Mercury Isotope Values in Shoreline Spiders Reveal the Transfer of Aquatic Mercury Sources to Terrestrial Food Webs.

ABSTRACT: The transfer of aquatic contaminants, including mercury (Hg), to terrestrial food webs is an often-overlooked exposure pathway to terrestrial animals. While research has implemented the use of shoreline spiders to assess aquatic to terrestrial Hg transfer, it is unclear whether Hg sources, estimated from isotope ratios, can be successfully resolved to inform site assessments and remedy effectiveness. To examine aquatic to terrestrial Hg transfer, we collected shoreline spiders (Tetragnatha spp.) and aquatic insect larvae (suborder Anisoptera) across a mosaic of aquatic and shoreline habitats in the St. Louis River and Bad River, tributaries to Lake Superior. The fraction of industrial Hg in sediments was reflected in the δ²⁰²Hg values of aquatic dragonfly larvae and preda

SUBMITTER: Janssen SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10569030 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature