Mercury methylation, demethylation and reduction rates in coastal and marine surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea

Monperrus, Mathilde; Tessier, Emmanuel; Amouroux, David; Leynaert, Aude; Huonnic, P.; Donard, Olivier F. X.

doi:10.1016/j.marchem.2007.01.018

Cited by 242 publications

(257 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Results of this study also provide the fish-consuming public with information about the mercury contents of popularly eaten marine fish species. Finally, our data support recent conclusions that the main source of methylmercury in the open ocean is from the deep water column (50,51) and not export from coastal regions (13) or the euphotic zone (53). Stomach Content Analysis.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The influence of depth on mercury levels in pelagic fishes and their prey

Choy

Popp

Kaneko

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

182

144

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Mercury distribution in the oceans is controlled by complex biogeochemical cycles, resulting in retention of trace amounts of this metal in plants and animals. Inter-and intra-specific variations in mercury levels of predatory pelagic fish have been previously linked to size, age, trophic position, physical and chemical environmental parameters, and location of capture; however, considerable variation remains unexplained. In this paper, we focus on differences in ecology, depth of occurrence, and total mercury levels in 9 species of commercially important pelagic fish (Thunnus obesus, T. albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis, Xiphias gladius, Lampris guttatus, Coryphaena hippurus, Taractichthys steindachneri, Tetrapturus audax, and Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) and in numerous representatives (fishes, squids, and crustaceans) of their lower trophic level prey sampled from the central North Pacific Ocean. Results indicate that total mercury levels of predatory pelagic fishes and their prey increase with median depth of occurrence in the water column and mimic concentrations of dissolved organic mercury in seawater. Stomach content analysis results from this study and others indicate a greater occurrence of higher-mercury containing deeper-water prey organisms in the diets of the deeperranging predators, X. gladius, T. obesus, and L. guttatus. While present in trace amounts, dissolved organic mercury increases with depth in the water column suggesting that the mesopelagic habitat is a major entry point for mercury into marine food webs. These data suggest that a major determinant of mercury levels in oceanic predators is their depth of forage.depth of forage ͉ marine pelagic predators ͉ North Pacific Ocean ͉ mercury bioaccumulation ͉ mesopelagic zone

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The influence of depth on mercury levels in pelagic fishes and their prey

Choy

Popp

Kaneko

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

182

144

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…MM 199 Hg was added as an internal standard to samples and equilibrated for 24 hours prior to MMHg determination for isotope ratio-ICPMS. Consistent with previous reports of methylation and demethylation rates (Monperrus et al, 2007, Lehnherr et al, 2011, our reported rates are potential rates, which assume identical chemical behavior of added Hg(II) and MMHg isotopes to those spcies naturally existing in the samples.…”

supporting

confidence: 91%

“…At these depths, production of methylated Hg has been linked to active organic matter remineralization (Cossa et al, 2009;Sunderland et al, 2009). Water column measurements of apparent Hg methylation rates in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and the Mediterranean have attributed water column methylation to bacterial processes (Lehnherr et al, 2011;Monperrus et al, 2007). However, the mechanism of methylation in marine systems has not been determined.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic mercury methylation and demethylation in oligotrophic marine water

Munson¹,

Lamborg²,

Boiteau³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Monomethylmercury bioaccumulation in open ocean food webs depends on the net rate of inorganic mercury conversion to monomethylmercury in the water column. We measured significant methylation rates across large gradients in oxygen utilization in the oligotrophic central Pacific Ocean. Overall, methylation rates over 24 hour incubation periods were comparable to those previously published 20 from Arctic and Mediterranean waters despite differences in productivity between these marine environments. In contrast to previous studies that have attributed Hg methylation to heterotrophic bacteria, we measured higher methylation rates in filtered water compared to unfiltered water. Furthermore, we observed enhanced demethylation of newly produced methylated mercury in incubations of unfiltered water relative to filtered water. The addition of station-specific bulk suspended particulate matter, a Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi

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“…Globally, atmospheric deposition is the dominant Hg input to the ocean (Mason and Sheu, 2002;Selin, 2009). In seawater Hg can reduce to Hg(0) via photochemistry and microbial activities (Amyot et al, 1997;Rolfhus and Fitzgerald, 2004;Fantozzi et al, 2009;Qureshi et al, 2010;Whalin et al, 2007;Monperrus et al, 2007) from sea surface to atmosphere (Fitzgerald et al, 1984;Kuss and Schneider, 2007;Fu et al, 2010;Andersson et al, 2011;Ci et al, 2011a;Qureshi et al, 2012). Modeling studies showed that more than 80% of Hg deposited to oceans is reemitted to atmosphere as Hg(0) (e.g., Strode et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elemental mercury (Hg(0)) in air and surface waters of the Yellow Sea during late spring and late fall 2012: Concentration, spatial-temporal distribution and air/sea flux

Wang

et al. 2015

Chemosphere

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Mercury methylation, demethylation and reduction rates in coastal and marine surface waters of the Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 242 publications

References 56 publications

The influence of depth on mercury levels in pelagic fishes and their prey

The influence of depth on mercury levels in pelagic fishes and their prey

Dynamic mercury methylation and demethylation in oligotrophic marine water

Elemental mercury (Hg(0)) in air and surface waters of the Yellow Sea during late spring and late fall 2012: Concentration, spatial-temporal distribution and air/sea flux

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