[Assessment of heavy metal bioaccumulation in food web of the coastal waters of Jiangsu Province, China, based on stable isotope values (δ13C and δ15N).]

The coastal waters in Jiangsu Province have always been an important fishery base since ancient time. In recent years, with the development of the industry in coastal cities, heavy metal pollution is becoming serious in Jiangsu Province. However, the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the coastal food web is still unclear. In this study, we collected samples (including macroalgae, bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, crustaceans and fish) through fishery resources survey in the coastal waters of Jiangsu in May 2017 and quantified the main ways of the material circulation and energy flows by constructing the food web using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. In addition, the bioaccumulation patterns of eight elements (seven heavy metals and 1 metalloid) through the food chains were investigated. The results showed that there were two energy pathways in this offshore ecosystem: the planktonic food-chain and the benthic food-chain, with Scapharca subcrenata and Phalium strigatum as the primary consumers, respectively. The benthic food-chain was the dominant food chain in energy recycling. The mean concentration of heavy metals from high to low in orga-nisms were Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni and Hg. The highest concentrations of elements were found in bivalves and the lowest ones in fish. The concentration of As in most species, the levels of Cd in bivalves and Oratosquilla oratoria, the Cr in Coilia mystus and the Zn, Cu, Cr in Ostrea denselamellosa exceeded the proposed health advisory levels. Regarding the bioaccumulation, a decrease in the concentration levels of Zn, Cd and Ni were observed along the planktonic food-chain and a significant positive correlation between Hg and trophic position were found across the benthic food-chain. Other elements had no significant change.江苏近海自古以来是我国重要的渔业基地之一.近年来,随着沿海城市工业的发展,江苏近海局部地区重金属污染比较严重.目前,对重金属在江苏近海食物网中的传递和累积过程尚不明晰.本研究于2017年5月在江苏近海通过渔业资源调查采集生物样品(包括大型藻类、双壳类、头足类、腹足类、甲壳类和鱼类).在应用碳氮同位素构建食物网结构的基础上,量化物质循环和能量流动的主要途径,分析多种重金属元素在食物网中的累积规律.同位素测定结果显示,江苏近海生态系统中主要存在两条能量传递途径:即以毛蚶等为初级消费者的浮游食物链和以沟纹鬘螺为初级消费者的底层食物链,以底层食物链占优势;8种元素在海洋生物体内含量的平均值由高到低依次为Zn＞Cu＞As＞Cd＞Cr＞Pb＞Ni＞Hg,总体来说,元素富集水平最高的是双壳类,最低的是鱼类;大多数生物体内的As含量超标,双壳类和口虾蛄的Cd、凤鲚的Cr及密鳞牡蛎的Zn、Cu、Cr均超过水产品安全标准;在浮游食物链中,Zn、Cd和Ni显著生物减小,在底层食物链中,Hg显著生物放大,其他元素在食物网中未见明显变化趋势.