Ecotoxicology Research Group, RMIT University, School of Science, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Impact Ecology Research Group, School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University Australia, Churchill, Victoria, Australia.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2020 Jan;27(3):3361-3383. doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-07125-3. Epub 2019 Dec 16.
The Gippsland Lakes estuary, a Ramsar listed wetland, in Victoria, Australia, is an area of potential concern for metal pollution due to influxes of human population and associated anthropogenic activities. A biomonitoring exercise was undertaken where the concentrations of 9 metals (Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Ag, Cd and Hg) were analysed in the soft tissue of two common sessile invertebrates: the mussel Mytilus edulis and the barnacle Amphibalanus variegatus from 6 locations on two different occasions throughout the Gippsland Lakes estuary. A salinity gradient exists in the Lakes, from seawater at Lakes Entrance in the east, decreasing down to < 10 PSU in the west at Lake Wellington during times of rainfall, which is a major factor governing the growth and distribution of both species. Dissolved metal levels in general were low; however, Cu at most sites exceeded the 90% trigger values, while all Zn concentrations exceeded the lowest 80% trigger values of the ANZECC marine water quality guidelines for environmental health. Elevated levels of Cu and Zn were found particularly in barnacles at some sites with environmental contamination due to leaching from anti fouling paints and sacrificial zinc anodes. Elevated levels of Ag and Cd were found in mussels at the Hollands Landing site, which is immediately adjacent to a boat ramp, and Cd and Ag at this site are suspected to originate from inland anthropogenic sources. Concentrations of As in M. edulis across all 6 sites in both sampling periods had mean wet weight As concentrations exceeding the maximum level stated in the FSANZ guidelines. A. variegatus contained elevated levels of Hg especially at the North Arm site with a maximum of 13.6 μg Hg/g dry wt., while A. variegatus also showed temporal changes in Hg concentrations across sites. The maximum Hg concentration found in Mytilus edulis was 1.49 μg Hg/g dry wt. at the Hollands Landing site. Previous contaminant studies of biota in the Lakes have targeted sampling of singular predatory or migratory species, such as Black Bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) and the Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis). This is the first biomonitoring study conducted on sessile organisms to assess metal contamination in the system.
澳大利亚维多利亚州的吉普斯兰湖河口是一个拉姆萨尔湿地，由于人口涌入和相关人为活动，这里是金属污染的潜在关注点。我们进行了一项生物监测研究，分析了两种常见的固着无脊椎动物——贻贝 Mytilus edulis 和藤壶 Amphibalanus variegatus 的软组织中的 9 种金属（Cr、Fe、Cu、Zn、As、Se、Ag、Cd 和 Hg）浓度。在这个河口的两个不同时间，从东部的入口湖到西部的惠灵顿湖，盐度存在梯度，在降雨时盐度降至<10 PSU，这是控制这两个物种生长和分布的主要因素。金属的溶解水平总体较低；然而，在大多数地点，Cu 超过了 90%的触发值，而所有 Zn 浓度都超过了 ANZECC 海洋水质指南对环境健康的最低 80%触发值。在一些由于防污漆和牺牲锌阳极浸出而受到环境污染的地点，发现藤壶中的 Cu 和 Zn 水平特别高。在紧邻船坡道的霍兰兹登陆点的贻贝中发现了较高水平的 Ag 和 Cd，而该地点的 Cd 和 Ag 被怀疑来自内陆人为源。在两个采样期的 6 个地点，贻贝的总 As 浓度的平均湿重浓度超过了 FSANZ 指南中规定的最高水平。在北臂站点的 A. variegatus 中发现了较高水平的 Hg，最高值为 13.6μg/g 干重，而 A. variegatus 的 Hg 浓度在各站点也随时间发生变化。在霍兰兹登陆点发现的贻贝中最高 Hg 浓度为 1.49μg/g 干重。之前对湖中的生物群进行的污染物研究针对的是单一的捕食者或洄游物种，如黑鲈（Acanthopagrus butcheri）和伯南布哥海豚（Tursiops australis）。这是第一次对固着生物进行生物监测研究，以评估系统中的金属污染。
