Fish feeding in benthic food webs, as defined by stomach content and stable carbon isotope analyses, showed no change in Hg concentrations over time. In contrast, declining trends in Hg were found in two species dependent on pelagic food webs. The absence of declines in Hg concentrations in the benthically-based food webs, despite the fact that most Hg was discharged into the system >40 years ago, is consistent with the long recovery predicted from dated sediment cores and from similar studies elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Dianne Kopec
- Penobscot River Mercury Study, 479 Beechwood Ave., Old Town, ME 04468, USA.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W., Hamilton, Ontario L85 4K1, Canada.
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA.
| | - Marcia Bowen
- Normandeau Associates, Inc., 550 Forest Ave., Suite 201, Portland, ME 04101, USA
| | - Corey Francis
- Normandeau Associates, Inc., 550 Forest Ave., Suite 201, Portland, ME 04101, USA
| | - Kimberley Payne
- Normandeau Associates, Inc., 550 Forest Ave., Suite 201, Portland, ME 04101, USA
| | - R A Bodaly
- Penobscot River Mercury Study, 115 Oystercatcher Place, Salt Spring Island, B.C., V8K 2W5, Canada.
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Espejo W, Padilha JDA, Kidd KA, Dorneles PR, Barra R, Malm O, Chiang G, Celis JE. Trophic transfer of cadmium in marine food webs from Western Chilean Patagonia and Antarctica. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 137:246-251. [PMID: 30503432 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In aquatic environments, Cd contamination is a great concern because this non-essential metal presents risks both for wildlife and human health. Data about the concentration and transfer of Cd in Patagonian and Antarctic aquatic food webs are crucial for assessing the impacts of this element in pristine ecosystems. Consequently, the concentration of Cd was measured in thirty-two species collected in the 2014 austral summer from two locations of the Western Patagonia and two locations of the Antarctic Peninsula. The main objective of this work was to assess the relationship between Cd concentration and trophic level determined by δ15N. In the studied trophic positions, Cd showed a positive relationship between concentration and trophic level, which suggests biomagnification of this element in macroinvertebrates. However, there was a significant dilution when higher trophic organisms were considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winfred Espejo
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Fundación MERI, Santiago 7650720, Chile
| | - Janeide de A Padilha
- Radioisotopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute and Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Paulo R Dorneles
- Radioisotopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Barra
- Departament of Aquatic Systems, Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales and EULA-Chile Centre, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile
| | - Olaf Malm
- Radioisotopes Lab, Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Chiang
- Melimoyu Ecosystem Research Institute, Fundación MERI, Santiago 7650720, Chile
| | - José E Celis
- Department of Animal Science, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile.
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Roldán-Wong NT, Kidd KA, Ceballos-Vázquez BP, Arellano-Martínez M. Is There a Risk to Humans from Consuming Octopus Species from Sites with High Environmental Levels of Metals? Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2018; 101:796-802. [PMID: 30232511 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-018-2447-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Although octopuses are in high-demand globally and can bioaccumulate high concentrations of metals, the risk associated to its consumption is poorly understood. We compiled literature data from eight locations in Europe, North America and Northern Africa with different environmental levels of metals to evaluate: (1) the risk to human health through consumption of muscle tissues and digestive glands of Octopus hubbsorum, O. vulgaris and Eledone cirrhosa, and (2) the maximum allowable consumption rates (CRlim). The assessments were done according the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The results indicate the absence of health risk through consumption of muscle tissues, and high health risk through consumption of digestive glands (attributed to its high Cd levels), reflected in its 1ow CRlim values. In conclusion, even in contaminated sites the consumption of octopus muscle tissues is not an issue of concern, while the consumption of digestive glands should be more carefully monitored to avoid health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nefertiti T Roldán-Wong
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology & School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Bertha P Ceballos-Vázquez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico
| | - Marcial Arellano-Martínez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096, La Paz, BCS, Mexico.
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Reid AJ, Carlson AK, Creed IF, Eliason EJ, Gell PA, Johnson PTJ, Kidd KA, MacCormack TJ, Olden JD, Ormerod SJ, Smol JP, Taylor WW, Tockner K, Vermaire JC, Dudgeon D, Cooke SJ. Emerging threats and persistent conservation challenges for freshwater biodiversity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018; 94:849-873. [PMID: 30467930 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 672] [Impact Index Per Article: 112.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the 12 years since Dudgeon et al. (2006) reviewed major pressures on freshwater ecosystems, the biodiversity crisis in the world's lakes, reservoirs, rivers, streams and wetlands has deepened. While lakes, reservoirs and rivers cover only 2.3% of the Earth's surface, these ecosystems host at least 9.5% of the Earth's described animal species. Furthermore, using the World Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Index, freshwater population declines (83% between 1970 and 2014) continue to outpace contemporaneous declines in marine or terrestrial systems. The Anthropocene has brought multiple new and varied threats that disproportionately impact freshwater systems. We document 12 emerging threats to freshwater biodiversity that are either entirely new since 2006 or have since intensified: (i) changing climates; (ii) e-commerce and invasions; (iii) infectious diseases; (iv) harmful algal blooms; (v) expanding hydropower; (vi) emerging contaminants; (vii) engineered nanomaterials; (viii) microplastic pollution; (ix) light and noise; (x) freshwater salinisation; (xi) declining calcium; and (xii) cumulative stressors. Effects are evidenced for amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, microbes, plants, turtles and waterbirds, with potential for ecosystem-level changes through bottom-up and top-down processes. In our highly uncertain future, the net effects of these threats raise serious concerns for freshwater ecosystems. However, we also highlight opportunities for conservation gains as a result of novel management tools (e.g. environmental flows, environmental DNA) and specific conservation-oriented actions (e.g. dam removal, habitat protection policies, managed relocation of species) that have been met with varying levels of success. Moving forward, we advocate hybrid approaches that manage fresh waters as crucial ecosystems for human life support as well as essential hotspots of biodiversity and ecological function. Efforts to reverse global trends in freshwater degradation now depend on bridging an immense gap between the aspirations of conservation biologists and the accelerating rate of species endangerment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J Reid
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Andrew K Carlson
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A
| | - Irena F Creed
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Erika J Eliason
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, U.S.A
| | - Peter A Gell
- School of Life and Health Sciences, University Drive, Federation University Australia, Mount Helen, 3350, Australia
| | - Pieter T J Johnson
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, U.S.A
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Tyson J MacCormack
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mount Allison University, Sackville, E4L 1G8, Canada
| | - Julian D Olden
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-5020, U.S.A
| | - Steve J Ormerod
- Water Research Institute & School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, U.K
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - William W Taylor
- Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, U.S.A
| | - Klement Tockner
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, 12587, Germany
| | - Jesse C Vermaire
- Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - David Dudgeon
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Steven J Cooke
- Fish Ecology and Conservation Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Institute of Environmental Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
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Creed IF, Bergström AK, Trick CG, Grimm NB, Hessen DO, Karlsson J, Kidd KA, Kritzberg E, McKnight DM, Freeman EC, Senar OE, Andersson A, Ask J, Berggren M, Cherif M, Giesler R, Hotchkiss ER, Kortelainen P, Palta MM, Vrede T, Weyhenmeyer GA. Global change-driven effects on dissolved organic matter composition: Implications for food webs of northern lakes. Glob Chang Biol 2018; 24:3692-3714. [PMID: 29543363 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Northern ecosystems are experiencing some of the most dramatic impacts of global change on Earth. Rising temperatures, hydrological intensification, changes in atmospheric acid deposition and associated acidification recovery, and changes in vegetative cover are resulting in fundamental changes in terrestrial-aquatic biogeochemical linkages. The effects of global change are readily observed in alterations in the supply of dissolved organic matter (DOM)-the messenger between terrestrial and lake ecosystems-with potentially profound effects on the structure and function of lakes. Northern terrestrial ecosystems contain substantial stores of organic matter and filter or funnel DOM, affecting the timing and magnitude of DOM delivery to surface waters. This terrestrial DOM is processed in streams, rivers, and lakes, ultimately shifting its composition, stoichiometry, and bioavailability. Here, we explore the potential consequences of these global change-driven effects for lake food webs at northern latitudes. Notably, we provide evidence that increased allochthonous DOM supply to lakes is overwhelming increased autochthonous DOM supply that potentially results from earlier ice-out and a longer growing season. Furthermore, we assess the potential implications of this shift for the nutritional quality of autotrophs in terms of their stoichiometry, fatty acid composition, toxin production, and methylmercury concentration, and therefore, contaminant transfer through the food web. We conclude that global change in northern regions leads not only to reduced primary productivity but also to nutritionally poorer lake food webs, with discernible consequences for the trophic web to fish and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena F Creed
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Charles G Trick
- Interfaculty Program on Public Health & Department of Biology, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Nancy B Grimm
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Dag O Hessen
- Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jan Karlsson
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada
| | | | | | - Erika C Freeman
- Department of Geography, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Oscar E Senar
- Department of Geography, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Agneta Andersson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jenny Ask
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Martin Berggren
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mehdi Cherif
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Reiner Giesler
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Erin R Hotchkiss
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Monica M Palta
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Tobias Vrede
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gesa A Weyhenmeyer
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Reinhart BL, Kidd KA, Curry RA, O'Driscoll NJ, Pavey SA. Mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic biota along a salinity gradient in the Saint John River estuary. J Environ Sci (China) 2018; 68:41-54. [PMID: 29908743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2018.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Although estuaries are critical habitats for many aquatic species, the spatial trends of toxic methylmercury (MeHg) in biota from fresh to marine waters are poorly understood. Our objective was to determine if MeHg concentrations in biota changed along a salinity gradient in an estuary. Fourspine Stickleback (Apeltes quadracus), invertebrates (snails, amphipods, and chironomids), sediments, and water were collected from ten sites along the Saint John River estuary, New Brunswick, Canada in 2015 and 2016, with salinities ranging from 0.06 to 6.96. Total mercury (proxy for MeHg) was measured in whole fish and MeHg was measured in a subset of fish, pooled invertebrates, sediments, and water. Stable sulfur (δ34S), carbon (δ13C), and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values were measured to assess energy sources (S, C) and relative trophic level (N). There were increases in biotic δ13C and δ34S from fresh to more saline sites and these measures were correlated with salinity. Though aqueous MeHg was higher at the freshwater than more saline sites, only chironomid MeHg increased significantly with salinity. In the Saint John River estuary, there was little evidence that MeHg and its associated risks increased along a salinity gradient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany L Reinhart
- Department of Biology and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick Saint John, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L4L5, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biology and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick Saint John, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L4L5, Canada; Department of Biology and School of Geography & Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - R Allen Curry
- Department of Biology, Forestry and Environmental Management, and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B4A3, Canada
| | - Nelson J O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P2R6, Canada
| | - Scott A Pavey
- Department of Biology and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick Saint John, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L4L5, Canada
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Loughery JR, Kidd KA, Mercer A, Martyniuk CJ. Part B: Morphometric and transcriptomic responses to sub-chronic exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Aquat Toxicol 2018; 199:77-89. [PMID: 29621673 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Phenanthrene is a tricyclic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and environmental contaminant found in high concentrations around urban catchments and in the vicinity of oil extraction activities. Fish exposed to phenanthrene can exhibit altered reproductive hormone profiles and/or differences within gonadosomatic index and altered gamete proportions, but the mechanisms underlying these changes are not fully understood. In this study, we conducted a sub-chronic bioassay and measured transcriptional responses in the liver, the major tissue involved in generating lipids for oocyte growth. Adult male and female fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to an average measured concentration of 202 μg phenanthrene/L for a 7 week period. Condition factor was reduced in both males and females, while female fish also showed decreased gonadosomatic index relative to control females. In females exposed to phenanthrene, perinucleolar proportions were increased ∼1.9-fold relative to the control group whereas the proportions of vitellogenic oocytes decreased ∼8.8 fold. In males exposed to phenanthrene, spermatogonia proportions were increased ∼2.3 fold in testicular tissues compared to control fish. Thus, gametes were at an earlier stage of maturation in phenanthrene-treated fish compared to controls. However, no differences were detected in the production of 17β-estradiol or testosterone from the gonad in either sex. Catalase activity was also assessed in the liver as a measure of oxidative stress and this biomarker did not change in activity in either sex. In addition to endpoints in the ovary, the female hepatic transcriptome was measured, as this tissue produces lipids for oocyte maturation. Transcriptomic responses to phenanthrene exposure suggested a reduction in vitellogenin mRNA, and lipid metabolism and immune system pathways. Comparisons of hepatic transcriptome responses with Part A (72 h phenanthrene exposure) showed that energy homeostasis pathways were consistently altered following phenanthrene exposure over multiple durations and concentrations. We suggest that altered energy homeostasis may be adversely affecting reproductive efforts, as impaired reproduction has been observed in other studies investigating polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Loughery
- University of New Brunswick, Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd., Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- University of New Brunswick, Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd., Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Angella Mercer
- University of New Brunswick, Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd., Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Chris J Martyniuk
- University of New Brunswick, Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, 100 Tucker Park Rd., Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada.
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Loughery JR, Kidd KA, Mercer A, Martyniuk CJ. Part A: Temporal and dose-dependent transcriptional responses in the liver of fathead minnows following short term exposure to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon phenanthrene. Aquat Toxicol 2018; 199:90-102. [PMID: 29621674 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Phenanthrene is a low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) that is composed of three fused benzene rings. PAHs are formed naturally through incomplete combustion of organic materials, and are environmental contaminants due to anthropogenic activities (e.g. oil extraction and refining, industrial and municipal effluents, fossil fuel burning). Fish exposed to PAHs such as phenanthrene have been reported to exhibit altered reproductive axis endpoints, however the mechanisms that underlie these responses are not fully characterized. To better understand effects at the mechanistic level, we applied transcriptomics to identify molecular pathways altered after acute exposure to phenanthrene on both a dose and temporal scale. Female fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) were exposed to an average measured concentration of either 0, 29.8, 389 or 943 μg phenanthrene/L for 24, 48, and 72 h in a static-renewal bioassay. Ovaries were assessed for oocyte distribution as well as in vitro 17β-estradiol production and gene expression for transcripts related to steroidogenesis and estrogen signalling. In addition, the liver transcriptome was measured as this tissue is the primary source of the egg yolk precursor protein vitellogenin. Exposure to 29.8 μg phenanthrene/L increased proportions of the cortical alveolar stage in the ovaries after 48 h while the proportion of cortical alveolar oocyte were decreased in fish exposed to 943 μg phenanthrene/L for 48 h. Phenanthrene did not affect 17β-estradiol production at any time or dose, and did not affect transcripts associated with hormone synthesis nor signalling pathways. In the liver, the transcriptome showed fewer genes in common across time when compared to those transcripts affected by concentration at a single time point. Cholesterol metabolism was the only pathway perturbed in the liver following all comparisons in both the dose and time course experiments. Our data suggest that transcriptome networks associated with hepatic lipid metabolism are rapidly affected by phenanthrene, and this may indirectly reduce resources available for reproductive efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer R Loughery
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Angella Mercer
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
| | - Christopher J Martyniuk
- Department of Biological Sciences and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada.
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48
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McBriarty GJ, Kidd KA, Burridge LE. Short-Term Effects of the Anti-sea Lice Therapeutant Emamectin Benzoate on Clam Worms (Nereis virens). Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 2018; 74:539-545. [PMID: 29052740 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-017-0461-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The polychaete Nereis virens occurs commonly in marine sediments, is widely distributed, and is a popular bait species, as well as a potential replacement for wild-caught fish in commercial fish feed preparations. It is being considered as a potential co-extractive species for culture in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture operations. However, it is not known whether pesticides or drugs used to treat sea lice on farmed salmon, such as emamectin benzoate (EB), would adversely affect cultured or wild worms, because these compounds may persist in the environment. To determine the potential effects of EB to N. virens, bioassays were performed wherein worms were exposed in sand for 30 days to a concentration of 400 µg/kg dw (nominal). While no treatment-related mortality occurred, significant decreases in worm mass and marked behavioral changes (lack of burrowing) were observed in EB-treated sand compared with controls. These lab-based observations suggest a potential hazard to worms at sites where EB treatments have occurred.
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Affiliation(s)
- G J McBriarty
- Biology Department and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - K A Kidd
- Biology Department and Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, Saint John, NB, E2L 4L5, Canada
- Department of Biology & School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - L E Burridge
- Burridge Consulting Inc., 61 Emmalee Drive, Stratford, PE, C1B 0B5, Canada
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49
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Roldán-Wong NT, Kidd KA, Marmolejo-Rodríguez AJ, Ceballos-Vázquez BP, Shumilin E, Arellano-Martínez M. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of potentially toxic elements in the octopus Octopus hubbsorum from the Gulf of California. Mar Pollut Bull 2018; 129:458-468. [PMID: 29106938 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The concentrations of 21 potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were determined in the tissues of Octopus hubbsorum from three locations along the Gulf of California coast: two near Santa Rosalia (SR), a site with historical metal contamination, and one in La Paz Bay, a reference site. Concentrations of Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in octopus from the two SR sites were higher than those from the reference site, reflecting the higher sediment concentrations at the mining-impacted locations. The highest bioaccumulation and biomagnification of elements was found in digestive gland and branchial hearts, while the lowest was observed in the mantle, where the mean concentration of PTEs did not exceed international standards for human consumption of octopus. This study found elevated PTEs in octopus from sites with high metal contamination, and presents the first data on these elements in octopus from the Gulf of California.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nefertiti Taydé Roldán-Wong
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico.
| | - Karen A Kidd
- Canadian Rivers Institute & Biology Department, University of New Brunswick, 100 Tucker Park Road, P.O. Box 5050, Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 4L5, Canada.
| | - Ana Judith Marmolejo-Rodríguez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico.
| | - Bertha Patricia Ceballos-Vázquez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico.
| | - Evgueni Shumilin
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico.
| | - Marcial Arellano-Martínez
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional s/n Col. Playa Palo de Santa Rita, C.P. 23096 La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico.
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50
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Eagles-Smith CA, Silbergeld EK, Basu N, Bustamante P, Diaz-Barriga F, Hopkins WA, Kidd KA, Nyland JF. Modulators of mercury risk to wildlife and humans in the context of rapid global change. Ambio 2018; 47:170-197. [PMID: 29388128 PMCID: PMC5794686 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-017-1011-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination is an urgent global health threat. The complexity of Hg in the environment can hinder accurate determination of ecological and human health risks, particularly within the context of the rapid global changes that are altering many ecological processes, socioeconomic patterns, and other factors like infectious disease incidence, which can affect Hg exposures and health outcomes. However, the success of global Hg-reduction efforts depends on accurate assessments of their effectiveness in reducing health risks. In this paper, we examine the role that key extrinsic and intrinsic drivers play on several aspects of Hg risk to humans and organisms in the environment. We do so within three key domains of ecological and human health risk. First, we examine how extrinsic global change drivers influence pathways of Hg bioaccumulation and biomagnification through food webs. Next, we describe how extrinsic socioeconomic drivers at a global scale, and intrinsic individual-level drivers, influence human Hg exposure. Finally, we address how the adverse health effects of Hg in humans and wildlife are modulated by a range of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers within the context of rapid global change. Incorporating components of these three domains into research and monitoring will facilitate a more holistic understanding of how ecological and societal drivers interact to influence Hg health risks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ellen K. Silbergeld
- Johns Hopkin Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, E6644, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Niladri Basu
- McGill University, 204-CINE Building, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9 Canada
| | - Paco Bustamante
- University of La Rochelle, laboratory of Littoral Environment and Societies, Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), LIENSs UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Fernando Diaz-Barriga
- Center for Applied Research in Environment and Health at, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Avenida Venustiano Carranza No. 2405, Col Lomas los Filtros Código Postal, 78214 San Luis Potosí, SLP Mexico
| | - William A. Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, 310 West Campus Drive Virginia Tech, Cheatham Hall, Room 106 (MC 0321), Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Karen A. Kidd
- Department of Biology & School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street W., Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Jennifer F. Nyland
- Department of Biological Sciences, 1101 Camden Ave, Salisbury, MD 21801 USA
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