Chronic Engineered Nanoparticle Additions Alter Insect Emergence and Result in Metal Flux from Aquatic Ecosystems into Riparian Food Webs
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are exposed to engineered
nanoparticles (NPs) through discharge from wastewater and
agricultural runoff. We conducted a 9-month mesocosm experiment
to examine the combined effects of chronic NP additions on
insect emergence and insect-mediated contaminant flux to riparian
spiders. Two NPs (copper, gold, plus controls) were crossed by
two levels of nutrients in 18 outdoor mesocosms open to natural
insect and spider colonization. We collected adult insects and two
riparian spider genera, Tetragnatha and Dolomedes, for 1 week on a
monthly basis. We estimated a significant decrease in cumulative
insect emergence of 19% and 24% after exposure to copper and
gold NPs, irrespective of nutrient level. NP treatments led to
elevated copper and gold tissue concentrations in adult insects,
which resulted in terrestrial fluxes of metals. These metal fluxes were associated with increased gold and copper tissue concentrations
for both spider genera. We also observed about 25% fewer spiders in the NP mesocosms, likely due to reduced insect emergence
and/or NP toxicity. These results demonstrate the transfer of NPs from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems via emergence of aquatic
insects and predation by riparian spiders, as well as significant reductions in insect and spider abundance in response to NP
additions.