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Mercury Uptake by Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in Oyster Restoration Project of the New York Harbor

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Abstract

The Billion Oyster Project is a New York City-wide effort to reintroduce eastern oysters back into the New York Harbor and help improve water quality by reducing heavy metal concentrations in the environment. In particular, the bioaccumulation of mercury in oyster tissue was investigated in the New York Harbor oysters acquired from two sites. Mercury levels exceed the standard Environmental Protection Agency-recommended levels as the New York Harbor oysters exhibit mercury levels ranging from 0.36 ± 0.05 to 0.55 ± 0.08 μg Hg g−1 dry weight. In an ideal scenario, one billion of these oysters are roughly projected to capture a maximum of 110 g of mercury from the New York Harbor by 2030, assuming an average uptake of 0.55 μg Hg g−1 dry weight for every oyster added to the reef. In addition to the bioaccumulation of mercury within the oyster tissue, stunted physical growth of the oysters and abnormal discoloration of the tissue indicate the presence of other heavy metals. This study demonstrates the promising role that eastern oysters play in removing heavy metals, such as mercury, from their water environment and preview significant and measurable impacts on the ecosystem.

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried out at Center for Aqueous Biogeochemical Research (CABR) of Smith College with funding assistance from the Smith College Dean’s Office and Department of Chemistry. The authors would like to thank to Professor Robert Newton and Marc Anderson at Smith College for granting access to CABR center and instrumental resources. Authors would like to thank SCAPE studio for providing FLUPSY graphic image. The mercury analysis was conducted using Teledyne Leeman Labs Hydra IIC Hg Analyzer at CABR, an instrument funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The oyster samples were provided by the New York Harbor School and Billion Oyster Project in New York City.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Avenue, Box 2743, Winter Park, FL, 32789, USA

    E. J. Park

  2. Department of Chemistry, Smith College, Ford Hall, 100 Green Street, Northampton, MA, 01063, USA

    M. Kim & A. Garcia

  3. Billion Oyster Project, 10 South St., Slip 7, New York, NY, 10004, USA

    P. Malinowski

  4. New York Harbor School, Battery Maritime Building, Slip 7, 10 South Street, New York, NY, 10004, USA

    P. Malinowski

Authors
  1. M. Kim
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  2. A. Garcia
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  3. P. Malinowski
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  4. E. J. Park
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. J. Park.

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Editorial responsibility: Agnieszka Galuszka.

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Kim, M., Garcia, A., Malinowski, P. et al. Mercury Uptake by Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) in Oyster Restoration Project of the New York Harbor. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 14, 2269–2276 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1358-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-017-1358-3

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