Gastropod (Otala lactea) shell nanomechanical and structural characterization as a biomonitoring tool for dermal and dietary exposure to a model metal

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2016 · Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2015.08.016· OSTI ID:1229092

Allison, Paul G. ^[1]; Seiter, Jennifer M. ^[2]; Diaz, Alfredo ^[3]; Lindsay, James H. ^[2]; Moser, Robert D. ^[2]; Tappero, Ryan V. ^[4]; Kennedy, Alan J. ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States)
2. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS (United States)
3. Univ. of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico)
4. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Metallic tungsten (W) was initially assumed to be environmentally benign and a green alternative to lead. However, subsequent investigations showed that fishing weights and munitions containing elemental W can fragment and oxidize into complex monomeric and polymeric tungstate (WO₄) species in the environment; this led to increased solubility and mobility in soils and increased bioaccumulation potential in plant and animal tissues. Here we expand on the results of our previous research, which examined tungsten toxicity, bioaccumulation, and compartmentalization into organisms, and present in this research that the bioaccumulation of W was related to greater than 50% reduction in the mechanical properties of the snail (Otala lactea), based on depth-sensing nanoindentation. Synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence maps and X-ray diffraction measurements confirm the integration of W in newly formed layers of the shell matrix with the observed changes in shell biomechanical properties, mineralogical composition, and crystal orientation. With further development, this technology could be employed as a biomonitoring tool for historic metals contamination since unlike the more heavily studied bioaccumulation into soft tissue, shell tissue does not actively eliminate contaminants.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: SC00112704
• OSTI ID: 1229092
• Report Number(s): BNL-111167-2015-JA
• Journal Information: Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, Vol. 53, Issue C; ISSN 1751-6161
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE