The Impact of a Nickel-Copper Smelter on Concentrations of Toxic Elements in Local Wild Food from the Norwegian, Finnish, and Russian Border Regions

Hansen, Martine Dalgaard; Nøst, Therese Haugdahl; Heimstad, Eldbjørg Sofie; Evenset, Anita; Dudarev, Alexey A.; Rautio, Arja; Myllynen, Päivi; Dushkina, Eugenia V.; Jagodic, Marta; Christensen, Guttorm; Anda, Erik Eik; Brustad, Magritt; Sandanger, Torkjel M.

doi:10.3390/ijerph14070694

Cited by 12 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…The metallurgic industry is located on the Russian side of the Pasvik watercourse in the Russian town of Nikel. The main facility consists of a large smelter located approximately 5 km from the main watercourse, which for several decades has emitted large amounts of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and heavy metals, in particular nickel and copper, but also Hg (Sandanger et al, 2013; Zubova et al, 2020). Large quantities of metals are also discharged into the local water bodies through wastewater and runoff from the smelter site and associated slag piles (Amundsen et al, 1997, 2011; Dauvalter et al, 2011; Zubova et al, 2020).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The border area between Norway and Russia is heavily affected by such anthropogenic disturbances as a result of the metallurgical industry on the Russian side of the border (Amundsen et al, 1997, 2011; Zubova et al, 2020). The Nikel smelter, which over several decades has emitted large amounts of heavy metals (Sandanger et al, 2013; Zubova et al, 2020), is located in the vicinity of and drains wastewaters into the lower part of the Pasvik watercourse (Murmansk Region, Russia), the principal freshwater body in the region. The watershed has a diverse fish fauna for a subarctic region, including eight species commonly occurring in the lacustrine ecosystems that dominate the watercourse.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecological Drivers of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Fish of a Subarctic Watercourse

Amundsen

Henriksson

Poste

et al. 2023

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Mercury (Hg) is a serious concern for aquatic ecosystems because it may biomagnify to harmful concentrations within food webs and consequently end up in humans that eat fish. However, the trophic transfer of mercury through the aquatic food web may be impacted by several factors related to network complexity and the ecology of the species present. The present study addresses the interplay between trophic ecology and mercury contamination in the fish communities of two lakes in a pollution‐impacted subarctic watercourse, exploring the role of both horizontal (feeding habitat) and vertical (trophic position) food web characteristics as drivers for the Hg contamination in fish. The lakes are located in the upper and lower parts of the watercourse, with the lower site located closer to, and downstream from, the main pollution source. The lakes have complex fish communities dominated by coregonids (polymorphic whitefish and invasive vendace) and several piscivorous species. Analyses of habitat use, stomach contents, and stable isotope signatures (δ15N, δ13C) revealed similar food web structures in the two lakes except for a few differences chiefly related to ecological effects of the invasive vendace. The piscivores had higher Hg concentrations than invertebrate‐feeding fish. Concentrations increased with size and age for the piscivores and vendace, whereas habitat differences were of minor importance. Most fish species showed significant differences in Hg concentrations between the lakes, the highest values typically found in the downstream site where the biomagnification rate also was higher. Mercury levels in piscivorous fish included concentrations that exceed health authorization limits, with possible negative implications for fishing and human consumption. Our findings accentuate the importance of acquiring detailed knowledge of the drivers that can magnify Hg concentrations in fish and how these may vary within and among aquatic systems, to provide a scientific basis for adequate management strategies. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:873–887. © 2023 SETAC

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Drivers of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Fish of a Subarctic Watercourse

Amundsen

Henriksson

Poste

et al. 2023

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…The vegetal material was not washed, so as to identify the total pollutant concentrations in the state in which the resource is used [61]. For instance, the blackberry long-lived leaves are eaten by game, particularly by cervids [9], and blackberries are not washed before consumption.…”

Section: Processing the Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consuming Blackberry as a Traditional Nutraceutical Resource from an Area with High Anthropogenic Impact

Vlad

Goji²,

Dinulică

et al. 2019

Forests

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The most serious quality issue of natural resources for human consumption or medicinal purposes is the contamination with pollutants harmful to consumers. Common blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L.) is a sought-after nutraceutical and an important component in herbal medicine in many places around the globe. The present study aims to analyze the level of heavy metal bioaccumulation in blackberry organs, as well as its spatial distribution in two consecutive years immediately after the interruption of the extended activity of the industrial source of pollution. The research was conducted in one of the most polluted areas in Romania and Eastern Europe, within a 26 km radius of the source of pollution. The Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations in the leaves, flowers, and unwashed blackberry fruits were analyzed spectrophotometrically through flame atomic absorption spectroscopy (FAAS). The results show that blackberry is an important bioaccumulator of these heavy metals—71% of the Pb concentration values and 100% of the Cd concentration values exceeded the World Health Organization thresholds by up to 29 and 15 times, respectively. Also, the leaves are the largest reservoirs of Pb and Zn (the median values: 51.4 mg/kg dry weight and 105.2 mg/kg d.w., respectively), and the flowers contained the largest quantities of Cd and Cu (2.54 mg/kg d.w. and 11.3 mg/kg d.w., respectively). The Pb concentrations decreased by a power function in relation to the distance from the source of pollution. The implications of these results on the safety of the use of blackberry are discussed. The urgent necessity for food education of the local population which consumes contaminated nutraceutical products is emphasized.

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“…The map to the right is an enlarged view of sampling locations across all three countries, seen on the left: terrestrial sites (green triangles and red squares), lakes (blue dots), reference sites (red squares), and the cities of Nikel and Zapolyarny (black stars). Source: Hansen et al 2017 [7]. Map of sampling locations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined Contaminant Levels from Local Harvested Food Items in the Norwegian–Finnish–Russian Border Region

Nalbandyan-Schwarz,

Bondo Pedersen,

Evenset

et al. 2024

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This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary study with the aim of assessing the potential combined risk from consuming locally harvested food products in the Euro-Arctic region of Norway, Finland, and Russia. The three important contaminant groups—radioactive substances, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs)—were measured in food samples such as berries, mushrooms, fish, birds, reindeer, and moose; they were sampled in 2013–2015. To assess the combined pollution levels and investigate the trends, similarities, and variations between different contaminant groups, subsequent multivariate statistical analysis was performed. The results showed that, in general, the levels of radioactive substances, toxic elements, and POPs were below the permitted EU maximum content in food products. However, statistical analysis revealed some correlations, similarities, and peculiarities between the accumulation of different contaminants in various species, which allowed for a better understanding of the mechanisms of accumulation and interaction between different contaminant groups. It also gave a better insight into the possible added risks and helped pinpoint species that could serve as reference markers for the accumulation of different contaminants in food. Mushrooms, fish, and reindeer were found to be important markers in the combined risk assessments for the contents of metals and radioactive substances. Further research, as well as the development of methodologies for combined assessments, are recommended.

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The Impact of a Nickel-Copper Smelter on Concentrations of Toxic Elements in Local Wild Food from the Norwegian, Finnish, and Russian Border Regions

Cited by 12 publications

References 33 publications

Ecological Drivers of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Fish of a Subarctic Watercourse

Ecological Drivers of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Fish of a Subarctic Watercourse

Consuming Blackberry as a Traditional Nutraceutical Resource from an Area with High Anthropogenic Impact

Combined Contaminant Levels from Local Harvested Food Items in the Norwegian–Finnish–Russian Border Region

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