ABSTRACT
Bioaccumulation of Hg and Cd from food is a complex ecological process that has been oversimplified in the past. Common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) provide a powerful model to biomonitor metal concentrations in marine environments worldwide. We combined proportions-based nutritional geometry with metal analysis, stomach content analysis and the proximate composition of prey, to yield novel insights into the accumulation of Hg and Cd. Our analysis showed an age-related accumulation trend for Cd and Hg in kidney and liver, with highest concentrations found at 18 years of age. When viewed through the lens of nutritional ecology, Argentine anchovy (58.1 Mass %) and South American long-finned squid (22.7 Mass %), provided most of the dietary intake of protein (P) and lipids (L) (P:L ratio = 2.6:1.0) and also represented the main source for Cd and Hg levels accumulated in their bodies. This study presents unprecedented evidence on metal accumulation in relation to age and nutritional intake in a marine predator.
Subject(s)
Common Dolphins , Dolphins , Mercury/analysis , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Animals , Argentina , Cadmium , Environmental MonitoringABSTRACT
Estudio realizado en el marco de un plan de gestión de efluentes que incluye la remodelación de la planta de pretratamiento actual de la ciudad, y la construcción de un emisario submarino. Se estudió el compostaje como alternativa de gestión del barro cloacal, evaluando el proceso durante invierno y verano, y encontrando bajas concentraciones de metales pesados en barros y lixiviados
