Investigating the combined effects of pH changes and UV radiation exposure on dissolved metal-humate complexes: an important process in aquatic systems.

An in vitro study was carried out to examine the impact of UV exposure on metal-dissolved humic material (M-DHM) complexes in aqueous systems at different pH. Complexation reactions of dissolved M (Cu, Ni, and Cd) with DHM increased with the increasing pH of the solution. Kinetically inert M-DHM complexes dominated at higher pH in the test solutions. Exposure to UV radiation did affect the chemical speciation of M-DHM complexes at different pH of the systems. The overall observation suggests that exposure to increasing UV radiation increased the lability, mobility, and bioavailability of M-DHM complexes in aquatic environments. The dissociation rate constant of Cu-DHM was found to be slower than Ni-DHM and Cd-DHM complexes (both before and after UV exposure). At a higher pH range, Cd-DHM complexes dissociated after exposure to UV radiation and a part of this dissociated Cd precipitated out from the system. No change in the lability of the produced Cu-DHM and Ni-DHM complexes after UV radiation exposure was observed. They did not appear to form new kinetically inert complexes even after 12 h of exposure. The outcome of this research has important global implications. The results of this study helped to understand DHM leachability from soil and its effect on dissolved metal concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere water bodies. The results of this study also facilitated to comprehend the fate of M-DHM complexes at photic depths (where pH changes are accompanied by high UV radiation exposure) in tropical marine/freshwater systems during summer.

Modulation of Cd and BaP uptake rate during acute aqueous co-exposure in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Cadmium and Benzo[a]pyrene are two toxicants of great environmental importance given their frequency and ability to cause extensive toxicity in aquatic organisms including fish. There is evidence that fish can modulate their respective uptake rate during simultaneous exposures, albeit the mechanism behind this is poorly understood. The present study aimed to examine this interaction by exposing adult zebrafish to either 89.3 nM Cd, 4.25 nM BaP or a combination of the two for 72 hrs prior to examining the uptake rate of either toxicant via short-term exposures (3-6 hrs) to radiotracers (109Cd and 14C-BaP). Our results showed that Cd uptake rate increased significantly in the gills when animals were pre-exposed to both toxicants simultaneously, resulting in an increased maximum uptake rate (Jmax). The increased Cd uptake rate did not correspond to increased expression of gill Cd transporters such as the epithelium calcium channel (ECaC) or the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). Furthermore, BaP uptake rate increased significantly at the whole-body level when animals were exposed to both 5.03 nM 14C-BaP and 89.3 nM Cd concurrently. Additionally, we ran a time-course and observed BaP uptake rate is highest in the 6-12 hrs following the beginning of the exposure. Our results provide evidence that the increased bioaccumulation of Cd and BaP observed during co-exposures is at least in part due to an increase in uptake rate and is driven by separate mechanisms.

Dissolved organic carbon ameliorates the effects of UV radiation on a freshwater fish.

Anthropogenic activities over the past several decades have depleted stratospheric ozone, resulting in a global increase in ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Much of the negative effects of UVR in aquatic systems is minimized by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) which is known to attenuate UVR across the water column. The skin of many fishes contains large epidermal club cells (ECCs) that are known to play a role in innate immune responses and also release chemical alarm cues that warn other fishes of danger. This study investigated the effects of in vivo UVR exposure to fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas), under the influence of two sources of DOC: Sigma Aldrich humic acid, a coal based commercial source of DOC and Luther Marsh natural organic matter, a terrigenous source of DOC. Specifically, we examined ECC investment and physiological stress responses and found that fish exposed to high UVR, in the presence of either source of DOC, had higher ECC investment than fish exposed to high UVR only. Similarly, exposure to high UVR under either source of DOC, reduced cortisol levels relative to that in the high UVR only treatment. This indicates that DOC protects fish from physiological stress associated with UVR exposure and helps maintain production of ECC under conditions of UVR exposure.

The interactive effects of multiple stressors on physiological stress responses and club cell investment in fathead minnows.

Anthropogenic activities have dramatically increased over the past decades, with the consequence that many organisms are simultaneously exposed to multiple stressors. Understanding how organisms respond to these stressors is a key focus for scientists from many disciplines. Here we investigated the interactive effects of two stressors, UV radiation (UVR) and cadmium (Cd) exposure on a common freshwater fish, fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). UVR is known to influence the density of epidermal club cells (ECCs), which are not only a key component of the innate immune system of fishes, but are also the source of chemical alarm cues that serve to warn other fishes of nearby predators. In contrast, Cd impairs the physiological stress response and ability of fish to respond to alarm cues. We used an integrative approach to examine physiological stress response as well as investment in ECCs. Fish exposed to UVR had higher levels of cortisol than non-exposed controls, but Cd reduced cortisol levels substantially for fish exposed to UVR. Fish exposed to UVR, either in the presence or absence of Cd, showed consistent decreases in ECC investment compared to non-exposed controls. Despite differences in ECC number, there was no difference in the potency of alarm cues prepared from the skin of UVR and Cd exposed or non-exposed fish indicating that UVR and Cd exposure combined may have little influence on chemically-mediated predator-prey interactions.

Within and between population variation in epidermal club cell investment in a freshwater prey fish: a cautionary tale for evolutionary ecologists.

Many prey fishes possess large club cells in their epidermis. The role of these cells has garnered considerable attention from evolutionary ecologists. These cells likely form part of the innate immune system of fishes, however, they also have an alarm function, releasing chemical cues that serve to warn nearby conspecifics of danger. Experiments aimed at understanding the selection pressures leading to the evolution of these cells have been hampered by a surprisingly large intraspecific variation in epidermal club cell (ECC) investment. The goal of our current work was to explore the magnitude and nature of this variation in ECC investment. In a field survey, we documented large differences in ECC investment both within and between several populations of minnows. We then tested whether we could experimentally reduce variation in mean ECC number by raising fish under standard laboratory conditions for 4 weeks. Fish from different populations responded very differently to being held under standard laboratory conditions; some populations showed an increase in ECC investment while others remained unchanged. More importantly, we found some evidence that we could reduce within population variation in ECC investment through time, but could not reduce among-population variation in mean ECC investment. Given the large variation we observed in wild fish and our limited ability to converge mean cell number by holding the fish under standard conditions, we caution that future studies may be hard pressed to find subtle effects of various experimental manipulations; this will make elucidating the selection pressures leading to the evolution of the cells challenging.

Temporal learning of predation risk by embryonic amphibians.

For prey species that rely on learning to recognize their predators, natural selection should favour individuals able to learn as early as possible. The earliest point at which individuals can gather information about the identity of their potential predators is during the embryonic stage. Indeed, recent experiments have demonstrated that amphibians can learn to recognize predators prior to hatching. Here, we conditioned woodfrog embryos to recognize predatory salamander cues either in the morning or in the evening, and subsequently exposed the two-week-old tadpoles to salamander cues either in the morning or in the evening, and recorded the intensity of their antipredator behaviour. The data indicate that amphibians learn to recognize potential predators while still in the egg, and also learn the temporal component of this information, which they use later in life, to adjust the intensity of their antipredator responses throughout the day.