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Rare earth elements (REE) in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems in the eastern Canadian Arctic

View ORCID ProfileGwyneth Anne MacMillan, View ORCID ProfileJohn Chételat, Joel Heath, Raymond Mickpegak, View ORCID ProfileMarc Amyot
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/174870
Gwyneth Anne MacMillan
1Centre for Northern Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2V 2S9
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John Chételat
2Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0H3
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Joel Heath
3Arctic Eider Society, St. John’s, NL, Canada, A1C 3Z6
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Raymond Mickpegak
4Sakkuq Landholding Corporation, Kuujjuaraapik, QC, Canada, J0M 1G0
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Marc Amyot
1Centre for Northern Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada, H2V 2S9
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  • For correspondence: m.amyot@umontreal.ca
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ABSTRACT

Few ecotoxicological studies exist for rare earth elements (REEs), particularly field-based studies on their bioaccumulation and food web dynamics. REE mining has led to significant environment impacts in several countries (China, Brazil, U.S.), yet little is known about the fate and transport of these contaminants of emerging concern. To understand how REEs behave in pristine northern food webs, we measured REE concentrations and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (∂15N, ∂13C) in biota from marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems of the eastern Canadian Arctic (N=339). Northern ecosystems are potentially vulnerable to REE enrichment from prospective mining projects at high latitudes. Wildlife harvesting and tissue sampling was partly conducted by local hunters through a community-based monitoring project. Results show that REE generally follow a coherent bioaccumulation pattern for sample tissues, with some anomalies for redox-sensitive elements (Ce, Eu). Highest REE concentrations were found at low trophic levels, especially in vegetation and aquatic invertebrates. Terrestrial herbivores, ringed seal, and fish had low REE levels in muscle tissue (<0.1 nmolg-1), yet accumulation was an order of magnitude higher in all liver tissues. Age- and length-dependent REE accumulation also suggest that REE uptake is faster than elimination for some species. Overall, REE bioaccumulation patterns appear to be species- and tissue-species, with limited potential for biomagnification. This study provides novel ecotoxicological data on the behaviour of REE in ecosystems and will be useful for environmental impact assessment of REE enrichment in northern regions.

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Posted August 14, 2017.
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Rare earth elements (REE) in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems in the eastern Canadian Arctic
Gwyneth Anne MacMillan, John Chételat, Joel Heath, Raymond Mickpegak, Marc Amyot
bioRxiv 174870; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/174870
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Rare earth elements (REE) in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems in the eastern Canadian Arctic
Gwyneth Anne MacMillan, John Chételat, Joel Heath, Raymond Mickpegak, Marc Amyot
bioRxiv 174870; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/174870

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