Mercury content in the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1844) from the coastal and inland areas of the Russia

Abstract

Being a global pollutant, mercury can originate from both natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Coastal marine atmospheric fog is considered a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems. However, the ratio between mercury appearing through natural processes and that from the results of human activity is unclear. We assumed that the total mercury content in the fur of tigers would differ depending on the distance from the sea. Here we show that the average mercury content in tigers from the coast (0.435 ± 0.062 mg kg−1) is significantly different from tigers from the inland area (0.239 ± 0.075 mg kg−1), (p = 0.02). We found that the content of mercury in the fur of tigers is largely dependent of natural processes rather than human activity. We assume that the levels of mercury in coastal ecosystems in the south of the Russian Far East reflect the position of the region relative to the deep faults of the East Pacific Platform. Obtained data indicate that environmental risks associated with mercury pollution currently exist, but do not pose a serious threat to Siberian tigers.

Total mercury in small mammals from forest ecosystems (nearby Cherepovets, Vologda region)

“…And this is four tenfold lower than in three Sorex species in Sikhote-Alin [30] and industrial areas of Europe and North America [15,13]. Sikhote-Alin located very close to the Pacific Ocean, so the sea fog may impact for the increase of the mercury concentration in terrestrial biota [35,36].…”

The role of the Korean wood mouse (Apodemus peninsulae Thomas, 1907) in mercury transport in ecosystems in the south-east of Sikhote-Alin

“…For example, a recent study of various forms of mercury in the inanimate and living components of the ocean and land [7,8] showed that sea fog is a source of mercury for terrestrial ecosystems in California [9]. The assessment of the total mercury (THg) content in the Amur tiger fur in the Sikhote-Alin mountain system and in the Southwestern Primorye [10,11] confirmed the pattern established by Weiss-Penzias and co-authors [9]: the mercury level in the zone of influence of the sea is higher than in the inner zone [10,11]. At the same time, the south of the Russian Far East is of interest for the study of mercury due to the fact that gold, coal and mercury-containing minerals are actively mined in this region and in its neighborhood.…”

“…At the same time, the south of the Russian Far East is of interest for the study of mercury due to the fact that gold, coal and mercury-containing minerals are actively mined in this region and in its neighborhood. In this region, pilot studies of the total mercury content in organs, tissues and fur of bears [12], wild cats [10,11], shrews [13] and deer [14] were conducted on small samples.…”