Physicochemistry and metal concentrations in water, sediments, zooplankton, and Hyalella azteca from lakes in Yellowknife, NWT, Canada [2024]

This dataset includes lake location information along with water physicochemical parameters (pH, anions, DOC, DIC, PARAFAC), major cations, and trace metals (ICP-MS/MS) in both dissolved (0.45 µm) and total water samples. Metal concentrations (ICP-MS/MS) are also provided for zooplankton, the amphipod Hyalella azteca, and sediments, along with carbon and sulfur stable isotope signatures. For H. azteca, both desorbed and non-desorbed (untreated) metal measurements are available for selected lakes. These data were collected in July 2024 to assess the potential of Hyalella azteca and zooplankton as biomonitors of rare earth elements (REEs), uranium (U), thorium (Th), and arsenic (As) across ten lakes in the Yellowknife region, NWT, Canada. For amphipods, the possible adsorption of metals on the exoskeleton was considered by completing desorption experiments, allowing us to investigate the potential mechanisms of REE bioaccumulation. We also examined REE bioaccumulation in amphipods across a depth gradient in relation to dietary shifts, using carbon and sulfur stable isotopes. A further objective was to establish baseline concentrations of REEs, U, and Th ahead of potential future mining activity in the region.