Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope evidence for the low biomagnification of mercury in marine fish from the South China Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1017
Author(s):  
Wenfeng Zhang ◽  
Weixiong Huang ◽  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Xingfen Yang ◽  
Xiaoguang Yang

The low biomagnification of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in commercially important marine fish from the south coast of China has been demonstrated through the analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. In this study, levels of THg, MeHg and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were determined. Stable isotope signatures of carbon and nitrogen (13C/12C, 15N/14N) were used to trace the carbon flow and reconstruct trophic interactions. Levels of THg and MeHg in fish muscle samples were <220ngg–1. The trophic levels of sampled fish ranged from 2.31 to 5.03. The trophic magnification slopes were ~0.1 for both THg and MeHg, whereas the trophic magnification factor showed that the average biomagnification of THg and MeHg per trophic level was 3.02 and 2.87ngHgg–1 respectively along fish food chains, indicating low biomagnification potential of these mercury species. The low concentrations of MeHg and low biomagnification of mercury in marine fish may result from the trophic levels and habitats of these fish.

2018 ◽  
Vol 193 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong-Wei Xiao ◽  
Hua-Yun Xiao ◽  
Li Luo ◽  
Zhong-Yi Zhang ◽  
Qi-Wei Huang ◽  
...  

2003 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas H. Ubelaker ◽  
Douglas W. Owsley

Excavations of colonial period sites in Maryland and Virginia have produced human remains dating to the seventeenth century. In this study, we analyze stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen from these remains to explore aspects of the diets of the individuals represented. Analyses of both stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were conducted on preserved protein while stable carbon isotope analysis was also conducted on preserved biological apatite. Carbon isotope values (δ13N‰) ranged from -10.5 to -20.5 for collagen and -5.1 to -12.5 for bioapatite. Nitrogen isotope values (δ15N‰) ranged from 9.9 to 14.4. The data suggest dietary diversity among the individuals examined. Three factors contribute to this diversity: the availability of maize, variation in immigration histories of the individuals, and the differing lengths of time they spent in the American colonies.


2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1519-1526
Author(s):  
李斌 LI Bin ◽  
王志坚 WANG Zhijian ◽  
金丽 JIN Li ◽  
江星 JIANG Xing ◽  
徐丹丹 XU Dandan ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
yuqi wang ◽  
Zheng Dongmei ◽  
Ma Huanchi ◽  
Li Huiying ◽  
Wang Bing

Abstract Mercury is a global pollutant that can accumulate in organisms and endanger human health. This paper studied the soil, plants and animals in the light beach, Suaeda wing wetland, reed wetland and rice field in the Liaohe Estuary in 2018 and 2019, and determined the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of animals and plants to construct the food chain. The results show that from 2018 to 2019, the accumulation of mercury in the soil of the light beach, Suaeda winged wetland and reed wetland of the Liaohe Estuary continued to increase, but the accumulation of mercury in paddy soil showed a decreasing trend; the mercury content in plant samples also showed a certain degree There is a positive correlation between the accumulation of mercury in the food chain and the construction of trophic levels in the food chain. Mercury can carry out efficient biomagnification and bioaccumulation through the food chain.


1988 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
William F. Keegan ◽  
Michael J. DeNiro

Previous studies have demonstrated that stable carbon- and nitrogen-isotope ratios of bone collagen can be used to distinguish marine and terrestrial components of prehistoric human diet. However, when this method was first applied to prehistoric Bahamians, their bone-collagen nitrogen-isotope ratios were found to be outside the ranges observed for other coastal populations that ate substantial quantities of marine foods. This study examines in detail the distributions of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes in Bahamian food chains. Our results indicate that the unique isotopic signature in bone collagen of prehistoric Bahamians reflects the enrichment of 13C and the depletion of 15N in seagrass and coral-reef communities relative to other oceanic environments. The results also demonstrate that bone-collagen 13C/12C ratios can be used to distinguish marine from terrestrial contributions in the prehistoric Lucayan Taino diet, and that 15N/14N ratios serve to identify the use of certain marine food groups. This approach should prove useful for the study of consumption practices in other tropical coral-reef environments and as a method for evaluating theoretically predicted optimal diets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 166 ◽  
pp. 112172
Author(s):  
Tiphaine Mille ◽  
Amaëlle Bisch ◽  
Nathalie Caill-Milly ◽  
Pierre Cresson ◽  
Jonathan Deborde ◽  
...  

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