title: Baseline arsenic levels in marine and terrestrial resources from a pristine environment: Isabel Island, Solomon Islands.
abstract: Baseline records are crucial in understanding how chemicals of concern impact on the receiving environment. We analysed terrestrial and marine resources from a pristine site on Isabel Island, Solomon Islands, to provide environmental baseline levels for total arsenic and arsenic species composition for commonly consumed marine resources. Our data show that levels of the more toxic inorganic arsenic species were very low or below detectable limits, with the exception of the seaweed Sargassum sp. that contained pentavalent inorganic arsenic levels of 4.63 μg g(-1). Total arsenic concentrations in the majority of marine and terrestrial samples collected were below 2 μg g(-1). The less toxic arsenobetaine was the predominant arsenic species present in all marine fauna samples analysed. This work highlights the need for arsenic speciation analysis to accurately assess potential toxicity of marine resources and provides a crucial baseline to assess the impact of future development within this region.
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Alistair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grinham
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kvennefors
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. Electronic address: p.fisher@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Paul L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Badin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gibbes
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000737:chemistry; D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D008542:Melanesia; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D012987:Soil; D001151:Arsenic; C038992:arsenobetaine
keywords: Arsenic; Baseline; Seafood; Solomon Islands; Toxicity