Trace metal dynamics in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal during summer monsoon

Abstract

Trace metal (Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) concentrations in zooplankton from the mixed layer were investigated at 8 coastal and 20 offshore stations in the western Bay of Bengal during the summer monsoon of 2003. The ecotoxicological importance of trace metal uptake was apparent within the Bay of Bengal zooplankton. There was a distinct spatial heterogeneity of metals, with highest concentrations in the upwelling zones of the southeast coast, moderate concentrations in the cyclonic eddy of the northeast coast, and lowest concentrations in the open ocean warm gyre regions. The average trace metal concentrations (μg g⁻¹) in coastal zooplankton (Fe, 44894.1 ± 12198.2; Co, 46.2 ± 4.6; Ni, 62.8 ± 6.5; Cu, 84.9 ± 6.7; Zn, 7546.8 ± 1051.7; Cd, 46.2 ± 5.6; Pb, 19.2 ± 2.6) were higher than in offshore zooplankton (Fe, 3423.4 ± 681.6; Co, 19.5 ± 3.81; Ni, 25.3 ± 7.3; Cu, 29.4 ± 4.2; Zn, 502.3 ± 124.3; Cd, 14.3 ± 2.9; Pb, 3.2 ± 2.0). A comparison of average trace metal concentrations in zooplankton from the Bay of Bengal showed enrichment of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb in coastal zooplankton may be related to metal absorption from primary producers, and differences in metal concentrations in phytoplankton from coastal waters (upwelling zone and cyclonic eddy) compared with offshore waters (warm gyre). Zooplankton showed a great capacity for accumulations of trace metals, with average concentration factors of 4 867 929 ± 569 971, 246 757 ± 51 321, 337 180 ± 125 725, 43 480 ± 11 212, 1 046 371 ± 110 286, 601 679 ± 213 949, and 15 420 ± 9201 for Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb with respect to dissolved concentrations in coastal and offshore waters of the Bay of Bengal. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2009.

Monitoring of genotoxicity in marine zooplankton induced by toxic metals in Ennore estuary, Southeast coast of India

“…However, at site 4, almost all of the dissolved concentrations of the tested metals were above the Tamil Nadu Government Pollution Control Board recommended values for inland, marine and coastal waters (TNPCB, 2000). The concentrations of different toxic metals observed during this study were comparable to earlier reports for the Ennore estuary (Jayaprakash et al, 2005(Jayaprakash et al, , 2008 and from the southeast coast of India (Rejomon et al, 2008(Rejomon et al, , 2010. Despite the highest concentration of Zn in all four components (water, particulate, sediment and zooplankton), statistical analysis revealed Zn does not pose greater genotoxic threat to the tested zooplankton species in comparison to other toxic metals (Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr and Co).…”

“…It is reported that fish feeding on metal contaminated zooplankton have biomagnified metal residues in their tissue by a factor of two (Sandholm et al, 1973;Zhou et al, 2008). In several environmental monitoring studies, zooplankton are widely used as potential biomarkers for metal contamination in the marine environment (Pempkowiak et al, 2006;Kahle and Zauke, 2002;Rejomon et al, 2010;Severini et al, 2009). However, most of these studies have focused only on the bioaccumulation potential of these organisms and studies on genotoxic impact of trace/heavy metal on zooplankton are very rare (Ternjej et al, 2009).…”

Non-proportional bioaccumulation of trace metals and metalloids in the planktonic food web of two Singapore coastal marine inlets with contrasting water residence times

“…Phytoplankton incorporate TMs through adsorption onto the cell surface and intracellularly through the passive and active uptake of dissolved elements (González-Dávila, 1995;Ho et al, 2007;Sakata et al, 2012). Mesozooplankton take up TMs through these mechanisms and the ingestion of polluted prey (Rejomon et al, 2010;Wright et al, 2010). Therefore, the relationships between the water TM concentrations and those observed in zooplankton could indicate direct absorption/adsorption.…”

“…In turn, the cycling of these elements is also influenced through biological activity. Phytoplankton accumulate TMs and transfer these particles up the food web via zooplankton (Gozález-Dávila, 1995;Rejomon et al, 2010). When ingested by zooplankton, a portion of the TMs is returned to the water through excretion and the production of fecal pellets (Lee and Fisher, 1992;Wang and Fisher, 1998).…”

Bioaccumulation of trace elements in dominant mesozooplankton group inhabiting in the coastal regions of Indian Sundarban mangrove wetland

“…Hence, the bioaccumulation of metals in zooplankton depends upon bioavailability, the amount of dissolved metal uptake, the physiological efficiency of the organism to excrete metals, as well as on the feeding rate and prey availability (Rainbow, 1997). Differences in the bioaccumulation factors for elements like Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd compared with the essential element Fe and non-essential element Pb, might be related to different physiology of copepods feeding in coastal and offshore waters (Rejomon et al, 2010). Wide fluctuation in the concentration of metals in different groups of zooplankton was observed.…”