An overview of mercury concentrations in freshwater fish species: a national fish mercury dataset for Canada

Abstract

Fish mercury (Hg) concentrations have been measured over the last 30–40 years in all regions of Canada as part of various monitoring and research programs. Despite this large amount of data, only regional assessments of fish Hg trends and patterns have previously been attempted. The objective of this study was to assemble available freshwater fish Hg concentration data from all provinces and territories and identify national patterns. The Canadian Fish Mercury Database includes over 330 000 records representing 104 species of freshwater fish collected from over 5000 locations across Canada between 1967 and 2010. Analysis of the 28 most frequently occurring species (>1000 records) showed that the majority of variation in Hg concentrations (when normalized to a standard size) was accounted for by geographic location. Median Hg concentrations increased with trophic level (r = 0.40, p < 0.05), with the highest Hg concentrations found in piscivorous species such as walleye (Sander vitreus), northern pike (Esox lucius), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). The Canadian Fish Mercury Database provides the most comprehensive summary of fish Hg measurements in Canada, and the results indicate that several regionally observed trends in fish Hg concentrations (e.g., Hg biomagnification and geographic variation) are observed at a national scale. Implications for the effective assessment of changes in fish Hg concentrations in relation to changes in Hg emission regulations are discussed.