Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31078001›Full record

ArticleEnvironment international2019

Examining toxic trace element exposure in American alligators.

Frances M Nilsen, John A Bowden, Thomas R Rainwater, Arnold M Brunell, Brittany L Kassim, Phil M Wilkinson, Louis J Guillette, Stephen E Long, Tracey B Schock

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Environment international, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Using Crocodylians for monitoring mercury in the tropics.Ecotoxicology (London, England) · 2023
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Frances M NilsenNational Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA; Medical University of South Carolina, Marine Bio-medicine and Environmental Science Program, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: Nilsen.frances@epa.gov.
John A BowdenNational Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA; Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, Department of Physiological Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. Electronic address: john.bowden@ufl.edu.
Thomas R RainwaterBaruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, P.O. Box 596, Georgetown, SC, USA; Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 1 Yawkey Way South, Georgetown, SC, USA.
Arnold M BrunellFlorida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Eustis, FL, USA. Electronic address: Arnold.brunell@myfwc.com.
Brittany L KassimNational Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA.
Phil M WilkinsonBaruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, P.O. Box 596, Georgetown, SC, USA.
Louis J GuilletteMedical University of South Carolina, Marine Bio-medicine and Environmental Science Program, Charleston, SC, USA.
Stephen E LongNational Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: Stephen.long@nist.gov.
Tracey B SchockNational Institute of Standards and Technology, Chemical Sciences Division, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA. Electronic address: tracey.schock@nist.gov.
National Institute of Standards and Technology · USClemson University · USFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission · USMedical University of South Carolina · USNCCOS Hollings Marine Laboratory · US

Funding

Intramural NIST DOC 9999-NIST
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Toxic trace element exposure occurs through release of the ubiquitous and naturally occurring elements arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg). The unique environmental conditions of the wetland ecosystems along the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States lead to the accumulation of Hg which is greater than in most other ecosystems in the country. There are also point sources of As, Cd, and Pb in this region. To effectively monitor trace element concentrations, and consequently the potential human exposure, accessible local sentinel species are needed. In this study, concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Hg and six other trace elements (Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Mo) were examined in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from seven wetland sites in South Carolina and Florida and assessed for their utility as a sentinel species for human trace element exposure. Alligators were chosen as a potential sentinel as they share a common exposure with the local human population through their aquatic diet, and they are directly consumed commercially and through recreation hunting in this region. Sex was significantly related to the concentration of Zn, Mo, and Al, but not As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Se, or Cu. Site specific differences in element concentrations were observed for As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Se, Zn, and Mo. Size/age was significantly related to the element Hg and Pb concentrations observed. The observed concentration ranges for the four toxic elements, As (6-156 ng/g), Cd (0.3-1.3 ng/g), Pb (3-4872 ng/g), and Hg (39-2765 ng/g), were comparable to those previously reported in diverse human populations. In this region alligators are hunted recreationally and consumed by the local community, making them a vehicle of direct human toxic element exposure. We propose that the similarity in As, Cd, Pb, and Hg concentrations between alligators observed in this study and humans underscores how alligators can serve as a useful sentinel species for toxic element exposure.

Indexed as

Alligators and CrocodilesAnimalsEnvironmental ExposureFloridaHumansSentinel SpeciesSouth CarolinaTrace ElementsWater Pollutants, ChemicalWetlandsTrace ElementsWater Pollutants, Chemical

Identifiers

PMID31078001
PMCPMC6857802
OpenAlexW2944413851

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.