This paper tested if culturing the moss Scorpiurum circinatum (Brid.) Fleisch. & Loeske with metal solutions (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) for 30 days causes metal bioaccumulation and ultrastructural changes. The results showed that despite the high heavy metal concentrations in treatment solutions, treated samples did not show severe ultrastructural changes and cells were still alive and generally well preserved. Bioaccumulation highlighted that moss cells survived to heavy metal toxicity by immobilizing most toxic ions extracellularly, likely in binding sites of the cell wall, which is the main site of metal detoxification.

While nano-Fe₂O₃(magnetic) is generally considered non-toxic, it could serve as a carrier of other toxic chemicals such as As(V) and enhance their toxicity. The bioaccumulation of nano-Fe₂O₃(m) with different exposure times, NP concentrations, and pH conditions was investigated using Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia) as the model organism. Under natural pH conditions, C. dubia significantly accumulated nano-Fe₂O₃(m) in the gut, with the maximum accumulation being achieved after 6 h of exposure. The concentration of nano-Fe₂O₃ also impacted its accumulation, with the maximum uptake occurring at 20 mg/L or more. In addition, the highest bioaccumulation occurred in a pH range of 7–8 where the highest feeding rate was reported, confirming that the ingestion of NPs is the main route of nano-Fe₂O₃(m) bioaccumulation. In a clean environment without NPs, depuration of nano-Fe₂O₃(m) occurred, and food addition accelerated the depuration process.

To investigate the bioaccumulation patterns of microcystins (MCs) in organs of two gastropods, samples were collected in Lake Dianchi monthly from May to October, 2008, when cyanobacteria typically bloom. The average MCs concentrations for Radix swinhoei (pulmonate) and Margarya melanioides (prosobranch) tended to be similar for the different organs: the highest values in the hepatopancreas (9.33 by 3.74μg/g DW), followed by digestive tracts (1.66 by 3.03μg/g DW), gonads (0.45 by 1.34μg/g DW) and muscles (0.22 by 0.40μg/g DW). Pulmonate had higher value than prosobranch because of the stronger bioaccumulation ability in hepatopancreas. The levels in organs of R. swinhoei were correlated with environmentally dissolved MCs, but influenced by intracellular MCs for M. melanioides. The estimated MCs concentrations in edible parts of M. melanioides were beyond the WHO’s provisional tolerable daily intake (0.04μg/kg), suggesting the risk of consumption of M. melanioides from the lake.

Metal exposure pattern, timing, frequency, duration, recovery period, metal type and interactions, has obscured effects on periphyton communities in lotic systems. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of intermittent exposures of Cr III and Pb on Cd toxicity and bioaccumulation in tropical periphyton communities. Natural periphyton communities were transferred to artificial stream chambers and exposed to metal mixtures at different pulse timing, duration, frequency and recovery periods. Chlorophyll a, dry mass and metal accumulation kinetics were recorded. Cr and Pb decrease the toxic effects of Cd on periphyton communities. Periphyton has high Cd, Cr and Pb accumulation capacity. Cr and Pb reduced the levels of Cd sequestrated by periphyton communities. The closer the frequency and duration of the pulse is to a continuous exposure, the greater the effects of the contaminant on periphyton growth and metal bioaccumulation. Light increased toxic and accumulative effects of metals on the periphyton community.

Polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) are now under review by the Stockholm Convention as a candidate for POPs for their persistence, toxicity, bioaccumulation, and long-range atmospheric transport. Data regarding PCN levels and their environmental fate are sparse in China. The PCN concentration and distribution in soils of the Pearl River Delta were reported, and the average total concentration was 59.9 ± 86.7 pg/g. Tri-CNs was the dominant homologue group, and CN 24 was the most abundant congener. A gradient of PCN levels between more and less developed areas was observed. Based on fugacity fraction results, CN 51 is proposed as a possible source marker for specific combustion emissions. Air-soil exchange of PCNs was estimated by calculating the soil and air fugacity. Fugacity fraction values indicated that tri- to penta-CNs were closer to equilibrium in winter and toward net volatilization in summer, while hexa-CNs experienced net air-to-soil transfer in both seasons.

Seasonal variation in mercury (Hg) concentrations and food web structure was assessed for eastern Lake Ontario. Hg concentrations, measured in 6 species of invertebrates and 8 species of fishes, tended to be highest in the spring and lowest in the summer for most biota. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) exhibited significant ontogenetic shifts in diet and Hg, although such patterns were not evident for other species. Food web structure, as indicated by stable isotope values (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C) was not static. Log-transformed Hg data were strongly and consistently correlated with δ¹⁵N values for the whole food web in each of the three seasons (slopes, 0.17–0.24) and across the entire year (slope, 0.2). While significantly different between seasons, the regression slope values are still consistent with published global Hg biomagnification rates. Our results indicate that the assessment of Hg trends in Great Lakes must take into account seasonal patterns and time of sampling.

A marine food web in Bohai Bay, China, was selected to study methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation, and an aquivalence-based mass balance model was established to explore the possibility of predicting the MeHg concentrations and quantifying MeHg bioaccumulation in the food web. Results showed that both total mercury (THg) and MeHg were biomagnified in the food web. The calculated MeHg concentrations in the selected species agreed well with the measured values, which shows the model could be a useful tool in MeHg concentration prediction in food web. Model outputs also showed that metabolism and growth dilution could be the dominant mechanisms for the reduction of MeHg levels in aquatic organisms. With the increase of trophic level, the contribution of food as a MeHg source for organism is increasing, and MeHg from prey was the dominant source.

The uptake and depuration of a range of pharmaceuticals in the freshwater shrimp (Gammarus pulex) and the water boatman (Notonecta glauca) was studied. For one compound, studies were also done using the freshwater snail Planobarius corneus. In G. pulex, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) ranged from 4.6 to 185,900 and increased in the order moclobemide < 5-fluoruracil < carbamazepine < diazepam < carvedilol < fluoxetine. In N. glauca BCFs ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 and increased in the order 5-fluorouracil < carbamazepine < moclobemide < diazepam < fluoxetine < carvedilol. For P. corneus, the BCF for carvedilol was 57.3. The differences in degree of uptake across the three organisms may be due to differences in mode of respiration, behaviour and the pH of the test system. BCFs of the pharmaceuticals for each organism were correlated to the pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficient of the pharmaceuticals.

A general consensus that an increased logKₒw led to an increase in xenobiotic uptake and bioaccumulation is accepted. In this study we compared the toxicokinetics of two chemically different xenobiotics, i.e. benzo[a]pyrene and fipronil in female green frogs. Surprisingly, the uptake rates and the bioconcentration factors (BCF) of the two contaminants were not predicted by their logKₒw. The uptake rates obtained were of the same order of magnitude for the two contaminants and the BCFs measured for fipronil were about 3-fold higher than those obtained for benzo[a]pyrene. Fipronil appeared to be more recalcitrant than benzo[a]pyrene to detoxification processes leading to the accumulation of sulfone-fipronil especially in the ovaries. This phenomenon may explain reproductive influence of this contaminant described in other studies. Detoxification processes, including metabolism and the excretion of pollutants, are of importance when considering their persistence in aquatic organisms and trying to quantify their risks.

Understanding Pb removal from the translocation stream is vital to engineering Pb hyperaccumulation in above ground organs, which would enhance the economic feasibility of Pb phytoextraction technologies. We investigated Cu, Pb, Sb and Zn distributions in Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) rhizomes on shooting range soils by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), analyzing digested rhizomes, stems, and fronds using ICP-MS. Nutrients Cu and Zn concentrated in fronds while toxic elements Pb and Sb did not, showing potential Pb and Sb sequestration in the rhizome. Frond and rhizome concentration of Pb was 0.17 ± 0.10% and 0.32 ± 0.21% of dry biomass, respectively. The ²⁰⁸Pb/¹³C and ¹²¹Sb/¹³C determined by LA-ICP-MS increased from inner sclerotic cortex to the epidermis, while Pb concentrated in the starchy cortex only in contaminated sites. These results suggest that concentration dependent bioaccumulation in the rhizome outer cortex removes Pb from the vascular transport stream.