Bioaccumulation of trace elements in omnivorous amphibian larvae: Implications for amphibian health and contaminant transport
Jason
M. Unrine1, William A. Hopkins2, Christopher S.
Romanek1,3, and Brian P. Jackson4
1Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, The University of Georgia,
Aiken, SC 29802, USA
2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University, Blacksburg VA, USA
3The Department of Geology, The University of Georgia, Athens,
GA 30602, USA
4Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College,
Hanover NH, USA
Abstract
Despite the influence that amphibians have on the flow of energy and nutrients
in ecological systems, the role that amphibians play in transporting contaminants
through food webs has received very little attention. This study was undertaken
to investigate bioaccumulation of trace elements in amphibians relative
to other small aquatic organisms in a contaminated wetland. We collected
bullfrog larvae (Rana catesbeiana) along with three other species
of small vertebrates and four species of invertebrates from a site contaminated
with a wide array of trace elements and analyzed them for trace element
concentrations and stable nitrogen and carbon isotope composition. We
found that amphibian larvae accumulated the highest concentrations of
most trace elements, possibly due to their feeding ecology. These results
suggest that omnivorous amphibian larvae can serve as a critical link
for trace element trophic transfer. Their propensity to accumulate trace
elements may have important implications for amphibian health in contaminated
environments and should be further investigated.
Keywords
Trace element; Amphibian; Bioaccumulation; Coral combustion waste;
Stable isotope
SREL Reprint #3047
Unrine, J. M., W. A. Hopkins, C. S. Romanek, and B. P. Jackson 2007. Bioaccumulation
of trace elements in omnivorous amphibian larvae: Implications for amphibian
health and contaminant transport. Environmental Pollution 149:182-192.
