Trace elements and radiocesium in game species near contaminated sites

Abstract

Mercury (Hg), Selenium (Se), and Arsenic (As) found in coal combustion wastes (CCW) and radionuclides released from anthropogenic activities present potential environmental and human health concerns. Despite the widespread harvest and consumption of wildlife by recreational hunters, game species are not subject to the same safety testing as commercially marketed livestock; thus, there are few data available regarding contaminant concentrations in many commonly harvested wildlife. We sampled feral pigs (Sus scrofa; invasive wild pigs), gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), and waterfowl from relatively uncontaminated habitats and areas of contamination to quantify levels of trace elements and radiocesium (137Cs) in muscle and liver tissues for assessment of potential human health risks from the consumption of game. Species collected at a CCW ash basin consistently had levels of selected trace elements, particularly Se, above concentrations considered toxic to waterfowl, suggesting CCW may be an important pathway for wildlife, and subsequently human exposure to this element. Similarly, we observed elevated concentrations of 137Cs in wildlife collected in or near aquatic ecosystems with histories of operational releases of radionuclides. The majority of tissue samples analyzed were below elemental levels known to adversely affect wildlife health and 137Cs levels were below European Economic Community limits for human consumption established following the 1986 Chernobyl accident. Waterfowl, however, had levels of several elements of interest (Se and Hg) that could be of health concern to the birds, especially individuals collected from areas with known contamination, or human consumers of the birds. Given the high levels of trace element burdens we observed in waterfowl collected from ash basins, and the common occurrence of similar surface impoundments throughout much of the globe, wide‐scale sampling for contaminants in waterfowl within or across migratory flyways appear to be greatly needed to better understand routes of contaminant movement and potential areas (or species) with elevated contamination risk to waterfowl and hunters. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

Contaminant Subsidies to Riparian Food Webs in Appalachian Streams Impacted by Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

“…39 If Se is accumulated and transferred in sufficient concentrations, it could pose a risk to terrestrial predators such as bats and birds that eat adult insects or other insect predators such as spiders. 40,41 For this reason, Se warrants further inquiry into its potential movement from AlkMD-impacted aquatic ecosystems to adjacent terrestrial ones.…”

Hunting and Game Consumption Patterns of Hunters in South Carolina

“…Consumption of wild-caught game with elevated levels of contaminants represents a potential exposure pathway to hunters, their families, and other households with which they share game (Coburn et al 2005), although these risks are likely to vary based on species, location of animals harvested, and overall consumption patterns (Oldenkamp et al 2017;Tipton et al 2017). Hunters who participated in our survey indicated they typically hunt and consume multiple species and 137 meals per year of the 11 game animals we surveyed.…”

“…For example, some vulnerable members of the hunting population (e.g., children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers) that also consume fish could be at increased risk of exposure to some pollutants, such as mercury, for which 36% of river miles in the United States are under a consumption advisory (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 2011). These risks could be further exacerbated through consumption of other aquatic species, especially higher trophic game such as turtles, alligators, and waterfowl, in which elevated levels of mercury also have been documented (Jagoe et al 1998;Rumbold et al 2002;Green et al 2010;Cristol et al 2012;Oldenkamp et al 2017). Many game species are highly mobile and thus risks of exposure to pollutants are not restricted to areas near contaminated sites.…”

“…Wildlife that comes into contact with environmentally contaminated sites, such as coal combustion waste disposal wetlands, could represent a pathway for exposure to many trace elements. In fact, Oldenkamp et al (2017) documented significantly higher levels of several trace elements (e.g., selenium and mercury) in muscle tissue of wildlife collected from these areas in South Carolina in comparison to relatively uncontaminated sites. Likewise, Tipton et al (2017) measured concentrations of perfluorinated alkyl acids in alligator meat harvested by recreational hunters and found that exposure risk to hunters varied geographically across South Carolina.…”

Patterns of Trace Element Accumulation in Waterfowl Restricted to Impoundments Holding Coal Combustion Waste

“…Many contaminants, such as trace elements, readily bioaccumulate in internal organs and tissues of exposed individuals; and some can biomagnify with increasing trophic level (Dietz et al 2000). Although higher–trophic level organisms are often monitored more frequently for the presence of anthropogenic contaminants, there is growing interest in elucidating concentrations of contaminants in tissues of game species that are commonly consumed by humans (Cristol et al 2012; Oldenkamp et al 2017). Waterfowl are of particular concern given their high mobility and migratory paths that can extend hundreds or thousands of kilometers from contaminant sources (Kennamer 2003; Cristol et al 2012; Conder and Arblaster 2016).…”