Determination of the Toxicity, Water Quality Interactions and Biomagnification of Selenium in Aquatic Food Chains

摘要

Ecological degradation of aquatic ecosystems associated with the presence of elevated concentrations of the trace element selenium has been of considerable scientific, governmental and public concern. The increased flux of selenium into several aquatic ecosystems, due to anthropogenic activities, has resulted in death, teratogenesis, reproductive impairment and decreased populations in fish and waterfowl communities in the systems. Research is continuing on several investigations into the toxicity, bioaccumulation, transfer and biotransformation of selenium in aquatic organisms and laboratory food chains. Initial studies were primarily concerned with the comparative acute and chronic toxicity, water quality interactions, and toxicological interactions of several chemical species of selenium to a variety of aquatic organisms. Further research was directed towards the biotransformation, transfer, and subsequent bioaccumulation of selenium in simplified laboratory aquatic food chains. Studies on the transfer, bioaccumulation and toxicity of selenium from dietary sources to consumers were conducted. The development of methodology for determining and quantifying the biochemical speciation of selenium in aquatic organisms was initiated.