Heavy Metal Pollutants and Chemical Ecology: Exploring New Frontiers |
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Authors: | Robert S Boyd |
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Affiliation: | (1) 101 Life Sciences Building, Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5407, USA |
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Abstract: | Heavy metals are an important class of pollutants with both lethal and sublethal effects on organisms. The latter are receiving
increased attention, as these may have harmful ecological outcomes. For example, recent explorations of heavy metals in freshwater
habitats reveal that they can modify chemical communication between individuals, resulting in “info-disruption” that can impact
ecological relationships within and between species. Info-disruption can affect animal behavior and social structure, which
in turn can modify both intraspecies and interspecies interactions. In terrestrial habitats, info-disruption by metals is
not well studied, but recent demonstrations of chemical signaling between plants via both roots and volatile organic molecules
provide potential opportunities for info-disruption. Metals in terrestrial habitats also can form elemental plant defenses,
in which they can defend a plant against natural enemies. For example, hyperaccumulation of metals by terrestrial plants has
been shown to provide defensive benefits, although in almost all known cases the metals are not anthropogenic pollutants but
are naturally present in soils inhabited by these plants. Info-disruption among microbes is another arena in which metal pollutants
may have ecological effects, as recent discoveries regarding quorum sensing in bacteria provide an avenue for metals to affect
interactions among bacteria or between bacteria and other organisms. Metal pollutants also may influence immune responses
of organisms, and thus affect pathogen/host relationships. Immunomodulation (modification of immune system function) has been
tied to some metal pollutants, although specific metals may boost or reduce immune system function depending on dose. Finally,
the study of metal pollutants is complicated by their frequent occurrence as mixtures, either with other metals or with organic
pollutants. Most studies of metal pollutants focus on single metals and therefore oversimplify complex field conditions. Study
of pollutant impacts on chemical ecology also are difficult due to the necessity of studying effects at varying ecological
scales: “dynamic scaling” of chemical ecology studies is rarely done completely. It is clear that much remains to be learned
about how heavy metal pollution impacts organisms, and that exciting new research frontiers are available for experimental
exploration. |
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