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Aeshnid dragonfly larvae as bioindicators of methylmercury contamination in aquatic systems impacted by elevated sulfate loading

Overview of attention for article published in Ecotoxicology, January 2016
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Title
Aeshnid dragonfly larvae as bioindicators of methylmercury contamination in aquatic systems impacted by elevated sulfate loading
Published in
Ecotoxicology, January 2016
DOI 10.1007/s10646-015-1603-9
Pubmed ID
Authors

J. D. Jeremiason, T. K. Reiser, R. A. Weitz, M. E. Berndt, G. R. Aiken

Abstract

Methylmercury (MeHg) levels in dragonfly larvae and water were measured over two years in aquatic systems impacted to varying degrees by sulfate releases related to iron mining activity. This study examined the impact of elevated sulfate loads on MeHg concentrations and tested the use of MeHg in dragonfly larvae as an indicator of MeHg levels in a range of aquatic systems including 16 river/stream sites and two lakes. MeHg concentrations in aeshnid dragonfly larvae were positively correlated (R (2) = 0.46, p < 0.01) to peak MeHg concentrations in the dissolved phase for the combined years of 2012 and 2013. This relation was strong in 2012 (R (2) = 0.85, p < 0.01), but showed no correlation in 2013 (R (2) = 0.02, p > 0.05). MeHg in dragonfly larvae were not elevated at the highest sulfate sites, but rather the reverse was generally observed. Record rainfall events in 2012 and above average rainfall in 2013 likely delivered the majority of Hg and MeHg to these systems via interflow and activated groundwater flow through reduced sediments. As a result, the impacts of elevated sulfate releases due to mining activities were not apparent in these systems where little of the sulfate is reduced. Lower bioaccumulation factors for MeHg in aeshnid dragonfly larvae were observed with increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. This finding is consistent with previous studies showing that MeHg in high DOC systems is less bioavailable; an equilibrium model shows that more MeHg being associated with DOC rather than algae at the base of the food chain readily explains the lower bioaccumulation factors.

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The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 3 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 54 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United States 1 2%
Unknown 53 98%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 10 19%
Student > Master 7 13%
Student > Ph. D. Student 5 9%
Student > Bachelor 5 9%
Other 3 6%
Other 9 17%
Unknown 15 28%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Environmental Science 14 26%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 13 24%
Earth and Planetary Sciences 2 4%
Chemistry 2 4%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 1 2%
Other 4 7%
Unknown 18 33%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. 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 08 January 2016.
All research outputs
#14,831,413
of 22,837,982 outputs
Outputs from Ecotoxicology
#571
of 1,475 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#218,719
of 393,663 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Ecotoxicology
#6
of 36 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,837,982 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 32nd percentile – i.e., 32% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,475 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 3.5. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 57% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 393,663 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 36 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 80% of its contemporaries.