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Durham E-Theses Bioaccumulation of zinc and cadmium in two stream systems Patrick, Paul H. How to cite: Patrick, Paul H. (1973) Bioaccumulation of zinc and cadmium in two stream systems, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8911/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk BIOACCVMULATION OF ZINC AND CADMIUM IN TWO STREAM SYSTEMS by Paul H. Patrick B.So. (Windsor, Ontario) A dissertation submitted as part of the requirement e for the degree of Master® of Science (Advanced Course of Ecology) University of Durham FEB 1974 September 1973 (i) TABLE OP CONTENTS Page 1 . INTRODUCTION t .1 Zinc and Cadmium in the Stream Environment 1*2 Bioaeeumulation - Dependence en the Environment a Temperature 3 Light k \ls Dissolved Oxygen h id PH 5 Effects of Salts of the Alkaline Earth Metal 6 (f) Effect© of Heavy Metal Salts 7 2. MATERIALS AND METHODS 8 2.1 Water Analysis 8 2.2 Collection of Biotic Material 8 2.3 Plant Analysis 9 Z»h Animal Analysis 10 Dry—ashing 10 Vet-ashing 11 2.5 Sediment 11 2.6 Particulate Matter 12 2.7. Broad Band Matrix Interference 12 AREAS SELECTED 16 3.1 Acid Stream 16 3.2 Nenthead Stream 20 RESULTS 25 Water Analysis 25 (a) Acid Stream and Station 2 Nenthead Stream 25 (b) Nenthead Stream 25 Plant' Analysis 26 (aI ) Acid Stream and Station 2 Nenthead Stream 26 (bI ) Nenthead Stream 27 *».3 Animal Analysis 27 (a) Acid Stream and Station 2 Nenthead Stream 27 (b) Nenthead Stream 28 (ii) Page k.k Particulate Matter and Sediment 29 (a) Acid Stream and Station 2 NOBtbead Stream 29 (b) Nenthead Stream 30 5. DISCUSSION 6k (a) Acid Stream and Station 2 Nenthead Stream 6k (b) Nentaead Stream 66 6. SUMMARY 69 7. ACKNOW LEDGEMENTS 71 8. BIBLIOGRAPHY 72 (iJL) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. Map showing location of acid stream and Nenthead stream. >i 2. Map shoving reservoir site of the acid stream. " 3. Reservoir station of the acid stream., '9 h. Map showing sampling sites of the Nenthead stream. ax 5. Nenthead stream at station 5. ^ 6. Map showing principal zinc-bearing areas. M 7. Monthly variation of heavy metals in the aoid stream. ^° 8. Monthly variation of metal cations in. the acid stream. ^1 9. Monthly variation of sine cations in the/iW-W/stream. 5*3 10. Monthly variation of cadmium in the Nenthead stream. ^3 11. Relation between cadmium (aq) and zinc aq concentration. $^ 12. Monthly variation of sodium in the Nenthead stream. s"$ 13. Monthly variation of potassium in the Nenthead Stream. 14. Monthly variation of magnesium in the Nenthead stream. ^ 15. Monthly variation of calcium in the Nenthead stream, SF 16. Concentration of zlno and cadmium in different sections $q of Juncua effusus and Drepanocladus fluitans from the acid stream. 17. Concentration of zinc and cadmium in different sections CO of Scapania undulata and Juncus effusus from the Nenthead stream. 18. Relation between log^C enrichment ratios of flora and Ct zinc (aq) concentration. 19. Relation between log^q enrichment ratios of fauna and G1 zinc (aq) concentration. 6 20. Relation between log^Q enrichment ratios of fauna and 3 zinc (aq) concentration. Tables (Q^ I. Interference of vaifous metals on the zinc and cadmium J? wavelengths. II. Interference on the sine and cadmium wavelengths for >3 the hemipteran, Gerris laoustris. III. Flora and fauna survey of the acid stream. K IV. Flora and fauna survey of the Nenthead stream. I$ V. Water analysis acid stream. 3/ VI. Water analysis Nenthead stream 15/V/73. 32 VII. Water analysis Nenthead stream 13/VI/73. 33 VUI. Water analysis Nenthead stream k/VTJL/73. "if IX. Water analysis Nenthead stream VvHI/73. ^ X. Mean element value for each site. % XI. Correlation coefficient between sine and cadmium % distribution in the Nenthead stream. 31 XII. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of the acid stream — zinc XIII. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of the acid 3? stream - cadmium. XXV. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 1 3*? and 2 - zinc. XV. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 3 and h - zinc. XVI. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 5 ^' and six - zinc. XVII. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 7 and 8 - zinc. XVIII. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 1 ^ and 2 - cadmium. XIX1 Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 3 ^ and h - cadmium. XX. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 5 and 6 - cadmium. XXI. Enrichment ratios for the flora and fauna of stations 7 and 8 — cadmium. XXII. Chl-square distribution comparing biological material, *f 7 particulate matter and sediment from the acid stream and station 2 Nenthead stream. XXIII. Correlation coefficient for organisms of the Nenthead **"7 stream. XXIV. Concentration of zinc and cadmium in particulate matter from the acid stream and station 2 Nenthead stream. XXV. Concentration of zinc and cadmium in sediment from the acid stream. XXVI. Concentration of zinc and cadmium in sediment from the .Nenthead stream. XXVII. Correlation coefficient for sediment of the Nenthead stream.^ INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION Many streams are subjected to a persistent form of pollution brought about by drainage from the remains of mining activities - lieavy metal pollution. Those areas are likely to have small but significant amounts of theses elements present that may cause severe deterioration of the water quality and possible poison contamination throughout the food chain. The biological effects of an increasing amount of those metals in aquatic systems has been in recent years the concern of a large number of environmentalists. Zinc and cadmium are two such heavy metals discussed in this dissertation. Zinc has been shown to be an almost universal constituent of living matter and is recognized to be an essential element for the growth and development of micro-organisms, (Myers 1951$ plants (Anion 1958) and animals (Underwood 1956). Contrastingly, there is no evidence that cadmium is biologically essential or beneficial as the literature only implicates the various deleterious effects on all living organisms including man (McKee and Volf 1963; Ball 1967; Shuster and Pringle 1969). There is considerable information available to show that aquatic organisms accumulate high levels of heavy metals and this accumulation is dependent to a large degree on environ• mental factors* Literature pertaining to thla subject is reviewed in Section 1.2. The purpose of this study was to look at the effect of one such parameter* pli on the accumulation rates of zinc and cadmium for the organisms of two different streams. An acidic and an alkaline stream of past mining history was chosen for this investigation. Also, since the alkaline stream had a natural concentration gradient of zinc and cadmium (section 3.1,*0 » attention was focused on the accumu• lation rates of tile species concerned along the gradient. For convenience i, the results and discussion have been separated into different sub-sections. Sy way of introduction it would be useful to first look at zinc and cadmium in the stream environment. 1.1 Zinc and Cadmium in the Stream Environment Zinc and cadmium occur in all three phases of a stream environment - water, sediment and biota. The chemical and physical conditions of the water help determine the metal's state and its availability to the sediment and organisms. Physical - chemical sorption phenomena allow the sediments to concentrate high, levels of these elements. The rate of exchange of metals from the sediment to the water column may also control the amount of heavy metal available to the biota. Three mechanisms have been suggested by which aquatic organisms can accumulate heavy metals: absorption through membranes, accumulation of particulate matter, and adsorption through cell-trail interfaces (Dulce et al. 1<)66). 1.2 Dioaccumulation - Dependence o:a the Environment Bioacc urn illation of zinc and cadmium have been reported by a number of investigators both using direct techniques (Dietz 1972; Leeder 1972; Hutchinson and Cuyrska 1972) and radioactive tracers (Davis and Foster 1958; Osterberg 1964; Polikarpov 1966). The capacity of an organism to accumulate elements is usually expressed by the enrichment (concentration) ratio which is the concentration of heavy metal in the organism and in the aqueous solution: K = C \fhere C and C are respectively the concentration of heavy metal in the aquatic organism and in the aqueous medium (Polikarkov 1966). A stream organism may accumulate heavy motels to a point where it becomes deleterious or toxic to the individual species. This bioaccumulation of these elements depends not only on the concentration in solution but is also influenced by such environmental factors such as temperature, light, dissolved oxygen and pH. It can also be modified by salts of the alkaline earths and of the heavy metals (Skidmore 1964).