Mercury Concentrations In Tissues Research Articles

An examination of spatial variation in mercury concentrations in otter ( Lutra canadensis) in south-central Ontario

Hair samples were collected from otter ( Lutra canadensis) trapped in several parts of south-central Ontario, Canada. The concentrations of total Hg in hair were compared with methyl mercury concentrations in liver tissues from the same individuals to determine if hair is a suitable monitoring tissue. Hg in the two tissues was significantly correlated. Hair was used to monitor Hg in 51 individuals from four townships. The concentrations of total Hg in hair ranged from 4 to 20 μg/g. No significant variation among the four sample regions existed. Generally the highest concentrations were found in the youngest members of the population. Some possible explanations for the observations are presented.

Trace metal pollution in Hong Kong: Implications for the health of Hong Kong's Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphins ( Sousa chinensis)

The territorial waters of Hong Kong are highly contaminated with anthropogenic pollutants, including trace metals. Hong Kong's population of Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphins ( Sousa chinensis) inhabits an area where a high volume of sewage waste discharge and the close proximity of contaminated mud pits mean a considerable potential for trace metal contamination. Trace metal concentrations in the muscle tissue of fish caught from areas of high dolphin abundance are notable. However, in order to gauge the amount of trace metal consumed by dolphins, whole fish must be analysed. Whole fish from areas of high dolphin abundance have considerably higher trace metal loads than muscle tissue alone. Considering the consumption of prey items by dolphins, a daily intake of trace metals was estimated as As, 410–518; Cd, 34–44; Co, 4–5; Cr, 40–50; Cu, 44–56; Hg, 51–66; Mo, 22–27; Ni, 19–24; Pb, 320–403; Se, 99–125 and Zn, 388–490 (μg kg −1 body wt. per day). Concentrations of arsenic, chromium, lead, molybdenum and nickel in dolphin tissues were an order of magnitude lower than in prey items, suggesting these elements may be excreted by this species. Mercury concentrations in dolphin tissues were, however, an order of magnitude higher than in prey items and could be considered potentially health threatening (max: 906 μg kg −1 dry wt.). Hong Kong's Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin population has a high dietary intake of trace metals which may, especially in the case of mercury, be a cause for concern.

Concentrations of Mercury and Selenium in Tissues of Double-Crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) from Southern Florida

-Tissues from 99 Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) collected between 1994 and 1997 from southern Florida, were analyzed for concentrations of mercury and selenium. These concentrations were correlated with each other, including concentrations of mercury and selenium in liver. Mercury and selenium in liver increased from a mean of 15 and 8 mg kg'l wet weight (ww) in the fall, winter and spring to a mean of 41 and 13 mg kg'l ww in the summer, respectively. Similarly, concentrations of mercury in brain increased from a mean of 1.3 mg kg-1 ww in the fall, winter and spring to a mean of 2.2 mg kg'1 ww in the summer. Concentrations of selenium in liver increased with age. Sex, physical condition, year, and geographic location of recovery had no significant effect on mercury and selenium concentrations. Between 12 and 15% of the cormorants studied had hepatic selenium and mercury concentrations of over 20 and 50 mg kg'1 ww, respectively (considered lethal in some avian species). Liver selenium concentrations of over 3 mg kg' ww and brain mercury concentrations above 2 mg kg-' ww (related to reproductive failure in adult loons and mallards) were observed in 57% and 32% of the cormorants studied, respectively. These results could mean that Double-crested Cormorants in southern Florida might be at risk of mercury and selenium poisoning. Received 17 November 1997, accepted 3 March 1998.

Combined effects of water pH and salinity on the bioaccumulation of inorganic mercury and methylmercury in the shore crab Carcinus maenas

Tissue mercury concentrations were analysed in the whole organism and various organs of the euryhaline shore crab Carcinus maenas after 3 and 15 days of exposure to inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) and methylmercury (MeHg) at a nominal concentration of 1 μgHg l −1. Chemical speciation of the metals was varied by using four pH/salinity conditions (combinations between pH 7.0 and 8.5/salinity 560 and 140 mM NaCl). In all conditions, the results showed a particularly important Hg accumulation in gill tissue, smaller levels in the carapace and internal organs, and very low concentrations in circulating haemolymph. For Hg(II), accumulation was generally favoured at low salinity, but the data revealed complex pH/salinity interactions. Positive correlations were found between tissue metal levels and the abundance of some inorganic Hg species: HgCl 2, HgCl − 3, Hg 2+, HgCl +, indicating that chemical speciation may be an important factor governing metal uptake. The balance of evidence favours HgCl 2 and CH 3HgCl as the most bioavailable species for uptake of Hg(II) and MeHg, respectively.

Evaluation of methods for assessing the oral bioavailability of inorganic mercury in soil.

The risks associated with environmental exposures to inorganic mercury are typically assessed based on toxicity studies conducted with the soluble salt, mercuric chloride (HgCl2). Evidence indicates, however, that inorganic mercury is present in soil as a variety of compounds and that oral absorption of inorganic mercury decreases with a decrease in the solubility of the mercury compound being studied. Thus, while HgCl2 is approximately 15-20% bioavailable, the bioavailability of cinnabar (HgS) may be 30- to 60-fold less. The solubility and, hence, bioavailability of inorganic mercury in soil is expected to be substantially less than that of HgCl2 due to the presence of less soluble compounds and their interactions with soil constituents. Quantification of this difference in bioavailability is important in assessing potential risks associated with exposure to mercury-containing soil. A review of available studies supports the expectation that mercury bioavailability in soils will be reduced. This paper reviews methods for assessing soil metal absorption with consideration of the characteristics of the oral absorption of elemental and inorganic mercury that should be evaluated in designing additional studies. Because of the very slow elimination of mercury in some species, it is recommended that a repeated-dose study be conducted. Such a study would yield an estimate of relative bioavailability based on a comparison of tissue mercury concentrations in animals ingesting soil with those of animals receiving HgCl2. The dose, age, gender, and species of animal selected are not expected to affect relative bioavailability estimates; however, it is recommended that studies be conducted in two animal species. Rats should be used because they have been used in many studies of mercury absorption and toxicity. A species of large animals such as monkeys, swine, or dogs should also be used to provide confirmation in a species with greater similarities to humans in gastrointestinal physiology and anatomy. Other critical factors in designing these studies, such as selection and characterization of soil samples, are also addressed.

Tissue mercury concentrations in alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from the Florida Everglades and the Savannah River Site, South Carolina.

Mercury pollution is a serious problem in some areas of the southeastern United States. Due to biomagnification, long-lived predators should have high Hg concentrations in affected areas. American alligators(Alligator mississippiensis) are important predators in many southwestern wetlands, but little information is available on Hg concentrations in this species. We collected tissues from alligators inhabiting two sites in the Everglades, Florida (n = 18) and a manmade reservoir in South Carolina (Par Pond; n = 44), all with documented histories of Hg contamination, and analyzed them for total Hg. Mean concentrations in kidney, liver, muscle, and dermal scutes of alligators from the Everglades (expressed as mg Hg/kg dry mass +/- S.E.M.) were 36.42 +/- 5.23, 41.09 +/- 5.90, 5.57 +/- 0.47, and 5.83 +/- 1.04, respectively. Concentrations in liver, muscle, and scutes from Par Pond alligators were 17.73 +/- 2.56, 4.08 +/- 0.46, and 4.58 +/- 0.63,respectively. Blood from Par Pond alligators contained 2.20 +/- 0.38 mg Hg/kg wet mass. Mercury concentrations did not differ among sexes at any location. Tissue Hg levels did not differ significantly between Everglades locations,but were lower in Par Pond. In Everglades alligators, Hg concentrations in all tissues were positively correlated, as were tissue Hg and total length. Only total length and scute Hg were correlated in Par Pond alligators. Regression revealed a significant relationship between muscle and scute Hg concentrations in Everglades alligators, but not Par Pond alligators. Alligators living in polluted areas can accumulate substantial concentrations of Hg, but relationships among Hg concentrations in specific tissues may vary with location or age and size of the animals sampled.

Strain Differences in Tissue Concentrations of Mercury in Inbred Mice Treated with Mercuric Chloride

Tissue concentrations of mercury were determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry in different inbred mouse strains after continuous treatment with HgCl2(3 weekly sc injections of 0.5 mg/kg bw) for up to 12 weeks. Except for the thymus, in which steadily increasing mercury concentrations were found, steady state levels of mercury were reached in blood and liver after 4 weeks and in spleen and kidney after 8 weeks. In the closely related strains C57BL/6, B10.D2, and B10.S, which differ only or primarily at the major histocompatibility complex, mercury concentrations in blood and liver were about twofold lower and renal concentrations were about three- to fivefold lower than those detected in strains A.SW and DBA/2. Another strain difference was observed in the spleen: after 8 and 12 weeks of continuous HgCl2treatment, mercury concentrations in the spleen of strains A.SW, C57BL/6, and B10.S were significantly higher than those in strains DBA/2 and B10.D2. The strain difference in the spleen, an organ of the immune system, correlates with the susceptibility to the HgCl2-induced systemic autoimmune syndrome in mice in that the strains showing a higher mercury accumulation in the spleen are susceptible to this form of chemically induced autoimmunity, whereas the strains with lower mercury concentrations in the spleen are resistant.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Mercury Bioaccumulation by Walleye in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the Upper Columbia River, Washington

Abstract We examined mercury concentration in muscle of walleye Stizostedion vitreum from three reaches in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, a reservoir on the Columbia River, and from the upper Columbia River, an area contaminated by wastes from metal mining and associated processing activities. Our objectives were to describe the relation between size and age of walleyes and tissue concentrations of mercury and to compare mercury concentrations within a single reservoir system among spatially segregated cohorts. Overall, mercury concentrations in walleye muscle ranged from 0.11 to 0.44 mg/kg (wet weight) and were positively correlated with age, weight, and length of the fish. Mercury concentrations in walleyes varied spatially within the system; the highest concentrations were in fish from the lower and middle reaches of the reservoir. Condition factor of age-2+ fish was inversely related to tissue concentration of mercury and was lower in fish from the lower and middle reaches than in fish from the upper rea...

Mercury Concentrations in Tissues of Florida Bald Eagles

We collected 48 blood and 61 feather samples from nestling bald eagles at 42 nests and adult feather samples from 20 nests in north and central Florida during 1991-93. We obtained 32 liver, 10 feather, and 5 blood samples from 33 eagle carcasses recovered in Florida during 1987-93. For nestlings, mercury concentrations in blood (GM = 0.16 ppm wet wt) and feather (GM = 3.23 ppm) samples were correlated (r = 0.69, P = 0.0001). Although nestlings had lower mercury concentrations in feathers than did adults (GM = 6.03 ppm), the feather mercury levels in nestlings and adults from the same nest were correlated (r = 0.63, P < 0.02). Mercury concentrations in blood of captive adult eagles (GM = 0.23 ppm) was similar to Florida nestlings but some Florida nestlings had blood mercury concentrations up to 0.61 ppm, more than twice as high as captive adults. Feather mercury concentrations in both nestlings and adults exceeded those in captive eagles, but concentrations in all tissues were similar to, or lower than, those in bald eagles from other wild populations. Although mercury concentrations in Florida eagles are below those that cause mortality, they are in the range of concentrations that canmore » cause behavioral changes or reduce reproduction. We recommend periodic monitoring of mercury in Florida bald eagles for early detection of mercury increases before negative effects on reproduction occur. 26 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Trace element accumulation in three seabird species from Horn�ya, Norway

Soft tissues and body feathers of Common Guillemots (Uria aalge), Brunnich's Guillemots (Uria lomvia), and Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) collected at Hornoya (northern Norway) were analyzed for total mercury, selenium, cadmium, zinc, and copper. Kittiwakes revealed highest cadmium and mercury concentrations in most tissues compared to both guillemot species, whereas interspecific differences in concentrations of essential elements were less obvious. The results are discussed in relation to feeding habits and migration patterns of the different seabird species. Age-dependent accumulation of selenium, mercury, and cadmium was clearly recognizable when comparing trace element contents in fully-fledged Kittiwakes to adult specimens. There was no evidence that the analyzed birds suffered from acute toxicities of heavy metals.

Comparison of intermittent and continuous exposure to mercuric chloride in rainbow trout (Oncothynchus mykiss), goldfish (Carassius auratus), and the fathead minnow (Pimephales ptomelas)

Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), goldfish (Carassius auratus), and the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) were exposed continuously or intermittently (24-h exposure: 24-h recovery) to a nominal peak concentration of 3 μg∙L−1 mercuric chloride for 120 h. There were no differences in the target organs or the distribution of the toxicant within internal organs between the two exposure regimes. Mercury concentrations in the tissues of intermittently exposed fish were less than those of continuously exposed fish. The lower mercury concentrations in the intermittently exposed groups arose from reduced or negligible accumulation during recovery periods rather than mercury excretion. The accumulation of mercury during intermittent exposure is roughly proportional to the exposure duration, and could therefore be predicted from a continuous exposure of equivalent total exposure duration. This proportionality exists when (1) peak concentrations of mercury are the same in both regimes, and (2) the recovery periods are short compared with the biological half-life for mercury.

Food chain transfer and potential renal toxicity of mercury to small mammals at a contaminated terrestrial field site

Mercury concentrations were determined in surface soil and biota at a contaminated terrestrial field site and were used to calculate transfer coefficients of mercury through various compartments of the ecosystem based on trophic relationships. Mercury concentrations in all compartments (soil, vegetation, invertebrates, and small mammals) were higher than mercury concentrations in corresponding samples at local reference sites. Nonetheless, mercury concentrations in biota did not exceed concentrations in the contaminated surface soil, which averaged 269 μg g(-1). Plant tissue concentrations of mercury were low (0.01 to 2.0 μg g(-1)) and yielded soil to plant transfer coefficients ranging from 3.7×10(-5) for seeds to 7.0×10(-3) for grass blades. Mercury concentrations in invertebrates ranged from 0.79 for harvestmen (Phalangida) to 15.5 μg g(-1) for undepurated earthworms (Oligochaeta). Mean food chain transfer coefficients for invertebrates were 0.88 for herbivores/omnivores and 2.35 for carnivores. Mean mercury concentrations in target tissue (kidney) were 1.16±1.16 μg g(-1) for the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), a granivore, and 38.8±24.6 μg g(-1) for the shorttail shrew (Blarina brevicauda), an insectivore. Transfer coefficients for diet to kidney were 0.75 and 4.40 for P. leucopus and B. brevicauda, respectively. A comparison of kidney mercury residues measured in this study with values from controlled laboratory feeding studies from the literature indicate that B. brevicauda but not P. leucopus may be ingesting mercury at levels that are nephrotoxic.

Adjusting Mercury Concentration for Fish-Size Covariation: A Multivariate Alternative to Bivariate Regression

Regression-based methods like analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) are frequently used to adjust one variable for the correlated influence of a second less interesting variable (e.g., mercury concentration and fish size). However, the influence of the covariate (i.e., fish size) is not removed unequivocally when regression slopes are not parallel. Using data on tissue-mercury concentration and fish size from 30 populations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), we show that data adjusted to a common size with bivariate regression can retain information associated with the original size differences. As an alternative, we use univariate and bivariate summary statistics from each population as raw data in a multivariate analysis to search for differences among populations. Ordination axes resulting from this analysis exhibited both small- and large-scale spatial autocorrelation. Localized spatial patterns probably reflect similar geochemical features of the watersheds of neighbouring lakes in small geographic areas. In contrast, regional spatial autocorrelation suggested broad-scale patterns that may implicate atmospheric inputs of mercury. As an extension of this multivariate approach, both regional and local patterns could be compared with environmental variables to reveal correlations that may suggest new cause-and-effect hypotheses.

Mercury dynamics in young Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) chicks from a polluted environment

: We studied mercury concentrations and amounts in tissues of 19 starved young Common Tern chicks (median age 4 days) and in eggs from the same colony. Concentrations and burden were similar between eggs and newly hatched chicks. Mercury concentrations were highest in down, which contained at least 38% of the body mercury. The mercury burden of the whole body and of the tissues as well as the concentration in down increased with age and body mass, indicating the importance of down as an elimination pathway. Conversion ratios between mercury concentrations in tissues and the whole chick body varied according to the contamination level.

Mercury determination by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry in several biological indicators from Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Two sampling sessions were carried out in Lake Maracaibo and eight sites selected in four pairs one in front of the other (El Moján-Ancón de iturre, Santa Cruz de Mara-Punta de Palmas, Maracaibo-Punta de Leiva and San Francisco-La Rita). Specimens of Cynosción acoupa Maracaiboencis (curvina, n = 5), Oligoplites palometa (palometa, n = 5), Penaeus schmitti (shrimp, n = 20), and Polymesoda arctata (mussels, n = 20) were collected. For the curvina and palometa, muscle, brain, kidney, gill, liver and heart were analysed. Shrimp and mussels were analysed whole, without the shells. Samples were lyophilized and cold digested in a mixture of sulfuric, nitric and perchloric acids, potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide. Spectrometric determination was carried out using cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry and sodium borohydride as reducing agent. Accuracy was tested with a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material (SRM) RM50 Albacore Tuna, and against another method. The detection limit for Hg was 53 ng l-1. Good agreement was found between results for the analysis of SRM RM50 (Hg = 0.95 +/- 0.14 mg kg-1) and the assigned value furnished by NIST (Hg = 0.95 +/- 0.10 mg kg-1). Precision and the interference were also evaluated. Mercury concentrations in brain, kidney and heart tissues of the curvina and palometa were found to be higher than those in the muscle tissue.

Mercury Accumulation in Great Skuas Catharacta skua of Known Age and Sex, and Its Effects Upon Breeding and Survival

(1) Great skuas Catharacta skua Brunnich have among the highest tissue mercury concentrations of British seabirds, and many of the birds breeding on Foula, Shetland in 1988 and 1989 had concentrations well in excess of those known to affect reproduction adversely in some terrestrial bird species. Comparison of mercury concentrations in feathers of great skuas collected before 1900 and in 1988-89 indicates a significant increase during this century, which is assumed to be due to anthropogenic activities (Thompson 1989). (2) Mercury in muscle tissues of great skuas was entirely methyl mercury, whereas approximately half the mercury in liver and kidney tissue was inorganic. Feather mercury concentrations correlated with total mercury concentrations in soft tissues of birds culled during incubation. (3) Mercury concentrations in feathers of adult great skuas on Foula, Shetland were found to be higher than those in feathers of chicks, but were independent of adult age and sex. (4) There was no evidence of accumulation of inorganic mercury in soft tissues with age. This suggests that dietary variation and specialization are more important than age as determinants of mercury concentrations in this species. (5) There was no relationship between diet during the breeding season and feather mercury concentration, either comparing mercury concentrations in different years covering a period of major change in diet at the colony, or comparing different birds with markedly different diets in the same year. Great skuas disperse widely during the winter, and differences in exposure to mercury during this period may be more important than differences in diet during the breeding season. (6) Despite evidence of increased mercury pollution (Thompson 1989), there was no evidence of a relationship between the mercury concentrations of individuals and their breeding performance or survival.

Foetal and Maternal Distribution of Inhaled Mercury Vapour in Pregnant Mice: Influence of Selenite and Dithiocarbamates

The distribution of mercury after inhalation of metallic mercury vapour (6-8 mumols 203Hg0/kg b.wt.) was studied in pregnant mice (day 17 of gestation) after pretreatment with selenite (10 mumols Se/kg b.wt. intraperitoneally 1 hr before inhalation), thiram, disulfiram or diethyldithiocarbamate (1 mmol/kg orally 2 hr before inhalation of Hg0). For comparison, the effects of thiram, disulfiram and diethyldithiocarbamate on the distribution of mercury after administration of ionic mercury (7 mumols 203HgCl2/kg b.wt. intravenously) were also studied. Selenite pretreatment caused a longer retention of mercury in maternal tissues but decreased the foetal concentrations after 203Hg0 inhalation, similarly to what has been shown previously after administration of ionic mercury (Hg2+). Pretreatment with the three dithiocarbamates markedly increased the uptake in maternal brain and fat and decreased the foetal concentrations after intravenous injection of 203HgCl2. In contrast, no change in foetal uptake and only slight changes in maternal tissue concentration of mercury were observed after treatment with the dithiocarbamates followed by inhalation of 203Hg0, compared with 203Hg0 inhalation alone. The results are in favour of a firmer binding of mercury after Hg0 inhalation, when oxidation of Hg0 to Hg2+ occurs intracellularly, than after Hg2+ injection. Further studies, using repeatedly low dose administration of selenium, are needed to draw any conclusions concerning the protective effects of selenium after exposure to metallic mercury vapour.

Factors affecting mercury accumulation in fish in the upper michigan peninsula

AbstractFish were sampled from 35 drainage and seepage lakes in the upper Michigan peninsula and Wisconsin in conjunction with Phase II of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Eastern Lake Survey to explore the relationship between physicochemical characteristics of lakes and mercury concentrations in fish tissue. The lakes were selected using a stratified random design weighted for low pH to assess acidification effects on mercury bioaccumulation. Muscle tissue from yellow perch (Perca flavescens), northern pike (Esox lucius), white sucker (Catostomus commersoni) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) was analyzed for total and methylmercury. Differences in mercury concentrations were found between species, and methylmercury accounted for 99% of total mercury. Relationships were examined between tissue concentrations of mercury in yellow perch and lake physicochemical variables including pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), calcium, conductivity, aluminum, total phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, color, sulfate, lake area, lake depth, watershed area, Secchi depth and elevation. Mercury concentrations were negatively correlated with pH and ANC for both seepage and drainage lakes, but correlations with other water‐quality characteristics varied with lake type. Dissolved organic carbon had a negative correlation with fish mercury accumulation in seepage lakes, but not in drainage lakes. Mercury concentrations had a positive correlation with age, weight and length in yellow perch.

Uptake of mercury by the hair of methylmercury-treated newborn mice

Human hair has unique advantages in monitoring environmental exposures to methylmercury. Using newborn Balb/c mice as a model system, the incorporation of methylmercury into the hair was studied and compared with methylmercury distributions in other tissues. Newborn mice were given intraperitoneal injections of 203Hg-labeled methylmercury at designated times according to hair growth stages of the mouse. Animals were sacrificed 2 days after dosing. Distribution of mercury in pelt and other tissues was measured. The level of mercury in pelt was found to correlate with hair growth. The amount of mercury in pelt peaked when hair growth was most rapid and the total amount of mercury in pelt was significantly higher than that in other tissues, constituting 40% of the whole body burden. However, when the hair ceased growing, the amount of mercury in pelt dramatically dropped to 4% of whole body burden and mercury concentrations in other tissues except brain were elevated. Autoradiographic studies with tritium-labeled methylmercury demonstrated that methylmercury concentrated in hair follicles in the skin. Within hair follicles and hairs, methylmercury accumulated in regions that are rich in high-sulfur proteins. The uptake of inorganic mercury (administered as HgCl2) by pelt was also compared with that of methylmercury. The amount of inorganic mercury found in pelt was less than one-half that of methylmercury in animals with growing hair. Cessation of hair growth did not decrease the inorganic mercury level in pelt to the same extent as in the case of methylmercury.

Changes in tissue glutathione and mercury concentrations in rats following mercuric chloride injection through the hepatic portal vein.

Modification des taux de glutathion et de mercure entre le foie et les reins afin de voir si le foie qui contient le taux le plus eleve de glutathion tissulaire apparait comme le premier site pour la complexation des ions mercures avec le glutathion avant qu'ils soient transportes vers le rein