Metal Bioaccumulation by Estuarine Food Webs in New England, USA

Journal of Marine Science and Engineering

Celia Y. Chen¹  Jason J. Williams²  Darren M. Ward³  Nicholas S. Fisher⁴ 

[1] Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA;Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA;Department of Fisheries Biology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA;School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA;

关键词: metals;    estuary;    bioaccumulation;    AVS-SEM;   

DOI  :  10.3390/jmse4020041

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

Unknown