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Bioaccumulation of Lead and Arsenic in Gastropods Inhabiting Salt Marsh Ponds in Coastal Bay of Fundy, Canada

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Abstract

The Cumberland Marsh Region (CMR), located on the coast of the Bay of Fundy, is a major feeding ground for waterfowl and contains significant coastal wetland systems. In this study, concentrations of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) were assessed in the bottom sediments of various open water wetlands across the CMR, and gastropods were sampled from the same wetlands to assess bioaccumulation of these non-essential trace elements and the potential for transfer to higher trophic level species. It was predicted that gastropods would have higher concentrations of Pb and As from wetlands with higher concentrations of these elements in sediments. Although wetland sediments and gastropods had elevated Pb and As concentrations, in some cases above the Canadian Sediment Quality Guidelines for the protection of aquatic life, there were no significant correlations between sediment and gastropod trace element concentrations. Gastropod to sediment ratios of Pb and As concentrations were highest in the brackish wetlands, but overall, levels were not of toxicological concern. Wetland chemistries and gastropod physiologies are hypothesized to be driving factors in determining the level to which Pb and As will bioaccumulate and merit careful consideration when developing wetland management strategies.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this project was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Canada Research Chairs program, Ducks Unlimited Canada, and Acadia University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Acadia University, 33 Westwood Avenue, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada

    Amanda L. Loder, Mark L. Mallory & Christine McLauchlan

  2. Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, 12 University Avenue, HSH 327, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada

    Ian Spooner & Patrick O. Englehardt

  3. Ducks Unlimited Canada, Atlantic Region Office, 64 Hwy 6, P.O. Box 430, Amherst, Nova Scotia, B4H 3Z5, Canada

    Nic McLellan

  4. Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 698, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 2T9, Canada

    Chris White

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  1. Amanda L. Loder
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Correspondence to Amanda L. Loder.

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Loder, A.L., Mallory, M.L., Spooner, I. et al. Bioaccumulation of Lead and Arsenic in Gastropods Inhabiting Salt Marsh Ponds in Coastal Bay of Fundy, Canada. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 75 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-016-2774-6

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