Article
Environmental Sciences
Mehdi Moslemi-Aqdam, George Low, Mike Low, Brian D. Laird, Brian A. Branfireun, Heidi K. Swanson
Summary: The biomagnification of mercury in lake food webs was investigated in ten remote subarctic lakes in Northwest Territories, Canada. The study found significant biomagnification of mercury through the food webs of all lakes and identified forest cover as a key environmental driver of mercury biomagnification.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlyn Donadt, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Mark S. Poesch
Summary: Bioaccumulation of mercury in freshwater fish is a complex process influenced by environmental and biological factors. While surface water mercury concentrations were high in the studied tributaries of the Red Deer River, patterns of fish THg concentrations varied by species. The study suggests that mercury poses a risk to piscivorous wildlife health in these streams, but bioaccumulation is not solely driven by environmental factors and commonly associated factors like body size and trophic level may not strongly influence mercury concentrations in these ecosystems.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ryan F. Lepak, Jacob M. Ogorek, Krista K. Bartz, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Yin Runsheng, James P. Hurley, Daniel B. Young, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, David P. Krabbenhoft
Summary: This study assessed the importance of migrating oceanic salmon, volcanic activity, and atmospheric deposition to fish mercury burden by analyzing lake trout in 13 remote lakes in southwestern Alaska. The results showed that volcanic activity is a significant additional source of mercury in proximate lakes, while migratory salmon contribute little methylmercury directly to lake trout. The study also found niche partitioning and a complex suite of ecological interactions in lake trout populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Vicki S. Blazer, Heather L. Walsh, Adam J. Sperry, Brenna Raines, James J. Willacker, Collin A. Eagles-Smith
Summary: Total mercury (THg) levels in smallmouth bass were correlated with visible abnormalities, macrophage aggregates, and tissue parasite burdens. In males, THg was positively associated with plasma vitellogenin, estrogen receptor 81, and androgen receptor alpha, while there was a negative association with estrogen receptors alpha and 82 and androgen receptors 8. In females, THg showed a negative correlation with plasma vitellogenin, vitellogenin, choriogenin, estrogen receptor 82, and 178 hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. These associations suggest that mercury may be an important environmental stressor contributing to adverse effects in smallmouth bass populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pengwei Li, Rui Wang, Martin J. Kainz, Daqiang Yin
Summary: Algal density has a significant impact on the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury (Hg) in aquatic food webs. This study conducted in Lake Taihu, a large shallow lake in eastern China, found that higher algal density was associated with lower Hg bioaccumulation in phytoplankton and zooplankton. The low Hg bioaccumulation was attributed to the low bioavailability of Hg and the smaller body size of dominant zooplankton species at higher algal density sites. Moreover, high algal density was also found to be associated with a low proportion of methylmercury (MeHg) in phytoplankton.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mehdi Moslemi-Aqdam, Leanne F. Baker, Jennifer L. Baltzer, Brian A. Branfireun, Marlene S. Evans, Brian D. Laird, George Low, Mike Low, Heidi K. Swanson
Summary: The concentrations of mercury in fish are influenced by complex biogeochemical and ecological interactions. These interactions have profound effects on fish mercury concentrations, particularly in northern latitudes. The study found that fish growth rates and concentrations of methylmercury in benthic invertebrates are important factors affecting mercury concentrations in Northern Pike. These variables are influenced by concentrations of dissolved organic carbon, methylmercury, and total mercury in lakes, which are ultimately driven by catchment characteristics.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sha Tan, Xiaowei Xu, Hao Cheng, Junjie Wang, Xun Wang
Summary: This study investigated the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of mercury in fish, finding that exposure to inorganic mercury led to methylation of mercury while treatment with methylmercury did not result in demethylation. Additionally, the composition of gut microbiome was significantly altered under both inorganic and methylmercury exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Keishi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Sato, Shizuho Miki, Ken Fujimoto, Shoichiro Yamamoto
Summary: The study examined the radiocesium concentration in smallmouth bass collected from Lake Hayama, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The fish mainly consumed other fish and aquatic insects, with Osteichthyes being the most common prey. The radiocesium contamination in the fish was likely transferred through the food chain. There was a positive correlation between the standard length of the fish and the radiocesium concentration. The high radiocesium concentrations in some fish could not be solely explained by the initial fallout from the Fukushima accident.
Article
Environmental Sciences
A. J. Piro, S. J. Taipale, H. M. Laiho, E. S. Eerola, K. K. Kahilainen
Summary: A year-round study reveals that the seasonal variability has a significant impact on the concentration and bioaccumulation of THg in fish. Different fish species show variations in THg levels and bioaccumulation slopes across seasons, highlighting the importance of standardized sampling in long-term monitoring.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charles A. Wainright, Clint C. Muhlfeld, James J. Elser, Samuel L. Bourret, Shawn P. Devlin
Summary: The invasion of the lake trout species has caused significant nutrient disruption in freshwater food webs, leading to increased variability in fish diets and displacement of native fish from their reference diets. Over time, the native apex predator, bull trout, experienced nutrient dispersion before displacement, resulting in their functional loss in late-invasion food webs.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrew D. Miller, Shannon K. Brewer
Summary: The study evaluated the relationship between Neosho Smallmouth Bass nesting behavior and habitat features, showing plasticity in nesting ecology within populations and highlighting the importance of considering multiple aspects of stream habitat.
DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Antti P. Eloranta, Gaute Kjaerstad, Michael Power, Hanna-Kaisa Lakka, Jo Vegar Arnekleiv, Anders G. Finstad
Summary: Chemical eradication of non-native species can lead to changes in species assemblages, but results in only minor shifts in resource use and trophic diversity of benthic invertebrate communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cecilia E. Heuvel, Kenneth G. Drouillard, G. Douglas Haffner, Yingming Zhao, Aaron T. Fisk
Summary: This study found that POP concentrations were similar among different species of freshwater fish in Lake Erie, but varied significantly with ecological characteristics such as age and trophic level within individuals, illustrating the complexity of contaminant dynamics in freshwater fish.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stephanie D. Graves, Karsten Liber, Vince Palace, Markus Hecker, Lorne E. Doig, David M. Janz
Summary: This study investigated the trophic dynamics of selenium in a Canadian boreal lake ecosystem along a gradient of exposure concentrations, revealing nonlinear bioaccumulation of selenium by organisms and taxonomic differences in selenium accumulation. Field-derived models for selenium uptake by algae and invertebrates were developed, contributing to a better understanding of selenium bioaccumulation dynamics over exposure concentrations in cold-water lentic systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lucas Silva Azevedo, Inacio Abreu Pestana, Marcelo Gomes Almeida, Adriely Ferreira da Costa Nery, Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos, Cristina Maria Magalhaes Souza
Summary: The study shows that mercury biomagnification in the Amazon is not influenced by seasonality, but food chain modeling has an impact on the results.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2021)
