Increasing levels and biomagnification of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Antarctic biota

Representatives of the Antarctic food web (krill, cephalopod, fish, penguin, seal) of the area around Elephant Island and from the Weddell Sea were analysed for the most recalcitrant organochlorine compounds. Due to sorption of the compounds to sinking particles and accumulation in sediments, two benthic fish species (Gobionotothen gibberifrons, Chaenocephalus aceratus) feeding on benthos invertebrates and fish reflected significantly increasing concentrations within a decade (1987-1996), while a benthopelagic species (Champsocephalus gunnari) feeding on krill did not. In the pelagic food chain, lipid normalised concentrations of all compounds increased from Antarctic krill to fish proving that biomagnification of highly lipophilic pollutants (log octanol-water partition coefficient>5) occurs in water-breathing animals. As top predators Weddell and southern elephant seals (Leptonychotes weddellii, Mirounga leonina) biomagnified the persistent organic pollutants relative to krill 30-160 fold with the exception of hexachlorobenzene, the levels of which were lower than in fish indicating its intense specific elimination.     

Stable isotope-guided analysis of congener-specific PCB concentrations in a Japanese coastal food web

Organisms collected from a coastal ecosystem in Japan were analyzed for concentrations of 205 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) congeners; analyses were guided by δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N measurements. The regression slopes of log PCB concentration on δ¹⁵N value are regarded as indices of biomagnification in food webs. The slope (wet weight basis) of ΣPCBs was +0.104; the slope (lipid weight basis) was close to zero. Lipid content increased from 0.06% in a primary producer to 8.32% in the highest trophic level consumer. Hence, biomagnification of ΣPCBs (wet weight basis) can be attributed to increase of lipid content through the food web. For most of the congeners, the slopes (wet weight basis) exceeded those (lipid weight basis) by ca. 0.10. Slopes increased with increasing PCB chlorination levels between chlorine numbers 1–6; slopes decreased at higher chlorination levels. This decrease is likely caused by a decrease in membrane permeability with increasing molecular weight.     

Contrasting time trends of organic contaminants in Antarctic pelagic and benthic food webs

We demonstrate that pelagic Antarctic seabirds show significant decreases in concentrations of some persistent organic pollutants. Trends in Adélie penguins and Southern fulmars fit in a general pattern revealed by a broad literature review. Downward trends are also visible in pelagic fish, contrasting sharply with steady or increasing concentrations in Antarctic benthic organisms. Transfer of contaminants between Antarctic pelagic and benthic food webs is associated with seasonal sea-ice dynamics which may influence the balance between the final receptors of contaminants under different climatic conditions. This complicates the predictability of future trends of emerging compounds in the Antarctic ecosystem, such as of the brominated compounds that we detected in Antarctic petrels. The discrepancy in trends between pelagic and benthic organisms shows that Antarctic biota are still final receptors of globally released organic contaminants and it remains questionable whether the total environmental burden of contaminants in the Antarctic ecosystem is declining.     

Organohalogen compounds in deep-sea fishes from the western North Pacific, off-Tohoku, Japan: Contamination status and bioaccumulation profiles

Twelve species of deep-sea fishes collected in 2005 from the western North Pacific, off-Tohoku, Japan were analyzed for organohalogen compounds. Among the compounds analyzed, concentrations of DDTs and PCBs (up to 23,000 and 12,400 ng/g lipid wt, respectively) were the highest. The present study is the foremost to report the occurrence of brominated flame retardants such as PBDEs and HBCDs in deep-sea organisms from the North Pacific region. Significant positive correlations found between δ¹⁵N (‰) and PCBs, DDTs and PBDEs suggest the high biomagnification potential of these contaminants in food web. The large variation in δ¹³C (‰) values observed between the species indicate multiple sources of carbon in the food web and specific accumulation of hydrophobic organohalogen compounds in benthic dwelling carnivore species like snubnosed eel. The results obtained in this study highlight the usefulness of deep-sea fishes as sentinel species to monitor the deep-sea environment.     

Stable isotope-guided analysis of biomagnification profiles of arsenic species in a tropical mangrove ecosystem

We performed stable carbon and nitrogen-guided analyses of biomagnification profiles of arsenic (As) species, including total As, lipid-soluble As, eight water-soluble As compounds (arsenobetaine (AB), arsenocholine (AC), tetramethylarsonium ion (TETRA), trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), arsenate (As[V]), and arsenite (As[III])), and non-extracted As in a tropical mangrove ecosystem in the Ba Ria Vung Tau, South Vietnam. Arsenobetaine was the predominant As species (65-96% of water-soluble As). Simple linear regression slopes of log-transformed concentrations of total As, As fractions or individual As compounds on stable nitrogen isotopic ratio (δ15N) values are regarded as indices of biomagnification. In this ecosystem, lipid-soluble As (slope, 0.130) and AB (slope, 0.108) were significantly biomagnified through the food web; total As and other water-soluble As compounds were not. To our knowledge, this is one of the first reports on biomagnification profiles of As compounds from a tropical mangrove ecosystem.     

Mercury biomagnification in a contaminated estuary food web: Effects of age and trophic position using stable isotope analyses

The main aim of this study was to ascertain the biomagnification processes in a mercury-contaminated estuary, by clarifying the trophic web structure through stable isotope ratios. For this purpose, primary producers (seagrasses and macroalgae), invertebrates (detritivores and benthic predators) and fish were analysed for total and organic mercury and for stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures. Trophic structure was accurately described by δ¹⁵N, while δ¹³C reflected the carbon source for each species. An increase of mercury levels was observed with trophic level, particularly for organic mercury. Results confirm mercury biomagnification to occur in this estuarine food web, especially in the organic form, both in absolute concentrations and fraction of total mercury load. Age can be considered an important variable in mercury biomagnification studies, and data adjustments to account for the different exposure periods may be necessary for a correct assessment of trophic magnification rates and ecological risk.     

The occurrence of chemical elements and POPs in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta): an overview

Chemical elements and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are globally present in aquatic systems and their potential transfer to loggerhead marine turtles (Caretta caretta) has become a serious threat for their health status. The environmental fate of these xenobiotics may be traced by the analysis of turtles’ tissues and blood. Generally, loggerhead turtles exhibited a higher metal load than other turtle species, this could be explained by differences in diet habits being food the main source of exposure. Literature shows that muscle, liver and kidney are most considered for the quantification of chemical elements, while, organic compounds are typically investigated in liver and fat.This paper is an overview of the international studies carried out on the quantification of chemical elements, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorines (OCs) and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), in tissues, organs and fluids of C. caretta from the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.     

Biomonitoring of Heavy Metals Using the Bivalve Molluscs in Sunderban Mangrove Wetland,Northeast Coast of Bay of Bengal (India): Possible Risks to Human Health

The suitability of using four bivalve molluscs (Sanguinolaria acuminata, Anadara granosa, Meretrix meretrix, and Pelecyora trigona) in biomonitoring of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, and Hg) collected from intertidal regions of the Sunderban mangrove wetland, northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, were evaluated. Both speciesdependent variability and temporal variations were pronounced. A high degree of organ specificity was evident in the bivalves where gill and mantle exhibited higher metal accumulation due to ion exchange property of the mucous layer covering these organs while shells represent very poor accumulation. Elevated values of Zn and Cu reflect high potential for biomagnification through marine food chain. Metal concentrations in different body size groups of the bivalves do not follow uniform trend. Correlation coefficient between different metal couplings as tested statistically revealed significant coupling for Pb–Zn, Pb–Cu, Zn–Cu, and Hg–Cu. Concentrations of all the metals in specific organs (visceral mass, mantle and gill) of the bivalves exceeded the safe levels according to the international standards for metals compiled by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and would be of great risk for human consumption. It is concluded that the mussel and clam are suitable biomonitors to employ in programs designed to assess changes in metal pollution in the Sunderban mangrove wetland.     

Arsenic metabolism in a marine food chain

Radioarsenic was used to identify various chemical forms of arsenic, accumulated as arsenate from food or water, in a three-step food chain consisting of an autotroph, a grazer and a carnivore. Differential extraction procedures carried out on tissues from these organisms suggest that organic forms of arsenic in marine food webs are derived from an in vivo synthesis by primary producers and are efficiently transferred along a marine food chain. The muscle tissue of the carnivorous shrimp which represented the highest trophic level in this food chain could not itself form organic arsenic; in this case arsenate taken up from water was converted largely to arsenite.     

Variation in organochlorine accumulation in relation to the life history of the Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

Members of the catadromous eel live in various fresh, brackish and marine habitats. Therefore, these eels can accumulate organic pollutants and are a suitable bioindicator species for determining the levels of organic contaminants within different water bodies. The ecological risk for organochlorine compounds (OCs) in Anguilla japonica with various migration patterns, such as freshwater, estuarine and marine residences, was examined to understand the specific accumulation patterns. The concentrations of HCB, ∑HCHs, ∑CHLs and ∑DDTs in the silver stage (maturing) eel were significantly higher than those in the yellow stage (immature) eel, in accordance with the higher lipid contents in the former versus the latter. The OC accumulations were clearly different among migratory types in the eel. The ecological risk of OCs increased as the freshwater residence period in the eel lengthened. The migratory histories and the lipid contents directly affected the OC accumulation in the catadromous eel species.     

Ecological Conditions of Watercourses in the Middle Amur Lowland in the Areas of Drainage Reclamation

The effect of land reclamation on the migration and accumulation of heavy metals and some pollutants in small rivers is determined. The study was conducted in the Middle Amur lowland in different phases of hydrological regime and at different extent of floodplain inundation. The formation of the hydrological regime in small rivers in this area is governed by the irregular annual runoff distribution. The seasonal character of flood periods requires water samples to be taken before spring flood (April) and after floods have passed (September–October), and at various extent of floodplain inundation. The field studies of water-courses were carried out in 2009–2014. The water samples were analyzed to determine the concentrations of heavy metals (iron, manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt, lead and zinc), suspended substances, organic carbon (total, dissolved, and suspended), humic and fulvic acids, and volatile organic compounds. The mobility of heavy metals in surface watercourses was shown to reflect the effect of drainage and surface runoff from soil horizons, an increase in the concentrations of suspended and organic compounds, especially, fulvic acids, which enhance their geochemical mobility. During floods, an increase in heavy metals washout from floodplain soils and the dilution of their concentrations causes the formation of a single-type concentration series of heavy metals. In addition, the processes of pollutants migration show an effect of changes in the geomorphological characteristics of floodplain–channel complexes and a decrease in flow velocity in watercourses in the areas where land reclamation was applied. Thus, all factors mentioned above lead to a decrease in water pollution index in the river.     

Distribution and enrichment evaluation of heavy metals in Mejillones Bay (23°S), Northern Chile: Geochemical and statistical approach

A suite of 36 surface sediment samples, taken between 10 and 100 m water depth in Mejillones Bay (Northern Chile), were analyzed for mineralogy, grain size, total organic carbon, Al, and heavy metal content (Cd, Zn, Ni, Mn, V, Mo). Quartz and feldspars were the main lithogenic minerals and carbonate the predominant biogenic mineral. Sediments were fine sands in the shallow zone and organic silt in the deeper zone.

Enrichment Factor and Factor Analysis approach showed that the presence of Mn in the marine sediment of Mejillones is due to a partial influence of continental input, while all other metals are not supported by lithogenic debris. Although all metals showed high concentrations in the marine sediment of Mejillones Bay, comparison between metal concentration in surface sediments and preindustrial levels in this bay, show that present values agree with natural levels.     

Distribution and enrichment evaluation of heavy metals in Mejillones Bay (23 degrees S), Northern Chile: geochemical and statistical approach

A suite of 36 surface sediment samples, taken between 10 and 100 m water depth in Mejillones Bay (Northern Chile), were analyzed for mineralogy, grain size, total organic carbon, Al, and heavy metal content (Cd, Zn, Ni, Mn, V, Mo). Quartz and feldspars were the main lithogenic minerals and carbonate the predominant biogenic mineral. Sediments were fine sands in the shallow zone and organic silt in the deeper zone. Enrichment Factor and Factor Analysis approach showed that the presence of Mn in the marine sediment of Mejillones is due to a partial influence of continental input, while all other metals are not supported by lithogenic debris. Although all metals showed high concentrations in the marine sediment of Mejillones Bay, comparison between metal concentration in surface sediments and preindustrial levels in this bay, show that present values agree with natural levels.     

Biomagnification of persistent chlorinated and brominated contaminants in food web components of the Yellow Sea

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 32 species inhabiting the Yellow Sea to assess their bioaccumulation potentials. The concentrations in these samples were lower than those reported for other countries or locations. Relatively high levels of BDE 209 in biota suggest an ongoing source of deca-BDE technical mixing within the Yellow Sea. The accumulation profiles of PCBs were uniform between species, but the concentrations of OCPs and PBDEs varied widely. Pelagic and benthic food-chain components were separated by their δ¹³C values. Significant positive correlations between δ¹⁵N and PCB 153, PCB 138, p,p′-DDE, oxy-chlordane, and trans-nonachlordane were found only for pelagic consumers, indicating that the pelagic food chain is an important bioaccumulation pathway for selected PCB and OCP compounds. The other compounds did not show any biomagnification through benthic and pelagic food chains, suggesting the lower bioaccumulation potentials of these contaminants.     

Review on toxicity testing with marine macroalgae and the need for method standardization--exemplified with copper and phenol

Toxic effects on macroalgae have been compiled. Eighty-two articles have been found in literature during 1959-2000. A total of 120 substances were investigated using 65 different macroalgae species. About one-third of the tested compounds were organic substances (33%), another third metal-organic substances (35%), and the last third were oils (14%), metals (8%), detergents (7.5%) and other inorganic chemicals (2.5%). Half of the substances were only tested once on a single species. Likewise, toxicity data has only been reported for one chemical tested on a single occasion for about half of the 65 species. Thus little is known about the toxic effects on marine macroalgae. The objectives of the previous studies undertaken varied and therefore the toxicity data was presented in numerous ways, e.g. using different exposure times, temperature, light intensity, light regime, salinity, and nutrients, which makes a direct comparison of the data difficult. This review also shows that many stages in the lifecycle of macroalgae are often more sensitive to toxic substances than other aquatic organisms. Consequently, tests using macroalgae may discover toxicity earlier, which would in turn also protect the fauna. If toxic compounds have a negative affect on the distribution and growth of structurally and functionally dominating macroalgae, there may indirectly be a large and harmful influence on the whole marine coastal ecosystem. For this reason tests on macroalgae should be included in control programs along the coasts.     

Local dynamical equivalence of certain food webs

An important challenge in theoretical ecology is to find good coarse-grained representations of complex food webs. Here, we use the approach of generalized modeling to show that it may be possible to formulate a coarse-graining algorithm that conserves the local dynamics of the model exactly. We show examples of food webs with a different number of species that have exactly identical local bifurcation diagrams. Based on these observations, we formulate a conjecture governing which populations of complex food webs can be grouped together into a single variable without changing the local dynamics. As an illustration, we use this conjecture to show that chaotic regions generically exist in the parameter space of a class of food webs with more than three trophic levels. While our conjecture is at present only applicable to relatively special cases, we believe that its applicability could be greatly extended if a more sophisticated mapping of parameters were used in the model reduction.     

Bioaccumulation from food and water of cadmium, selenium and zinc in an estuarine fish, Ambassis jacksoniensis

The glassfish, Ambassis jacksoniensis, is a key, mid-level species in an estuarine food web on the east coast of Australia. Estuaries are subject to contamination from urban and industrial activities. The biokinetics of Cd, Se and Zn accumulation by glassfish from water and food were assessed using radioisotopes. Metal uptake from water was not regulated over the range of water metal concentrations examined. Metal uptake from food was assessed using brine shrimp (Artemia sp.) fed radio-labelled algae. The assimilation efficiency from food was 9.5 ± 2.5%, 23 ± 2.2% and 4.6 ± 0.6% for Cd, Se and Zn, respectively. The potential for biomagnification was low for all metals. Food is the main metal uptake pathway for glassfish, with 97%, 99% and 98% of the uptake of Cd, Se and Zn, respectively, estimated to be from food.     

Bioaccumulation of organochlorinated contaminants in three estuarine fish species (Mullus barbatus,Mugil cephalus and Dicentrarcus labrax)

The bioaccumulation of organochlorinated contaminants (DDTs, PCBs and HCB) in three representative fish species from the Ebro Delta (western Mediterranean) was studied. The species, red mullet (Mullus barbatus), sea mullet (Mugil cephalus) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), were selected for their characteristic habitats and feeding behaviours to investigate their potential as bioindicators in pollution monitoring studies. Higher levels of PCBs and DDTs were generally found in red mullet and could be related to the higher lipid content of this species. Red mullet and sea bass exhibited a similar distribution pattern of these pollutants, whereas DDTs and HCB (hexaclorobenzene) were relatively more abundant in sea mullet, probably as a result of a direct uptake from the water lagoons from where the latter were collected and where these pollutants have been found in higher concentrations. A decrease in concentrations with size (age) was generally observed in red mullet and sea bass, though less clearly in sea mullet. This decrease was more pronounced for DDTs, probably owing to metabolic transformations. However, when data were normalized to lipid content, evidence for a positive uptake by sea mullet was obtained, probably relating to the larger growth rate of this species. These results indicate that the accumulation of organochlorine compounds in coastal fish from the same area depends on lipid content, habitat, dietary intake, growth rate and the metabolism of each species. Although these fish can be used for pollution monitoring, the subsequent variability of pollutant body burdens that are influenced by these factors precludes the extrapolation of data from one species to another.     

An oil spill-food chain interaction model for coastal waters

An oil spill-food chain interaction model, composed of a multiphase oil spill model (MOSM) and a food chain model, has been developed to assess the probable impacts of oil spills on several key marine organisms (phytoplankton, zooplankton, small fish, large fish and benthic invertebrates). The MOSM predicts oil slick thickness on the water surface; dissolved, emulsified and particulate oil concentrations in the water column; and dissolved and particulate oil concentrations in bed sediments. This model is used to predict the fate of oil spills and transport with respect to specific organic compounds, while the food chain model addresses the uptake of toxicant by marine organisms. The oil spill-food chain interaction model can be used to assess the environmental impacts of oil spills in marine ecosystems. The model is applied to the recent Evoikos-Orapin Global oil spill that occurred in the Singapore Strait.     

Eutrophication, Water Borne Pathogens and Xenobiotic Compounds: Environmental Risks and Challenges

Recent advances in pollution control and monitoring technologies, improved analytical capability, changes in government priorities and results of scientific studies have substantially changed our views and perceptions towards marine pollution in the last two decades. Globally, the problems caused by eutrophication, water borne pathogens and xenobiotic compounds are likely to be exacerbated and pose significant ecological and/or public health risks in the coming years, especially in developing countries. The large amount of anthropogenic input of nutrients has caused major changes in the structure and function of phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic and fish communities over large areas, and such a trend is likely to continue in many coastal waters. Escalated public health risks associated with the increases in frequency and severity of toxic algal blooms are also of growing concern. Reduction of nutrient input through changes in land-use and farming practises, and the development of cost-effective methods for nutrient removal are required. Water borne pathogens affect large numbers of people through consumption of contaminated seafood and direct contact with contaminated water, and such problems are much more serious in developing countries. Current techniques in monitoring bacterial indicators in water and shellfish have clear limitations and cannot afford adequate protection to safeguard public health. Emerging molecular techniques, such as multiplex PCR and specific gene probes, are likely to provide new and cost effective tools for monitoring water borne pathogens in the coming years. Nowadays, xenobiotic compounds can be found almost everywhere in any marine ecosystems. Although these compounds normally occur at very low concentrations and their effects are not well understood, there is growing concern about the chronic exposure and bioconcentration/biomagnification of xenobiotic compounds. In particular, endocrine disrupters which may cause reproductive dysfunction and threaten species survival, are of growing concern. At present, most of our knowledge on toxic effects of xenobiotic compounds is derived from short-term exposure of a single species to high (environmentally unrealistic) and uniform concentrations under laboratory conditions. Data so derived are largely inadequate in predicting ecological effects in the field, in which multi-species are being exposed to varying, low concentrations under an interacting and complex environment. NOEC and LOEC for population/community/ecosystem, as well as the time required for population/community/ecosystems to recover after toxicant insult, are poorly known. These important topics will become the major endeavours for ecotoxicologists in the years to come.