Our knowledge of the processes leading to the bioaccumulation of rare earth elements (REE) in aquatic biota is limited. As the contamination of freshwater ecosystems by anthropogenic REE have recently been reported, it becomes increasingly urgent to understand how these metals are transferred to freshwater organisms in order to develop appropriate guidelines. We exposed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to an REE, yttrium (Y), to either a range of Y-contaminated prey (Daphnia magna) or a range of Y-contaminated water. For the feeding experiment, the relationship between the Y assimilation by O. mykiss and the Y subcellular fractionation in D. magna was evaluated. Assimilation efficiency of Y by O. mykiss was low, ranging from 0.8 to 3%. These values were close to the proportion of Y accumulated in D. magna cytosol, 0.6-2%, a theoretical trophically available fraction. Moreover, under our laboratory conditions, water appeared as a poor source of Y transfer to O. mykiss. Regardless of the source of contamination, a similar pattern of Y bioaccumulation among O. mykiss tissues was revealed: muscles < liver < gills < intestine. We conclude that the trophic transfer potential of Y is low and the evaluation of Y burden in prey cytosol appears to be a relevant predictor of Y assimilation by their consumers.
Keywords: Fish; Metal; Rare earth elements; Subcellular partitioning; Trophic transfer; Yttrium.
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