Tungsten uptake kinetics and trophic 1 transfer into a novel gastropod model

5 Previous investigations on the military relevant metal, tungsten (W), have paved the way for further 6 exploration of its relevant environmental and biological pathways. This investigation presents the most 7 robust known trophic transfer study of W between plant and animal models. Steady state of W in 8 cabbage (Brassica oleracae) was reached at 114-days with a bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of 0.55. For 9 the herbivorous snail Otala lactea, the steady state of W bioaccumulation from direct exposure to 10 contaminated soil was reached in 23 days with a hepatopancreas BAF of 0.05. Trophic transfer of W 11 bioaccumulation from consumption of W-grown cabbage resulted in significantly greater body burdens 12 with steady state estimated at 5-days and a hepatopancreas BAF of 0.36. These results indicate that 13 consumption of contaminated food is the most important pathway for W movement into the snail 14 model, likely because cabbage is more bioavailable to the plant model. Investigations into how W is 15 compartmentalized into the snail model found that higher concentrations were found in the 16 hepatopancreas as compared to the rest of the snail. Chemical speciation showed a higher degree of 17 polytungstates within the hepatopancreas in comparison to the rest of the body, which was 18 predominantly monomeric species of tungsten. The pathways that W taken within the snail model 19 reveal that there is substantial evidence that W is incorporated into the shell matrix during exposure 20 and that the shell can be utilized as biomonitoring tool. 21