Rare earth element organotropism in European eel (Anguilla anguilla)

• Published in: Science of The Total Environment
• Main Authors: Lortholarie, Marjorie, Poirier, Laurence, Kamari, Abderrahmane, Herrenknecht, Christine, Zalouk-Vergnoux, Aurore
• Other Authors: Mer, molécules et santé EA 2160 (MMS), Le Mans Université (UM)-Université de Nantes - UFR des Sciences et des Techniques (UN UFR ST), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes - UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques, Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04654530; https://hal.science/hal-04654530/document; https://hal.science/hal-04654530/file/S0048969720360423.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142513

International audience Rare earth elements (REEs) are metallic elements with electronic, magnetic, optical and catalytic propertieswhich make them essential in many industrial and medical fields. REEs are therefore becoming emerging pollutants and it is important to understand their implications for ecosystem health. However, little knowledge of REEbioaccumulation in aquatic organisms is available and especially on their internal distribution in fish. In the present study, REE organotropism was determined in Anguilla anguilla from the Loire estuary (France) by determining burdens in a wide set of tissues, organs and biological fluids. Differences have been observed between lifestages and genders. For yellow eels, the most accumulating organ was the gills (126.90 ± 50.78 μg/kg dw) andfor silver eels, it was the liver (181.78 ± 62.04 μg/kg dw for males; 203.79 ± 111.86 μg/kg dw for females).The comparison between female silver and yellow eels shown that female silver individuals accumulated significantly more REEs in the urinary system (US), muscles, gonads, spleen and liver, while yellow individuals accumulated more in gills. The comparison between male and female silver eels also highlighted differences,indeed the females accumulated significantly more REEs in the US, gonads, skin and spleen, compared tomales which accumulated significantly more in muscles and gills. REEs abundances are also different between organs, life stages and genders. The gonads of female silver eels exhibited a particular profile with the dominance ofgadolinium (Gd) (up to 74.2% of ∑REEs). Moreover, the presence of Anguillicola crassus in the swim bladder oforganisms seemed to have an impact on REE bioaccumulation: parasitized yellow eels present higher concentrations of REEs in muscles, gills, gonads and liver than non-parasitized individuals. Regarding glass eels, REE contribution profiles in the whole body were close to those of yellow and silver eel skin.