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The Broad-Scale Analysis of Metals, Trace Elements, Organochlorine Pesticides and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Wetlands Along an Urban Gradient, and the Use of a High Trophic Snake as a Bioindicator

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Title: The Broad-Scale Analysis of Metals, Trace Elements, Organochlorine Pesticides and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Wetlands Along an Urban Gradient, and the Use of a High Trophic Snake as a Bioindicator
Authors: Fabien Aubret, Marthe Monique Gagnon, Philip W. Bateman, Damian C. Lettoof
Contributors: aubret, fabien
Source: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 78:631-645
Publisher Information: Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020.
Publication Year: 2020
Subject Terms: [SDE] Environmental Sciences, Geologic Sediments, IMPACT, TIGER SNAKES, Toxicology, 01 natural sciences, 11. Sustainability, Geologic Sediments / chemistry, Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated, Water Pollutants, Elapidae, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Pesticides / analysis, NEW-JERSEY, Environmental Biomarkers, Trace Elements / analysis, Elapidae / metabolism, URBANIZATION, 6. Clean water, animals, [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio], Liver, NOTECHIS-SCUTATUS, Metals, Chemical / analysis, POPULATIONS, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Environmental Monitoring, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis, Environmental Sciences & Ecology, NORTHERN WATER SNAKES, CADMIUM, Liver / metabolism, Metals, Heavy, Environmental Monitoring / methods, Animals, 14. Life underwater, Cities, Pesticides, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences, Science & Technology, Liver / drug effects, Australia, NERODIA-SIPEDON, 15. Life on land, Chlorinated / analysis, Heavy / analysis, Hydrocarbons, Trace Elements, 13. Climate action, Wetlands, MERCURY, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Biomarkers / drug effects, Water Pollutants, Chemical
Description: Wetlands and their biodiversity are constantly threatened by contaminant pollution from urbanisation. Despite evidence suggesting that snakes are good bioindicators of environmental health, the bioaccumulation of contaminants in reptiles is poorly researched in Australia. We conducted the first broad-scale analysis of 17 metals and trace elements, 21 organochlorine pesticides, and 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments (4 samples per site, December 2018) from four wetlands along an urban gradient in Perth, Western Australia, and from the livers (5 livers per site, February-April 2019) of western tiger snakes Notechis scutatus occidentalis captured at those sites. All 17 metals and trace elements were detected in the sediments of wetlands as well as 16 in the livers of tiger snakes. Arsenic, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, and Zn were at concentrations exceeding government trigger values in at least one sediment sample. Two organochlorine pesticides and six of seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in the sediments of a single wetland, all exceeding government trigger values, but were not detected in tiger snakes. Metals and trace elements were generally in higher concentration in sediments and snake livers from more heavily urbanised wetlands. The least urbanised site had some higher concentrations of metals and trace elements, possibly due to agriculture contaminated groundwater. Concentrations of nine metals and trace elements in snake livers were statistically different between sites. Arsenic, Cd, Co, Hg, Mo, Sb, and Se near paralleled the pattern of contamination measured in the wetland sediments; this supports the use of high trophic wetland snakes, such as tiger snakes, as bioindicators of wetland contamination. Contamination sources and impacts on these wetland ecosystems and tiger snakes are discussed herein.
Document Type: Article
File Description: fulltext
Language: English
ISSN: 1432-0703
0090-4341
DOI: 10.1007/s00244-020-00724-z
Access URL: https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/20.500.11937/83546/4/83528.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32123945
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32123945
https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/6879983
https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/20.500.11937/83546/4/83528.pdf
https://espace.curtin.edu.au/handle/20.500.11937/83546
https://europepmc.org/article/MED/32123945
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00244-020-00724-z
https://ut3-toulouseinp.hal.science/hal-02991167v1
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00724-z
Rights: Springer TDM
Accession Number: edsair.doi.dedup.....9c83f0c5c7bacddd6218d8dfbad24d47
Database: OpenAIRE
Description
Abstract:Wetlands and their biodiversity are constantly threatened by contaminant pollution from urbanisation. Despite evidence suggesting that snakes are good bioindicators of environmental health, the bioaccumulation of contaminants in reptiles is poorly researched in Australia. We conducted the first broad-scale analysis of 17 metals and trace elements, 21 organochlorine pesticides, and 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments (4 samples per site, December 2018) from four wetlands along an urban gradient in Perth, Western Australia, and from the livers (5 livers per site, February-April 2019) of western tiger snakes Notechis scutatus occidentalis captured at those sites. All 17 metals and trace elements were detected in the sediments of wetlands as well as 16 in the livers of tiger snakes. Arsenic, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, and Zn were at concentrations exceeding government trigger values in at least one sediment sample. Two organochlorine pesticides and six of seven polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in the sediments of a single wetland, all exceeding government trigger values, but were not detected in tiger snakes. Metals and trace elements were generally in higher concentration in sediments and snake livers from more heavily urbanised wetlands. The least urbanised site had some higher concentrations of metals and trace elements, possibly due to agriculture contaminated groundwater. Concentrations of nine metals and trace elements in snake livers were statistically different between sites. Arsenic, Cd, Co, Hg, Mo, Sb, and Se near paralleled the pattern of contamination measured in the wetland sediments; this supports the use of high trophic wetland snakes, such as tiger snakes, as bioindicators of wetland contamination. Contamination sources and impacts on these wetland ecosystems and tiger snakes are discussed herein.
ISSN:14320703
00904341
DOI:10.1007/s00244-020-00724-z