title: Concentration and partitioning of metals in intertidal biofilms: implications for metal bioavailability to shorebirds.
abstract: We compared zinc, copper and cadmium concentrations and the operationally defined geochemical partitioning of the three metals in sediments enriched with biofilm versus sediments without obvious biofilm present (reference) sampled from five locations within the Fraser River Delta, British Columbia, Canada. Two-way ANOVA's with site and biofilm (enriched or reference) as the two factors were applied to determine if metal concentrations or the partitioning of the metal was dependent on the two factors. Sediment enriched in biofilm contained greater amounts of aqua regia extracted zinc and copper and tended to have greater amounts of reducible cadmium as compared to reference sediments. By contrast, reference sediments had greater concentrations of easily reducible copper suggesting differences in speciation between the two sediment types. Greater concentrations of reducible cadmium within biofilm may provide a route of contaminant exposure to shorebirds whose diet is dependent on biofilm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8,888 University Ave, Burnaby, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jodine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCormick
authors.forename: C Toby
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: St Clair
authors.forename: L I
authors.initials: LI
authors.lastname: Bendell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018441:Biofilms; D001682:Biological Availability; D001717:Birds; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D002170:Canada; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000737:chemistry; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D020387:Food Chain; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D002734:Chlorophyll; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc; D000077194:Chlorophyll A