Subcellular distribution of trace elements and liver histology of landlocked Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) sampled along a mercury contamination gradient. (May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barst, Benjamin D.; Rosabal, Maikel; Campbell, Peter G.C.; Muir, Derek G.C.; Wang, Xioawa; Köck, Günter; Drevnick, Paul E.
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 212(2016)
• Page Start: 574
• Page End: 583
• Publication Date: 2016-05
• Subjects: Arctic char -- Mercury -- Subcellular partitioning -- Metals; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.03.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: We sampled landlocked Arctic char ( Salvelinus alpinus ) from four lakes (Small, 9-Mile, North, Amituk) in the Canadian High Arctic that span a gradient of mercury contamination. Metals (Hg, Se, Tl, and Fe) were measured in char tissues to determine their relationships with health indices (relative condition factor and hepatosomatic index), stable nitrogen isotope ratios, and liver histology. A subcellular partitioning procedure was employed to determine how metals were distributed between potentially sensitive and detoxified compartments of Arctic char livers from a low- and high-mercury lake (Small Lake and Amituk Lake, respectively). Differences in health indices and metal concentrations among char populations were likely related to differences in feeding ecology. Concentrations of Hg, Se, and Tl were highest in the livers of Amituk char, whereas concentrations of Fe were highest in Small and 9-Mile char. At the subcellular level we found that although Amituk char had higher concentrations of Tl in whole liver than Small Lake char, they maintained a greater proportion of this metal in detoxified fractions, suggesting an attempt at detoxification. Mercury was found mainly in potentially sensitive fractions of both Small and Amituk Lake char, indicating that Arctic char are not effectively detoxifying this metal. Histological changes in char livers, mainly in the form of melano-macrophage aggregates and hepatic fibrosis, could be linked to the concentrations and subcellular distributions of essential or non-essential metals. Highlights: Arctic char were collected from lakes representing a mercury contamination gradient. Arctic char liver cells were separated into 6 operationally defined fractions. Livers were examined for histology. Histological changes may be linked to the subcellular distributions of metals. Abstract : Liver histology and the subcellular distributions of trace elements were investigated in landlocked Arctic char sampled along a mercury contamination gradient.