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Crawford LM, Gelsleichter J, Newton AL, Hoopes LA, Lee CS, Fisher NS, Adams DH, Giraudo M, McElroy AE. Associations between total mercury, trace minerals, and blood health markers in Northwest Atlantic white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias). Mar Pollut Bull 2023; 195:115533. [PMID: 37734227 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115533] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
The ecology and life-histories of white sharks make this species susceptible to mercury bioaccumulation; however, the health consequences of mercury exposure are understudied. We measured muscle and plasma total mercury (THg), health markers, and trace minerals in Northwest Atlantic white sharks. THg in muscle tissue averaged 10.0 mg/kg dry weight, while THg in blood plasma averaged 533 μg/L. THg levels in plasma and muscle were positively correlated with shark precaudal length (153-419 cm), and THg was bioaccumulated proportionally in muscle and plasma. Nine sharks had selenium:mercury molar ratios in blood plasma >1.0, indicating that for certain individuals the potential protective effects of the trace mineral were diminished, whereas excess selenium may have protected other individuals. No relationships between plasma THg and any trace minerals or health markers were identified. Thus, we found no evidence of negative effects of Hg bioaccumulation, even in sharks with very high THg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Crawford
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | | | - Alisa L Newton
- OCEARCH, Park City, UT 84060, USA; ZooQuatic Laboratory, LLC, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA
| | - Lisa A Hoopes
- Department of Research and Conservation, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, GA 30313, USA
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | | | - Maeva Giraudo
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Biotechnologie Microbienne, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 66650 Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Anne E McElroy
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Ye X, Lee CS, Shipley ON, Frisk MG, Fisher NS. Risk assessment for seafood consumers exposed to mercury and other trace elements in fish from Long Island, New York, USA. Mar Pollut Bull 2022; 176:113442. [PMID: 35217419 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113442] [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: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We determined concentrations of Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Ni, Ag, Se, Cu, and Zn in muscle tissue of six commonly consumed Long Island fish species (black seabass, bluefish, striped bass, summer flounder, tautog, and weakfish, total sample size = 1211) caught off Long Island, New York in 2018 and 2019. Long-term consumption of these coastal fish could pose health risks largely due to Hg exposure; concentrations of the other trace elements were well below levels considered toxic for humans. By combining the measured Hg concentrations in the fish (means ranging from 0.11 to 0.27 mg/kg among the fish species), the average seafood consumption rate, and the current US EPA Hg reference dose (0.0001 mg/kg/d), it was concluded that seafood consumption should be limited to four fish meals per month for adults for some fish (bluefish, tautog) and half that for young children. Molar ratios of Hg:Se exceeded 1 for some black seabass, bluefish, tautog, and weakfish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiayan Ye
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States of America.
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States of America
| | - Oliver N Shipley
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States of America; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States of America
| | - Michael G Frisk
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States of America
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, United States of America
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Ye X, Rountos KJ, Lee CS, Fisher NS. Effects of methylmercury on the early life stages of an estuarine forage fish using two different dietary sources. Mar Environ Res 2021; 164:105240. [PMID: 33418125 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Marine fish accumulate methylmercury (MeHg) to elevated concentrations, often higher than in freshwater systems. As a neurotoxic compound, high MeHg tissue concentrations could affect fish behavior which in turn could affect their populations. We examined the sublethal effects of MeHg on larvae of the Sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), an estuarine fish, using artificial or natural diets with varying MeHg concentrations (0-4.8 ppm). Larvae were fed control and MeHg-contaminated diets at low or normal (10% of their body mass) daily food rations from 7 to 29 days when they reached juvenile stage. Growth, respiration, swimming activity and prey capture ability were assessed. Food ration affected Hg toxicity in our study. Natural diets containing 3.2 ppm MeHg had no impacts on growth and swimming in fish that were fed normal food rations but depressed growth and swimming at low food rations. MeHg toxicity did not differ between artificial and natural foods, however fish accumulated more MeHg from the former. Artificial food containing 4.8 ppm MeHg only affected prey capture after 21 days of exposure. Sheepshead minnows, a forage fish species occupying a low trophic level in coastal waters, can be MeHg tolerant, especially when food is abundant, and can serve as an enriched Hg source for higher trophic level predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiayan Ye
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Konstantine J Rountos
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA; Department of Biology, St. Joseph's College, Patchogue, NY, 11772, USA
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA; New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11790, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
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Shipley ON, Lee CS, Fisher NS, Sternlicht JK, Kattan S, Staaterman ER, Hammerschlag N, Gallagher AJ. Metal concentrations in coastal sharks from The Bahamas with a focus on the Caribbean Reef shark. Sci Rep 2021; 11:218. [PMID: 33420176 PMCID: PMC7794238 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79973-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the last century anthropogenic activities have rapidly increased the influx of metals and metalloids entering the marine environment, which can bioaccumulate and biomagnify in marine top consumers. This may elicit sublethal effects on target organisms, having broad implications for human seafood consumers. We provide the first assessment of metal (Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Ag, and THg) and metalloid (As) concentrations in the muscle tissue of coastal sharks from The Bahamas. A total of 36 individual sharks from six species were evaluated, spanning two regions/study areas, with a focus on the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), and to a lesser extent the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). This is due their high relative abundance and ecological significance throughout coastal Bahamian and regional ecosystems. Caribbean reef sharks exhibited some of the highest metal concentrations compared to five other species, and peaks in the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu were observed as individuals reached sexual maturity. Observations were attributed to foraging on larger, more piscivorous prey, high longevity, as well a potential slowing rate of growth. We observed correlations between some metals, which are challenging to interpret but may be attributed to trophic level and ambient metal conditions. Our results provide the first account of metal concentrations in Bahamian sharks, suggesting individuals exhibit high concentrations which may potentially cause sublethal effects. Finally, these findings underscore the potential toxicity of shark meat and have significant implications for human consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver N Shipley
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
- New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | | | - Sami Kattan
- Beneath the Waves, PO Box 126, Herndon, VA, USA
| | | | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 33149, USA
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Evers DC, Sauer AK, Burns DA, Fisher NS, Bertok DC, Adams EM, Burton MEH, Driscoll CT. A synthesis of patterns of environmental mercury inputs, exposure and effects in New York State. Ecotoxicology 2020; 29:1565-1589. [PMID: 33170395 PMCID: PMC7661403 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02291-4] [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] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) pollution is an environmental problem that adversely affects human and ecosystem health at local, regional, and global scales-including within New York State. More than two-thirds of the Hg currently released to the environment originates, either directly or indirectly, from human activities. Since the early 1800s, global atmospheric Hg concentrations have increased by three- to eight-fold over natural levels. In the U.S., atmospheric emissions and point-source releases to waterways increased following industrialization into the mid-1980s. Since then, water discharges have largely been curtailed. As a result, Hg emissions, atmospheric concentrations, and deposition over the past few decades have declined across the eastern U.S. Despite these decreases, Hg pollution persists. To inform policy efforts and to advance public understanding, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) sponsored a scientific synthesis of information on Hg in New York State. This effort includes 23 papers focused on Hg in atmospheric deposition, water, fish, and wildlife published in Ecotoxicology. New York State experiences Hg contamination largely due to atmospheric deposition. Some landscapes are inherently sensitive to Hg inputs driven by the transport of inorganic Hg to zones of methylation, the conversion of inorganic Hg to methylmercury, and the bioaccumulation and biomagnification along food webs. Mercury concentrations exceed human and ecological risk thresholds in many areas of New York State, particularly the Adirondacks, Catskills, and parts of Long Island. Mercury concentrations in some biota have declined in the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands and the Northeastern Highlands over the last four decades, concurrent with decreases in water releases and air emissions from regional and U.S. sources. However, widespread changes have not occurred in other ecoregions of New York State. While the timing and magnitude of the response of Hg levels in biota varies, policies expected to further diminish Hg emissions should continue to decrease Hg concentrations in food webs, yielding benefits to the fish, wildlife, and people of New York State. Anticipated improvements in the Hg status of aquatic ecosystems are likely to be greatest for inland surface waters and should be roughly proportional to declines in atmospheric Hg deposition. Efforts that advance recovery from Hg pollution in recent years have yielded significant progress, but Hg remains a pollutant of concern. Indeed, due to this extensive compilation of Hg observations in biota, it appears that the extent and intensity of the contamination on the New York landscape and waterscape is greater than previously recognized. Understanding the extent of Hg contamination and recovery following decreases in atmospheric Hg deposition will require further study, underscoring the need to continue existing monitoring efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - A K Sauer
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - D A Burns
- U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - N S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - D C Bertok
- New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Albany, NY, 12203, USA
| | - E M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - M E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
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Abstract
The importance of fish consumption as the primary pathway of human exposure to mercury and the establishment of fish consumption advisories to protect human health have led to large fish tissue monitoring programs worldwide. Data on fish tissue mercury concentrations collected by state, tribal, and provincial governments via contaminant monitoring programs have been compiled into large data bases by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Monitoring Program Office (GLNPO), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's Fish Contaminants Monitoring and Surveillance Program (FMSP), and many others. These data have been used by a wide range of governmental and academic investigators worldwide to examine long-term and recent trends in fish tissue mercury concentrations. The largest component of the trend literature is for North American freshwater species important in recreational fisheries. This review of temporal trends in fish tissue mercury concentrations focused on published results from freshwater fisheries of North America as well as marine fisheries worldwide. Trends in fish tissue mercury concentrations in North American lakes with marked overall decreases were reported over the period 1972-2016. These trends are consistent with reported mercury emission declines as well as trends in wet deposition across the U.S. and Canada. More recently, a leveling-off in the rate of decreases or increases in fish tissue mercury concentrations has been reported. Increased emissions of mercury from global sources beginning between 1990 and 1995, despite a decrease in North American emissions, have been advanced as an explanation for the observed changes in fish tissue trends. In addition to increased atmospheric deposition, the other factors identified to explain the observed mercury increases in the affected fish species include a systematic shift in the food-web structure with the introduction of non-native species, creating a new or expanding role for sediments as a net source for mercury. The influences of climate change have also been identified as contributing factors, including considerations such as increases in temperature (resulting in metabolic changes and higher uptake rates of methylmercury), increased rainfall intensity and runoff (hydrologic export of organic matter carrying HgII from watersheds to surface water), and water level fluctuations that alter either the methylation of mercury or the mobilization of monomethylmercury. The primary source of mercury exposure in the human diet in North America is from the commercial fish and seafood market which is dominated (>90%) by marine species. However, very little information is available on mercury trends in marine fisheries. Most of the data used in the published marine trend studies are assembled from earlier reports. The data collection efforts are generally intermittent, and the spatial and fish-size distribution of the target species vary widely. As a result, convincing evidence for the existence of fish tissue mercury trends in marine fish is generally lacking. However, there is some evidence from sampling of large, long-lived commercially-important fish showing both lower mercury concentrations in the North Atlantic in response to reduced anthropogenic mercury emission rates in North America and increases in fish tissue mercury concentrations over time in the North Pacific in response to increased mercury loading.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Roxanne Karimi
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Leonard Levin
- Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Ye X, Fisher NS. Minor effects of dietary methylmercury on growth and reproduction of the sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus and toxicity to their offspring. Environ Pollut 2020; 266:115226. [PMID: 32698054 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115226] [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: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxic compound that is found in virtually all fish and biomagnifies in aquatic food webs. Although MeHg concentrations in marine and estuarine fish are often elevated, the impacts of MeHg on marine and estuarine fish have largely been understudied. To evaluate the impact of dietary MeHg on marine fish reproduction and effects on their offspring, female juvenile sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) at three months of age were experimentally exposed to MeHg-contaminated diets for two months and then paired with Hg-free males for spawning. Egg production, hatching success of embryos, time to hatching, survival of larvae, growth of larvae and swimming behavior of larvae were determined. Selenium (Se) was also measured and Se/Hg molar ratios were calculated to assess whether Se reduced MeHg toxicity. MeHg had no significant impact on fish reproduction or on survival and growth of larvae. Larvae produced by MeHg-exposed mothers had concentrations of Hg about 1 ppm (dry wt), or about 12% of that in the muscle of their mothers and consistently displayed 6-15% increased swimming speed relative to controls; the ecological significance of this moderate effect on swimming speed requires further study. The Se/Hg molar ratios in these fish, which were >1 in controls (adults and larvae) and MeHg-exposed larvae but <1 in Hg-exposed adults, did not correlate with MeHg effects. The sheepshead minnow, at a low trophic level, appears to have a high tolerance of MeHg; however, it can pass MeHg to higher trophic levels in marine ecosystems where upper level predators have MeHg concentrations sometimes exceeding US FDA safety limits of 1 ppm wet wt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiayan Ye
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5000, USA.
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5000, USA.
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Tyrell AS, Jiang H, Fisher NS. Correction: Copepod feeding strategy determines response to seawater viscosity: videography study of two calanoid copepod species. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:223/17/jeb234559. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.234559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Tyrell AS, Fisher NS, Fields DM. Separating Thermal and Viscous Effects of Temperature on Copepod Respiration and Energy Budget. Biol Bull 2020; 239:62-71. [PMID: 32812813 DOI: 10.1086/709646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
AbstractChanges in temperature alter the viscosity of fluids, which impacts the force needed to move and the diffusion rates of gases. This is particularly salient for organisms that operate at mid to low Reynolds numbers. In this study, we investigated the independent effects of changes in temperature and viscosity on oxygen consumption rates of two coastal copepods (Acartia tonsa and Parvocalanus crassirostris) and used bioenergetic models to predict how these patterns could influence copepods in the natural environment. We found that only temperature influenced copepod oxygen consumption rates, indicating that copepods were not impacted by reduced oxygen diffusivity or increased energetics of movement resulting from higher seawater viscosity. We developed energy budgets based on novel respiration experiments in conjunction with data from the literature and found that cold temperatures do not result in higher scope for growth, because decreased metabolic costs are offset by reduced feeding capability. Our energy budgets imply that observed copepod temperature ranges in natural waters match theoretical ranges of optimal net carbon assimilation. At cold temperatures, feeding on motile prey yielded higher net carbon assimilation compared to feeding on non-motile prey, implying that motile prey are more favorable and may be actively selected for at cold temperatures. Finally, our models predicted that A. tonsa had a higher maximum net carbon assimilation as a percentage of body mass, indicating that copepods that use a similar sink-and-wait feeding strategy may be better able to exploit ephemeral food sources compared to continuous-swimming copepods such as P. crassirostris.
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Tyrell AS, Jiang H, Fisher NS. Copepod feeding strategy determines response to seawater viscosity: videography study of two calanoid copepod species. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb220830. [PMID: 32527959 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.220830] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Calanoid copepods, depending on feeding strategy, have different behavioral and biological controls on their movements, thereby responding differently to environmental conditions such as changes in seawater viscosity. To understand how copepod responses to environmental conditions are mediated through physical, physiological and/or behavioral pathways, we used high-speed microvideography to compare two copepod species, Acartia hudsonica and Parvocalanus crassirostris, under different temperature, viscosity and dietary conditions. Acartia hudsonica exhibited 'sink and wait' feeding behavior and typically responded to changes in seawater viscosity; increased seawater viscosity reduced particle-capture behavior and decreased the size of the feeding current. In contrast, P. crassirostris continuously swam and did not show any behavioral or physical responses to changes in viscosity. Both species showed a physiological response to temperature, with reduced appendage beating frequency at cold temperatures, but this did not generally translate into effects on swimming speed, feeding flux or active time. Both copepod species swam slower when feeding on diatom rather than dinoflagellate prey, showing that prey type mediates copepod behavior. These results differentiate species-specific behaviors and responses to environmental conditions, which may lead to better understanding of niche separation and latitudinal patterns in copepod feeding and movement strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail S Tyrell
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
| | - Houshuo Jiang
- Applied Ocean Physics & Engineering Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Rd, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
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Thomas DM, Fisher NS. Evaluation of body size and temperature on 137Cs uptake in marine animals. J Environ Radioact 2019; 202:25-31. [PMID: 30776700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.02.005] [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: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
137Cs bioaccumulation and retention in seven different marine animal species, including crustaceans, mollusc larvae, and fish larvae were compared under different temperature conditions (10 °C, 18 °C and 25 °C). Replicate animals were experimentally exposed to 0.5 nM 137Cs dissolved in filtered seawater for 3 days, and their 137Cs contents were periodically measured using gamma spectrometry. Among the seven species, 137Cs bioconcentration factors ranged from 14 to 239 at the end of the exposure periods. Following uptake, the137Cs loss rate constants from the animals ranged from 5 to 50% d-1 and were unaffected by temperature or animal size. The 137Cs bioconcentration factors were directly related to animal size and hence their surface: volume ratios, consistent with the conclusion that Cs sorption from the aqueous phase is the principal uptake mechanism in these animals. With the exception of gastropods, temperature had no major influence on Cs uptake and efflux in the experimental species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derin M Thomas
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5000, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5000, USA.
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Abstract
Elemental mercury (Hg0) formation from other mercury species in seawater results from photoreduction and microbial activity, leading to possible evasion from seawater to overlying air. Microbial conversion of monomethylmercury (MeHg) to Hg0 in seawater remains unquantified. A rapid radioassay method was developed using gamma-emitting 203Hg as a tracer to evaluate Hg0 production from Hg(II) and MeHg in the low pM range. Bacterioplankton assemblages in Atlantic surface seawater and Long Island Sound water were found to rapidly produce Hg0, with production rate constants being directly related to bacterial biomass and independent of dissolved Hg(II) and MeHg concentrations. About 32% of Hg(II) and 19% of MeHg were converted to Hg0 in 4 d in Atlantic surface seawater containing low bacterial biomass, and in Long Island Sound water with higher bacterial biomass, 54% of Hg(II) and 8% of MeHg were transformed to Hg0. Decreasing temperatures from 24°C to 4°C reduced Hg0 production rates cell-1 from Hg(II) 3.3 times as much as from a MeHg source. Because Hg0 production rates were linearly related to microbial biomass and temperature, and microbial mercuric reductase was detected in our field samples, we inferred that microbial metabolic activities and enzymatic reactions primarily govern Hg0 formation in subsurface waters where light penetration is diminished.
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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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Shipley ON, Lee CS, Fisher NS, Burruss G, Frisk MG, Brooks EJ, Zuckerman ZC, Herrmann AD, Madigan DJ. Trophodynamics and mercury bioaccumulation in reef and open-ocean fishes from The Bahamas with a focus on two teleost predators. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 2019; 608:221-232. [PMID: 31289418 PMCID: PMC6615743 DOI: 10.3354/meps12798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Identifying prey resource pools supporting fish biomass can elucidate trophic pathways of pollutant bioaccumulation. We used multiple chemical tracers (carbon [δ13C] and nitrogen [δ15N] stable isotopes and total mercury [THg]) to identify trophic pathways and measure contaminant loading in upper trophic level fishes residing at a reef and open-ocean interface near Eleuthera in the Exuma Sound, The Bahamas. We focused predominantly on the trophic pathways of mercury bioaccumulation in dolphinfish Coryphaena hippurus and wahoo Acanthocybium solandri, 2 commonly consumed pelagic sportfish in the region. Despite residing within close proximity to productive and extensive coral reefs, both dolphinfish and wahoo relied almost exclusively on open-ocean prey over both short and long temporal durations. A larger isotopic niche of dolphinfish suggested a broader diet and some potential prey differentiation between the 2 species. THg concentrations in dolphinfish (0.2 ± 0.1 ppm) and wahoo (0.3 ± 0.3 ppm) were mostly below recommended guidelines for humans (US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) = 0.3 ppm, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)= 1.0 ppm) and were within ranges previously reported for these species. However, high THg concentrations were observed in muscle and liver tissue of commonly consumed reef-associated fishes, identifying a previously unrecognized route of potentially toxic Hg exposure for human consumers on Eleuthera and neighboring islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver N Shipley
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 100 Nicholls Road, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 100 Nicholls Road, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 100 Nicholls Road, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Georgiana Burruss
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Michael G Frisk
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 100 Nicholls Road, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Edward J Brooks
- The Cape Eleuthera Institute, PO Box EL-26029 Cape Eleuthera, The Bahamas
| | | | - Achim D Herrmann
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Daniel J Madigan
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 100 Nicholls Road, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Gulf of California International Research Center, Santa Rosalía, BCS 23920, Mexico
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15
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Wang C, Cerrato RM, Fisher NS. Temporal Changes in 137Cs Concentrations in Fish, Sediments, And Seawater off Fukushima Japan. Environ Sci Technol 2018; 52:13119-13126. [PMID: 30351031 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b03294] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed publicly available data of Fukushima 137Cs concentrations in coastal fish, in surface and bottom waters, and in surface marine sediments and found that within the first year of the accident pelagic fish lost 137Cs at much faster rates (mean of ∼1.3% d-1) than benthic fish (mean of ∼0.1% d-1), with benthopelagic fish having intermediate loss rates (mean of ∼0.2% d-1). The loss rates of 137Cs in benthic fish in the first year were more comparable to the decline of 137Cs concentrations in sediments (0.03% d-1), and the declines in pelagic fish were more comparable to the declines in seawater. Retention patterns of 137Cs in pelagic fish were comparable to that in laboratory studies of fish in which there were no sustained 137Cs sources, whereas the benthopelagic and benthic fish species retained 137Cs to a greater extent, consistent with the idea that there is a sustained additional 137Cs source for these fish. These field data, based on 13 511 data points in which 137Cs was above the detection limit, are consistent with conclusions from laboratory experiments that demonstrate that benthic fish can acquire 137Cs from sediments, primarily through benthic invertebrates that contribute to the diet of these fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Wang
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences , Stony Brook University Stony Brook , New York 11794-5000 , United States
| | - Robert M Cerrato
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences , Stony Brook University Stony Brook , New York 11794-5000 , United States
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences , Stony Brook University Stony Brook , New York 11794-5000 , United States
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16
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Rudd JWM, Bodaly RA, Fisher NS, Kelly CA, Kopec D, Whipple C. Fifty years after its discharge, methylation of legacy mercury trapped in the Penobscot Estuary sustains high mercury in biota. Sci Total Environ 2018; 642:1340-1352. [PMID: 30045514 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Fifty years ago, the Penobscot Estuary was contaminated by mercury discharged from the chlor-alkali plant located in Orrington, Maine, USA. Almost all of the mercury was discharged from the plant during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Despite the much lower mercury discharges in recent decades, present-day concentrations in surface sediment remain high (averaging 350-1100 ng/g dw) and are still high in blood of marsh birds (up to 10.5 μg/g), black duck muscle (0.8 μg/g), and lobster muscle (0.4 μg/g). Methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in marsh birds exceed levels that impair reproduction. There are health advisories for duck hunters and closures of shellfish fisheries. These continuing high mercury concentrations are caused by the trapping of legacy mercury in a mobile pool of sediment that is retained in the upper estuary above a tidally forced salinity front, which travels up and down the estuary each tidal cycle - slowing the transport of particulate mercury to Penobscot Bay. The trapped legacy mercury continues to be available for methylation 50 years after it first entered the estuary. This is demonstrated by the fact that rates of MeHg production are positively related to the inorganic mercury concentration in parts of the estuary with elevated concentrations of legacy mercury. Thus, remediation measures that would lower the THg concentration in surface sediment would lower the MeHg in birds, fish and shellfish. All of this new information leads us to recommend two remediation options. Addition of mercury binding agents may lower mercury concentrations in birds in some wetland areas. System-wide, we also recommend Enhanced Natural Recovery (ENR), a novel approach that involves the partial removal of the contaminated mobile sediment pool followed by replacement with clean-clay particulates to dilute inorganic mercury concentrations, which would lower methylation rates and mercury concentrations in biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W M Rudd
- R&K Research Inc., 675 Mount Belcher Heights, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2J3, Canada.
| | - R A Bodaly
- Penobscot River Mercury Study, 115 Oystercatcher Place, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2W5, Canada.
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, NY 11794-5000, USA.
| | - C A Kelly
- R&K Research Inc., 675 Mount Belcher Heights, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2J3, Canada.
| | - Dianne Kopec
- Penobscot River Mercury Study, 479 Beechwood Avenue, Old Town, ME 04468, USA.
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Thomas DM, Lee CS, Fisher NS. Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of 137Cs in marine and freshwater plankton. Chemosphere 2018; 209:599-607. [PMID: 29957520 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.06.124] [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: 02/12/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
An experimental study was conducted to investigate the trophic transfer of 137Cs in marine and freshwater food chains, focusing on phytoplankton, zooplankton, and planktivorous fish. Algal concentration factors were 278 in freshwater and 69 in seawater. The weight-normalized uptake rate constants of 137Cs were similar for both freshwater daphnids and marine copepods. Most of the 137Cs in marine copepods was in the exoskeleton followed by polar and non-polar components. In freshwater daphnids, 137Cs was highest in the polar fractions followed by exoskeleton and low amounts in the non-polar components. Fish that fed on contaminated marine copepods assimilated 137Cs with an efficiency of 88%, while 91% was assimilated from freshwater daphnids. A bioaccumulation model demonstrated that diet accounted for ≤3% of the total body burden of 137Cs in marine zooplankton and ≤12% in freshwater zooplankton, but ≥99% of the total body burden in fish. Rate constants of 137Cs loss from fish following aqueous exposure were 0.2 d-1 and 0.4 d-1 in marine and freshwater conditions, respectively, but only 0.06 d-1 and 0.3 d-1, respectively, following dietary exposure. This model also indicates that trophic transfer factors from zooplankton to fish are up to 2.2 for marine conditions and up to 0.6 for freshwater. 137Cs is unusual among metals in that it enters marine food chains primarily from the aqueous phase into zooplankton, from which it is highly assimilated by fish, resulting in detectable 137Cs in fish tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derin M Thomas
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
| | - Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA.
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18
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Madigan DJ, Li M, Yin R, Baumann H, Snodgrass OE, Dewar H, Krabbenhoft DP, Baumann Z, Fisher NS, Balcom P, Sunderland EM. Mercury Stable Isotopes Reveal Influence of Foraging Depth on Mercury Concentrations and Growth in Pacific Bluefin Tuna. Environ Sci Technol 2018; 52:6256-6264. [PMID: 29761695 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Pelagic ecosystems are changing due to environmental and anthropogenic forces, with uncertain consequences for the ocean's top predators. Epipelagic and mesopelagic prey resources differ in quality and quantity, but their relative contribution to predator diets has been difficult to track. We measured mercury (Hg) stable isotopes in young (<2 years old) Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT) and their prey species to explore the influence of foraging depth on growth and methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. PBFT total Hg (THg) in muscle ranged from 0.61 to 1.93 μg g-1 dw (1.31 μg g-1 dw ±0.37 SD; 99% ± 6% MeHg) and prey ranged from 0.01 to 1.76 μg g-1 dw (0.13 μg g-1 dw ±0.19 SD; 85% ± 18% MeHg). A systematic decrease in prey δ202Hg and Δ199Hg with increasing depth of occurrence and discrete isotopic signatures of epipelagic prey (δ202Hg: 0.74 to 1.49‰; Δ199Hg: 1.76-2.96‰) and mesopelagic prey (δ202Hg: 0.09 to 0.90‰; Δ199Hg: 0.62-1.95‰) allowed the use of Hg isotopes to track PBFT foraging depth. An isotopic mixing model was used to estimate the dietary proportion of mesopelagic prey in PBFT, which ranged from 17% to 55%. Increased mesopelagic foraging was significantly correlated with slower growth and higher MeHg concentrations in PBFT. The slower observed growth rates suggest that prey availability and quality could reduce the production of PBFT biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Madigan
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
| | - Miling Li
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry , Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550002 , China
- U.S. Geological Survey , Middleton , Wisconsin 53562 , United States
| | - Hannes Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences , University of Connecticut , Groton , Connecticut 06269 , United States
| | - Owyn E Snodgrass
- Ocean Associates , Southwest Fisheries Science Center , NMFS, NOAA, La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | - Heidi Dewar
- Fisheries Resources Division , Southwest Fisheries Science Center , National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | | | - Zofia Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences , University of Connecticut , Groton , Connecticut 06269 , United States
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences , Stony Brook University , Stony Brook , New York 11794 , United States
| | - Prentiss Balcom
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
| | - Elsie M Sunderland
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science , Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Harvard University , Boston , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
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19
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Abstract
The largest bioconcentration step of most metals, including methylmercury (MeHg), in aquatic biota is from water to phytoplankton, but the extent to which dissolved organic matter (DOM) affects this process for MeHg largely remains unexplored in marine systems. This study investigated the influence of specific sulfur-containing organic compounds and naturally occurring DOM on the accumulation of MeHg in a marine diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. Initial uptake rate constants and volume concentration factors (VCFs) of MeHg were calculated to evaluate MeHg enrichment in algal cells in the presence of a range of organic compound concentrations. At environmentally realistic and higher concentrations, the addition of glycine and methionine had no effect on algal MeHg uptake, but thiol-containing compounds such as cysteine and thioglycolic acid reduced MeHg accumulation in algal cells at high added concentrations (> 100 times higher than naturally occurring concentrations). However, environmentally realistic concentrations of glutathione, another thiol-containing compound as low as 10 nM, resulted in a decline of ~ 30% in VCFs, suggesting its possible importance in natural waters. Humic acid additions of 0.1 and 0.5 mg C/L also reduced MeHg VCFs by ~ 15% and ~ 25%, respectively. The bioaccumulation of MeHg for T. pseudonana in coastal waters with varying levels of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was inversely correlated with bulk DOC concentrations. Generally, naturally occurring DOM, particularly certain thiol-containing compounds, can reduce MeHg uptake by phytoplankton.
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20
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Madigan DJ, Baumann Z, Snodgrass OE, Dewar H, Berman-Kowalewski M, Weng KC, Nishikawa J, Dutton PH, Fisher NS. Assessing Fukushima-Derived Radiocesium in Migratory Pacific Predators. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:8962-8971. [PMID: 28714301 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The 2011 release of Fukushima-derived radionuclides into the Pacific Ocean made migratory sharks, teleosts, and marine mammals a source of speculation and anxiety regarding radiocesium (134+137Cs) contamination, despite a lack of actual radiocesium measurements for these taxa. We measured radiocesium in a diverse suite of large predators from the North Pacific Ocean and report no detectable (i.e., ≥ 0.1 Bq kg-1 dry wt) Fukushima-derived 134Cs in all samples, except in one olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) with trace levels (0.1 Bq kg-1). Levels of 137Cs varied within and across taxa, but were generally consistent with pre-Fukushima levels and were lower than naturally occurring 40K by one to one to two orders of magnitude. Predator size had a weaker effect on 137Cs and 40K levels than tissue lipid content. Predator stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N) were used to infer recent migration patterns, and showed that predators in the central, eastern, and western Pacific should not be assumed to accumulate detectable levels of radiocesium a priori. Nondetection of 134Cs and low levels of 137Cs in diverse marine megafauna far from Fukushima confirms negligible increases in radiocesium, with levels comparable to those prior to the release from Fukushima. Reported levels can inform recently developed models of cesium transport and bioaccumulation in marine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Madigan
- Harvard University Center for the Environment, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
| | - Zofia Baumann
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut , 1080 Shenneconsett Road, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Owyn E Snodgrass
- Ocean Associates , Southwest Fisheries Science Center, NMFS, NOAA, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Heidi Dewar
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | | | - Kevin C Weng
- Department of Fisheries Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science , Gloucester Point, Virginia 23062, United States
| | - Jun Nishikawa
- Department of Marine Biology, School of Marine Science and Technology, Tokai University , 3-20-1, Orido, Shimizu, Shizuoka 424-8610, Japan
| | - Peter H Dutton
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) , La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794, United States
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21
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Baumann Z, Mason RP, Conover DO, Balcom P, Chen CY, Buckman KL, Fisher NS, Baumann H. Mercury bioaccumulation increases with latitude in a coastal marine fish (Atlantic silverside, Menidia menidia). Can J Fish Aquat Sci 2017; 74:1009-1015. [PMID: 28701819 PMCID: PMC5502350 DOI: 10.1139/cjfas-2016-0396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Human exposure to the neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) occurs primarily via the consumption of marine fish, but the processes underlying large-scale spatial variations in fish MeHg concentrations [MeHg], which influence human exposure, are not sufficiently understood. We used the Atlantic silverside (Menidia menidia), an extensively studied model species and important forage fish, to examine latitudinal patterns in total Hg [Hg] and [MeHg]. Both [Hg] and [MeHg] significantly increased with latitude (0.014 and 0.048 μg MeHg g-1 dw per degree of latitude in juveniles and adults, respectively). Four known latitudinal trends in silverside traits help explain these patterns: latitudinal increase in MeHg assimilation efficiency, latitudinal decrease in MeHg efflux, latitudinal increase in weight loss due to longer and more severe winters, and latitudinal increase in food consumption as an adaptation to decreasing length of the growing season. Given the absence of a latitudinal pattern in particulate MeHg, a diet proxy for zooplanktivorous fish, we conclude that large-scale spatial variation in growth is the primary control of Hg bioaccumulation in this and potentially other fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut,
1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton CT, 06340
- Corresponding author; phone: 860-405-9281;
| | - Robert P. Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut,
1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton CT, 06340
| | - David O. Conover
- University of Oregon, 1266 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
97403
| | - Prentiss Balcom
- Harvard Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences,
58 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA 02138
| | - Celia Y. Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College,
Hanover NH, 03755
| | - Kate L. Buckman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College,
Hanover NH, 03755
| | - Nicholas S. Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook
University, Dana Hall, Stony Brook NY 11794-5000
| | - Hannes Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut,
1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton CT, 06340
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Lee CS, Fisher NS. Bioaccumulation of methylmercury in a marine copepod. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017; 36:1287-1293. [PMID: 27764899 PMCID: PMC5397336 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is known to biomagnify in marine food chains, resulting in higher concentrations in upper trophic level animals than their prey. To better understand how marine copepods, an important intermediate between phytoplankton and forage fish at the bottom of the food chain, assimilate and release MeHg, the authors performed a series of laboratory experiments using the gamma-emitting radiotracer 203 Hg2+ and Me203 Hg with the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa. Assimilation efficiencies of Hg2+ and MeHg ranged from 25% to 31% and 58% to 79%, respectively, depending on algal diets. Assimilation efficiencies were positively related to the fraction of Hg in the cytoplasm of the algal cells that comprised their diet. Efflux rates of Hg2+ (0.29/d) and MeHg (0.21/d) following aqueous uptake were similar, but efflux rates following dietary uptake were significantly lower for MeHg (0.11-0.22/d) than Hg2+ (0.47-0.66/d). The calculated trophic transfer factors in copepods were >1 for MeHg and consistently low (≤0.2) for Hg2+ . The authors used the parameters measured to quantitatively model the relative importance of MeHg sources (water or diet) for copepods and to predict the overall MeHg concentrations in copepods in different marine environments. In general, MeHg uptake from the diet accounted for most of the body burden in copepods (>50%). For an algal diet with a MeHg dry weight bioconcentration factor ≥106 , >90% of a copepod's MeHg body burden can be shown to derive from the diet. The model-predicted MeHg concentrations in the copepods were comparable to independent measurements for copepods in coastal and open-ocean regions, implying that the measured parameters and model are applicable to natural waters. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1287-1293. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
| | - Nicholas S. Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
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Wang C, Baumann Z, Madigan DJ, Fisher NS. Correction to Contaminated Marine Sediments as a Source of Cesium Radioisotopes for Benthic Fauna near Fukushima. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:13174. [PMID: 27934254 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b05293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
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Lee CS, Lutcavage ME, Chandler E, Madigan DJ, Cerrato RM, Fisher NS. Declining Mercury Concentrations in Bluefin Tuna Reflect Reduced Emissions to the North Atlantic Ocean. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:12825-12830. [PMID: 27934271 PMCID: PMC5161346 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Tunas are apex predators in marine food webs that can accumulate mercury (Hg) to high concentrations and provide more Hg (∼40%) to the U.S population than any other source. We measured Hg concentrations in 1292 Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT, Thunnus thynnus) captured in the Northwest Atlantic from 2004 to 2012. ABFT Hg concentrations and variability increased nonlinearly with length, weight, and age, ranging from 0.25 to 3.15 mg kg-1, and declined significantly at a rate of 0.018 ± 0.003 mg kg-1 per year or 19% over an 8-year period from the 1990s to the early 2000s. Notably, this decrease parallels comparably reduced anthropogenic Hg emission rates in North America and North Atlantic atmospheric Hg0 concentrations during this period, suggesting that recent efforts to decrease atmospheric Hg loading have rapidly propagated up marine food webs to a commercially important species. This is the first evidence to suggest that emission reduction efforts have resulted in lower Hg concentrations in large, long-lived fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Shiuan Lee
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
- Corresponding Author: . Phone: (929)-268-4338
| | - Molly E. Lutcavage
- Large Pelagics Research Center, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts—Boston, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931, United States
| | - Emily Chandler
- Large Pelagics Research Center, School for the Environment, University of Massachusetts—Boston, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931, United States
| | - Daniel J. Madigan
- Harvard University Center for the Environment, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Robert M. Cerrato
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
| | - Nicholas S. Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
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25
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Wang C, Baumann Z, Madigan DJ, Fisher NS. Contaminated Marine Sediments As a Source of Cesium Radioisotopes for Benthic Fauna near Fukushima. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:10448-10455. [PMID: 27571161 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b02984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Marine animals, seawater, and sediment near Fukushima, Japan have become contaminated with 134Cs and 137Cs released in March 2011 from the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Radiocesium concentrations in some benthic fauna declined more slowly than in pelagic fish in the same region. We tested the hypothesis that benthic fish remained more contaminated due to the bioavailability of radiocesium in sediments. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the assimilation efficiency of 137Cs was 16% in polychaetes ingesting Fukushima sediment, up to 55% in crabs ingesting polychaetes, and about 80% in fish ingesting worms. In addition, all animals acquired Cs directly from the aqueous phase, but this accounted for only 1.2-2.5% of their total body burden. Thus, diet accounted for nearly all of the total body burden of Cs in these animals. Rate constants of Cs loss from animal tissues were 20% d-1 for polychaetes, 10% d-1 for crabs, and 6% d-1 for fish after acquisition of Cs from water; rate constants following dietary uptake were 45% d-1, 14% d-1, and 5% d-1 for polychaetes, crabs, and fish, respectively. A bioaccumulation model indicated that the transfer factors of Cs from sediments and the trophic transfer factors from worms to predators were about 1. Overall, sediment-bound Cs is sufficiently bioavailable to deposit-feeding polychaetes, and macrofauna assimilate Cs from these polychaetes to account for >90% of their body burden. This helps to explain the longer retention of Cs in bottom-dwelling fish near Fukushima.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiyu Wang
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
| | - Zofia Baumann
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
| | - Daniel J Madigan
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University , Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, United States
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Abstract
Phytoplankton may serve as a key entry for methylmercury (MeHg) into aquatic food webs however very few studies have quantified the bioconcentration of MeHg in marine phytoplankton from seawater, particularly for non-diatoms. Experiments using 203Hg to measure MeHg uptake rates and concentration factors in six marine phytoplankton species belonging to different algal classes were conducted and the influence of light, temperature, and nutrient conditions on MeHg bioaccumulation were determined. All algal species greatly concentrated MeHg out of seawater, with volume concentration factors (VCFs) ranging from 0.2 × 105 to 6.4 × 106. VCFs were directly related to cellular surface area-to-volume ratios. Most of the cellular MeHg was found in the cytoplasm. Temperature, light, and nutrient additions did not directly affect MeHg uptake in most species, with the exception that the dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum displayed significantly greater uptake per cell at 18°C than at 4°C, suggesting an active uptake for this species. Passive transport seemed to be the major pathway for most phytoplankton to acquire MeHg and was related to the surface area-to-volume ratio of algal cells. Environmental conditions that promoted cell growth resulted in more total MeHg associated with cells, but with lower concentrations per unit biomass due to biodilution. The very high bioconcentration of MeHg in marine phytoplankton is by far the largest bioconcentration step in marine food chains and variations in algal uptake may account for differences in the amount of MeHg that ultimately builds up in different marine ecosystems.
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Abstract
Evaluating the degree of metal exposure and bioaccumulation in estuarine organisms is important for understanding the fate of metals in estuarine food webs. We investigated the bioaccumulation of Hg, methylmercury (MeHg), Cd, Se, Pb, and As in common intertidal organisms across a watershed urbanization gradient of coastal marsh sites in New England to relate metal exposure and bioaccumulation in fauna to both chemical and ecological factors. In sediments, we measured metal and metalloid concentrations, total organic carbon (TOC) and SEM-AVS (Simultaneously extracted metal-acid volatile sulfides). In five different functional feeding groups of biota, we measured metal concentrations and delta 15N and delta 13C signatures. Concentrations of Hg and Se in biota for all sites were always greater than sediment concentrations whereas Pb in biota was always lower. There were positive relationships between biota Hg concentrations and sediment concentrations, and between biota MeHg concentrations and both pelagic feeding mode and trophic level. Bioavailability of all metals measured as SEM-AVS or Benthic-Sediment Accumulation Factor was lower in more contaminated sites, likely due to biogeochemical factors related to higher levels of sulfides and organic carbon in the sediments. Our study demonstrates that for most metals and metalloids, bioaccumulation is metal specific and not directly related to sediment concentrations or measures of bioavailability such as AVS-SEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Y. Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-603-646-2376
| | - Darren M. Ward
- Department of Fisheries Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA;
| | - Jason J. Williams
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA;
| | - Nicholas S. Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;
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Baines SB, Chen X, Vogt S, Fisher NS, Twining BS, Landry MR. Microplankton trace element contents: implications for mineral limitation of mesozooplankton in an HNLC area. J Plankton Res 2016; 38:256-270. [PMID: 27275029 PMCID: PMC4889991 DOI: 10.1093/plankt/fbv109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Mesozooplankton production in high-nutrient low-chlorophyll regions of the ocean may be reduced if the trace element concentrations in their food are insufficient to meet growth and metabolic demands. We used elemental microanalysis (SXRF) of single-celled plankton to determine their trace metal contents during a series of semi-Lagrangian drift studies in an HNLC upwelling region, the Costa Rica Dome (CRD). Cells from the surface mixed layer had lower Fe:S but higher Zn:S and Ni:S than those from the subsurface chlorophyll maximum at 22-30 m. Diatom Fe:S values were typically 3-fold higher than those in flagellated cells. The ratios of Zn:C in flagellates and diatoms were generally similar to each other, and to co-occurring mesozooplankton. Estimated Fe:C ratios in flagellates were lower than those in co-occurring mesozooplankton, sometimes by more than 3-fold. In contrast, Fe:C in diatoms was typically similar to that in zooplankton. RNA:DNA ratios in the CRD were low compared with other regions, and were related to total autotrophic biomass and weakly to the discrepancy between Zn:C in flagellated cells and mesozooplankton tissues. Mesozooplankton may have been affected by the trace element content of their food, even though trace metal limitation of phytoplankton was modest at best.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B. Baines
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11789-5245, USA
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11789-5000, USA
| | - Stefan Vogt
- Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA
| | - Nicholas S. Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11789-5000, USA
| | | | - Michael R. Landry
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093-0227, USA
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Baines SB, Chen X, Twining BS, Fisher NS, Landry MR. Factors affecting Fe and Zn contents of mesozooplankton from the Costa Rica Dome. J Plankton Res 2016; 38:331-347. [PMID: 27275034 PMCID: PMC4889987 DOI: 10.1093/plankt/fbv098] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Mineral limitation of mesozooplankton production is possible in waters with low trace metal availability. As a step toward estimating mesozooplankton Fe and Zn requirements under such conditions, we measured tissue concentrations of major and trace nutrient elements within size-fractioned zooplankton samples collected in and around the Costa Rica Upwelling Dome, a region where phytoplankton growth may be co-limited by Zn and Fe. The geometric mean C, N, P contents were 27, 5.6 and 0.21 mmol gdw-1, respectively. The values for Fe and Zn were 1230 and 498 nmol gdw-1, respectively, which are low compared with previous measurements. Migrant zooplankton caused C and P contents of the 2-5 mm fraction to increase at night relative to the day while the Fe and Zn contents decreased. Fe content increased with size while Zn content decreased with size. Fe content was strongly correlated to concentrations of two lithogenic tracers, Al and Ti. We estimate minimum Fe:C ratios in large migrant and resident mixed layer zooplankton to be 15 and 60 µmol mol-1, respectively. The ratio of Zn:C ranged from 11 µmol mol-1 for the 0.2-0.5 mm size fraction to 33 µmol mol-1 for the 2-5 mm size fraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen B. Baines
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11789-5245, USA
- corresponding author:
| | - Xi Chen
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11789-5000, USA
| | | | - Nicholas S. Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11789-5000, USA
| | - Michael R. Landry
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-0227, USA
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Fisher NS, Fowler SW, Madigan DJ. Perspectives and reflections on the public reaction to recent Fukushima-related radionuclide studies and a call for enhanced training in environmental radioactivity. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015; 34:707-709. [PMID: 25523833 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Karimi R, Fisher NS, Meliker JR. Mercury-nutrient signatures in seafood and in the blood of avid seafood consumers. Sci Total Environ 2014; 496:636-643. [PMID: 24846746 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 11/27/2013] [Revised: 04/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Dietary recommendations for seafood are confusing due to the desire to balance both benefits from nutrients and risks from contaminants. The overall health value of different fish and shellfish items depends on concentrations of multiple nutrients (e.g., selenium (Se), omega-3 fatty acids) and contaminants (e.g., mercury (Hg)). However, few studies have examined the connections between human exposure to multiple nutrients and contaminants and the consumption of specific types of seafood. Our goals were to compare 1) Hg, Se and omega-3 fatty acid concentrations (Hg-nutrient signatures) among common fish and shellfish items and 2) Hg-nutrient signatures in the blood of avid seafood consumers, based on seafood consumption habits. We compiled nutrient and Hg concentration data for common fish and shellfish items from the literature. We also measured blood concentrations of Hg and seafood nutrients collected from adult, avid seafood consumers on Long Island, NY. Canonical discriminant analyses revealed distinct Hg-nutrient signatures among seafood items, and these signatures were reflected in the blood of consumers based on different consumption habits. For example, consumers with a salmon-dominated seafood diet had relatively high percentage of omega-3 fatty acids in blood, and consumers who tend to eat top predator seafood have higher Hg, but similar blood nutrient concentrations compared to consumers who tend to eat low trophic level seafood. These results provide direct evidence of links between the ecological characteristics of the type of seafood consumed and Hg-nutrient exposure. This approach helps assess the overall human health value of specific seafood types, leads to specific diet recommendations, and can be used to characterize risk:benefit status among seafood consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Karimi
- Stony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- Stony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jaymie R Meliker
- Stony Brook University, Program in Public Health and Department of Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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32
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Nalluri D, Baumann Z, Abercrombie DL, Chapman DD, Hammerschmidt CR, Fisher NS. Methylmercury in dried shark fins and shark fin soup from American restaurants. Sci Total Environ 2014; 496:644-648. [PMID: 24835340 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 02/13/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of meat from large predatory sharks exposes human consumers to high levels of toxic monomethylmercury (MMHg). There also have been claims that shark fins, and hence the Asian delicacy shark fin soup, contain harmful levels of neurotoxic chemicals in combination with MMHg, although concentrations of MMHg in shark fins are unknown. We measured MMHg in dried, unprocessed fins (n=50) of 13 shark species that occur in the international trade of dried shark fins as well as 50 samples of shark fin soup prepared by restaurants from around the United States. Concentrations of MMHg in fins ranged from 9 to 1720 ng/g dry wt. MMHg in shark fin soup ranged from <0.01 to 34 ng/mL, with MMHg averaging 62 ± 7% of total Hg. The highest concentrations of MMHg and total Hg were observed in both fins and soup from large, high trophic level sharks such as hammerheads (Sphyrna spp.). Consumption of a 240 mL bowl of shark fin soup containing the average concentration of MMHg (4.6 ng/mL) would result in a dose of 1.1 μg MMHg, which is 16% of the U.S. EPA's reference dose (0.1 μg MMHg per 1 kg per day in adults) of 7.4 μg per day for a 74 kg person. If consumed, the soup containing the highest measured MMHg concentration would exceed the reference dose by 17%. While shark fin soup represents a potentially important source of MMHg to human consumers, other seafood products, particularly the flesh of apex marine predators, contain much higher MMHg concentrations and can result in substantially greater exposures of this contaminant for people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepthi Nalluri
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, United States
| | - Zofia Baumann
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Avery Point, Groton, CT 06340, United States.
| | - Debra L Abercrombie
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, United States
| | - Demian D Chapman
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, United States
| | - Chad R Hammerschmidt
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, United States
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Avery Point, Groton, CT 06340, United States
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Karimi R, Silbernagel S, Fisher NS, Meliker JR. Elevated blood Hg at recommended seafood consumption rates in adult seafood consumers. Int J Hyg Environ Health 2014; 217:758-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheh.2014.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2014] [Revised: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Madigan DJ, Baumann Z, Carlisle AB, Hoen DK, Popp BN, Dewar H, Snodgrass OE, Block BA, Fisher NS. Reconstructing transoceanic migration patterns of Pacific bluefin tuna using a chemical tracer toolbox. Ecology 2014; 95:1674-83. [PMID: 25039231 DOI: 10.1890/13-1467.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Large pelagic predators play important roles in oceanic ecosystems, and may migrate vast distances to utilize resources in different marine ecoregions. Understanding movement patterns of migratory marine animals is critical for effective management, but often challenging, due to the cryptic habitat of pelagic migrators and the difficulty of assessing past movements. Chemical tracers can partially circumvent these challenges by reconstructing recent migration patterns. Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis; PBFT) inhabit the western and eastern Pacific Ocean, and are in steep decline due to overfishing. Understanding age-specific eastward transpacific migration patterns can improve management practices, but these migratory dynamics remain largely unquantified. Here, we combine a Fukushima-derived radiotracer (134Cs) with bulk tissue and amino acid stable isotope analyses of PBFT to distinguish recent migrants from residents of the eastern Pacific Ocean. The proportion of recent migrants to residents decreased in older year classes, though the proportion of older PBFT that recently migrated across the Pacific was greater than previous estimates. This novel toolbox of biogeochemical tracers can be applied to any species that crosses the North Pacific Ocean.
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Dutton J, Fisher NS. Modeling metal bioaccumulation and tissue distribution in killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) in three contaminated estuaries. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014; 33:89-101. [PMID: 24105776 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The present study experimentally assessed the uptake, loss, and resulting tissue distribution of As(V), Cd, Cr(III), Hg(II), and methylmercury (MeHg) in killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) following aqueous exposure in water collected from 3 contaminated field sites-Baltimore Harbor and Elizabeth River (Chesapeake Bay), and Mare Island (San Francisco Bay)-using a radiotracer technique. Uptake rate constants (L g-1 d-1) were highest for MeHg (0.370-0.781) and lowest for As (0.00028-0.00065). Loss rate constants (d-1) were highest for As (0.046-0.096) and lowest for MeHg (0.006-0.009). Tissue distribution data showed that MeHg was redistributed around the body throughout the 9-d depuration period, and drinking may be an uptake mechanism for Cd from the aqueous phase in higher-salinity water. The kinetic parameters calculated in the present study were entered into a bioaccumulation model to calculate the predicted body burden of each metal at steady state and the percentage body burden attributable to dietary exposure on a site-specific basis. Calculated body burdens varied between field sites for all metals except Cr. The predicted values for Cd, Hg(II), and MeHg matched independent field data from contaminated estuaries, indicating that the model can account for the major processes governing metal concentration in killifish. The diet accounted for >97% of the body burden of Cd and MeHg and was the predominant exposure route for As and Cr.
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Karimi R, Frisk M, Fisher NS. Contrasting food web factor and body size relationships with Hg and Se concentrations in marine biota. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74695. [PMID: 24019976 PMCID: PMC3760827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 08/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine fish and shellfish are primary sources of human exposure to mercury, a potentially toxic metal, and selenium, an essential element that may protect against mercury bioaccumulation and toxicity. Yet we lack a thorough understanding of Hg and Se patterns in common marine taxa, particularly those that are commercially important, and how food web and body size factors differ in their influence on Hg and Se patterns. We compared Hg and Se content among marine fish and invertebrate taxa collected from Long Island, NY, and examined associations between Hg, Se, body length, trophic level (measured by δ15N) and degree of pelagic feeding (measured by δ13C). Finfish, particularly shark, had high Hg content whereas bivalves generally had high Se content. Both taxonomic differences and variability were larger for Hg than Se, and Hg content explained most of the variation in Hg:Se molar ratios among taxa. Finally, Hg was more strongly associated with length and trophic level across taxa than Se, consistent with a greater degree of Hg bioaccumulation in the body over time, and biomagnification through the food web, respectively. Overall, our findings indicate distinct taxonomic and ecological Hg and Se patterns in commercially important marine biota, and these patterns have nutritional and toxicological implications for seafood-consuming wildlife and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Karimi
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
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Poteat MD, Garland T, Fisher NS, Wang WX, Buchwalter DB. Evolutionary patterns in trace metal (cd and zn) efflux capacity in aquatic organisms. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:7989-7995. [PMID: 23772993 DOI: 10.1021/es401368u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The ability to eliminate (efflux) metals is a physiological trait that acts as a major driver of bioaccumulation differences among species. This species-specific trait plays a large role in determining the metal loads that species will need to detoxify to persist in chronically contaminated environments and, therefore, contributes significantly to differences in environmental sensitivity among species. To develop a better understanding of how efflux varies within and among taxonomic groupings, we compared Cd and Zn efflux rate constants (ke values) among members of two species-rich aquatic insect families, Ephemerellidae and Hydropsychidae, and discovered that ke values strongly covaried across species. This relationship allowed us to successfully predict Zn efflux from Cd data gathered from aquatic species belonging to other insect orders and families. We then performed a broader, comparative analysis of Cd and Zn ke values from existing data for arthropods, mollusks, annelids, and chordates (77 species total) and found significant phylogenetic patterns. Taxonomic groups exhibited marked variability in ke magnitudes and ranges, suggesting that some groups are more constrained than others in their abilities to eliminate metals. Understanding broader patterns of variability can lead to more rational extrapolations across species and improved protectiveness in water-quality criteria and ecological assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica D Poteat
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, USA
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Fisher NS, Beaugelin-Seiller K, Hinton TG, Baumann Z, Madigan DJ, Garnier-Laplace J. Evaluation of radiation doses and associated risk from the Fukushima nuclear accident to marine biota and human consumers of seafood. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:10670-5. [PMID: 23733934 PMCID: PMC3696798 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221834110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Radioactive isotopes originating from the damaged Fukushima nuclear reactor in Japan following the earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 were found in resident marine animals and in migratory Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT). Publication of this information resulted in a worldwide response that caused public anxiety and concern, although PBFT captured off California in August 2011 contained activity concentrations below those from naturally occurring radionuclides. To link the radioactivity to possible health impairments, we calculated doses, attributable to the Fukushima-derived and the naturally occurring radionuclides, to both the marine biota and human fish consumers. We showed that doses in all cases were dominated by the naturally occurring alpha-emitter (210)Po and that Fukushima-derived doses were three to four orders of magnitude below (210)Po-derived doses. Doses to marine biota were about two orders of magnitude below the lowest benchmark protection level proposed for ecosystems (10 µGy⋅h(-1)). The additional dose from Fukushima radionuclides to humans consuming tainted PBFT in the United States was calculated to be 0.9 and 4.7 µSv for average consumers and subsistence fishermen, respectively. Such doses are comparable to, or less than, the dose all humans routinely obtain from naturally occurring radionuclides in many food items, medical treatments, air travel, or other background sources. Although uncertainties remain regarding the assessment of cancer risk at low doses of ionizing radiation to humans, the dose received from PBFT consumption by subsistence fishermen can be estimated to result in two additional fatal cancer cases per 10,000,000 similarly exposed people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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Madigan DJ, Baumann Z, Snodgrass OE, Ergül HA, Dewar H, Fisher NS. Radiocesium in Pacific bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis in 2012 validates new tracer technique. Environ Sci Technol 2013; 47:2287-2294. [PMID: 23398380 DOI: 10.1021/es4002423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The detection of Fukushima-derived radionuclides in Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT) that crossed the Pacific Ocean to the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) in 2011 presented the potential to use radiocesium as a tracer in highly migratory species. This tracer requires that all western Pacific Ocean emigrants acquire the (134)Cs signal, a radioisotope undetectable in Pacific biota prior to the Fukushima accident in 2011. We tested the efficacy of the radiocesium tracer by measuring (134)Cs and (137)Cs in PBFT (n = 50) caught in the CCLME in 2012, more than a year after the Fukushima accident. All small PBFT (n = 28; recent migrants from Japan) had (134)Cs (0.7 ± 0.2 Bq kg(-1)) and elevated (137)Cs (2.0 ± 0.5 Bq kg(-1)) in their white muscle tissue. Most larger, older fish (n = 22) had no (134)Cs and only background levels of (137)Cs, showing that one year in the CCLME is sufficient for (134)Cs and (137)Cs values in PBFT to reach pre-Fukushima levels. Radiocesium concentrations in 2012 PBFT were less than half those from 2011 and well below safety guidelines for public health. Detection of (134)Cs in all recent migrant PBFT supports the use of radiocesium as a tracer in migratory animals in 2012.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Madigan
- Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University , 120 Ocean View Boulevard, Pacific Grove, California 93950, United States
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Karimi R, Fitzgerald TP, Fisher NS. A quantitative synthesis of mercury in commercial seafood and implications for exposure in the United States. Environ Health Perspect 2012; 120:1512-9. [PMID: 22732656 PMCID: PMC3556626 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.1205122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [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: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 06/25/2012] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that presents public health risks through fish consumption. A major source of uncertainty in evaluating harmful exposure is inadequate knowledge of Hg concentrations in commercially important seafood. OBJECTIVES We examined patterns, variability, and knowledge gaps of Hg in common commercial seafood items in the United States and compared seafood Hg concentrations from our database to those used for exposure estimates and consumption advice. METHODS We developed a database of Hg concentrations in fish and shellfish common to the U.S. market by aggregating available data from government monitoring programs and the scientific literature. We calculated a grand mean for individual seafood items, based on reported means from individual studies, weighted by sample size. We also compared database results to those of federal programs and human health criteria [U.S. Food and Drug Administration Hg Monitoring Program (FDA-MP), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)]. RESULTS Mean Hg concentrations for each seafood item were highly variable among studies, spanning 0.3-2.4 orders of magnitude. Farmed fish generally had lower grand mean Hg concentrations than their wild counterparts, with wild seafood having 2- to 12-fold higher concentrations, depending on the seafood item. However, farmed fish are relatively understudied, as are specific seafood items and seafood imports from Asia and South America. Finally, we found large discrepancies between mean Hg concentrations estimated from our database and FDA-MP estimates for most seafood items examined. CONCLUSIONS The high variability in Hg in common seafood items has considerable ramifications for public health and the formulation of consumption guidelines. Exposure and risk analyses derived from smaller data sets do not reflect our collective, available information on seafood Hg concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Karimi
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-5000, USA.
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Koch F, Hattenrath-Lehmann TK, Goleski JA, Sañudo-Wilhelmy S, Fisher NS, Gobler CJ. Vitamin b(1) and b(12) uptake and cycling by plankton communities in coastal ecosystems. Front Microbiol 2012; 3:363. [PMID: 23091470 PMCID: PMC3469840 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Accepted: 09/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
While vitamin B12 has recently been shown to co-limit the growth of coastal phytoplankton assemblages, the cycling of B-vitamins in coastal ecosystems is poorly understood as planktonic uptake rates of vitamins B1 and B12 have never been quantified in tandem in any aquatic ecosystem. The goal of this study was to establish the relationships between plankton community composition, carbon fixation, and B-vitamin assimilation in two contrasting estuarine systems. We show that, although B-vitamin concentrations were low (pM), vitamin concentrations and uptake rates were higher within a more eutrophic estuary and that vitamin B12 uptake rates were significantly correlated with rates of primary production. Eutrophic sites hosted larger bacterial and picoplankton abundances with larger carbon normalized vitamin uptake rates. Although the >2 μm phytoplankton biomass was often dominated by groups with a high incidence of vitamin auxotrophy (dinoflagellates and diatoms), picoplankton (<2 μm) were always responsible for the majority of B12-vitamin uptake. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that heterotrophic bacteria were the primary users of vitamins among the picoplankton during this study. Nutrient/vitamin amendment experiments demonstrated that, in the Summer and Fall, vitamin B12 occasionally limited or co-limited the accumulation of phytoplankton biomass together with nitrogen. Combined with prior studies, these findings suggest that picoplankton are the primary producers and users of B-vitamins in some coastal ecosystems and that rapid uptake of B-vitamins by heterotrophic bacteria may sometimes deprive larger phytoplankton of these micronutrients and thus influence phytoplankton species succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Koch
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University Southampton, NY, USA
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Dutton J, Fisher NS. Influence of humic acid on the uptake of aqueous metals by the killifish Fundulus heteroclitus. Environ Toxicol Chem 2012; 31:2225-2232. [PMID: 22821875 DOI: 10.1002/etc.1947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2012] [Revised: 04/03/2012] [Accepted: 06/06/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The role of humic acids, over a concentration range of 0 to 20 mg L(-1) , was investigated in the uptake of three metals (Cd, Cr, and Hg-as both inorganic Hg [Hg(II)] and methylmercury [MeHg]) and a metalloid (As) from the aqueous phase by the killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus). Cadmium uptake showed no relationship with humic acid concentration, whereas Cr, Hg(II), and MeHg uptake showed an inverse relationship, and As uptake increased with increasing humic acid concentration. Concentration factors were >1 for Cd, Hg(II), and MeHg at all humic acid concentrations, indicating killifish were more enriched in the metal than the experimental media, whereas As and Cr generally had concentration factors <1 at the end of a 72-h exposure. The uptake of As and Cr reached steady state within the 72-h exposure, whereas uptake of Cd, Hg(II), and MeHg did not. Uptake rate constants (k(u) s; ml g(-1) d(-1) ) were highest for MeHg (91-3,936), followed by Hg(II), Cd, and Cr, and lowest for As (0.17-0.29). Dissection data revealed that the gills generally had the highest concentration of all metals under all humic acid treatments. The present study concludes that changes in humic acid concentration can influence the accumulation of aqueous metals in killifish and should be considered when modeling metal bioaccumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dutton
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
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Luengen AC, Fisher NS, Bergamaschi BA. Dissolved organic matter reduces algal accumulation of methylmercury. Environ Toxicol Chem 2012; 31:1712-9. [PMID: 22605491 DOI: 10.1002/etc.1885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2011] [Revised: 01/03/2012] [Accepted: 04/06/2012] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) significantly decreased accumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) by the diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana in laboratory experiments. Live diatom cells accumulated two to four times more MeHg than dead cells, indicating that accumulation may be partially an energy-requiring process. Methylmercury enrichment in diatoms relative to ambient water was measured by a volume concentration factor (VCF). Without added DOM, the maximum VCF was 32 × 10(4) , and the average VCF (from 10 to 72 h) over all experiments was 12.6 × 10(4) . At very low (1.5 mg/L) added DOM, VCFs dropped by approximately half. At very high (20 mg/L) added DOM, VCFs dropped 10-fold. Presumably, MeHg was bound to a variety of reduced sulfur sites on the DOM, making it unavailable for uptake. Diatoms accumulated significantly more MeHg when exposed to transphilic DOM extracts than hydrophobic ones. However, algal lysate, a labile type of DOM created by resuspending a marine diatom in freshwater, behaved similarly to a refractory DOM isolate from San Francisco Bay. Addition of 67 µM L-cysteine resulted in the largest drop in VCFs, to 0.28 × 10(4) . Although the DOM composition influenced the availability of MeHg to some extent, total DOM concentration was the most important factor in determining algal bioaccumulation of MeHg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison C Luengen
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
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Baumann Z, Koller A, Fisher NS. Factors influencing the assimilation of arsenic in a deposit-feeding polychaete. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2012; 156:42-50. [PMID: 22507667 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2012.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We investigated mechanisms leading to the assimilation of particle-bound arsenic (As) ingested by the deposit-feeding polychaete Alitta succinea using a radiotracer approach. The release of As from different particle types into extracted gut fluid or bovine serum albumin (BSA), a gut fluid mimic, was measured. In addition, gut fluid proteins were analyzed by separating proteins via 2D gel electrophoresis, and protein peptide sequences were determined by mass spectrometry. Major ions in the gut fluid were measured by ion chromatography and metals by mass spectrometry. Percentages of particulate As release were related to As assimilation efficiencies (AEs) in polychaetes feeding on different particle types. AEs of As were highest from radiolabeled pure diatoms (72%) and radiolabeled diatoms added to sediment (51%), lower from radiolabeled sediment (10%), and lowest from a radiolabeled iron oxide mineral, goethite (2%). It appears that As release from particles is a necessary but not sufficient requirement of As assimilation. For example, 15% of As was released from goethite into the gut fluid but only 2% was assimilated by A. succinea. Our results suggest that the likelihood of As assimilation is higher when it is bound to an organic compound of nutritional value in the ingested particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia Baumann
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Stony Brook University, NY 11794-5000, USA.
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45
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Dutton J, Fisher NS. Salinity effects on the bioavailability of aqueous metals for the estuarine killifish Fundulus heteroclitus. Environ Toxicol Chem 2011; 30:2107-2114. [PMID: 21688308 DOI: 10.1002/etc.600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [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: 02/06/2011] [Revised: 03/30/2011] [Accepted: 05/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Estuarine organisms experience varying salinity conditions on a daily and seasonal basis, and these fluctuations could influence the amount of metal accumulated from the aqueous phase. The present study experimentally assessed the role of salinity (0, 2, 6, 12, and 25 ppt) on the uptake of As, Cd, Cr, inorganic Hg [Hg(II)], and methylmercury (MeHg) into the euryhaline killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) from the aqueous phase using gamma-emitting radioisotopes. Patterns of metal uptake as a function of salinity varied by metal. Chromium showed no relationship with salinity; Cd, which was most affected by salinity, showed an inverse relationship; and As, Hg(II), and MeHg uptake increased as salinity increased from 0 ppt to 25 ppt. Arsenic (salinities ≤ 6 ppt) and Cr were regulated by the fish, whereas Cd, Hg(II), and MeHg were not. Cadmium, Hg(II), and MeHg are chloro-complexed, increasing bioavailability for Hg(II) and MeHg, and reducing bioavailability for Cd. Concentration factors (CFs) were >1 at all salinities for Cd, Hg(II), and MeHg, indicating that the fish were more enriched in the metal than the surrounding water, whereas As and Cr CFs were <1 at all salinities. Uptake rate constants (k(u)s) were highest for MeHg (0.79-2.29 L g(-1) d(-1)), followed by Hg(II), Cd, Cr, and lowest for As (0.0004-0.0008 L g(-1) d(-1)). Tissue distribution of each metal was determined by dissections. Data for Cd showed that as salinity increased, the concentration of this metal increased in the viscera, whereas it decreased in the head and gills, suggesting that drinking to osmoregulate may account for a portion of Cd uptake from the aqueous phase in marine fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dutton
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
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Dutton J, Fisher NS. Bioaccumulation of As, Cd, Cr, Hg(II), and MeHg in killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) from amphipod and worm prey. Sci Total Environ 2011; 409:3438-3447. [PMID: 21658746 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Revised: 04/27/2011] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Elevated metal levels in fish are a concern for the fish themselves, their predators, and possibly humans who consume contaminated seafood. Metal bioaccumulation models often rely on assimilation efficiencies (AEs) of ingested metals and loss rate constants after dietary exposure (k(ef)s). These models can be used to better understand processes regulating metal accumulation and can be used to make site-specific predictions of metal concentrations in animal tissues. Fish often consume a varied diet, and prey choice can influence these two parameters. We investigated the trophic transfer of As, Cd, Cr, Hg(II), and methylmercury (MeHg) from a benthic amphipod (Leptocheirus plumulosus) and an oligochaete (Lumbriculus variegatus) to killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) using gamma-emitting radioisotopes. Except for MeHg, AEs varied between prey type. AEs were highest for MeHg (92%) and lowest for Cd (2.9-4.5%) and Cr (0.2-4%). Hg(II) showed the largest AE difference between prey type (14% amphipods, 24% worms). For Cd and Hg(II) k(ef)s were higher after consuming amphipods than consuming worms. Tissue distribution data shows that Cd and Hg(II) were mainly associated with the intestine, whereas As and MeHg were transported throughout the body. Calculated trophic transfer factors (TTFs) suggest that MeHg is likely to biomagnify at this trophic step at all ingestion rates, whereas As, Cd, Cr, and Hg(II) will not. Data collected in this study and others indicate that using one prey item to calculate AE and k(ef) could lead to an over- or underestimation of these parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Dutton
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA.
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Baumann Z, Fisher NS. Modeling metal bioaccumulation in a deposit-feeding polychaete from labile sediment fractions and from pore water. Sci Total Environ 2011; 409:2607-2615. [PMID: 21481438 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2010] [Revised: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 03/10/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Estuarine sediments are often highly enriched in particle-reactive metal contaminants and because aquatic animals have often been shown to acquire metals predominantly from their diet, benthic animals feeding on deposited or resuspended sediments may also accumulate metals through this uptake pathway. Laboratory experiments were performed in which the surface deposit-feeding polychaete, Nereis succinea, was exposed to As(+5), Cd, and Cr(+3) in pore water or in estuarine sediments with and without enrichment with algal debris. These experiments generated metal uptake parameters (assimilation efficiency of ingested metal [AE], uptake rate constant of dissolved metal, efflux rate constants following dietary or aqueous metal exposures) used in a kinetic model of metal bioaccumulation. The model showed that > 97% of the body burden of these metals is accumulated through ingested sediment. The kinetic model was further modified to consider the geochemical fractionation of the metals in the sediments because metals bound to some fractions were shown to be unavailable to these polychaetes. The modified model substituted the AE term for each metal by the percentage of metal extracted in neutral and weak acid exchangeable fractions (termed "carbonex" fraction) multiplied by the slope of the regression between the metal AE and its fractionation in carbonex. The modified model generated predictions of As, Cd, and Cr body burdens in polychaetes at three different estuarine sites that matched independent field observations at these sites (r²=0.84 for sediments without organic enrichment, r²=0.87 with organic enrichment). Model predictions that relied on total metal concentrations showed weaker relationships (r²=0.11-0.50). This study adds to the evidence for the dominance of dietary uptake of metals in aquatic animals and identifies a key sedimentary fraction of metals that can account for bioavailability of sediment-bound metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia Baumann
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000, USA.
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Peng X, Palma S, Fisher NS, Wong SS. Effect of morphology of ZnO nanostructures on their toxicity to marine algae. Aquat Toxicol 2011; 102:186-196. [PMID: 21356181 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2011.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2010] [Revised: 01/21/2011] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The influence of ZnO nanoparticle morphology on its toxicity for marine diatoms was evaluated. Four ZnO nanoparticle motifs, possessing distinctive sizes and shapes, were synthesized without adding surfactants. Diameters of ZnO spheres ranged from 6.3 nm to 15.7 nm, and lengths of rod-shaped particles were 242 nm to 862 nm. Their effects on the growth of the marine diatoms, Thalassiosira pseudonana, Chaetoceros gracilis, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, were determined in laboratory cultures. Between 4.1 and 4.9% of the Zn from all types of nanoparticles dissolved within 72 h and was neither concentration dependent nor morphology dependent. Addition of all nanoparticles at all concentrations tested stopped growth of T. pseudonana and C. gracilis, whereas P. tricornutum was the least sensitive, with its growth rate inversely proportional to nanoparticle concentration. Bioaccumulation of Zn released from nanoparticles in T. pseudonana was sufficient to kill this diatom. The toxicity of rod-shaped particles to P. triocornutum was noted to be greater than that of the spheres. The overall results suggest that toxicity studies assessing the effects of nanoparticles on aquatic organisms need to consider both the dissolution of these particles and the cellular interaction of nanoparticle aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Peng
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-3400, United States
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Baumann Z, Fisher NS. Relating the sediment phase speciation of arsenic, cadmium, and chromium with their bioavailability for the deposit-feeding polychaete Nereis succinea. Environ Toxicol Chem 2011; 30:747-56. [PMID: 21154840 DOI: 10.1002/etc.436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2010] [Revised: 10/15/2010] [Accepted: 10/18/2010] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
We studied the influence of sediment geochemistry on bioavailability of As, Cd, and Cr in deposit-feeding polychaetes. Metal phase speciation in sediments was determined with a sequential extraction scheme, and assimilation efficiencies (AEs) of ingested metals were determined by pulse-chase feeding experiments using γ-emitting isotopes. Worms were fed sediments collected from geochemically diverse estuaries that were labeled by sorbing dissolved radiotracers or mixing with radiolabeled algae. Uptake of sediment-bound metals was compared with that from labeled algae or goethite. Metal AEs showed a positive relationship with the exchangeable and carbonate sedimentary fractions, whereas metals in iron and manganese oxides and acid-volatile sulfides, or in pyrite and other refractory material, were inversely correlated with AEs. Arsenic was most bioavailable from algae (72%), less from sediments mixed with algae (24-70%) and least from sediments labeled directly (1-12%). Arsenic AEs in sediments labeled directly showed a positive correlation with sedimentary Mn and Al and negative correlation with Fe. Cadmium AEs were positively correlated with salinity and negatively correlated with sedimentary organic C. The AEs of Cr from sediments or algae were less than 5%, but they were 34% from pure goethite. By quantifying the relationship of metal speciation in sediments with their bioavailability for deposit-feeding polychaetes, the present study provides new insight into understanding metal bioaccumulation in benthic invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zofia Baumann
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Williams JJ, Dutton J, Chen CY, Fisher NS. Metal (As, Cd, Hg, and CH3Hg) bioaccumulation from water and food by the benthic amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus. Environ Toxicol Chem 2010; 29:1755-61. [PMID: 20821629 PMCID: PMC3087379 DOI: 10.1002/etc.207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Benthic invertebrates may be exposed to metals in pore water, overlying water, ingested sediments, and other food particles. Rates and routes of metal exposure have important implications for predicting toxicity and interpreting toxicity test results. For the standard test amphipod Leptocheirus plumulosus, radiotracer techniques were used to quantify rates of Cd, As, Hg(II), and CH(3)Hg bioaccumulation from water and from suspension feeding on labeled microalgae. Measured parameters were incorporated into a bioaccumulation model to predict steady-state metal concentrations in L. plumulosus and to evaluate the relative importance of aqueous and dietary uptake pathways across a range of ingested particle types and ingestion rates. Results indicate that ingested particles contribute strongly to metal bioaccumulation and that feeding plasticity could strongly influence metal exposure. As L. plumulosus switches from suspension feeding to deposit feeding or selectively feeds on particles for which it has a high assimilation efficiency, metal exposure and body burden will increase. At ingestion rates previously reported for deposit feeding (3 g/g/d), dietary metal sources dominate metal bioaccumulation and can be responsible for greater than 90% of metal bioaccumulated, regardless of metal partitioning or ingested particle type. These results suggest that more research on L. plumulosus feeding behavior is needed to produce a more complete mechanistic understanding of metal bioaccumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason J Williams
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USA.
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