Kinetics of bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Odontesthes bonariensis is explained by a single and common mechanism

MARÍA VALERIA BLANCO; DIEGO IGNACIO CATTONI; PEDRO CARRIQUIRIBORDE; JOSÉ RAUL GRIGERA; OSVALDO CHARA

ECOLOGICAL MODELLING

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2014 vol. 274 p. 50 - 56

0304-3800

Fish are often considered a very sensitive indicator of heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems;however, the detailed mechanisms of bioaccumulation remain unclear. Here, we study the bioaccu-mulation processes of three relevant heavy metals (Cd2+, Cu2+and Cr6+) in Odontesthes bonariensis usingmathematical modelling. We developed a general compartmental kinetic model that describes the trans-port of heavy metals between the surrounding water and the gills and liver of fish. The general modelwas reduced to a simple one still capable of reproducing previous experimental data and suggesting acommon mechanism for the three metals. The modelling results indicate that bioaccumulation of Cd2+,Cu2+, and Cr6+is described by a combination of a concentration-independent and saturable uptake kinet-ics in both organs with a unidirectional path of elimination from gills to liver to waterborne. Finally, thegood agreement between the parameter values predicted by the model and previously published datasuggests that our modelling approach may shed light on the mechanisms of heavy metal bioaccumulationin other species