skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Uptake Kinetics and Trophic Transfer of Tungsten from Cabbage to a Herbivorous Animal Model

Journal Article · · Environmental Science and Technology
ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS (United States)
  2. GHD, Dallas, TX (United States)
  3. Univ. of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (United States). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
  4. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source

This paper builds on previous studies on military-relevant tungsten (W) to more thoroughly explore environmental pathways and bioaccumulation kinetics during direct soil exposure versus trophic transfer and elucidate its relative accumulation and speciation in different snail organs. The modeled steady-state concentration and bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of W from soil into cabbage were 302 mg/kg and 0.55, respectively. Steady-state concentrations (34 mg/kg) and BAF values (0.05) obtained for the snail directly exposed to contaminated soil were lower than trophic transfer by consumption of W-contaminated cabbage (tissue concentration of 86 mg/kg; BAF of 0.36). Thus, consumption of contaminated food is the most important pathway for W mobility in this food chain. The highest concentrations of W compartmentalization were in the snail’s hepatopancreas based on wet chemistry and synchrotron-based investigations. Chemical speciation via inductively couple plasma mass spectrometry showed a higher degree of polytungstate partitioning in the hepatopancreas relative to the rest of the body. Based on synchrotron analysis, W was incorporated into the shell matrix during exposure, particularly during the regeneration of damaged shell. Finally, this offers the potential for application of the shell as a longer-term biomonitoring and forensics tool for historic exposure.

Research Organization:
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); Army Environmental Quality Technology Basic Research Program (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1425089
Report Number(s):
BNL-203299-2018-JAAM
Journal Information:
Environmental Science and Technology, Vol. 51, Issue 23; ISSN 0013-936X
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 7 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (25)

Investigations of tungsten mobility in soil using column tests journal May 2009
Tungsten bioavailability and toxicity in sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) journal April 2009
A review of tungsten: From environmental obscurity to scrutiny journal August 2006
Environmental fate of tungsten from military use journal April 2009
Coupled 182W-142Nd constraint for early Earth differentiation journal June 2010
Effects of tungsten on environmental systems journal October 2005
Relationship of surface changes to metal leaching from tungsten composite shot exposed to three different soil types journal May 2011
Elemental and polychlorinated biphenyl content of tissues and intestinal aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity of guinea pigs fed cabbage grown on municipal sewage sludge journal March 1979
Tungsten Effects on Survival, Growth, and Reproduction in the Earthworm, Eisenia Fetida journal January 2006
Influence of speciation on tungsten toxicity journal November 2009
Uptake of lead and tungsten in Cyperus esculentus in a small-arms range simulation journal April 2009
Toxicity of sodium tungstate to earthworm, oat, radish, and lettuce journal September 2011
Polytungstate analysis by SEC-ICP-MS and direct-infusion ESI-MS journal April 2009
Factors controlling tungsten concentrations in ground water, Carson Desert, Nevada journal February 2005
The determination of tungsten, molybdenum, and phosphorus oxyanions by high performance liquid chromatography inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometery journal July 2007
Tungsten Contamination of Soils and Sediments: Current State of Science journal January 2017
Tungsten Toxicity, Bioaccumulation, and Compartmentalization into Organisms Representing Two Trophic Levels journal August 2012
Physiological response of plants and cadmium accumulation in heads of two cultivars of white cabbage journal March 2011
Gastropod (Otala lactea) shell nanomechanical and structural characterization as a biomonitoring tool for dermal and dietary exposure to a model metal journal January 2016
Geochemical Parameters Influencing Tungsten Mobility in Soils journal January 2008
A modified acid digestion procedure for extraction of tungsten from soil journal January 2010
Addendum to “A modified acid digestion procedure for extraction of tungsten from soil” by A.J. Bednar, W.T. Jones, M.A. Chappell, D.R. Johnson, D.B. Ringelberg [Talanta 80 (3) (2010) 1257–1263] journal September 2010
The biochemistry of environmental heavy metal uptake by plants: Implications for the food chain journal August 2009
Spatial patterns of tungsten and cobalt in surface dust of Fallon, Nevada journal March 2007
Hemocyte-Mediated Shell Mineralization in the Eastern Oyster journal April 2004

Cited By (2)

Scheelite weathering and tungsten (W) mobility in historical oxidic-sulfidic skarn tailings at Yxsjöberg, Sweden journal December 2019
Pulsed electrochemical and electroless techniques for efficient removal of Sb and Pb from water journal January 2018

Similar Records

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 · OSTI ID:1425089

Trophic structure and metal bioaccumulation differences in multiple fish species exposed to coal ash-associated metals
Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · OSTI ID:1425089

Application of Synchrotron Methods to Assess the Uptake of Roadway-Derived Zn by Earthworms in an Urban Soil
Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2008 · Mineralogical Magazine · OSTI ID:1425089

Related Subjects