Mercury content in the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica Temminck, 1844) from the coastal and inland areas of the Russia

N Ya Poddubnaya,E S Ivanova,O Yu Rumyantseva,G P Salkina,D D Pavlov,L S Eltsova,A Yu Oleynikov,A Yu Oleynikov,V Kh Kryukov

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-86411-y

Abstract

Being a global pollutant, mercury can originate from both natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Coastal marine atmospheric fog is considered a potential source of ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) to coastal terrestrial ecosystems. However, the ratio between mercury appearing through natural processes and that from the results of human activity is unclear. We assumed that the total mercury content in the fur of tigers would differ depending on the distance from the sea. Here we show that the average mercury content in tigers from the coast (0.435 ± 0.062 mg kg−1) is significantly different from tigers from the inland area (0.239 ± 0.075 mg kg−1), (p = 0.02). We found that the content of mercury in the fur of tigers is largely dependent of natural processes rather than human activity. We assume that the levels of mercury in coastal ecosystems in the south of the Russian Far East reflect the position of the region relative to the deep faults of the East Pacific Platform. Obtained data indicate that environmental risks associated with mercury pollution currently exist, but do not pose a serious threat to Siberian tigers.

Highlights

Key studies of Weiss-Penzias et al 1–3 have shown that terrestrial ecosystems are likely to receive ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) through the coastal marine atmospheric fog
We examined the mercury content of the Siberian tiger—the uppermost link of the food network of coastal and inland ecosystems in the south of the Russian Far East
Our observations during 1976–2018 (15 (Poddubnaya, unpublished data)) and data on mercury content show that tigers do not eat salmon often

Summary

Introduction

Key studies of Weiss-Penzias et al 1–3 have shown that terrestrial ecosystems are likely to receive ocean-derived monomethylmercury (MMHg) through the coastal marine atmospheric fog. This is the first study to evaluate the mercury content in the fur of Siberian tigers in the Far East of Russia.

Results

Conclusion