Evaluation on the biomagnification or biodilution of trace metals in global marine food webs by meta-analysis. (September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sun, Tao; Wu, Huifeng; Wang, Xiaoqing; Ji, Chenglong; Shan, Xiujuan; Li, Fei
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 264(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-09
• Subjects: Trace metals -- Marine food webs -- Metal concentration -- Trophic transfer -- Marine environment; 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.2019.113856
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: The transmission and accumulation of trace metals in marine food webs have a profound influence on the structure and function of marine environment. In order to quantitatively assess the trophic transfer behaviors of eight common metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) in simplified five-trophic level marine food webs, a total of 9929 biological samples from 61 studies published between 2000 and 2019, involving 154 sampling sites of 33 countries/regions, were re-compiled using meta-analysis. Based on concentration-trophic level weighted linear regression and predator/prey comparison, the food web magnification factor (FWMF) and the biomagnification factor (BMF) were calculated, respectively. The results showed dissimilar trophic transfer behaviors of these metals in global marine food webs, in which As and Ni tended to be efficiently biodiluted with increasing trophic levels (FWMFs < 1, p < 0.01), while Hg, Pb and Zn trophically biomagnified (FWMFs > 1, p < 0.05). However, Cd, Cr and Cu presented no biomagnification or biodilution trend ( p > 0.05). The values of FWMFs were ranked as: Hg (2.01) > Pb (1.81) > Zn (1.15) > Cu (1.13) > Cr (0.951) > Cd (0.850) > Ni (0.731) > As (0.494). In terms of specific predator-prey relationship, Pb showed significant biodilution from tertiary consumers (TC) to top predators (BMF < 1, p < 0.05), whereas Cd and Cu displayed obvious biomagnification from primary consumers (PC) to secondary consumers (SC) (BMFs >1, p < 0.05). Additionally, when Cu and Zn were transferred from SC to TC, and primary producers to PC, clear biodilution and biomagnification effects were observed, respectively ( p < 0.05). Further analysis indicated that the average concentration of Hg in five-trophic level marine food webs of developed countries (0.904 mg kg −1 dw) was more noticeable ( p < 0.05) than that of developing countries (0.549 mg kg −1 dw). Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: A total 9929 samples from 154 sampling sites of 33 countries/regions were compiled. As and Ni were biodiluted with increasing trophic levels in marine food webs. Hg, Pb and Zn were trophically biomagnified in the food webs. Cd, Cr and Cu exhibited no clear biomagnification or biodilution trend. Hg was still highly accumulated in marine food webs of developed countries.