Accumulation of Trace Metals in Three Species of Fish from Lakes in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (Canada): Influence of pH and Other Chemical Parameters

Peterson, Richard H.; Sreedharan, A.; Ray, Sayan Kumar

doi:10.2166/wqrj.1989.006

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Mercury levels in freshwater fish in Atlantic Canada are correlated with lake acidity and dissolved organic carbon concentrations (Peterson et al, 1990;Carter et al, 2001;Rencz et al, 2003;Drysdale et al, in press). Loons in Atlantic Canada frequently nest on low-pH, lowalkalinity, oligotrophic lakes (Kerekes, 1990;Burgess et al, 1998a;Hope, this volume); such lakes tend to have elevated fish Hg levels (Wiener et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioaccumulation of mercury in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and common loons (Gavia immer) in relation to lake chemistry in Atlantic Canada

Burgess¹,

Hobson

2006

Hydrobiologia

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Mercury biomagnifies in aquatic foodwebs in freshwater lakes, and common loons (Gavia immer) breeding in eastern Canada can be exposed to reproductively toxic concentrations of mercury in their fish prey. We assessed the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury in juvenile and adult common loons, and their preferred prey: yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in Kejimkujik National Park (KNP), Nova Scotia by measuring mercury levels and stable isotope ratios in tissues. Total mercury levels and stable-carbon (d 13 C) and nitrogen isotope ratios (d 15 N) were determined in composite whole-fish samples from lakes in KNP and blood samples from juvenile and adult loons captured on lakes in KNP and southern New Brunswick. Geometric mean mercury concentrations were 0.15 and 0.38 lg/g (wet wt.) in small (9-cm fork length) and large (17-cm fork length) yellow perch, and were 0.43 and 2.7 lg/g (wet wt.) in blood of juvenile and adult common loons, respectively. Mercury concentrations in perch and loons were positively associated with body mass and d 15 N values. Juvenile loons and large yellow perch had similar mercury levels and d 15 N values, indicating similar trophic status despite their 22-fold difference in body mass. Mercury concentrations were higher in yellow perch and common loons in acidic lakes. Our findings highlight the importance of both chemical and ecological factors in understanding mercury biomagnification in lakes and associated risks to fish-eating wildlife.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioaccumulation of mercury in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and common loons (Gavia immer) in relation to lake chemistry in Atlantic Canada

Burgess¹,

Hobson

2006

Hydrobiologia

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“…This is confirmed by elevated Hg concentrations found in common loon eggs (Scheuhammer et al, 2001) and in organ tissues of dead loons (Daoust et al, 1998) recovered in Atlantic Canada. Several studies have found elevated Hg levels in freshwater fish in Atlantic Canada, especially in lakes with low pH and high dissolved organic carbon concentrations (Peterson et al, 1990;Carter et al, 2001;Rencz et al, 2003;Drysdale et al, 2005;Kamman et al, 2005), which are common in the region. All of these fish-Hg studies included yellow perch (Perca flavescens), which is the preferred prey of common loons (Barr, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury and other Contaminants in Common Loons Breeding in Atlantic Canada

2005

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Common loons (Gavia immer) were studied to assess the biomagnification of persistent contaminants in lake ecosystems in Atlantic Canada. Forty-two breeding adults and 20 juvenile loons were captured in August, 1995-1997 on lakes in four areas of southern New Brunswick (Lepreau and Fundy National Park) and Nova Scotia (Halifax and Kejimkujik National Park). Blood samples were collected for analysis of mercury, methylmercury, lead, and selenium. Plasma samples from adult loons were analyzed for PCB congeners and organochlorine pesticides. Secondary flight feathers were collected from adult loons for mercury analysis. Kejimkujik loons had significantly higher geometric mean concentrations of mercury in blood (adults: 5.5 microg/g, wet wt) and feathers (adults: 15 microg/g, fresh wt), and higher levels of PCBs, DDE, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, mirex and hexachlorobenzene than loons at Halifax or Lepreau. Blood selenium levels were lowest in Kejimkujik loons. Selenium and mercury concentrations were negatively related in blood of adults across all sites. Adult males had higher concentrations of mercury in blood and feathers and PCBs, DDE, and oxychlordane in plasma, and lower levels of selenium in blood, than adult females. Juvenile loons had lower blood mercury and selenium concentrations than adults. Several contaminants showed significant inter-lake variation within the study sites. Mean blood mercury concentrations in Kejimkujik loons are the highest found in breeding common loons across North America. Of adult loons at Kejimkujik, 92% had blood mercury levels > 4 microg/g (wet wt), which have been associated with impaired reproduction, elevated corticosterone levels, asymmetry in plumage development, and altered breeding behavior in loons there and elsewhere.

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Common barbel (Barbus barbus) as a bioindicator of surface river sediment pollution with Cu and Zn in three rivers of the Danube River Basin in Serbia

Morina

Đikanović

et al. 2015

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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River sediments are a major source of metal contamination in aquatic food webs. Due to the ability of metals to move up the food chain, fishes, occupying higher trophic levels, are considered to be good environmental indicators of metal pollution. The aim of this study was to analyze the metal content in tissues of the common barbel (Barbus barbus), a rheophilous cyprinid fish widely distributed in the Danube Basin, in order to find out if it can be used as a bioindicator of the metal content in the river sediment. We analyzed bioavailable concentrations of 15 elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in sediments of the Danube (D), the Zapadna Morava (ZM), and the Južna Morava (JM) using the inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The barbel specimens were collected in the proximity of sediment sampling sites for the analysis of metals in four tissues, gills, muscle, intestine, and liver. The sediment analysis indicated that the ZM is the most polluted with Cu, Ni, and Zn compared to other two rivers. The JM had the lowest concentrations of almost all observed elements, while the Danube sediments were mainly characterized by higher concentrations of Pb. The fish from the ZM had the highest concentration of Cu and Ni in the liver and intestine, and of Zn in the muscle tissue, which was in accordance with the concentrations of these metals in the sediment. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) was used for further analyses of metal interactions with fish tissues. The results suggest that the barbel can potentially be used as a bioindicator of sediment quality with respect to metal contamination.

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Accumulation of Trace Metals in Three Species of Fish from Lakes in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (Canada): Influence of pH and Other Chemical Parameters

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Bioaccumulation of mercury in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and common loons (Gavia immer) in relation to lake chemistry in Atlantic Canada

Bioaccumulation of mercury in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and common loons (Gavia immer) in relation to lake chemistry in Atlantic Canada

Mercury and other Contaminants in Common Loons Breeding in Atlantic Canada

Common barbel (Barbus barbus) as a bioindicator of surface river sediment pollution with Cu and Zn in three rivers of the Danube River Basin in Serbia

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