Mercury concentrations in fish, plankton and water from three Western Atlantic estuaries

Cocoros, Glenn; Cahn, Phyllis H.; Siler, William

doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.1973.tb04500.x

Cited by 26 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…These calculations assume that our 25–66μm size fraction is largely autotrophic and the processes of mercury species ad-, ab- and desorption are at equilibrium. These values fall within the range of oceanic BCF values derived from, albeit, a limited number of field studies that enable this calculation ( Table 4 ; [ 26 , 74 , 91 – 97 ]). Earlier experimental work showed that mercury could enter the marine food chain preferentially as MeHg through adsorption to phytoplankton surfaces and absorption into the cytoplasm [ 68 , 69 , 98 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 54%

Bioaccumulation of methylmercury within the marine food web of the outer Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine

2018

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Mercury and methylmercury were measured in seawater and biota collected from the outer Bay of Fundy to better document mercury bioaccumulation in a temperate marine food web. The size of an organism, together with δ13 C and δ15 N isotopes, were measured to interpret mercury levels in biota ranging in size from microplankton (25μm) to swordfish, dolphins and whales. Levels of mercury in seawater were no different with depth and not elevated relative to upstream sources. The δ13 C values of primary producers were found to be inadequate to specify the original energy source of various faunas, however, there was no reason to separate the food web into benthic, demersal and pelagic food chains because phytoplankton has been documented to almost exclusively fuel the ecosystem. The apparent abrupt increase in mercury content from “seawater” to phytoplankton, on a wet weight basis, can be explained from an environmental volume basis by the exponential increase in surface area of smaller particles included in “seawater” determinations. This physical sorption process may be important up to the macroplankton size category dominated by copepods according to the calculated biomagnification factors (BMF). The rapid increase in methylmercury concentration, relative to the total mercury, between the predominantly phytoplankton (<125μm) and the zooplankton categories is likely augmented by gut microbe methylation. Further up the food chain, trophic transfer of methylmercury dominates resulting in biomagnification factors greater than 10 in swordfish, Atlantic bluefin tuna, harbour porpoise, Atlantic white-sided dolphin and common thresher shark. The biomagnification power of the northern Gulf of Maine ecosystem is remarkably similar to that measured in tropical, subtropical, other temperate and arctic oceanic ecozones.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 54%

Bioaccumulation of methylmercury within the marine food web of the outer Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine

2018

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“…Substantial differences in biotic total Hg were also observed in estuaries more distantly located from Narragansett Bay. Zooplankton from western Long Island Sound (New York), Chesapeake Bay (Maryland), and Core Sound (North Carolina), for example, had total Hg concentrations of 0.11–0.19 ppm (Cocoros and Cahn, 1973). The total Hg of L. littorea collected from Georgia salt marshes was also elevated relative to conspecifics in this study, ranging between 0.6 and 33.1 ppm (Horne et al, 1999).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indicators of sediment and biotic mercury contamination in a southern New England estuary

Taylor

Linehan

Murray

et al. 2012

Marine Pollution Bulletin

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Total mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were analyzed in near surface sediments (0–2 cm) and biota (zooplankton, macro-invertebrates, finfish) collected from Narragansett Bay (Rhode Island/Massachusetts, USA) and adjacent embayments and tidal rivers. Spatial patterns in sediment contamination were governed by the high affinity of Hg for total organic carbon (TOC). Sediment MeHg and percent MeHg were also inversely related to summer bottom water dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, presumably due to the increased activity of methylating bacteria. For biota, Hg accumulation was influenced by inter-specific habitat preferences and trophic structure, and sediments with high TOC and percent silt-clay composition limited mercury bioavailability. Moreover, hypoxic bottom water limited Hg bioaccumulation, which is possibly mediated by a reduction in biotic foraging, and thus, dietary uptake of mercury. Finally, most biota demonstrated a significant positive relationship between tissue and TOC-normalized sediment Hg, but relationships were much weaker or absent for sediment MeHg. These results have important implications for the utility of estuarine biota as subjects for mercury monitoring programs.

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“…While mercury is thought to be a risk factor for the disease, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) could be protective factors against ALS, as food frequency questionnaire estimates showed that omega-3 PUFA intake was associated with reduced risk in a large prospective cohort analysis [ 4 ]. The leading source of both mercury and omega-3 PUFA exposure in the United States is seafood consumption, as seafood species concentrate chemicals in their viscera and muscle tissue through ingestion of algae and seafood species in lower trophic levels [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. Humans retain up to 95% of these chemicals per bite of seafood [ 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk, Family Income, and Fish Consumption Estimates of Mercury and Omega-3 PUFAs in the United States

Hoffman

Bradley

Chen

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Most amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases are considered sporadic, without a known genetic basis, and lifestyle factors are suspected to play an etiologic role. We previously observed increased risk of ALS associated with high nail mercury levels as an exposure biomarker and thus hypothesized that mercury exposure via fish consumption patterns increases ALS risk. Lifestyle surveys were obtained from ALS patients (n = 165) and n = 330 age- and sex-matched controls without ALS enrolled in New Hampshire, Vermont, or Ohio, USA. We estimated their annual intake of mercury and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) via self-reported seafood consumption habits, including species and frequency. In our multivariable model, family income showed a significant positive association with ALS risk (p = 0.0003, adjusted for age, sex, family history, education, and race). Neither the estimated annual mercury nor omega-3 PUFA intakes via seafood were associated with ALS risk. ALS incidence is associated with socioeconomic status; however, consistent with a prior international study, this relationship is not linked to mercury intake estimated via fish or seafood consumption patterns.

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Mercury concentrations in fish, plankton and water from three Western Atlantic estuaries

Cited by 26 publications

References 12 publications

Bioaccumulation of methylmercury within the marine food web of the outer Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine

Bioaccumulation of methylmercury within the marine food web of the outer Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine

Indicators of sediment and biotic mercury contamination in a southern New England estuary

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Risk, Family Income, and Fish Consumption Estimates of Mercury and Omega-3 PUFAs in the United States

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