Assessing the legacy of red mud pollution in a shallow freshwater lake: arsenic accumulation and speciation in macrophytes

Olszewska, Justyna P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4910-2206; Meharg, Andrew A.; Heal, Kate V.; Carey, Manus; Gunn, Iain D.M.; Searle, Kate R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4624-9023; Winfield, Ian J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9296-5114; Spears, Bryan M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0876-0405. 2016 Assessing the legacy of red mud pollution in a shallow freshwater lake: arsenic accumulation and speciation in macrophytes. Environmental Science & Technology, 50 (17). 9044-9052. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b00942

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text
N514972JA.pdf - Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.
Download (1MB) | Preview

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b00942

Abstract/Summary

Little is known about long-term ecological responses in lakes following red mud pollution. Among red mud contaminants, arsenic (As) is of considerable concern. Determination of the species of As accumulated in aquatic organisms provides important information about the biogeochemical cycling of the element and transfer through the aquatic food-web to higher organisms. We used coupled ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to assess As speciation in tissues of five macrophyte taxa in Kinghorn Loch, U.K., 30 years following the diversion of red mud pollution from the lake. Toxic inorganic As was the dominant species in the studied macrophytes, with As species concentrations varying with macrophyte taxon and tissue type. The highest As content measured in roots of Persicaria amphibia (L.) Gray (87.2 mg kg–1) greatly exceeded the 3–10 mg kg–1 range suggested as a potential phytotoxic level. Accumulation of toxic As species by plants suggested toxicological risk to higher organisms known to utilize macrophytes as a food source.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b00942
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr Watt
ISSN:	0013-936X
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	26 Oct 2016 16:06 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/514972

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b00942

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Parr
Watt

ISSN:

0013-936X

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment