SREL Reprint #3047

Bioaccumulation of trace elements in omnivorous amphibian larvae: Implications for amphibian health and contaminant transport

Jason M. Unrine1, William A. Hopkins2, Christopher S. Romanek1,3, and Brian P. Jackson4

1Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, The University of Georgia, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
2Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg VA, USA
3The Department of Geology, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
4Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover NH, USA

Abstract: Despite the influence that amphibians have on the flow of energy and nutrients in ecological systems, the role that amphibians play in transporting contaminants through food webs has received very little attention. This study was undertaken to investigate bioaccumulation of trace elements in amphibians relative to other small aquatic organisms in a contaminated wetland. We collected bullfrog larvae (Rana catesbeiana) along with three other species of small vertebrates and four species of invertebrates from a site contaminated with a wide array of trace elements and analyzed them for trace element concentrations and stable nitrogen and carbon isotope composition. We found that amphibian larvae accumulated the highest concentrations of most trace elements, possibly due to their feeding ecology. These results suggest that omnivorous amphibian larvae can serve as a critical link for trace element trophic transfer. Their propensity to accumulate trace elements may have important implications for amphibian health in contaminated environments and should be further investigated.

Keywords: Trace element; Amphibian; Bioaccumulation; Coral combustion waste; Stable isotope

SREL Reprint #3047

Unrine, J. M., W. A. Hopkins, C. S. Romanek, and B. P. Jackson 2007. Bioaccumulation of trace elements in omnivorous amphibian larvae: Implications for amphibian health and contaminant transport. Environmental Pollution 149:182-192.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).