Arsenic, chromium, and other elements of concern in fish from remote boreal lakes and rivers: Drivers of variation and implications for subsistence consumption

Lescord, Gretchen L.; Johnston, Thomas A.; Heerschap, Matthew J.; Keller, Wendel; Southee, F. Meg; O’Connor, Constance M.; Dyer, Richard D.; Branfireun, Brian A.; Gunn, John M.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113878

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Chromium may be an exception to the other trace elements examined in the present study because uptake via the gills is suggested as the dominant pathway of accumulation (Reid 2011). Lescord et al (2020) found that neither diet, trophic ecology, nor body size influence chromium concentrations in fish, further supporting uptake from the water column via the gills. Furthermore, chromium, zinc, and selenium are considered essential elements, unlike arsenic and mercury, which have no biological benefit (Wood et al 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Biodiminishing patterns have been noted in lake food webs, where concentrations in fish are lower than those of macroinvertebrates and abiotic components (Chen and Folt 2000; Pastorino et al 2020). Lescord et al 2020 suggest that arsenic may biomagnify in the food web; however, their study was restricted to fish species and did not examine arsenic concentrations in the larger aquatic community. Fish with more depleted δ 13 C values (indicating a more autochthonous diet; Riva‐Murray et al 2013a) in the present study were associated with higher arsenic concentrations, indicating a potential dietary influence (Chen and Folt 2000; Lescord et al 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lescord et al 2020 suggest that arsenic may biomagnify in the food web; however, their study was restricted to fish species and did not examine arsenic concentrations in the larger aquatic community. Fish with more depleted δ 13 C values (indicating a more autochthonous diet; Riva-Murray et al 2013a) in the present study were associated with higher arsenic concentrations, indicating a potential dietary influence (Chen and Folt 2000;Lescord et al 2020). Chen and Folt (2000) also observed an effect of dietary source on fish arsenic concentrations; strictly planktivorous fish had significantly higher concentrations of arsenic in their tissues than other omnivorous species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One of the key objectives of the present study was to evaluate fish trace element concentrations as they relate to risk to human health, and therefore fish muscle tissue was examined. Unlike mercury, other trace elements may not display a high affinity for accumulation in fish muscle tissue (e.g., copper, cadmium, and lead; Fletcher et al 2014; Lescord et al 2020). Nevertheless, given the elevated concentrations of contaminants in the river system, it is likely that accumulation of these metals is occurring in other fish organs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, biological factors may influence the bioaccumulation of trace elements into fish tissues from the surrounding environment. Trace element concentrations in fish often differ significantly among species (Penland et al 2018), and can be related to factors including body size (Eagles‐Smith et al 2016; Lescord et al 2020), feeding guild (Chen and Folt 2000; Stewart et al 2004; Fletcher et al 2014), and trophic position (Lavoie et al 2013; Lescord et al 2020). Trace elements that are transferred via dietary interactions in the food web may be subject to biomagnifications, a type of bioaccumulation whereby contaminant concentrations increase in organisms relative to their prey.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Biological Factors Moderate Trace Element Accumulation in Fish along an Environmental Concentration Gradient

Donadt

Cooke

Graydon

et al. 2020

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Trace elements can accumulate in aquatic food webs, becoming potentially hazardous to wildlife and human health. Whereas many studies have examined mercury dynamics in freshwater environments, evidence for the bioaccumulative potential of other trace elements (e.g., arsenic) is conflicting. Trace element concentrations found in surface water of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada, have raised concern for potential accumulation in aquatic biota. We investigated fish from this river to better understand the influence of biological and environmental factors in trace element bioaccumulation. We analyzed 20 trace elements, and stable nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) isotopes, in the muscle tissue of 8 species. Zinc, selenium, arsenic, chromium, and nickel were detected in the majority of fish at low concentrations. However, mercury was detected in all fish and often exceeded criteria for the protection of consumers. Body size was often positively correlated with trace element concentrations. In addition, δ15N and δ13C were correlated to mercury and arsenic concentrations, indicating that mercury biomagnifies whereas arsenic biodiminishes. Spatial patterns of fish trace element concentrations did not reflect differences in surface water concentrations. These findings indicate that fish trace element concentrations are primarily moderated by biological factors, such as trophic position and body size, and are not locally restricted to areas of relatively high environmental concentrations in the Red Deer River. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:422–434. © 2020 SETAC

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%