A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton
Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations can increase by 100 000 times between seawater and marine phytoplankton, but levels vary across sites. To better understand how ecosystem properties affect variability in planktonic MeHg concentrations, we develop a model for MeHg uptake and trophic transfer at th...
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Online Access: | http://raiith.iith.ac.in/5246/ https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03821 |
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ftiith:oai:raiith.iith.ac.in:5246 2023-05-15T17:45:40+02:00 A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton Schartup, Amina T Qureshi, Asif Dassuncao, Clifton Thackray, Colin P 2018 http://raiith.iith.ac.in/5246/ https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03821 unknown Schartup, Amina T and Qureshi, Asif and Dassuncao, Clifton and Thackray, Colin P et. al. (2018) A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton. Environmental Science & Technology, 52 (2). pp. 654-662. ISSN 0013-936X Civil Engineering Article PeerReviewed 2018 ftiith https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03821 2022-09-28T08:35:09Z Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations can increase by 100 000 times between seawater and marine phytoplankton, but levels vary across sites. To better understand how ecosystem properties affect variability in planktonic MeHg concentrations, we develop a model for MeHg uptake and trophic transfer at the base of marine food webs. The model successfully reproduces measured concentrations in phytoplankton and zooplankton across diverse sites from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Highest MeHg concentrations in phytoplankton are simulated under low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and ultraoligotrophic conditions typical of open ocean regions. This occurs because large organic complexes bound to MeHg inhibit cellular uptake and cell surface area to volume ratios are greatest under low productivity conditions. Modeled bioaccumulation factors for phytoplankton (102.4–105.9) are more variable than those for zooplankton (104.6–106.2) across ranges in DOC (40–500 μM) and productivities (ultraoligotrophic to hypereutrophic) typically found in marine ecosystems. Zooplankton growth dilutes their MeHg body burden, but they also consume greater quantities of MeHg enriched prey at larger sizes. These competing processes lead to lower variability in MeHg concentrations in zooplankton compared to phytoplankton. Even under hypereutrophic conditions, modeled growth dilution in marine zooplankton is insufficient to lower their MeHg concentrations, contrasting findings from freshwater ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Atlantic Research Archive of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (RAIITH) Environmental Science & Technology 52 2 654 662 |
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Research Archive of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (RAIITH) |
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topic |
Civil Engineering |
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Civil Engineering Schartup, Amina T Qureshi, Asif Dassuncao, Clifton Thackray, Colin P A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton |
topic_facet |
Civil Engineering |
description |
Methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations can increase by 100 000 times between seawater and marine phytoplankton, but levels vary across sites. To better understand how ecosystem properties affect variability in planktonic MeHg concentrations, we develop a model for MeHg uptake and trophic transfer at the base of marine food webs. The model successfully reproduces measured concentrations in phytoplankton and zooplankton across diverse sites from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Highest MeHg concentrations in phytoplankton are simulated under low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and ultraoligotrophic conditions typical of open ocean regions. This occurs because large organic complexes bound to MeHg inhibit cellular uptake and cell surface area to volume ratios are greatest under low productivity conditions. Modeled bioaccumulation factors for phytoplankton (102.4–105.9) are more variable than those for zooplankton (104.6–106.2) across ranges in DOC (40–500 μM) and productivities (ultraoligotrophic to hypereutrophic) typically found in marine ecosystems. Zooplankton growth dilutes their MeHg body burden, but they also consume greater quantities of MeHg enriched prey at larger sizes. These competing processes lead to lower variability in MeHg concentrations in zooplankton compared to phytoplankton. Even under hypereutrophic conditions, modeled growth dilution in marine zooplankton is insufficient to lower their MeHg concentrations, contrasting findings from freshwater ecosystems. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Schartup, Amina T Qureshi, Asif Dassuncao, Clifton Thackray, Colin P |
author_facet |
Schartup, Amina T Qureshi, Asif Dassuncao, Clifton Thackray, Colin P |
author_sort |
Schartup, Amina T |
title |
A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton |
title_short |
A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton |
title_full |
A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton |
title_fullStr |
A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton |
title_sort |
model for methylmercury uptake and trophic transfer by marine plankton |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://raiith.iith.ac.in/5246/ https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03821 |
genre |
Northwest Atlantic |
genre_facet |
Northwest Atlantic |
op_relation |
Schartup, Amina T and Qureshi, Asif and Dassuncao, Clifton and Thackray, Colin P et. al. (2018) A Model for Methylmercury Uptake and Trophic Transfer by Marine Plankton. Environmental Science & Technology, 52 (2). pp. 654-662. ISSN 0013-936X |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.7b03821 |
container_title |
Environmental Science & Technology |
container_volume |
52 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
654 |
op_container_end_page |
662 |
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1766148847068774400 |