School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; CSIRO Land and Water, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia.
School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia.
Mar Pollut Bull. 2020 Mar;152:110886. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.110886. Epub 2020 Feb 17.
Intensification of lateritic nickel mining in Southeast Asia and Melanesia potentially threatens coastal ecosystems from increased exposure to nickel and suspended sediment. This study investigated the response of Acropora muricata when exposed to either dissolved nickel, clean suspended sediment or nickel-contaminated suspended sediment for 7 days, followed by a 7-d recovery period. Significant bleaching and accumulation of nickel in coral tissue was observed only after exposure to high dissolved nickel concentrations and nickel-spiked suspended sediment. No effect on A. muricata was observed from exposure to a particulate-bound nickel concentration of 60 mg/kg acid-extractable nickel at a suspended sediment concentration of 30 mg/L TSS. This study demonstrates that bioavailability of nickel associated with suspended sediment exposure plays a key role in influencing nickel toxicity to corals. These findings assist in assessments of risk posed by increasing nickel mining activities on tropical marine ecosystems.
东南亚和美拉尼西亚红土镍矿的开采力度加大，可能会使镍和悬浮沉积物的暴露增加，从而威胁到沿海生态系统。本研究调查了当暴露于溶解态镍、清洁悬浮沉积物或含镍污染悬浮沉积物中 7 天后，再经过 7 天恢复期时，石珊瑚（Acropora muricata）的反应。仅在暴露于高溶解态镍浓度和含镍污染悬浮沉积物时，才观察到珊瑚组织出现明显白化和镍积累。当悬浮沉积物中 TSS 浓度为 30 毫克/升时，悬浮沉积物中结合态镍浓度为 60 毫克/千克酸可提取镍时，对石珊瑚（Acropora muricata）没有影响。本研究表明，与悬浮沉积物暴露相关的镍的生物可利用性在影响镍对珊瑚的毒性方面起着关键作用。这些发现有助于评估日益增加的镍开采活动对热带海洋生态系统构成的风险。
