Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web

Seco, José; Aparício, Sara; Brierley, Andrew S.; Bustamante, Paco; Ceia, Filipe R.; Coelho, J.P.; Philips, Richard A.; Saunders, Ryan A.; Fielding, Sophie; Gregory, Susan; Matias, Ricardo; Pardal, Miguel Ângelo; Pereira, Eduarda; Stowasser, Gabriele; Tarling, Geraint A.; Xavier, José C.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116620

Cited by 51 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…Brown skua diets are variable among populations, for instance, in our study region, the reliance on penguin prey decreases from the Antarctic continent towards South Georgia (Burton, 1968;Reinhardt et al, 2000;Phillips et al, 2004;Anderson et al, 2009b;Graña Grilli and Montalti, 2015;Borghello et al, 2019). Brown skuas also show reversed sexual size dimorphism, with females being significantly larger and heavier than males (Phillips et al, 2002), and Hg burdens are often high in this species owing to their high trophic position (Goutte et al, 2014;Carravieri et al, 2017;Seco et al, 2021). Here, our aim was to analyse how Hg contamination of brown skuas varies among breeding colonies located at different latitudes, between sexes and, using bulk stable isotope ratios as proxies, in relation to trophic ecology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…Biomagnification of Hg has been demonstrated in the Scotia Sea ecosystem, from particulate organic matter through to higher trophic levels (Anderson et al, 2009a;Seco et al, 2021). Indeed, mean blood THg concentrations of several large seabird species in our study region are higher than those of brown skuas in this study; however, it is notable that those of southern giant petrels Macronectes giganteus (2.74 ± 1.05 µg g -1 dw, range: 1.52-4.74 µg g -1 dw), and northern giant petrels M. halli (3.93 ± 1.37 µg g -1 dw, range: 2.18-6.38 µg g -1 dw) from Bird Island in 2001/02 were lower than in brown skuas from Bird Island in 2014/15 (Anderson et al, 2009a;this study).…”

Section: Relationships With Blood δ 15 N Valuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Once deposited in the marine environment, inorganic Hg (Hg II ) is converted via biotic in situ methylation to the more toxic form, methyl-Hg (MeHg, [CH3Hg] + ), which, once assimilated, bioaccumulates within marine organisms (i.e., concentrations increase within the body over time) and biomagnifies through marine food webs from lower to higher trophic levels (Bargagli et al, 1998;Blum et al, 2013;Seco et al, 2021). Long-lived, upper trophic level predators, such as many seabirds, are potentially exposed to high levels of Hg through their diets (Cherel et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial and sex differences in mercury contamination of skuas in the Southern Ocean

Mills

Ibáñez

Bustamante

et al. 2022

Environmental Pollution

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Relationships With Blood δ 15 N Valuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial and sex differences in mercury contamination of skuas in the Southern Ocean

Mills

Ibáñez

Bustamante

et al. 2022

Environmental Pollution

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“…Hg is a known toxic, persistent and mobile contaminant that has been listed as one of the 10 leading chemicals of concern (Gworek et al, 2020) and as one of the three most toxic elements on the planet (Rice et al, 2014). Given that Hg has the potential to biomagnify up trophic levels (Seco et al, 2021) the presence of Hg in the e‐waste soils, even at low concentrations observed in this study, is a cause for concern. Zn and Cu were also excreted slowly by A. nilotica and although they both had BAFs <1, high amounts of these metals were taken up by the worms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Soil Contamination and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by a Tropical Earthworm Species (Alma nilotica) at Informal E‐Waste Recycling Sites in Douala, Cameroon

Nfor

Fai

Tamungang

et al. 2022

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Soil contamination at electronic waste (e‐waste) recycling sites is pervasive, though many locations have yet to be studied. While such contamination can present risks to soil organisms, little is known on the risks to native species. The objective of the present study was to assess soil contamination by heavy metals at e‐waste recycling sites, and the potential of Alma nilotica, a native earthworm species, to bioaccumulate these metals. Soil samples collected from eight informal e‐waste recycling sites and two non‐e‐waste sites in Douala, Cameroon, were analyzed for metal content. Metal concentrations in earthworm juveniles exposed to the soils for 21 days followed by a 14‐day post‐exposure period were measured weekly. Mean soil metal concentrations at e‐waste sites ranked as Cu > Pb > Zn > Hg > Ni > As > Cd > Co > Cr. Based on contamination factors, soil contamination ranged from “moderate” (Cr), through “considerable” (Co and Cd), to “very high” for the rest of the metals. Based on the modified degree of contamination and risk index, all e‐waste sites had “ultra‐high” contamination with Ni, Pb, and Zn posing very high ecological risks and Bonaberi being the most contaminated site. There was a positive correlation between soil metal concentrations and metal accumulation (retention) by eathworms, but Hg and Co had the highest bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) despite having low soil concentrations. These results document that e‐waste sites in Douala are contaminated with metals and that native earthworm species can bioaccumulate the studied metals at levels that could account for the toxic effects earlier recorded. With e‐waste recycling growing worldwide, there is a need for more data, especially from understudied locations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:356–368. © 2021 SETAC

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“…Major gaps remain in our knowledge of the impacts of pollution on fish and squid in the Southern Ocean, and importantly, the extent to which these impacts may have population level effects (Seco et al, 2021). Studies that build on in situ work identifying the physiological mechanisms of pollution impacts will be critical to build hypotheses that identify vulnerable species and populations.…”

Section: Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity and Change in Fish and Squid in the Southern Ocean

et al. 2021

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Southern Ocean ecosystems are globally important and vulnerable to global drivers of change, yet they remain challenging to study. Fish and squid make up a significant portion of the biomass within the Southern Ocean, filling key roles in food webs from forage to mid-trophic species and top predators. They comprise a diverse array of species uniquely adapted to the extreme habitats of the region. Adaptations such as antifreeze glycoproteins, lipid-retention, extended larval phases, delayed senescence, and energy-conserving life strategies equip Antarctic fish and squid to withstand the dark winters and yearlong subzero temperatures experienced in much of the Southern Ocean. In addition to krill exploitation, the comparatively high commercial value of Antarctic fish, particularly the lucrative toothfish, drives fisheries interests, which has included illegal fishing. Uncertainty about the population dynamics of target species and ecosystem structure and function more broadly has necessitated a precautionary, ecosystem approach to managing these stocks and enabling the recovery of depleted species. Fisheries currently remain the major local driver of change in Southern Ocean fish productivity, but global climate change presents an even greater challenge to assessing future changes. Parts of the Southern Ocean are experiencing ocean-warming, such as the West Antarctic Peninsula, while other areas, such as the Ross Sea shelf, have undergone cooling in recent years. These trends are expected to result in a redistribution of species based on their tolerances to different temperature regimes. Climate variability may impair the migratory response of these species to environmental change, while imposing increased pressures on recruitment. Fisheries and climate change, coupled with related local and global drivers such as pollution and sea ice change, have the potential to produce synergistic impacts that compound the risks to Antarctic fish and squid species. The uncertainty surrounding how different species will respond to these challenges, given their varying life histories, environmental dependencies, and resiliencies, necessitates regular assessment to inform conservation and management decisions. Urgent attention is needed to determine whether the current management strategies are suitably precautionary to achieve conservation objectives in light of the impending changes to the ecosystem.

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Mercury biomagnification in a Southern Ocean food web

Cited by 51 publications

References 88 publications

Spatial and sex differences in mercury contamination of skuas in the Southern Ocean

Spatial and sex differences in mercury contamination of skuas in the Southern Ocean

Soil Contamination and Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals by a Tropical Earthworm Species (Alma nilotica) at Informal E‐Waste Recycling Sites in Douala, Cameroon

Productivity and Change in Fish and Squid in the Southern Ocean

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