Selenium (Se) enrichment has been demonstrated to vary by several orders of magnitude among species of planktonic algae. This is a substantial source of uncertainty when modelling Se biodynamics in aquatic systems. In addition, Se bioconcentration data are largely lacking for periphytic species of algae, and for multi-species periphyton biofilms, adding to the challenge of modelling Se transfer in periphyton-based food webs. To better predict Se dynamics in periphyton dominated, freshwater ecosystems, the goal of this study was to assess the relative influence of periphyton community composition on the uptake of waterborne Se oxyanions. Naturally grown freshwater periphyton communities, sampled from five different water bodies, were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of selenite [Se(IV)] or selenate [Se(VI)] (nominal concentrations of 5 and 25 mu g Se L-1) under similar, controlled laboratory conditions for a period of 8 days. Unique periphyton assemblages were derived from the five different field sites, as confirmed by light microscopy and targeted DNA sequencing of the plastid 23S rRNA gene in algae. Selenium accumulation demonstrated a maximum of 23.6-fold difference for Se(IV) enrichment and 2.1-fold difference for Se(VI) enrichment across the periphyton/biofilm assemblages tested. The assemblage from one field site demonstrated both high accumulation of Se(IV) and iron, and was subjected to additional experimentation to elucidate the mechanism(s) of Se accumulation. Selenite accumulation (at nominal concentrations of 5 and 25 mu g Se L-1 and mean pH of 7.5 across all treatment replicates) was assessed in both unaltered and heat-killed periphyton, and in periphyton from the same site grown without light to exclude phototrophic organisms. Following an exposure length of 8 days, all periphyton treatments showed similar levels of Se accumulation, indicating that much of the apparent uptake of Se(IV) was due to non-biological processes (i.e., surface adsorption). The results of this study will help reduce uncertainty in the prediction of Se dynamics and food-chain transfer in freshwater environments. Further exploration of the ecological consequences of extracellular adsorption of Se(IV) to periphyton, rather than intracellular absorption, is recommended to further refine predictions related to Se biodynamics in freshwater food webs.

A major source of uncertainty in predicting selenium (Se) distribution in aquatic food webs lies in the enrichment factor (EF), the ratio of Se bioconcentration in primary producers and microorganisms relative to the concentration of Se in the surrounding water. It has been well demonstrated that EFs can vary dramatically among individual algal taxa, but data are lacking regarding the influence of periphyton community composition on EFs for a given geochemical form of Se. Therefore, the goals of this study were first to assess whether different periphyton communities could be established in aquaria with the same starting inoculum using different light and nutrient regimes, and second, to determine if the periphyton assemblage composition influences the uptake of waterborne Se (as selenite) and subsequent Se transfer to a model macroinvertebrate primary consumer. Periphyton biofilms were grown in aquaria containing filtered pond water (from Saskatoon, SK) spiked with approximately 20 μg Se/L (mean measured concentration 21.0 ± 1.2 μg Se/L), added as selenite. Five different light and nutrient regimes were applied to the aquaria (three replicates per treatment) to influence biofilm community development. After 6 weeks of biofilm maturation, 40 to 80 immature cultured snails (Stagnicola elodes) were added to each aquarium. The bacterial and algal members of the periphyton community were characterized by targeted metagenomic analyses before and after addition of snails to ensure the snails themselves did not significantly alter the biofilm community. Samples were collected for Se analysis of water, periphyton, and whole-body snail. The nutrient and light treatments resulted in substantially different compositions of the periphytic biofilms, with each being relatively consistent across replicates and throughout the study. Although the aqueous concentration of dissolved Se administered to treatments was constant, uptake by the different periphytic biofilms differed significantly. Both the low-light (61.8 ± 12.1 μg Se/g d.w.) and high-light (30.5 ± 4.7 μg Se/g d.w.) biofilms, which were found to have high proportions of cyanobacteria, contained statistically higher concentrations of Se relative to the other treatments. Furthermore, the concentration of Se in bulk periphyton was predictive of Se bioaccumulation in grazing snails but as an inverse relationship, opposite to expectations. The trophic transfer factor was inversely correlated with periphyton enrichment factor (r = -0.841). A number of different bacterial and algal taxa were correlated (either positively or negatively) with Se accumulation in periphyton biofilm and snails. Recent advancements in genetic methods make it possible to conduct detailed characterization of periphyton assemblages and begin to understand the influence that periphyton composition has on Se biodynamics in aquatic systems.