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Source and trophic transfer of mercury in plankton from an ultraoligotrophic lacustrine system (Lake Nahuel Huapi, North Patagonia)

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Abstract

The incorporation and trophic transfer of total and methyl mercury (THg, MeHg) were examined in three size classes of plankton (10–53, 53–200, and >200 μm size range) and a small planktivorous fish, Galaxias maculatus, from the large multi-branched Lake Nahuel Huapi (North Patagonia, Argentina). Three sites representing a large range of lake benthic–pelagic structures (based on depth and shoreline characteristics) and precipitation regimes were sampled. Nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes (δ15N, δ13C) were analyzed to assess Hg trophodynamics. Selenium concentrations were determined together with THg in order to consider its potential effect on Hg trophodynamics. High THg concentrations (0.1–255 µg g−1 dry weight (DW)) were measured in plankton, largely in inorganic form (MeHg: 3–29 ng g−1 DW, 0.02–7 % of THg, in the two larger size classes). A trend of increasing THg concentrations, varying in two to three orders of magnitude, with decreasing plankton size was associated with precipitation measured prior to each sampling event. Passive adsorption of dissolved Hg2+ from wet deposition and runoff is considered to be the principal Hg uptake mechanism at the base of the pelagic food web. Despite the initially high THg uptake in the smaller plankton classes, the transfer to G. maculatus, and consequently to the entire food web, is likely limited due to low proportion of MeHg to THg in plankton. Furthermore, evidence of G. maculatus with benthic feeding habits having higher impact on MeHg trophic transfer compared to the same species with more pelagic (e.g., zooplankton) feeding habits, was observed. Although there is a high THg uptake in plankton, limited amounts are incorporated in the entire food web from the pelagic compartment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to Romina Juncos for her valuable comments; to Ricardo Sánchez, Eduardo Bladauskas, Miguel Battini, and Juan Pablo Barriga for their participation in sampling and sample conditioning, and to the reactor RA–6 operation staff for their assistance in sample analysis. This work was partially supported by the projects PICT 33838, Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Argentina), Fundación Balseiro 85/CA/10, and IAEA TCP ARG7007.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Av. Bustillo km 9.5, 8400, Bariloche, Argentina

    Andrea Rizzo, Marina Arcagni, María A. Arribére & Sergio Ribeiro Guevara

  2. CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina

    Andrea Rizzo

  3. Faculty of Science, Saint Mary’s University, 923 Robie Street, Halifax, NS, B3H 3C3, Canada

    Linda Campbell

  4. National Institute of Biology, Marine Biology Station, Fornače 41, 6330, Piran, Slovenia

    Neža Koron

  5. Department of Environmental Sciences, “Jožef Stefan” Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Majda Pavlin & Milena Horvat

  6. Instituto Balseiro, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica, Bariloche, Argentina

    María A. Arribére

Authors
  1. Andrea Rizzo
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  2. Marina Arcagni
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  3. Linda Campbell
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  4. Neža Koron
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  6. María A. Arribére
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  8. Sergio Ribeiro Guevara
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Correspondence to Sergio Ribeiro Guevara.

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Rizzo, A., Arcagni, M., Campbell, L. et al. Source and trophic transfer of mercury in plankton from an ultraoligotrophic lacustrine system (Lake Nahuel Huapi, North Patagonia). Ecotoxicology 23, 1184–1194 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-014-1260-4

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