Bioenhancement of cadmium transfer along a multi-level food chain

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that metal partitioned to a subcellular compartment containing trophically available metal (TAM) is readily available to predators and may be enhanced by increased binding of metal to heat-stable proteins (HSP - e.g., metallothioneins). The aim of the current investigation was to determine the influence of TAM on the trophic transfer of Cd along an experimental, three-level food chain: Artemia franciscana (brine shrimp), Palaemonetes pugio (grass shrimp) Fundulus heteroclitus (mummichog). P. pugio were fed for 7 days on A. franciscana exposed to Cd in solution (including Cd-109 as radiotracer) and subjected to subcellular fractionation or fed to F. heteroclitus. An HSP-driven increase in the percentage of Cd associated with TAM (TAM-Cd%) in A. franciscana exposed to 1 muM Cd resulted in a bioenhancement (i.e., a greater than linear increase with respect to A. franciscana exposure) of Cd trophic transfer to P. pugio. Increased dietary Cd exposure did not affect TAM-Cd% in P. pugio nor trophic transfer to F. heteroclitus. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords

bioenhancement; trophically available metal; metallothioneins; Palaemonetes pugio; Fundulus heteroclitus; cadmium

Published in

Marine Environmental Research
2005, Volume: 59, number: 5, pages: 473-491

UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2004.07.003

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112739