Mercury distribution in a polluted marine area, ratio of total mercury, methyl mercury and selenium in sediments, mussels and fish

Picer, Mladen; Stegnar, P.; Tušek‐Žnidarič, Magda

doi:10.1016/0043-1354(85)90305-7

Cited by 45 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 24 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In this study, the molar concentrations of THg and Se in the muscle of catfish confirmed the same previous results reported in the literature (Mikac et al 1985) that these trace elements did not present any relationship in the muscular tissue of different marine animals including fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods, even from environments heavily contaminated with mercury. Turner and Rudd (1983) suggested that Se had to be accumulated in the muscle of fish before the elimination of mercury from the muscle was promoted, but Bjerregaard et al (1999) showed that MeHg was eliminated from the muscle of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) without any significant accumulation of selenium in the tissue.…”

Section: Seleniumsupporting

confidence: 94%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The relationships between mercury and selenium in plankton and fish from a tropical food web

Kehrig

Seixas

Palermo

et al. 2008

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is a need to assess the role of selenium in mercury accumulation in tropical ecosystems. Without further studies of the speciation of selenium in livers of fishes from this region, the precise role of this element, if any, cannot be verified in positively affecting mercury accumulation. Further studies of this element in the study of marine species should include liver samples containing relatively high concentrations of mercury. A basin-wide survey of selenium in fishes is also recommended.

show abstract

Section: Seleniumsupporting

confidence: 94%

“…Normally, only bigger ocean fish and mammals present a relationship between molar concentrations of mercury and selenium (Mikac et al 1985).…”

Section: Seleniummentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationships between mercury and selenium in plankton and fish from a tropical food web

Kehrig

Seixas

Palermo

et al. 2008

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Though only a low percentage of the total mercury in sediment, suspended matter and planktonic algae, may be organic, the largest fraction of the total mercury in marine fish is monomethylmercury (Knauer & Martin 1972, Gardner et al 1978, Huckabee et al 1979, Windom & Kendall 1979, Clarkson et al 1984, Mikac et al 1985, Riisgard & Famme 1986. Numerous studies on mercury in marine fish have led to this basic knowledge, but relatively little information has been obtained to understand the mechanisms by which methylmercury is accumulated in food-chains.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomagnification of mercury in a marine grazing food-chain: algal cells Phaeodactylum tricornutum, mussels Mytilus edulis and flounders Platichthys flesus studied by means of a stepwise-reduction-CVAA method

Riisgård¹,

Hansen²

1990

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A stepwise-reduction-cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAA) method has been further developed. The method is relatively simple and quick and allows measurements of both inorganic and organic mercury in the same small biological sample. It provides an effective technique for studying biomagnification of mercury in a marine grazing food-chain (algae/mussels/fish). In laboratory experiments with mussels exposed to both inorganic mercury (965 ng I-') and organic mercury (methylmercury) (35 ng I-'), and fed algal cells at a natural low concentration from a chemostat for 80 d, uptake of both mercury species was linear. Organic mercury was taken u p 15 times more readily than inorganic mercury. Flounders force-fed with food contaminated with equal concentrations of organic and inorganic mercury for 46 d readily accumulated organic mercury in blood cells, liver, kidney and muscle-tissue while inorganic mercury was only accumulated in measurable amounts in Liver and kidney. During an elimination experiment (48 d) with both force-fed and starved flounders (loaded with mercury), organic mercury concentration did not decrease in the muscle-tissue, but significantly decreased in the liver, kidney and blood cells, while inorganic mercury tended to increase in the liver. Thus organic mercury may be biotransformed to inorganic mercury in the liver. Relatively low concentrations of organic mercury in the gall bladder indicate that enterohepatic recirculation may not play a similar role in fish as reported for mammals. Higher mercury concentrations in the proximal part of the intestine compared to the distal part show, however, that some mercury may be secreted via the bile and reabsorbed, but no differences between fed and starved fish were found Though only about 1 % of the total mercury in chronically polluted waters may be in the organic form, an enhanced uptake rate of organic mercury in mussels leads to differential partitioning of the 2 mercury forms. Since fish such as flounder may primarily feed on juvenile bivalves about 75 % of the total mercury ingested by fish may be in the inorganic form. The efficient accumulation of organic mercury and the lack of elimination results in an increasing organic mercury concentration with both age and trophic level (i.e. biomagnification) in the marine grazing food-chain.

show abstract

“…Anaerobic sediments with high organic content and low sulfur content tend to favor methylation (Rassmussen et al 1998). For example, organomercury species are best known for their ability to bioconcentrate; as mercury (Hg) bioaccumulates, the total mercury concentration may decrease, but the percent total mercury as methylmercury typically increases (Mikac et al 1985). The potential methylation of Hg can compromise MNR, unless it can be demonstrated that Hg‐contaminated sediments are buried and sequestered, and that the Hg is stable in an inorganic form (e.g., as HgS).…”

Section: Lines Of Evidence For Natural Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of monitored natural recovery in sediment remediation

Magar

Wenning

2006

Integr Envir Assess & Manag

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The long-term goal of monitored natural recovery (MNR) is to achieve ecological recovery of biological endpoints in order to protect human and ecological health. Insofar as ecological recovery is affected by surface-sediment-contaminant concentrations, the primary recovery processes for MNR are natural sediment burial and contaminant transformation and weathering to less toxic forms. This paper discusses the overall approach for effective implementation of MNR for contaminated sediment sites. Several lines of evidence that may be used to demonstrate natural recovery processes are summarized, including documentation of source control; evidence of contaminant burial; measurement of surface sediment mixing depths and the active sediment benthic layer; measurement of sediment stability; contaminant transformation and weathering; modeling sediment transport, contaminant transport, and ecological recovery; measuring ecological recovery and long-term risk reduction; knowledge of future plans for use and development of the site; and watershed and institutional controls. In general, some form of natural recovery is expected and should be included as part of a remedy at virtually all contaminated sediment sites. Further, MNR investigations and an understanding of natural recovery processes provide cost-effective information and support the evaluation of more aggressive remedies such as capping, dredging, and the use of novel amendments. The risk of dredging or capping may be greater than the risk of leaving sediments in place at sites where capping or dredging offer little long-term environmental gain but pose significant short-term risks for workers, local communities, and the environment.

show abstract

Mercury distribution in a polluted marine area, ratio of total mercury, methyl mercury and selenium in sediments, mussels and fish

Cited by 45 publications

References 24 publications

The relationships between mercury and selenium in plankton and fish from a tropical food web

The relationships between mercury and selenium in plankton and fish from a tropical food web

Biomagnification of mercury in a marine grazing food-chain: algal cells Phaeodactylum tricornutum, mussels Mytilus edulis and flounders Platichthys flesus studied by means of a stepwise-reduction-CVAA method

The role of monitored natural recovery in sediment remediation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About