title: The use of tetragnathid spiders as bioindicators of metal exposure at a coal ash spill site.
abstract: On 22 December 2008, a dike containing coal fly ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Fuel Plant (TN, USA) failed, resulting in the largest coal ash spill in US history. The present study was designed to determine sediment metal concentrations at multiple site locations and to determine whether site-specific bioaccumulation of metals existed in tetragnathid spiders. Selenium and nickel were the only 2 metals to exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency sediment screening levels. Selenium concentrations in spiders were significantly higher at ash-affected sites than in those from reference sites. The ratio of methylmercury to total mercury in spiders was found to be similar to that in other organisms (65-75%), which highlights the potential use of tetragnathid spiders as an indicator species for tracing contaminant transfer between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA. Ryan.Otter@mtsu.edu
authors.forename: Ryan R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Otter
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayden
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fortner
authors.forename: Frank C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Bailey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D060729:Coal Ash / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D045483:Rivers; D012643:Selenium; D013112:Spiders / Q000737:chemistry*; D014481:United States; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D060729:Coal Ash; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals; D014873:Water Pollutants; D012643:Selenium
keywords: Coal ash; Mercury; Selenium; Spiders; Tetragnathid