Energy reserves and accumulation of metals in the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus from two metal-polluted gradients

Agnieszka J Bednarska,Ligia Kuriańska,Izabela Stachowicz

doi:10.1007/s11356-012-0993-y

Agnieszka J Bednarska, Ligia Kuriańska + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-012-0993-y

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Abstract

Living in an area chronically polluted with metals is usually associated with changes in the energy distribution in organisms due to increased energy expenses associated with detoxification and excretion processes. These expenses may be reflected in the available energy resources, such as lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. In this context, the energy status of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was studied in two metal pollution gradients near Olkusz and Miateczko Śląskie in southern Poland. Both regions are rich in metal ores, and the two largest Polish zinc smelters have been operating there since the 1970s. Beetles were collected from five sites at each gradient. Zinc and cadmium concentrations were measured in both the soil and the beetles. The possible reduction in energy reserves as a cost of detoxifying assimilated metals was evaluated biochemically by determining the total lipid, carbohydrates, and protein contents. At the most polluted sites, the Zn concentration in the soil organic layer reached 2,906 mg/kg, and the Cd concentration reached 55 mg/kg. Body Zn and Cd concentrations increased with increasing soil Zn and Cd concentrations (p = 0.003 and p = 0.0001, respectively). However, no relationship between pollution level and energetic reserves was found. The results suggest that populations of P. oblongopunctatus inhabiting highly metal-polluted sites are able to survive without any serious impact on their energy reserves, though they obviously have to cope with elevated body metal concentrations.

Highlights

Metal-contaminated areas are found all over the world due to atmospheric deposition from smelters and other metallurgic processes, and the most contaminated areas are usually located up to several kilometers from the emission source
The same unpolluted site was used for both gradients but was labeled by different metal concentrations in the soil organic layer; metal concentrations measured by Stefanowicz et al (2008) were used for the OLK gradient unpolluted site, and metal concentrations measured by Tarasek (2011) were used for the MSL unpolluted site
Among 98 beetles analyzed for a particular component of energy reserves, one outlier was excluded from protein analysis and two from carbohydrate analysis, all from the MSL gradient

Summary

Introduction

Metal-contaminated areas are found all over the world due to atmospheric deposition from smelters and other metallurgic processes, and the most contaminated areas are usually located up to several kilometers from the emission source. Viable populations of animals have been found at soil contamination levels much higher than the critical concentrations of metals established for soil or food in the laboratory (Posthuma and Van Straalen 1993). Such inconsistencies show that results derived from laboratory experiments cannot be extrapolated to expected field effects, and studies on field populations are crucial and necessary. Maintenance requirements increase in organisms living in polluted environments, resulting in a reduction of energy for growth and reproduction (Sibly and Calow 1989).

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