Distribution, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and risk assessment of trace elements in fish from a typical shallow outflow lake basin, China

doi:10.1007/s11783-024-1849-7

2024, Vol. 18

Issue (7) : 89 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-024-1849-7

Distribution, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and risk assessment of trace elements in fish from a typical shallow outflow lake basin, China

Miao He¹, Guijian Liu¹(

), Xiaodan Shi¹, Lei Wu^1,², Qiang Chen^2,³

¹. CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
². Anhui Academy of Environmental Sciences, Hefei 230022, China
³. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China

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Abstract

● Surface water, sediment, and different fish species were analysed in this study.

● Correlations between the speciation and bioaccumulation of Zn in fish were studied.

● δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N were used to analyse the trophic levels and food sources of fish.

● Sb and Sr showed obvious biological magnification.

● The TE values of all fish posed no noncarcinogenic health risks to humans.

Fish are important food sources for humans, and the availability of appropriate amount of trace elements (TEs) plays a crucial role in fish growth. Currently, due to large volumes of sewage discharge, high levels of certain elements are present in aquatic environments, and these elements accumulate in fish and potentially affect human health. In this study, the distribution and bioaccumulation capacity of trace elements in six dominant fish species from Chaohu Lake (China) were analyzed. The results showed that the bioaccumulation capacity of fish for Zn was greater than other TEs. And the source of the TEs in the fish were explored along with the concentration of the TEs in the aquatic environment, which indicated that TEs in fish were mainly obtained through ingestion and indirectly affected by the industrial activities in the basin. Additionally, stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were used to classify the trophic levels and explore the biological magnification of TEs of the fish. It was found that Sb and Sr showed biomagnification with the increase of trophic level of fish. Based on the above analyses, the environmental biogeochemical cycle model of TEs in the lake was distinguished and established, which can offer valuable insights for sustainable fishery management in the downstream Yangtze River Delta ecosystem.

Keywords Trophic level Bioaccumulation Risk assessment Trace elements

Corresponding Author(s): Guijian Liu

Issue Date: 22 April 2024

Cite this article:

Miao He,Guijian Liu,Xiaodan Shi, et al. Distribution, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer and risk assessment of trace elements in fish from a typical shallow outflow lake basin, China[J]. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng., 2024, 18(7): 89.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-024-1849-7
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2024/V18/I7/89

Fig.1 The sampling points for water, sediment, and fish in study area.

Tab.1 Trace metals in water (μg/L) and sediment (μg/g DW) from Chaohu Lake

Fig.2 The distribution of trace elemental concentrations (μg/g DW) in fish in the lake area (a) and surrounding rivers (b).

Fig.3 BAF (a) and BASF (b) values of trace elements in fish (E, east; W, west; SWL, Shiwuli River; Z, Zhao River; NF, Nanfei River; ZG, Zhegao River; and HB, Hangbu River).

Fig.4 The proportions of Zn presences in water (a) and sediment (b).

Fig.5 The distributions of δ¹⁵N_Air‰ and δ¹³C_VPDB‰ values for fish and sediment (E, east; W, west; SWL, Shiwuli River; Z, Zhao River; NF, Nanfei River; ZG, Zhegao River; and HB, Hangbu River).

Tab.2 Linear regression equations relating the log TE concentration and the food web δ¹⁵N ratios in fish

Fig.6 Biogeochemical cycle of trace elements in Chaohu Basin.

Fig.7 The THQs of trace elements in adults (a) and children (b) (E, east; W, west; SWL, Shiwuli River; Z, Zhao River; NF, Nanfei River; ZG, Zhegao River; and HB, Hangbu River).

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