title: Effects of chemical elements in the trophic levels of natural salt marshes.
abstract: The relationships between the bioaccumulation of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Co, Cd, and Pb, acidity (pH), salinity (Ec), and organic matter content within trophic levels (water-soil-plants-invertebrates) were studied in saline environments in Poland. Environments included sodium manufactures, wastes utilization areas, dumping grounds, and agriculture cultivation, where disturbed Ca, Mg, and Fe exist and the impact of Cd and Pb is high. We found Zn, Cu, Mn, Co, and Cd accumulation in the leaves of plants and in invertebrates. Our aim was to determine the selectivity exhibited by soil for nutrients and heavy metals and to estimate whether it is important in elucidating how these metals are available for plant/animal uptake in addition to their mobility and stability within soils. We examined four ecological plant groups: trees, shrubs, minor green plants, and water macrophytes. Among invertebrates, we sampled breastplates Malacostraca, small arachnids Arachnida, diplopods Diplopoda, small insects Insecta, and snails Gastropoda. A higher level of chemical elements was found in saline polluted areas (sodium manufactures and anthropogenic sites). Soil acidity and salinity determined the bioaccumulation of free radicals in the trophic levels measured. A pH decrease caused Zn and Cd to increase in sodium manufactures and an increase in Ca, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb in the anthropogenic sites. pH increase also caused Na, Mg, and Fe to increase in sodium manufactures and an increase in Na, Fe, Mn, and Co in the anthropogenic sites. There was a significant correlation between these chemical elements and Ec in soils. We found significant relationships between pH and Ec, which were positive in saline areas of sodium manufactures and negative in the anthropogenic and control sites. These dependencies testify that the measurement of the selectivity of cations and their fluctuation in soils provide essential information on the affinity and binding strength in these environments. The chemical elements accumulated in soils and plants; however, further flow is selective and variable. The selectivity exhibited by soil systems for nutrients and heavy metals is important in elucidating how these metals become available for plant/animal uptake and also their mobility and stability in soils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, M. Skłodowska-Curie St. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland. piotr.kaminski@cm.umk.pl.|Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Szafran St. 1, 65-516, Zielona Gora, Poland. piotr.kaminski@cm.umk.pl.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kamiński
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Technology and Life Sciences Bydgoszcz, Kordecki St. 20, 85-061, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Technology and Life Sciences Bydgoszcz, Kordecki St. 20, 85-061, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bennewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Nature Protection, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Szafran St. 1, 65-516, Zielona Gora, Poland.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jerzak
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Mazowiecka St. 28, 85-084, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bogdzińska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology and Environment Protection, Department of Zoology, Pomeranian University, Arciszewski St. 22 B, 76-200, Słupsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Aleksandrowicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, M. Skłodowska-Curie St. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Koim-Puchowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, M. Skłodowska-Curie St. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Szady-Grad
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, M. Skłodowska-Curie St. 9, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Jacek J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Klawe
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Karłowicz St. 24, 85-092, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woźniak
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D011044:Poland; D000068357:Saline Waters; D054712:Salinity; D053833:Wetlands
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007220:Industrial Waste; D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: Acidity; Disturbed areas; Ecotoxicology; Heavy metals; Saline environments; Trophic links