[Assessment of heavy metal bioaccumulation in food web of the coastal waters of Jiangsu Province, China, based on stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N)]

Abstract

The coastal waters in Jiangsu Province have always been an important fishery base since ancient time. In recent years, with the development of the industry in coastal cities, heavy metal pollution is becoming serious in Jiangsu Province. However, the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the coastal food web is still unclear. In this study, we collected samples (including macroalgae, bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, crustaceans and fish) through fishery resources survey in the coastal waters of Jiangsu in May 2017 and quantified the main ways of the material circulation and energy flows by constructing the food web using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. In addition, the bioaccumulation patterns of eight elements (seven heavy metals and 1 metalloid) through the food chains were investigated. The results showed that there were two energy pathways in this offshore ecosystem: the planktonic food-chain and the benthic food-chain, with Scapharca subcrenata and Phalium strigatum as the primary consumers, respectively. The benthic food-chain was the dominant food chain in energy recycling. The mean concentration of heavy metals from high to low in orga-nisms were Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni and Hg. The highest concentrations of elements were found in bivalves and the lowest ones in fish. The concentration of As in most species, the levels of Cd in bivalves and Oratosquilla oratoria, the Cr in Coilia mystus and the Zn, Cu, Cr in Ostrea denselamellosa exceeded the proposed health advisory levels. Regarding the bioaccumulation, a decrease in the concentration levels of Zn, Cd and Ni were observed along the planktonic food-chain and a significant positive correlation between Hg and trophic position were found across the benthic food-chain. Other elements had no significant change.

Keywords: bioaccumulation; food web; heavy metal; stable isotope.