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Diet and habitat use influence Hg and Cd transfer to fish and consequent biomagnification in a highly contaminated area: Augusta Bay (Mediterranean Sea)
- Source :
- Environmental Pollution. 230:394-404
- Publication Year :
- 2017
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 2017.
-
Abstract
- Total mercury (T-Hg) and cadmium (Cd) were measured in twenty species of fish to study their bioaccumulation patterns and trophodynamics in the Augusta Bay food web. Adult and juvenile fish were caught in 2012 in Priolo Bay, south of the Augusta harbour (Central Mediterranean Sea), which is known for the high trace element and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contamination level. T-Hg concentration was found to significantly increase along δ15N and from pelagic to benthic sedentary fish, revealing a marked influence of trophic position and habitat use (sensu Harmelin 1987) on T-Hg accumulation within ichthyofauna. Cd showed the opposite pattern, in line with the higher trace element (TE) excretion rates of high trophic level fish and the lower level of Cd environmental contamination. Trophic pathways were first characterised in the Priolo Bay food web using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) and a single main trophic pathway characterised the Priolo Bay food web. Biomagnification was then assessed, including basal sources (surface sediment, macroalgae), zooplankton, benthic invertebrates and fish. T-Hg and Cd were found to biomagnify and biodilute respectively based on the significant linear regressions between log[T-Hg] and log[Cd] vs. δ15N of sources and consumers and the trophic magnification factors (TMFs) of 1.22 and 0.83 respectively. Interestingly, different Cd behaviour was found considering only the benthic pathway which leads to the predatory gastropod Hexaplex trunculus. The positive slope and the higher TMF indicated active biomagnification in this benthic food web due to the high bioaccumulation efficiency of this benthic predator. Our findings provide new evidences about the role of Priolo sediments as a sources of pollutants for the food web, representing a threat to fish and, by domino effect, to humans.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Food Chain
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
Biomagnification
010501 environmental sciences
Biology
Toxicology
01 natural sciences
Zooplankton
Metals, Contamination, Fish, Mercury, Cadmium, Stable isotopes
Mediterranean Sea
Animals
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Ecosystem
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Trophic level
Nitrogen Isotopes
Ecology
010604 marine biology & hydrobiology
Fishes
Pelagic zone
Mercury
General Medicine
Juvenile fish
Plankton
Invertebrates
Pollution
Food web
Diet
Trace Elements
Bays
Benthic zone
Bay
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Cadmium
Environmental Monitoring
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 02697491
- Volume :
- 230
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Environmental Pollution
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0d83420d8fea85e1b0d2eda2229380cb