Physico-chemical form of trace metals accumulated by phytoplankton and their assimilation by filter-feeding invertebrates

Abstract

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 299:179-191 (2005) - doi:10.3354/meps299179 Physico-chemical form of trace metals accumulated by phytoplankton and their assimilation by filter-feeding invertebrates T. Y.-T. Ng1, C. Amiard-Triquet2, P. S. Rainbow3,*, J. C. Amiard2, W.-X. Wang1 1Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Clear Water Bay,Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR2ISOMer, SMAB, Service d’écotoxicologie, 2 rue de la Houssinière, BP 92208, 44322 Nantes Cedex 3, France3Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK *Corresponding author. Email: psr@nhm.ac.uk ABSTRACT: This study investigated whether the nature of the binding of the trace metals cadmium, silver and zinc accumulated by phytoplankton can affect their subsequent assimilation efficiencies (AE) in 3 filter-feeding benthic invertebrates, the green mussel Perna viridis, the clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the barnacle Balanus amphitrite. Seven phytoplankton species were chosen from a wide systematic range to ensure large differences in the partitioning of their accumulated trace metals into 3 fractions: (1) exchangeable metal adsorbed on the outside of the cells, as defined by extraction with the chelating agent 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulphonate; (2) incorporated metal that is in a soluble form; and (3) insoluble incorporated metal. There were few significant correlations between AE and the percentage of phytoplankton metal incorporated into any 1 fraction or combination of fractions. There is no support, therefore, for a generalised conclusion that any of the 3 fractions isolated represents the sole form of phytoplankton metal that is bioavailable for trophic transfer to a herbivore. Even trace metals bound to the insoluble fraction in phytoplankton may be bioavailable to herbivores. Furthermore, there were no consistent effects of phytoplankton concentration on metal AEs in 1 of the herbivores—P. viridis. There was no evidence that the AE of any of the 3 trace metals was changed when the herbivores were feeding on the phytoplankton species (Thalassiosira weissflogii) on which they were fed during acclimation. KEY WORDS: Trace metal assimilation · Phytoplankton · Filter-feeding invertebrates Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 299. Online publication date: September 01, 2005 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2005 Inter-Research.