Nickel levels in arthropods associated with Ni hyperaccumulator plants from an ultramafic site in New Caledonia

Arthropods (mainly insects) were collected from a forest site that contained at least six species of Ni hyperaccumulators. Whole body Ni analysis was performed for 12 arthropod taxa, two of which were studied at different life cycle stages. We found two Nitolerant insects. The pentatomid heteropteran Utana viridipuncta, feeding on fruits of the Ni hyperaccumulator Hybanthus austrocaledonicus, contained a mean of 2 600 μNi/g in nymphs and 750 μNi/g in adults. The tephritid fly Bactrocera psidii, feeding on pulp of Sebertia acuminata fruits that contained 6 900 μNi/g, contained 420 μNi/g as larvae that had evacuated their guts and significantly less (65 μNi/g) as adults. European honeybees (Apis mellifera) visiting flowers of the Ni hyperaccumulator H. austrocaledonicus contained significantly more Ni (8‐fold more) than those collected from flowers of Myodocarpus fraxinifolius, a non‐hyperaccumulator. Our results show that some insects feed on Ni hyperaccumulator plants and that their feeding mobilizes Ni into local food webs.     

Distribution of the neurotoxic nonprotein amino acid BMAA in Cycas micronesica

BMAA (β-methylamino-L-alanine), a nonprotein amino acid with neurotoxic properties occurs in the cycad Cycas micronesica Hill in Guam. BMAA may have originally played a role as an antiherbivory compound in the plant, but is now of great interest because of its possible link to ALS-PDC, a neurological disease among the Chamorro people of Guam. Biomagnified cycad neurotoxins may play a role because they accumulate in flying foxes of the genus Pteropus that are eaten during traditional feasts. Since flying foxes feed on the seed sarcotesta it is important to understand the distribution of BMAA in the various tissues of the cycad. Using HPLC techniques, we quantified both BMAA and glutamic acid (GLU) in all cycad tissues. Although GLU is distributed randomly throughout the plant, BMAA is concentrated in cycad reproductive organs, with the highest concentrations being found in the immature staminate sporangium and the outmost layer of the sarcotesta. This finding is consistent with the putative evolutionary role of BMAA as an antiherbivory compound, as well as the biomagnification of the compound in flying foxes that ingest the seed sarcotesta.  © 2003 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2003, 143 , 165–168.     

南极生物粪对汞的生物放大作用

首次报道了南极地区金图企鹅、阿德利企鹅、黑背鸥和巨海燕 4种海鸟 ,以及象海豹、威德尔海豹、毛皮海狮等 3种海豹新鲜粪便中的全 Hg含量 ,并对比了该区风化土壤的 Hg含量 ,其中 Hg含量水平依次为 :土壤背景值 <黑背鸥粪 <金图企鹅粪 <阿德利企鹅粪 <威德尔海豹粪 <象海豹粪 <巨海燕粪 <毛皮海狮粪 ,可见 ,相对于背景土壤生物粪明显富集 Hg元素。此外 ,结合上述粪便样品的 δ15 N测定结果 ,讨论了南极生物粪对 Hg的生物放大作用。研究表明 ,随着 δ15 N升高 ,即生物营养级的升高 ,其粪便的全 Hg含量有逐步增高的趋势 ,这证实了生物粪和生物肌体一样存在对 Hg的生物放大作用。文中还对南极阿德雷岛一个经过企鹅粪污染的 Y2湖泥芯剖面上 15个样品的 2 6种元素进行了聚类分析 ,结果表明 ,沉积物中的汞和企鹅粪的标型元素具有同源性 ,即沉积物中的汞主要是由企鹅粪带入的 ,由于生物粪对汞的生物富集作用 ,生物粪的混入会造成湖泊沉积物中汞含量的增高     

Metal concentrations of insects associated with the South African Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii （Asteraceae）

The high levels of some metals in metal hyperaccumulator plants may be transferred to insect associates. We surveyed insects collected from the South African Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii to document whole-body metal concentrations （Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn）. We also documented the concentrations of these metals in leaves, stems and inflorescences, finding extremely elevated levels of Ni （4 700-16 000μg/g） and high values （5-34μg/g） for Co, Cr, and Pb. Of 26 insect morphotypes collected from B. coddii, seven heteropterans, one coleopteran, and one orthopteran contained relatively high concentrations of Ni （〉 500μg/g）. The large number of high-Ni heteropterans adds to discoveries of others （from California USA and New Caledonia） and suggests that members of this insect order may be particularly Ni tolerant. Nymphs of the orthopteran （Stenoscepa） contained 3 500 μg Ni/g, the greatest Ni concentration yet reported for an insect. We also found two beetles with elevated levels of Mg （〉 2 800 μg/g）, one beetle with elevated Cu （〉 70 μg/g） and one heteropteran with an elevated level of Mn （〉 200 μg/g）. Our results show that insects feeding on a Ni hyperaccumulator can mobilize Ni into food webs, although we found no evidence of Ni biomagnification in either herbivore or carnivore insect taxa. We also conclude that some insects associated with hyperaccumulators can contain Ni levels that are high enough to be toxic to vertebrates.     

重金属污染对鸟类的影响

鸟类属于高等脊椎动物，是食物链中的高级消费者，由于生物富集作用，鸟类容易受到环境中污染物质的影响。鸟类羽毛和卵壳中的重金属浓度可以反映其所处环境中重金属的污染状况，因此可以用鸟类作为指示生物来监测环境中的重金属污染。对重金属污染的来源和特征进行了介绍，阐述了重金属污染对环境安全构成威胁的原因，分析了汞、铅、镉、砷、铜等几种重金属元素在鸟体内富集的特点及其对鸟类的危害。重金属污染物在不同生物体内的浓度存在差异，反映出它们通过食物链的生物富集和放大，对环境和鸟类的毒害作用有所增加。建议选择野生鹭类、麻雀和喜鹊等鸟类作为指示生物监测环境中的重金属污染。     

取食加Cd2+食物后拟水狼蛛发育历期、耐饥力和体内Cd2+含量的变化

为明确食物中重金属离子在蜘蛛体内的传递、生物放大及对其生长历期和耐饥力的影响,采用原子吸收光谱法检测了拟水狼蛛Pirata subpiraticus取食加Cd²⁺食物后体内Cd²⁺含量变化情况,测定了Cd²⁺对其发育历期和耐饥力的间接影响。结果表明：食物中的Cd²⁺能够通过食物链进行传递并在拟水狼蛛体内积累,积累量随拟水狼蛛龄期的增长而增加,积累量与消耗的黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster数量极显著正相关(P<0.01), 与消耗食物中Cd²⁺含量显著正相关(P<0.05); 对食物中Cd²⁺的吸收率为65.4%,生物放大因子为1.8。成蛛改喂无Cd²⁺的黑腹果蝇后在观察的4周内体内Cd²⁺含量变化不明显。食物中的Cd²⁺能导致拟水狼蛛的发育历期显著延长、耐饥力显著降低。研究结果可为进一步研究环境中Cd²⁺沿土壤-昆虫-天敌传递、放大和生理耐受等提供理论依据。     

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     

Mercury Pollution from a Chloralkali Source in a Tropical Lake and Its Biomagnification in Aquatic Biota: Link between Chemical Pollution,Biomarkers, and Human Health Concern

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can cause adverse ecological and toxicological impacts through the mechanism of biomagnification. Hg accumulation in aquatic biota may thus also pose a serious threat to humans and other fish-eating animals. The present work observed the transfer of Hg from abiotic (water and sediments) to biotic (algae, aquatic macrophytes, and fish) components, belonging to different trophic levels in a tropical lake in India. Hg was analyzed in water, sediments, plants, and fish collected from different sampling points, receiving the discharge of chloralkali effluent. Hg concentrations increased significantly from lake water and sediments to algae and aquatic macrophytes. Statistical analysis (Pearson correlation) revealed a significant positive correlation between Hg in water and plants (r = 0.88–0.93; p < .01 and p < .05) as well as for Hg in sediment and plants (r = 0.50–0.83; p < .01 and p < .05). However, the increase in Hg concentration in fish was not significantly correlated with lake ambient water (r = 0.31–0.36), sediments (r = 0.29–0.33), and aquatic plants (r = 0.31–0.36). Results obtained encourage the use of naturally occurring wetland plants in designed systems like constructed wetlands to ameliorate Hg pollution in lakes, rivers, and ponds resulting from the discharge of industrial effluents, especially chloralkali effluent, hence reducing the human health risks associated with Hg.     

Host-herbivore studies of Stenoscepa sp. （Orthoptera：Pyrgomorphidae）, a high-Ni herbivore of the South African Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii （Asteraceae）

Nymphs of Stenoscepa sp. feed on leaves of the Ni hyperaccumulator Berkheya coddii at serpentine sites in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. These sites contain Ni hyperaccumulators, Ni accumulators, and plants with Ni concentrations in the normal range. We conducted studies to： （i） determine the whole-body metal concentration of nymphs （including those starved to empty their guts）; （ii） compare Stenoscepa sp. nymphs against other grasshoppers in the same habitat for whole-body metal concentrations; and （iii）compare the suitability of Ni hyperaccumulator and Ni accumulator plants as food sources for Stenoscepa sp. and other grasshoppers. Stenoscepa nymphs had extremely high whole-body Ni concentrations （3 500μg Ni/g）. This was partly due to food in the gut, as starved insects contained less Ni （950 pg Ni/g）. Stenoscepa nymphs survived significantly better than other grasshoppers collected from either a serpentine or a non-serpentine site when offered high-Ni plants as food. In a host preference test among four Berkheya species （two Ni hyperaccumulators and two Ni accumulators）, Stenoscepa sp, preferred leaves of the Ni hyperaccumulator species. A preference experiment using leaves of three Senecio species （of which one species, Senecio coronatus, was represented by both a Ni hyperaccumulator and a Ni accumulator population） showed that Stenoscepa sp. preferred Ni accumulator Senecio coronatus leaves to all other choices. We conclude that Stenoscepa sp. is extremely Ni-tolerant. Stenoscepa sp. nymphs prefer leaves of hyperaccumulator Berkheya species, but elevated Ni concentration alone does not determine their food preference. We suggest that the extremely high whole-body Ni concentration of Stenoscepa nymphs may affect food web relationships in these serpentine communities.