Mercury in the Northern Crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen), in New England, USA

Pennuto, Christopher M.; Lane, Oksana P.; Evers, David C.; Taylor, Robert J.; Loukmas, Jeff

doi:10.1007/s10646-004-6266-x

Cited by 31 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…The comparative uniformity of the HgT accumulation patterns among taxa and sites also indicates that once incorporated into the food web, differences among sites (including BGR) in the proportion of HgT represented by MeHg are small. The high degree of correlation between HgT in juvenile crayfish and both species of fish at all of our sites also indicates a uniformly high MeHg percentage in crayfish, as has been reported elsewhere (Haines et al, 2003;Pennuto et al 2005;Chasar et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…Overall, the amount of animal material in the crayfish diet appears to be an important determinant of their Hg concentration, which has been demonstrated experimentally (Bowling et al, 2011). As noted by Pennuto et al (2005), the influence of invertebrate feeding habits on Hg dynamics in aquatic ecosystems has been greatly underappreciated. In contrast to crayfish, HgT concentrations in Corbicula were similar across our sites and were not correlated with concentrations in other taxa.…”

Section: Concentrations Of Hgt In Whole Crayfish From the Current Andmentioning

confidence: 90%

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Mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification in Ozark stream ecosystems

Schmitt

Stricker

Brumbaugh

2011

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

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a b s t r a c tCrayfish (Orconectes spp.), Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea), northern hog sucker (hog sucker; Hypentelium nigricans), and smallmouth bass (smallmouth; Micropterus dolomieu) from streams in southeastern Missouri (USA) were analyzed for total mercury (HgT) and for stable isotopes of carbon (d S, and TP in hog suckers increased with total length (length) at some sites, indicating site-specific ontogenetic diet shifts. Changes with length were less evident in smallmouth. Length-adjusted HgT site means in both species were strongly correlated with HgT in crayfish (r 2 ¼ 0.97, Po0.01), but not with HgT in Corbicula (r 2 ¼ 0.02, P40.05). ANCOVA and regression models incorporating only TP and, for hog suckers, length, accurately and precisely predicted HgT concentrations in both fish species from all locations. Although low compared to many areas of the USA, HgT (and therefore methylmercury) concentrations in smallmouth and hog suckers are sufficiently high to represent a threat to human health and wildlife. Our data indicate that in Ozark streams, Hg concentrations in crayfish are at least partly determined by their diet, with concentrations in hog suckers, smallmouth, and possibly other higher-level consumers largely determined by concentrations in crayfish and other primary and secondary consumers, fish growth rates, and TP.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Section: Concentrations Of Hgt In Whole Crayfish From the Current Andmentioning

confidence: 90%

Mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification in Ozark stream ecosystems

Schmitt

Stricker

Brumbaugh

2011

Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety

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“…As found by Pennuto et al (2005), concentrations of both Hg and MeHg were higher (p \ 0.01) in the tail than in the remainder of the carcass. Mercury in the tails comprised from 80.6% (Putah Creek) to 87.5% (Cache Creek Settling Basin) of the Hg in the total body.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Mercury and Trace Elements in Crayfish from Northern California

Hothem

Bergen

Bauer

et al. 2007

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol

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We collected two species of crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus and Procambarus clarkii, from Cache and Putah Creeks, California, and analyzed them for mercury and trace elements. Trace elements were higher in carcasses in 40 cases, higher in tails in 5 cases, and not different in 35 cases; no concentration exceeded levels considered harmful. Mercury concentrations were similar among sites, with no overall sex or species effect in tails. Mercury and methylmercury concentrations were higher in tails at all sites. Methylmercury concentrations in crayfish tails (0.156-0.256 microg/g) exceeded concentrations reported in health advisories for consumption of fish and crayfish from these watersheds.

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“…Salamanders have shown elevated Hg levels (Bank et al 2005), and absence of some salamander species has been linked to potential chemical changes such as greater acidification and increased methylmercury availability (Bank et al 2006). Further work has shown that crayfish in low-order streams generally have higher Hg burdens than crayfish in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs within the same watershed (Pennuto et al 2005). There is compelling evidence that the high input of Hg and S in the Appalachian Mountains could have negative population-level impacts on the high diversity of salamander species that reside in upper watershed streams and ponds.…”

Section: High-gradient Headwater Streamsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Air Pollution on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States

Lovett

Tear

Evers

et al. 2009

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

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194

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Conservation organizations have most often focused on land-use change, climate change, and invasive species as prime threats to biodiversity conservation. Although air pollution is an acknowledged widespread problem, it is rarely considered in conservation planning or management. In this synthesis, the state of scientific knowledge on the effects of air pollution on plants and animals in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States is summarized. Four air pollutants (sulfur, nitrogen, ozone, and mercury) and eight ecosystem types ranging from estuaries to alpine tundra are considered. Effects of air pollution were identified, with varying levels of certainty, in all the ecosystem types examined. None of these ecosystem types is free of the impacts of air pollution, and most are affected by multiple pollutants. In aquatic ecosystems, effects of acidity, nitrogen, and mercury on organisms and biogeochemical processes are well documented. Air pollution causes or contributes to acidification of lakes, eutrophication of estuaries and coastal waters, and mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs. In terrestrial ecosystems, the effects of air pollution on biogeochemical cycling are also very well documented, but the effects on most organisms and the interaction of air pollution with other stressors are less well understood. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence for effects of nitrogen deposition on plants in grasslands, alpine areas, and bogs, and for nitrogen effects on forest mycorrhizae. Soil acidification is widespread in forest ecosystems across the eastern United States and is likely to affect the composition and function of forests in acid-sensitive areas over the long term. Ozone is known to cause reductions in photosynthesis in many terrestrial plant species. For the most part, the effects of these pollutants are chronic, not acute, at the exposure levels common in the eastern United States. Mortality is often observed only at experimentally elevated exposure levels or in combination with other stresses such as drought, freezing, or pathogens. The notable exceptions are the acid/aluminum effects on aquatic organisms, which can be lethal at levels of acidity observed in many surface waters in the region. Although the effects are often subtle, they are important to biological conservation. Changes in species composition caused by terrestrial or aquatic acidification or eutrophication can propagate throughout the food webs to affect many organisms beyond those that are directly sensitive to the pollution. Likewise, sublethal 100Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences doses of toxic pollutants may reduce the reproductive success of the affected organisms or make them more susceptible to potentially lethal pathogens. Many serious gaps in knowledge that warrant further research were identified. Among those gaps are the effects of acidification, ozone, and mercury on alpine systems, effects of nitrogen on species composition of forests, effects of mercury in terrestrial food webs, interactiv...

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Mercury in the Northern Crayfish, Orconectes virilis (Hagen), in New England, USA

Cited by 31 publications

References 59 publications

Mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification in Ozark stream ecosystems

Mercury bioaccumulation and biomagnification in Ozark stream ecosystems

Mercury and Trace Elements in Crayfish from Northern California

Effects of Air Pollution on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States

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