The Presence of Mercury in the Tissues of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos L.) from W\u0142oc\u0142awek Reservoir in Poland

Jerzy F Żarski,Teresa Majdecka,Ewa Skibniewska,Michał Skibniewski,Tadeusz P Żarski

doi:10.1007/s12011-016-0845-6

Jerzy F Żarski, Teresa Majdecka + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-016-0845-6

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Abstract

The study aimed at determining the degree of mercury contamination of mallards, game waterbirds migrating from the regions of the unknown degree of contamination and establishing whether the consumption of their meat comprises a hazard to human health in view of the binding norms concerning the mercury content in food products. The investigations were carried out on 30 mallards shot during the duck shooting season in which mercury concentrations in the muscles, liver, and kidneys were determined using the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) method. The mean Hg concentration in the investigated tissues in all birds studied amounted to 0.110, 0.154, and 0.122 mg kg−1 for the muscles, kidneys, and liver, respectively. The study indicated statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) positive correlation between all of the organs examined. Animals were divided into two groups differing in both absolute values of Hg concentrations and those measured in individual tissues. In particular organs of birds representing the first group, the presence of highly significant correlation (p ≤ 0.01) was observed in all organs examined. In the second group, highly significant positive correlation between Hg concentrations in the liver and kidneys and highly significant negative dependence between the liver and muscles was noted. The examinations revealed that some birds must have come from regions of a high degree of mercury contamination.

Highlights

Mercury is a metal that may enter the environment both by natural processes of the earth’s crust and as a result of human activity
The aim of the study was to determine total mercury content in the muscle, liver, and kidneys of mallards inhabiting the Włocławek Reservoir, using samples obtained from individuals arriving from areas of unknown levels of mercury pollution, and to determine whether consumption of its meat represents a risk to human health in the light of the current standards on tolerable mercury content in food products
Analyzing the average mercury content in the tissues and organs of all the studied mallards, it should be stated explicitly that mercury levels in the tissues used as human food were relatively high

Summary

Introduction

Mercury is a metal that may enter the environment both by natural processes of the earth’s crust and as a result of human activity. Inorganic mercuric compounds include mercury salts used in numerous technological processes. They are found in electrical cells, fungicides, and disinfectants [6]. Methylmercury is one of the most common forms of organic mercury. This compound has the ability to accumulate and biomagnify at each step of the trophic chain of the aquatic ecosystems [7,8,9,10]. The inorganic mercuric compounds tend to accumulate in the kidneys and liver, whereas methylmercury penetrates into all the tissues of the body, including the skeletal muscles, nervous system, as well as the structures of the common integument [3, 10]

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