Donadt Caitlyn, Cooke Colin A, Graydon Jennifer A, Poesch Mark S
Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Alberta Environment and Parks, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Environ Toxicol Chem. 2021 Feb;40(2):422-434. doi: 10.1002/etc.4926. Epub 2020 Dec 28.
Trace elements can accumulate in aquatic food webs, becoming potentially hazardous to wildlife and human health. Whereas many studies have examined mercury dynamics in freshwater environments, evidence for the bioaccumulative potential of other trace elements (e.g., arsenic) is conflicting. Trace element concentrations found in surface water of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada, have raised concern for potential accumulation in aquatic biota. We investigated fish from this river to better understand the influence of biological and environmental factors in trace element bioaccumulation. We analyzed 20 trace elements, and stable nitrogen (δ N) and carbon (δ C) isotopes, in the muscle tissue of 8 species. Zinc, selenium, arsenic, chromium, and nickel were detected in the majority of fish at low concentrations. However, mercury was detected in all fish and often exceeded criteria for the protection of consumers. Body size was often positively correlated with trace element concentrations. In addition, δ N and δ C were correlated to mercury and arsenic concentrations, indicating that mercury biomagnifies whereas arsenic biodiminishes. Spatial patterns of fish trace element concentrations did not reflect differences in surface water concentrations. These findings indicate that fish trace element concentrations are primarily moderated by biological factors, such as trophic position and body size, and are not locally restricted to areas of relatively high environmental concentrations in the Red Deer River. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:422-434. © 2020 SETAC.
微量元素可在水生食物网中蓄积，对野生动物和人类健康构成潜在危害。尽管许多研究已考察了淡水环境中的汞动态，但其他微量元素（如砷）的生物累积潜力的证据却相互矛盾。在加拿大艾伯塔省红鹿河的地表水发现的微量元素浓度引发了对其在水生生物群中潜在蓄积的担忧。我们对这条河中的鱼类进行了调查，以更好地了解生物和环境因素对微量元素生物累积的影响。我们分析了8个物种肌肉组织中的20种微量元素以及稳定氮（δ N）和碳（δ C）同位素。大多数鱼类中都检测到了低浓度的锌、硒、砷、铬和镍。然而，所有鱼类中都检测到了汞，且其含量常常超过保护消费者的标准。鱼体大小通常与微量元素浓度呈正相关。此外，δ N和δ C与汞和砷的浓度相关，表明汞会生物放大而砷会生物递减。鱼类微量元素浓度的空间格局并未反映出地表水浓度的差异。这些发现表明，鱼类微量元素浓度主要受生物因素（如营养级和鱼体大小）调节，并非局部局限于红鹿河中环境浓度相对较高的区域。《环境毒理学与化学》2021年；40：422 - 434。© 2020 SETAC。
