Abstract
To determine if mercury discharges to the environment in the last century have increased the mercury content of marine fish, a sample of 21 specimens of one deep-sea fish species collected in the 1880s was compared with a sample of 66 specimens of the same species collected in the 1970s. The specimens of Antimore rostrata were collected from between 2000 and 3000 m in the western North Atlantic Ocean. In both recent and old fish mercury increased as a function of length, but comparison of the two concentration vs. length relationships shows that there has not been an increase in mercury concentration in deep-sea fish in the last century. This result supports the idea that the relatively high concentrations of mercury found in marine fish that inhabit the surface and deep waters of the open ocean result from natural processes, not 20th century industrial pollution.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.