Variations in heavy metal concentrations among trophic levels of the food webs in two agroecosystems

Trophic transfer of heavy metals along a pollution gradient in a terrestrial agro-industrial food web

“…Previous studies in this region have already reported large amounts of heavy metals from soil samples, in particular cadmium, lead, copper and zinc (Soliman et al, 2019;Gomaa et al, 2020). In addition, Soliman et al (2019) showed that cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc are accumulated in plants and their associated herbivorous insects (grasshoppers and mantids), while these metals tended to be diluted when measured from vertebrates. Yet, the effects of chromium and nickel were not considered by Soliman et al (2019), despite the relatively high concentrations they can reach in Egyptian soils (Abdel-Sabour and Zohny, 2004;Said et al, 2019).…”

“…This region represents 17% of the Egyptian industrial activity , with petroleum coke and cement factories, metallurgy and ceramics and a range of other industrial activities (Gomaa et al, 2020). Previous studies in this region have already reported large amounts of heavy metals from soil samples, in particular cadmium, lead, copper and zinc (Soliman et al, 2019;Gomaa et al, 2020). In addition, Soliman et al (2019) showed that cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc are accumulated in plants and their associated herbivorous insects (grasshoppers and mantids), while these metals tended to be diluted when measured from vertebrates.…”

“…In addition, Soliman et al (2019) showed that cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc are accumulated in plants and their associated herbivorous insects (grasshoppers and mantids), while these metals tended to be diluted when measured from vertebrates. Yet, the effects of chromium and nickel were not considered by Soliman et al (2019), despite the relatively high concentrations they can reach in Egyptian soils (Abdel-Sabour and Zohny, 2004;Said et al, 2019). The levels of chromium and nickel released in the environment has increased with industrial activities, and more particularly with the manufacture of stainless steel (Tchounwou et al, 2012).…”

The Broad-Scale Analysis of Metals, Trace Elements, Organochlorine Pesticides and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Wetlands Along an Urban Gradient, and the Use of a High Trophic Snake as a Bioindicator

“…The objective of this study was threefold: (1) quantify contaminants present in the wetlands, (2) measure contaminants that are bioaccumulating in the top predator: tiger snakes, and (3) investigate if contaminant concentrations parallel the degree of urbanisation of wetlands? Research on contaminants in snakes is an emerging field (Burger et al 2017;Drewett et al 2013;Gavric et al 2015;Quintela et al 2019;Schwabenlander et al 2019) yet as far as we are aware this study analyses the largest range of contaminants in any species of snake, and is only the third study to present data on the contaminants of both the snake tissue and ecosystem they were collected from (Ford and Hill 1991;Soliman et al 2019). We also present the first published contaminants in Australian snakes in over 40 years (Beck 1956;Best 1973).…”

Ecological differentiation in Rumex crispus L. natural populations in metal mining areas

“…Many human activities, such as industry, metallurgy, mining, the use of fertilizer containing heavy metal, and transportation, have resulted in the transfer, redistribution, and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the natural environment [1,2]. Pollution of the soil with heavy metals poses a serious threat to all living systems, including humans, and has become a major global environmental problem [3]. The impact of long-term persistent heavy metal pollution on organisms, in particular on genetic diversity, is currently an important issue in both pollution ecology and environmental biology.…”