Trace metal trophic transference and biomagnification in a semiarid coastal lagoon impacted by agriculture and shrimp aquaculture

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2020-02, Vol.27 (5), p.5323-5336
• Main Authors: Jara-Marini, Martín Enrique, Molina-García, Araceli, Martínez-Durazo, Ángel, Páez-Osuna, Federico
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Aquaculture; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Biological magnification; Cadmium; California; Copper; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Food; Food chains; Food webs; Heavy metals; Lagoons; Lead; Metal concentrations; Metals; Metals, Heavy; Nitrogen; Prey; Research Article; Stable isotopes; Trace metals; Trophic levels; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Water Pollution Control; Zinc
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06788-2

We studied the biomagnification of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stable isotope analyses during four seasons, in the food web of a semiarid coastal lagoon in the central-eastern Gulf of California (GC). The concentrations of the four metals increased among functional organism groups, from the food web base to the highest trophic levels. In general, the distribution of the elements for the four sampled seasons was Zn > Cu > Pb > Cd. The correlations between trophic level values and log-transformed metal concentrations were significantly ( p < 0.05) positive for Cd ( r = 0.61–0.91), Cu ( r = 0.63–0.70), and Zn ( r = 0.50–0.73), while Pb showed only one positive correlation ( r = 0.38). The biomagnification factors (from specific predator-prey scenarios) ranged from 0.32 to 3.88 for Cd, 0.05 to 37.1 for Cu, 0.50 to 3.57 for Pb, and 0.70 to 22.2 for Zn. The trophic biomagnification factors (considering the entire food web) varied from 1.26 to 1.41 for Cd, 1.95 to 2.24 for Cu, 1.02 to 1.15 for Pb, and 1.45 to 1.78 for Zn. Our results show evidence for the biomagnification of Cd, Cu, and Zn in the studied food web, while data on Pb transference are not conclusive.