Trace Metals Bioavailability Approach in Intertidal Estuarine Sediments and Bioaccumulation in Associated Nereidid Polychaetes

Abstract

Polychaetes that inhabit the sediments of estuaries are important prey to many species all around the world. Laeonereis acuta is a deposit feeder living in estuaries along the Atlantic coast of South America. Ragworms accumulate metals from the sediment, and represent a means of entry of sediment contaminants into the trophic network. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, Cr and Cd were determined in polychaetes and sediments (total and extractable) from six estuarine beaches of Río de la Plata. The associations between total and extractable concentrations in sediment and accumulated concentrations in L. acuta were analyzed. Sediments extracted by weak acid digestion appear to be a good proxy model of bioavailable metal fractions in the sediment. The association between metals in sediment and polychaetes denotes the role of L. acuta as an important link in metal trophic transfer from sediments to potential fish and bird predators of the worm.

Historic variation of trace elements in pinnipeds with spatially segregated trophic habits reveals differences in exposure to pollution

“…A higher concentration of Cu can be found in lakes, rivers and estuaries than in the ocean (Georgopoulos et al, 2001). Sediments with up to 135 μg g −1 dry weight concentrations of Cu in Montevideo Bay are considered to be highly polluted (Muniz et al, 2004a), and Cu was also found in the intertidal sediments (Castiglioni et al, 2018;García-Alonso et al, 2017). The external area of Rio de la Plata estuary also has levels of Cu that could toxic for the resident biota (Carsen et al, 2003).…”

“…Previous research has found high concentrations of trace elements in water and sediments of the region, with historical increases associated with industrialization and urbanization processes of two important capitals, Montevideo (Uruguay) and Buenos Aires (Argentina) (Carsen et al, 2003;García-Rodríguez et al, 2010;Gil et al, 1999;Marcovecchio and Ferrer, 2005;Viana et al, 2005). Even more selective metals are bioaccumulated in polychaetes in urban coastal areas, which can be the entrance of bioavailable metals to coastal trophic networks (Castiglioni et al, 2018).…”

Baseline Study of Trace Element Concentrations in Sediments of the Intertidal Zone of Amazonian Oceanic Beaches

“…Cadmium and Hg are among the most widespread metals in the environment and in the group of non-essential and highly toxic metals (Selvi et al, 2019). The presence of high levels in the environment is worrying, as these metals have bioaccumulation capacity that can lead to contamination of polychaetes (Castiglioni et al, 2018), fish (Amirah et al, 2013;Bosch et al, 2016), birds (Hosseini et al, 2013), and even humans (Bosch et al, 2016). The fishing activity reinforces the risk to human beings in our study area (Brasil, 2010).…”

Los poliquetos como indicadores biológicos en Latinoamérica y el Caribe

“…Se ha trabajado mucho a nivel de comunidades bentónicas y su relación con variables ambientales, incluyendo el impacto antrópico. Los poliquetos en particular no han sido objeto de estudios específicos, aunque muchos resultados muestran a estos organismos como los presentes en sitios impactados, mostrando alto grado de tolerancia (Borthagaray et al 2006;Bergamino et al 2008;Castiglioni et al 2018).…”