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Elevated trace element concentrations and standard metabolic rate in banded water snakes ( Nerodia fasciata ) exposed to coal combustion wastes
Author(s) -
Hopkins William A.,
Rowe Christopher L.,
Congdon Justin D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.5620180627
Subject(s) - trace element , environmental chemistry , coal , arsenic , cadmium , environmental science , contamination , selenium , pollution , coal combustion products , chemistry , ecology , biology , organic chemistry
Trace element concentrations in banded water snakes, Nerodia fasciata , and representative prey items from a site polluted by coal combustion wastes were compared with concentrations in conspecifics from a nearby reference site. Water snakes accumulated high concentrations of trace elements, especially arsenic (As) and selenium (Se), in the polluted habitat. In addition to being exposed to contaminants in water and sediments, snakes in the polluted site are exposed to contaminants by ingesting prey items that have elevated whole‐body concentrations of trace elements, including As, cadmium (Cd), and Se. Snakes from the polluted site exhibited mean standard metabolic rates (SMR) 32% higher than snakes from the reference site. As a result, snakes from the polluted site appear to have elevated allocation of energy to maintenance and theoretically should have less energy available for growth, reproduction, and storage. Our findings are consistent with physiological responses recently documented in other organisms from the polluted site. We hypothesize that long‐term exposure to coal ash–derived trace elements and the resultant accumulation of some elements are responsible for observed increases in SMR.