Goldmining and mercury contamination of the piscivorous fish Hoplias aimara in French Guiana (Amazon basin)

Durrieu, G.; Maury-Brachet, Régine; Boudou, Alain

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2004.05.004

Cited by 66 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Although excluded from the analysis, it is noteworthy because the data may eventually appear in other studies. A similar value (10.64 µg.g −1 ) was reported by Durrieu et al (2005) on the Courcibo River, in French Guiana, demonstrating the great potential that S. aimara has to accumulate mercury. This finding is of particular concern because this species is one of the most consumed by people living in the study area.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Mercury Contamination within Protected Areas in the Brazilian Northern Amazon-Amapa State

Venturieri¹,

Oliveira‐da‐Costa²,

Gama³

et al. 2017

American Journal of Environmental Sciences

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Mercury contamination is a long-standing environmental and social problem, notably in the Amazon. The widespread use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining has driven contamination of the environment and the people, threatening biodiversity, human health and livelihoods of traditional populations. Along the border area between Brazil and French Guiana, illegal gold mining is considered a critical threat to biodiversity, a social and economic problem and a political and diplomatic issue. On the Brazilian side in Amapá state, stands the world´s largest tropical forest National Park-Tumucumaque National Park (TNP). Despite its critical importance for the maintenance of ecosystem services, little is known about anthropic impacts in the area, including mercury contamination. The present study aims to assess the current levels of mercury contamination of carnivorous fish species in the TNP region as the starting point for the assessment of its impact over the integrity of protected areas and local communities. Fish samples were collected at 33 sampling sites within TNP and its surroundings. Samples of 187 most consumed local fish belonging to eight carnivore species were analyzed. Mercury was detected in 81% of the collected fish, the majority of them with individual levels above the WHO health safety limit (0.5 µg.g −1 ). Furthermore, samples from all rivers assessed presented some level of contamination. The contamination of important locally consumed fish is widespread in the study area. Important river basins in the Northern Amazon area are affected and even protected areas might be impacted by mercury. Our results suggest mercury as a significant threat to biodiversity and human health in the region. Additional studies should be conducted towards identifying the extent of the problem in the region and mitigation strategies addressing the effects of contamination must be incorporated in decision makers' priority agenda.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Mercury Contamination within Protected Areas in the Brazilian Northern Amazon-Amapa State

Venturieri¹,

Oliveira‐da‐Costa²,

Gama³

et al. 2017

American Journal of Environmental Sciences

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“…These values are however relatively low in comparison with Hg levels that can be found in the muscular tissue of fish analyzed in polluted coastal areas, or in deep-water benthopelagic fish. For example, the small piscivorous Acestrorhynchus guianensis from the Amazon basin, which is polluted by goldmining, exibits Hg levels as high as 4.3 µg.g −1 d.w. (Durrieu et al, 2005). Furthermore, median Hg levels of 13 µg.g −1 d.w. were reported for the small deep-sea Smooth Grenadier, Nezumia aequalis, found in the 500-1 750 m bathymetric zones of the Rockall Trough, North West of the British Isles (Mormede and Davies, 2001).…”

Section: Comparison With Published Datamentioning

confidence: 92%

Mercury content in commercial pelagic fish and its risk assessment in the Western Indian Ocean

Kojadinovic

Potier

Corre³

et al. 2006

Science of The Total Environment

123

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As top predators of pelagic food webs, large fish naturally bioaccumulate mercury (Hg). Determining Hg burdens in commercialized fish is essential considering the concern about effects of contaminants on human health and the legal thresholds that are therefore set for local consumption and/or exportation. Total Hg levels were measured in the muscular tissue of 183 fish of five commercially important species from the tropical zone of the Western Indian Ocean. All individuals were measured and sexed in order to study the impregnation of Hg with size and sex within each species. Values of Hg found in this part of the Indian Ocean were comparable to Hg in muscular tissue of the same species studied in other areas. The highest Hg levels were noted in Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) caught in waters surrounding Reunion Island (3.97 ± 2.67 µg.g −1 dry weight). Following the Swordfish, in decreasing order of Hg content, were the Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the Skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), then the Common Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and the Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri). In the North of the Mozambique Channel, Swordfish had higher Hg levels than Yellowfin Tunas, and Dolphinfish exhibited intermediate Hg levels. The size of a fish was a determinating factor of its Hg burden, as was the species. Differences in size-normalized Hg levels were observed between the two study zones for Swordfish and Common Dolphinfish. Sex, in contrast, did not influence Hg levels suggesting that females and males have similar feeding habits. The muscular Hg levels presented here suggest that consumers of fish originating from the Western Indian Ocean should limit themselves to one Swordfish based meal per week, or one fish meal a day if they choose to eat tuna or Common Dolphinfish.

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“…Such unsafe concentrations of mercury present in the water, fish and sediments, pose serious threats to the giant otter, which depends on fish for its survival 4 Boudou et al, 2005;Durrieu et al, 2005).…”

Section: A B C Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advances in the study of giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis): ecology, behavior, and conservation: a review

Duplaix

Evangelista

Rosas

2015

Lat. Am. J. Aquat. Mamm.

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Giant otters, once targeted by the pelt trade to near extinction, are now legally protected and have made a comeback in some parts of their range. Our state of knowledge about the behavior and ecology of this apex predator has increased substantially since the first studies in the 1970s but remains incomplete. Negative anthropogenic pressures and conflicts affecting giant otters are intensifying and now take many forms, from extensive habitat loss and degradation, pollution, ecotourism with heavy impacts, to gold mining. We review the corpus of giant otter field research and findings since 1980 and discuss new findings and our shortfall of knowledge and their implications for the long-term conservation of the species.Resumo: O abate de ariranhas para o comércio de suas peles no passado levou a espécie quase à extinção. Atualmente a caça à ariranha está proibida e algumas populações têm dado sinais de recuperação em partes de sua distribuição. O conhecimento acerca do comportamento e ecologia deste predador de topo de cadeia aumentou substancialmente desde a realização do primeiro estudo com a espécie na década de 1970, mas permanece incompleto. Conflitos e pressões antrópicas negativas têm se intensificado e abrangem desde a perda extensiva de habitat, poluição, ecoturismo pobremente manejado ou planejado, até a mineração de ouro. Neste artigo nós revisamos o conhecimento atual gerado pelas pesquisas com ariranha após 1980 e discutimos as novas informações, as deficiências de conhecimento ainda existentes e suas implicações para a conservação desta espécie. †

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Goldmining and mercury contamination of the piscivorous fish Hoplias aimara in French Guiana (Amazon basin)

Cited by 66 publications

References 24 publications

Mercury Contamination within Protected Areas in the Brazilian Northern Amazon-Amapa State

Mercury Contamination within Protected Areas in the Brazilian Northern Amazon-Amapa State

Mercury content in commercial pelagic fish and its risk assessment in the Western Indian Ocean

Advances in the study of giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis): ecology, behavior, and conservation: a review

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