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From Midges to Spiders: Mercury Biotransport in Riparian Zones Near the Buffalo River Area of Concern (AOC), USA

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Abstract

Riparian communities can receive environmental contaminants from adjacent aquatic ‘donor’ habitats. We investigated mercury biotransport from aquatic to terrestrial habitats via aquatic insect emergence and uptake by riparian spiders at sites within and upstream of the Buffalo River Area of Concern (AOC), a site with known sediment Hg contamination. Mercury concentration in emerging midges was roughly 10× less than contaminated sediment levels with the AOC, but biomagnification factors from midges to spiders ranged from 2.0 to 2.65 between sites. There was a significantly negative body mass:total mercury relationship in spiders (p < 0.001), indicating that mercury depuration is rapid or tissue dilution occurs in these riparian predators. Spiders contained significantly more mercury than their midge prey and spiders upstream of the AOC had higher mercury concentrations than spiders from within the AOC. Collectively, these data indicate that riparian spiders can be good mercury sentinels in urban environments, and that riparian communities upstream from the AOC may be at greater risk to mercury than has been previously considered.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Great Lakes Environmental Protection Fund award to CMP (SUNY RF Award No. 31988). Dr. A. Nazarenko (Buffalo State College) gave graciously of his time in operation of the cold vapor AA. Dr. B. Cutler (University of Kansas) identified the spiders. The manuscript benefitted from the comments of two anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14222, USA

    C. M. Pennuto & M. Smith

  2. Great Lakes Center, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY, 14222, USA

    C. M. Pennuto

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  1. C. M. Pennuto
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  2. M. Smith
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Correspondence to C. M. Pennuto.

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Pennuto, C.M., Smith, M. From Midges to Spiders: Mercury Biotransport in Riparian Zones Near the Buffalo River Area of Concern (AOC), USA. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95, 701–706 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1658-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1658-6

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