重金属在海洋食物链中的传递

近年来 ,金属在不同海洋食物链中摄食富集的定量研究得到越来越多的关注。自然环境中生物体内金属的浓度并不一定和生物在食物链中所处的营养级有相关关系 ,金属在生物体内的富集还受到生物的同化、排出等过程以及其它生理生化因子的影响。在经典的海洋浮游生物食物链中 (浮游植物→桡足类→鱼类 ) ,桡足类往往可以很有效地排出体内的金属 ,同时鱼类的金属同化率又很低 ,所以该食物链中金属的浓度随食物链水平增加而减少。目前研究发现只有甲基汞和铯 Cs会被食物链所放大。在以腹足动物为顶级捕食者的底栖食物链中 ,因为生物结合金属的效率很高 ,高同化率和低排出率导致金属浓度在生物体内得到放大。重金属在生物体内的可利用性可以通过测定同化率、排出率等参数、并结合考虑生物对该金属的消化行为 ,运用一个简易的动态模型来估算。已有的研究中人们多考虑金属的化学性质对食物链传递的影响。着重介绍了近年来国外对金属在不同海洋食物链 (底栖和浮游 )中的传递的研究成果 ,强调在金属的生物可利用性评估中 ,要充分考虑到动物的生理、生化过程的影响 ,同时也必须认识到不同的海洋生物有着复杂且不同的金属代谢机制     

氮、磷对镍在食物链上传递的影响

采用放射性同位素示踪法,研究氮或磷添加对镍在东海原甲藻(Prorocentrum donghaienseLu)和中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)胞内累积的影响;并将其分别投喂中华哲水蚤(Calanus sinicus)后,探讨镍在桡足类体内的吸收和生理周转。结果表明,经过24h暴露后,氮或磷显著影响这两种藻类对镍的吸收,且高浓度氮或磷均能促进镍在这两种藻类细胞内的累积,因而促进镍在中华哲水蚤体内的吸收;而镍在中华哲水蚤体内的生理周转率却不受氮或磷浓度的影响,似乎更受动物个体的生理状态影响;中华哲水蚤对镍的吸收率与藻类细胞内镍含量呈极显著相关(p<0.001),证明了"桡足类只吸收饵料细胞内的水相金属库"的假说。由此可见,近海富营养化可促进浮游植物对镍的吸收,进而影响该金属在浮游生物食物链上的传递。     

桡足类与硅藻相互作用的研究进展

硅藻对桡足类繁殖的影响是近年来海洋生态学的热点问题,主要体现在降低了桡足类的产卵和孵化成功率。其可能原因在于硅藻大量繁殖后由于缺乏某种关键营养物质或自身产生某种抑制物阻碍了桡足类繁殖过程。但目前现场、室内实验结果不一：室内实验结果显示硅藻对桡足类繁殖的抑制作用主要是因为缺乏必要的多不饱和酸（PUFAs）。而现场实验结果则表明硅藻可产生次级代谢产物（小分子量的醛类）阻碍桡足类卵的孵化。由于目前对这种硅藻．桡足类相互作用机制和影响程度尚不清楚,如果这一现象在自然海区中普遍存在,传统上关于“硅藻-桡足类-鱼类”的海洋经典食物链观点势必存在极大的缺陷。文章介绍了这一问题的目前研究进展和将来的研究前景。     

土壤重金属向节肢动物的传递及影响

土壤中重金属可通过食物链传递至节肢动物,并在其体内累积。文章介绍影响重金属传递和积累的主要因子,及重金属对植食性、捕食性、寄生性、腐食性节肢动物种群及群落的影响情况。建议对影响传递与累积的机制开展深入研究,并重点从节肢动物群落生态学、行为学、生理学等角度开展更多工作。     

野生动物重金属污染研究进展

重金属污染问题已成为全球热点,会对野生动物及环境造成严重危害。野生动物体内重金属主要来自食物链的传递,植物从空气和土壤中吸收重金属离子及其化合物,被采食后富集到草食性动物体内,逐级传递,最终会进入野生动物体内,对野生动物健康造成严重危害。体内重金属超标可以导致鸟类产生生殖障碍,降低种群数量,同时也会影响鸟类的行为。体内重金属超标会对哺乳动物骨骼发育、生殖健康等方面产生极大危害,对哺乳动物繁衍生息产生影响。文中主要综述重金属污染对野生鸟类、野生哺乳动物生长发育的影响;重金属在生物链传递过程的富集机制及其对野生鸟类、野生哺乳动物的毒理分子机制,以期对重金属环境污染的预防与治理提供理论基础。     

海洋浮游桡足类滞育的研究进展

海洋桡足类在海洋生态系统中占有重要的地位,其重要的生理现象一滞育是影响其种群数量变动的重要因子。本文对海洋桡足类滞育的形式、滞育的意义、滞育卵的孵化与发育以及诱导桡足类滞育的环境因子等方面的研究进行了综述,同时还提出了今后研究的方向,以期对桡足类滞育机制的研究提供新的思路。     

河口近海桡足类休眠卵生态学研究进展

桡足类是水域生态系统的关键类群,在物质循环、能量流动和信息传递中起着重要作用.休眠卵是桡足类的重要生存策略,在抵抗不利环境、维持种群延续等方面起着重要作用.本文综述了河口近海桡足类休眠卵种类组成及其分布、休眠卵存活时间、休眠卵萌发率和沉积物中休眠卵丰度以及对水体的潜在补充量及其影响因素等.对河口近海桡足类休眠卵生态学研究提出了展望,以期为相关研究提供新的思路.     

重金属污染影响植食性昆虫的研究进展

重金属污染是世界各国面临的最为棘手的问题之一,对生态系统和食品安全构成了严重威胁。作为生态系统中食物链和食物网的重要环节,植食性昆虫是环境中重金属迁移、积累的重要媒介,其因重金属污染而受到的影响引起了大家的关注。本文综述了从2007至2018年重金属污染对植食性昆虫影响的研究进展。昆虫受重金属胁迫的研究途径有人工饲料添加、野外田间暴露、“土壤-植物-昆虫”食物链传递以及体外注射等。积累在植食性昆虫体内的过量重金属可导致其存活率、繁殖力和种群增长率降低,生长发育迟缓。重金属污染对植食性昆虫的生理生化毒性包括细胞超微结构破坏和DNA损伤,体内能量物质含量降低,酶活性、基因表达改变等。植食性昆虫会通过重金属硫蛋白、解毒酶活性的诱导等机制抵御重金属的毒害,从而对低浓度、长期重金属暴露产生生态适应性,甚至提高对其他逆境(如农药等)的耐受性。     

高浓度硅藻对桡足类繁殖的抑制作用

硅藻作为海洋浮游植物重要的组分 ,一直被看作是桡足类主要的食物来源。但近 10年来许多现场和实验室研究表明 :硅藻 ,特别是高浓度硅藻对桡足类的繁殖具有抑制作用。目前 ,对于抑制作用的机制存在着两种假设 :硅藻细胞缺乏某种关键营养物质或自身产生某种有毒物质阻碍了桡足类繁殖过程。大量的室内实验发现 :关键营养物缺乏使桡足类产卵率降低 ,对于硅藻细胞化学组成的分析表明这种物质可能是某些不饱和脂肪酸。而高浓度硅藻是否会产生毒性物质影响桡足类孵化率则存在很大的分歧。许多室内和野外实验证据显示当硅藻浓度很高时 ,桡足类孵化率显著降低 ,表现为大量未孵化的卵和畸形无节幼体。对硅藻溶出液的分析发现其中含有的不饱和醛类可能正是阻碍胚胎发育的物质。但也有一些室内和现场实验的结果表明并非所有的硅藻和桡足类之间都存在这种抑制作用。目前研究结果大多来自于室内实验 ,在自然海区中的作用机制和影响程度尚不清楚 ,但是如果这一现象在自然海区中普遍存在 ,传统上关于“硅藻——桡足类——鱼类”的海洋经典食物链观点势必存在极大的缺陷。文章针对这一问题分析了目前研究进展和将来工作前景     

海洋酸化对日本虎斑猛水蚤抗氧化性指标和繁殖发育的影响

本文选取海洋桡足类日本虎斑猛水蚤(Tigriopus japonicus)为模式生物,采用生化测定和实验生态学方法,研究不同酸化胁迫对桡足类体内抗氧化性指标[超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽硫转移酶(GST)和脂质过氧化(LPO)]、幼体发育时间、世代发育时间和产后代数的影响。结果表明:海水酸化可显著诱导桡足类的抗氧化性酶(SOD和CAT)的活性,而GST活性不受酸化影响,同时酸化可显著提高桡足类的LPO水平,可见该桡足类可通过SOD和CAT活性的提高来抵抗酸化胁迫引起的氧化胁迫;另外,酸化显著缩短桡足类的幼体发育时间和世代发育时间,并显著抑制其产后代数,提示酸化可以影响海洋桡足类的种群补充和动态;酸化引起该桡足类氧化胁迫的出现,继而对细胞生物大分子(如蛋白质、核酸等)造成氧化损伤,最终影响到该动物的个体水平和种群动态(如缩短发育时间和抑制繁殖力)。     

Perspectives on the nanotechnology applications of for the analytical detection of heavy metals in marine organisms

Heavy metals accumulate in organisms throughout the food chain and eventually end up in humans. Heavy metals can cause severe diseases and may even result in death. Therefore, concerns about heavy metal accumulation in marine organisms have increased in recent years. To determine solutions to this concern, the sensitive detection of heavy metals in marine organisms is required. Current detection techniques for heavy metals present in marine organisms have several limitations, such as complicated pre-treatment steps and a lengthy analysis time. Thus, there are increasing needs for the newly developed methods of detecting heavy metals in marine organisms. In this review, we focus here on (1) the current detection techniques available and (2) the application of newly emergent nanotechnology for the sensitive detection of heavy metals in marine organisms.     

Influence of different essential and non-essential metals on MTLP levels in the Copepod Tigriopus brevicornis

Because of their wide geographic distribution, position in the trophic chain, rapid turnover, huge biomass and role in ocean biogeochemical cycles, copepods are regarded as important marine test species. Tigriopus brevicornis Müller, 1776 is a shallow water benthic marine species (Crustacea, Copepoda Harpacticoida). The toxicity of essential and non-essential metals (Ag, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni and Zn) to Tigriopus brevicornis was determined by 96-h LC(50) testing. Comparative crustacean 96-h LC(50) data in the literature show that Tigriopus brevicornis is a sensitive species suggesting that copepods are good indicators of minimal lethal concentrations of metals. Groups of 1000 to 1500 adult copepods were exposed for 1 to 14 days to metals at concentrations in water, 3 for each metal, considered realistic in comparison with those encountered in polluted environments and far below lethal concentrations, in order to avoid protein metabolism disturbance. The response of Tigriopus brevicornis in terms of MT induction has been examined in specimens exposed to metals. The induction of these proteins and their implication in detoxificatory mechanisms and trophic transfer are discussed.     

Regulation of tolerance of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to heavy metal toxicity by heme oxygenase-1 and carbon monoxide

Investigation of heavy metal tolerance genes in green algae is of great importance because heavy metals have become one of the major contaminants in the aquatic ecosystem. In plants, accumulation of heavy metals modifies many aspects of cellular functions. However, the mechanism by which heavy metals exert detrimental effects is poorly understood. In this study, we identified a role for HO-1 (encoding heme oxygenase-1) in regulating the response of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular green alga, to mercury (Hg). Transgenic algae overexpressing HO-1 showed high tolerance to Hg exposure, with a 48.2% increase in cell number over the wild type, but accumulated less Hg. Physiological analysis revealed that expression of HO-1 suppressed the Hg-induced generation of reactive oxygen species. We further identified the effect of carbon monoxide (CO), a product of HO-1-mediated heme degradation, on growth and physiological parameters. Interestingly, administration of exogenous CO at non-toxic levels also conferred the tolerance of algae to Hg exposure. The CO-mediated alleviation of Hg toxicity was closely related to the lower accumulation of Hg and free radical species. These results indicate that functional identification of HO-1 is useful for molecular breeding designed to improve plant tolerance to heavy metals and reduce heavy metal accumulation in plant cells.     

海洋酸化对微藻关键生理过程的调控机制及环境因素的影响

人类活动排放大量的CO₂通过海气界面进入海洋,打破原有海水碳酸盐平衡进而造成海洋酸化(OA)。OA会影响海水和海洋污染物的理化性质,进而对生活在海洋表层的浮游藻类生理过程产生显著调控作用。海洋微藻作为海洋中主要的初级生产者,其生理功能与过程的正常进行对于海洋生态系统具有重要作用。本文综述了OA对海洋微藻光合固碳、钙化过程、固氮作用3个关键生理过程的调控作用和具体机制,总结了OA条件下,环境因素(如太阳辐射、温度、营养元素)对微藻生理过程和生长的影响,以及OA通过改变典型海洋污染物(如有机污染物、重金属、微塑料)的环境行为而对微藻生理过程的调控作用。最后,结合研究现状,对未来需要开展的研究方向进行展望。本文为进一步了解OA对海洋生态系统的潜在影响提供了重要信息。     

Comparative approaches to understand metal bioaccumulation in aquatic animals

Over the past decades, comparative physiology and biochemistry approaches have played a significant role in understanding the complexity of metal bioaccumulation in aquatic animals. Such a comparative approach is now further aided by the biokinetic modeling approach which can be used to predict the rates and routes of metal bioaccumulation and assist in the interpretation of accumulated body metal concentrations in aquatic animals. In this review, we illustrate a few examples of using the combined comparative and biokinetic modeling approaches to further our understanding of metal accumulation in aquatic animals. We highlight recent studies on the different accumulation patterns of metals in different species of invertebrates and fish, and between various aquatic systems (freshwater and marine). Comparative metal biokinetics can explain the differences in metal bioaccumulation among bivalves, although it is still difficult to explain the evolutionary basis for the different accumulated metal body concentrations (e.g., why some species have high metal concentrations). Both physiological/biochemical responses and metal geochemistry are responsible for the differences in metal concentrations observed in different populations of aquatic species, or between freshwater and marine species. A comparative approach is especially important for metal biology research, due to the very complicated and potentially variable physiological handling of metals during their accumulation, sequestration, distribution and elimination in different aquatic species or between different aquatic systems.     

Biomonitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metals with Lichens: Theory and Application

Recent records of environmental contamination noted a moderate decrease of SO2 pollution, whereas the burden of atmospheric heavy metals is still considerable. The present review refers to the entrapment, uptake, and accumulation of heavy metals by lichen thalli, made apparent by parameters of lichen vitality and stress. The particulate nature of airborne heavy metals is made evident by parameters referring to the entrapment of heavy-metal containing particles by lichen thalli. The mechanism of uptake of heavy metals, investigated by means of controlled experiments, refers to extracellular and intracellular uptake. The rate of absorption and the accumulation of heavy metals is dependent on morphological features of lichen thalli in addition to kind and intensity of emission sources and to nonanthropogenic factors such as climate and topography. The role of lichens as biomonitors is demonstrated by the case of lead. In contrast to data obtained by retrospective studies, using lichens as biomonitors of heavy metal pollution, performed in the 1970s, which indicated an increase of Pb as a result of the massive use of leaded gasoline, the subsequent disuse of this additive led to a decrease detected in later studies. The disparity of emission sources is illustrated by the case of Hg. Mercury is a product of anthropogenic activity in addition to its natural derivation. The dominance of the anthropogenic factors is made obvious by high levels of Hg recorded near chlor alkali plants and other industrial sites. The role of the substrate in the uptake and accumulation of heavy metals was investigated to detect its relative share. Airborne metals were, however, determinant factors in the metal content of lichen thalli. The interaction of contaminants and biomonitors has a definite physiological impact on the vitality of the biomonitors. Physiological processes of disintegration investigated in this context are degradation of cell membranes and chlorophyll, decrease of the quantum yield of photosynthesis, decrease of the photosynthetic rate, increase of stress-ethylene production, and severe ultrastructural change. Lichens exposed to heavy metal pollution exhibit changes of the spectral reflectance response, an increase of malondialdehyde (MDA), a decrease of ATP, and injury to enzymatic activities. A comparative analysis of data referring to the accumulation of airborne elements in lichens and of data referring to alterations in physiological parameters of lichen viability substantiates the validity of assessments of environmental quality.     

海洋沉积物中重金属对底栖无脊椎动物的生物有效性

海洋沉积物是重金属的重要贮库,而海洋底栖无脊椎动物主要从沉积物中摄取重金属,这些被摄取的重金属能够通过食物链进行传递,进而影响到人类健康。本文总结了近些年来在海洋沉积物中重金属对底栖无脊椎动物生物有效性方面的研究进展,包括海洋底栖无脊椎动物对重金属的吸收途径、沉积物地球化学性质和底栖无脊椎动物生理等生物因素对沉积物中重金属生物有效性的影响。在此基础上,展望了未来研究重点,主要包括近海富营养化对沉积物中重金属生物有效性的影响,海洋底栖无脊椎动物消化道中的物理消化过程对沉积物中重金属生物有效性的影响,海洋底栖无脊椎动物整个生活史过程中沉积物中重金属生物有效性的变化等。     

Interactions of lichens with heavy metals

Recent developments in knowledge about the interactions between lichens and heavy metals at different levels, from populations to cells and from ecology to molecular biology are reviewed. Sources of heavy metals, mechanisms of heavy metal accumulation and detoxification by lichens are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on ultrastructural changes as well as physiological parameters such as membrane integrity, pigment composition, chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthesis, respiration, contents of ATP, amino acids, ergosterol, ethylene, non-protein thiols, activity of antioxidant enzymes and expression of stress proteins.     

Analysis and Human Health Risk Assessment of Arsenic,Cadmium, and Mercury in Manta Birostris (Manta Ray) Caught Along the Ghanaian Coastline

The Ghanaian marine water of the Atlantic Ocean could be said to be polluted with As and Hg. However, Cd levels do not appear to pose an environmental concern based on levels reported in tissue samples collected. Tissue samples from six Manta birostris (manta ray) used as a bioindicator were tested for these heavy metals because many people in Ghana eat this fish (aka “kako”). The pattern of bioaccumulation of these heavy metals found in the tissues of manta rays, which feed on phytoplankton, suggests that pollution has traveled deeper into the sea, which is an environmental concern and one that may require some urgent attention. Concentrations of As, Cd, and Hg were determined in kidney, liver, and muscle samples from six Manta birostris using the neutron activation analysis method. The results showed elevated levels of the metals in the manta rays. If these values are interpreted to represent daily human exposure estimates of possible human health cancer and non-cancer risks may be derived to conclude some potential risk for daily consumers of manta ray tissues. From the assessment, most of the hazard indexes for children were less than 1 except for arsenic, which was greater than 1. This means that there is for arsenic some hazard risk for children consumers of the manta ray. This is the first study to show the accumulation of heavy metals in manta ray; although the sources are not very clear, and may be due to the numerous mining activities, it needs to be investigated further. The presence of the heavy metals is very significant because the meat (muscle) is consumed in Ghana and hence there is possible accumulation in humans.