Aquatic methylmercury is a significant subsidy for terrestrial songbirds: Evidence from the odd mass-independent fractionation of mercury isotopes

Abstract

In contrast to aquatic food chains, knowledge of the origins and transfer of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in terrestrial food chains is relatively limited, especially in songbirds. We collected soil, rice plants, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, small wild fish, and resident songbird feathers from an Hg-contaminated rice paddy ecosystem for an analysis of stable Hg isotopes to clarify the sources of Hg and its transfer in songbirds and their prey. Significant mass-dependent fractionation (MDF, δ202Hg), but no mass-independent fractionation (MIF, ∆199Hg) occurred in the trophic transfers in terrestrial food chains. Piscivorous, granivorous, and frugivorous songbirds and aquatic invertebrates were all characterized by elevated Δ199Hg values. The estimated MeHg isotopic compositions obtained using linear fitting and a binary mixing model explained both the terrestrial and aquatic origins of MeHg in the terrestrial food chains. We found that MeHg from aquatic habitats is an important subsidy for terrestrial songbirds, even those that feed mainly on seeds, fruits, or cereals. The results show that MIF of the MeHg isotope is a reliable tool to reveal MeHg sources in songbirds. Because the MeHg isotopic compositions was calculated with a binary mixing model or directly estimated from the high proportions of MeHg, compound-specific isotope analysis of Hg would be more useful for the interpretation of the Hg sources, and is highly recommended for future studies.