Assessment of mercury contamination in Brycon falcatus (Characiformes: Bryconidae) and human health risk by consumption of this fish from the Teles Pires River, Southern Amazonia

Abstract

Brycon falcatus is one of the most highly consumed species of fish within the region in the Teles Pires basin, and has great commercial importance in sport and professional artisanal fishing. The objective of this study was to analyze the presence and concentration of total mercury (THg) in the muscle, liver and gills of B. falcatus, and calculate the risk to human health of THg contamination from ingestion of the fish. THg concentrations were similar in the liver (0.076 mg kg-1) and muscle (0.052 mg kg-1), and higher than in the gills (0.009 mg kg-1). The levels of HgT present in B. falcatus tissues did not influence weight gain and nutritional status. Based on the condition factor, weight and length ratio and hepatosomatic index, it seems that the concentrations of THg did not influence the health and well-being of B. falcatus collected in the Teles Pires River basin. THg concentrations in the muscle of B. falcatus are below the limit recommended by the World Health Organization for people who consume until 250 g of fish per week. The risk of deleterious effects on human health may exist if there is a greater consumption of B. falcatus such as 340 g/day, that is the mean of fish consumption by indigenous and riverine.

Mercury concentrations in fish and human health assessment in preflood phase of a hydro dam in Teles Pires River, Southern Brazilian Amazon

“…Fish were collected from Teles Pires River (Mato Grosso), one of the main tributaries of Tapajós River of Brazilian Amazon. A range of land use is known in this region: cattle ranching, agriculture, gold mining, dumping of tannery effluents, and currently, hydroelectric plants are all present in area (Matos et al, 2018). These land use processes make this area highly prone to mercury runoff from soil and consequent deposition into water bodies (Roulet et al, 2000).…”

“…In the southern Amazon region, the main anthropogenic sources of mercury are gold mining, agriculture related land use activities, and forest burning (Matos et al, 2018). This area endured intense gold mining activity between 1970s and 1990s, followed by a decline due to reduced gold deposits in the region (Lobo et al, 2016).…”

Vulnerabilidade Ambiental Na Sub-Bacia Do Médio Tapajós (Am-Pa)

“…A bacia hidrográfica do rio Tapajós tem sua área de abrangência principalmente nos estados do Pará e Mato Grosso e em menor parte no Amazonas; o setor paraense corresponde ao Médio-Baixo Tapajós, conforme descrito por Santos et al (2014) e Araújo et al (2015). Esta região congrega uma série de políticas públicas marcadas pelo planejamento desarticulado, vinculadas as atividades de mineração, portuária, extração madeireira, hidroviária, geração de energia elétrica e a ocorrência de áreas protegidas (terras indígenas e unidades de conservação); cenários estes discutidos em Fearnside (2015), Santos et al (2015), Matos et al (2018).…”

Transferability of heterologous primers in Brycon falcatus

“…Brycon falcatus (Muller and Troschel, 1844), regionally known in Brazil as matrinxã miúda or voadeira, is highlighted within Brycon (Bini 2012) because it is a highly consumed species and has great commercial importance in sport and artisanal fishing (Matos et al 2018). It is broadly distributed in the Amazon basin, also occurring in the Araguaia-Tocantins River basin (Antunes et al 2010;Isaac et al 2015;Matos et al 2018). Its rich fish fauna in these basins makes Brycon an important exploitable resource, but information on the biological, biogeographical, ecological, and genetic characteristics of its species are generally scarce, especially for B. falcatus.…”