Distributions and natural levels of related metals in a trophic pathway
The first objective was to test the hypothesis that metal distributions and trends in organisms are, in part, a function of metal positions in the periodic table in unpolluted ecosystems. The data have shown that large soil crustal abundance differences of related elements (e.g. alkali metals) are proportionately approximated in higher organisms. Concentration factors for related nutritious and nonessential and toxic metals were determined along a trophic pathway. When the concentration factors were reported as the concentration of a particular metal by itself, all metal concentrations increased along the trophic pathway. The second objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that distributions and natural levels of chemically related nonessential and toxic metals can better be known when the metals are reported as a ratio, in ash, of the nonessential or toxic metal to its chemically related nutritious metal (e.g. strontium/calcium) as the metals are transferred through trophic pathways. The data have shown that when this method of reporting metal abundances in trophic levels is used, nonessential and toxic metals are discriminated against, relative to their chemically related nutritious metal, as the metals are transferred through the trophic pathway levels. The third objective was designed to test the hypothesis that surface deposition of toxic metals upon plants influences the trends of metal abundances through trophic pathways. This study indicates that metal pollution in the form of deposition upon plant surfaces bypasses the discrimination mechanisms in plants, and consequently elevates the total body burden in herbivores. It is likely that there is no herbivore defense for this type of metal exposure, because herbivores have probably come to rely, in part, upon the discriminatory mechanism of plants throughout the course of evolutionary history to keep toxic metal burdens low.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 7347022
- Report Number(s):
- ICP-1095
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ABUNDANCE
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BIOMASS
CALCIUM
DEPOSITION
DISTRIBUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
LEAD
METALS
NUTRITION
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POTASSIUM
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RUBIDIUM
STRONTIUM
SURFACES
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TOXICITY