| Title |
Fracked ecology: Response of aquatic trophic structure and mercury biomagnification dynamics in the Marcellus Shale Formation
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Ecotoxicology, October 2016
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s10646-016-1717-8 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Christopher James Grant, Allison K. Lutz, Aaron D. Kulig, Mitchell R. Stanton |
| Abstract |
Unconventional natural gas development and hydraulic fracturing practices (fracking) are increasing worldwide due to global energy demands. Research has only recently begun to assess fracking impacts to surrounding environments, and very little research is aimed at determining effects on aquatic biodiversity and contaminant biomagnification. Twenty-seven remotely-located streams in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale basin were sampled during June and July of 2012 and 2013. At each stream, stream physiochemical properties, trophic biodiversity, and structure and mercury levels were assessed. We used δ15N, δ13C, and methyl mercury to determine whether changes in methyl mercury biomagnification were related to the fracking occurring within the streams' watersheds. While we observed no difference in rates of biomagnificaion related to within-watershed fracking activities, we did observe elevated methyl mercury concentrations that were influenced by decreased stream pH, elevated dissolved stream water Hg values, decreased macroinvertebrate Index for Biotic Integrity scores, and lower Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera macroinvertebrate richness at stream sites where fracking had occurred within their watershed. We documented the loss of scrapers from streams with the highest well densities, and no fish or no fish diversity at streams with documented frackwater fluid spills. Our results suggest fracking has the potential to alter aquatic biodiversity and methyl mercury concentrations at the base of food webs. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 10 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 3 | 30% |
| Unknown | 7 | 70% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 8 | 80% |
| Scientists | 2 | 20% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 53 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 2% |
| Unknown | 52 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Bachelor | 16 | 30% |
| Researcher | 6 | 11% |
| Student > Master | 5 | 9% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 8% |
| Other | 3 | 6% |
| Other | 8 | 15% |
| Unknown | 11 | 21% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science | 17 | 32% |
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 9 | 17% |
| Earth and Planetary Sciences | 4 | 8% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 3 | 6% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 1 | 2% |
| Other | 5 | 9% |
| Unknown | 14 | 26% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 8. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 26 November 2023.
All research outputs
#4,572,259
of 24,877,044 outputs
Outputs from Ecotoxicology
#141
of 1,540 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#70,590
of 326,404 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Ecotoxicology
#9
of 44 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 24,877,044 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 81st percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,540 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 3.8. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 90% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 44 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 81% of its contemporaries.