1
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Evers DC, Ackerman JT, Åkerblom S, Bally D, Basu N, Bishop K, Bodin N, Braaten HFV, Burton MEH, Bustamante P, Chen C, Chételat J, Christian L, Dietz R, Drevnick P, Eagles-Smith C, Fernandez LE, Hammerschlag N, Harmelin-Vivien M, Harte A, Krümmel EM, Brito JL, Medina G, Barrios Rodriguez CA, Stenhouse I, Sunderland E, Takeuchi A, Tear T, Vega C, Wilson S, Wu P. Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 33:325-396. [PMID: 38683471 PMCID: PMC11213816 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-024-02747-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention's progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | | | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826 Cidex 03, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Nil Basu
- Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Upsalla, Sweden
| | - Nathalie Bodin
- Research Institute for Sustainable Development Seychelles Fishing Authority, Victoria, Seychelles
| | | | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Celia Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Cliamte Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Linroy Christian
- Department of Analytical Services, Dunbars, Friars Hill, St John, Antigua and Barbuda
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Arctic Research Centre (ARC), Department of Ecoscience, P.O. Box 358, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Teck American Incorporated, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Luis E Fernandez
- Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability and Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 29106, USA
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazonica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, Peru
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Shark Research Foundation Inc, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, NS, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Toulon, CNRS/INSU/IRD, Institut Méditerranéen d'Océanologie (MIO), UM 110, Campus de Luminy, case 901, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France
| | - Agustin Harte
- Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chem. des Anémones 15, 1219, Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eva M Krümmel
- Inuit Circumpolar Council-Canada, Ottawa, Canada and ScienTissiME Inc, Barry's Bay, ON, Canada
| | - José Lailson Brito
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua Sao Francisco Xavier, 524, Sala 4002, CEP 20550-013, Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Medina
- Director of Basel Convention Coordinating Centre, Stockholm Convention Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean, Hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | | | - Iain Stenhouse
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Elsie Sunderland
- Harvard University, Pierce Hall 127, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Akinori Takeuchi
- National Institute for Environmental Studies, Health and Environmental Risk Division, 16-2 Onogawa Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8506, Japan
| | - Tim Tear
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Claudia Vega
- Centro de Innovaccion Cientifica Amazonica (CINCIA), Jiron Ucayali 750, Puerto Maldonado, Madre de Dios, 17001, Peru
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, N-9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Pianpian Wu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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Médieu A, Lorrain A, Point D. Are tunas relevant bioindicators of mercury concentrations in the global ocean? ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:994-1009. [PMID: 37328690 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02679-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Humans are exposed to toxic methylmercury mainly by consuming marine fish. The Minamata Convention aims at reducing anthropogenic mercury releases to protect human and ecosystem health, employing monitoring programs to meet its objectives. Tunas are suspected to be sentinels of mercury exposure in the ocean, though not evidenced yet. Here, we conducted a literature review of mercury concentrations in tropical tunas (bigeye, yellowfin, and skipjack) and albacore, the four most exploited tunas worldwide. Strong spatial patterns of tuna mercury concentrations were shown, mainly explained by fish size, and methylmercury bioavailability in marine food web, suggesting that tunas reflect spatial trends of mercury exposure in their ecosystem. The few mercury long-term trends in tunas were contrasted and sometimes disconnected to estimated regional changes in atmospheric emissions and deposition, highlighting potential confounding effects of legacy mercury, and complex reactions governing the fate of mercury in the ocean. Inter-species differences of tuna mercury concentrations associated with their distinct ecology suggest that tropical tunas and albacore could be used complementarily to assess the vertical and horizontal variability of methylmercury in the ocean. Overall, this review elevates tunas as relevant bioindicators for the Minamata Convention, and calls for large-scale and continuous mercury measurements within the international community. We provide guidelines for tuna sample collection, preparation, analyses and data standardization with recommended transdisciplinary approaches to explore tuna mercury content in parallel with observation abiotic data, and biogeochemical model outputs. Such global and transdisciplinary biomonitoring is essential to explore the complex mechanisms of the marine methylmercury cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs Médieu
- IRD, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, UMR 6539, LEMAR, Plouzané, France.
| | - Anne Lorrain
- IRD, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, UMR 6539, LEMAR, Plouzané, France
| | - David Point
- Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, GET, UMR CNRS 5563/IRD 234, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, Toulouse, France
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Holbert SS, Bryan CE, Korsmeyer KE, Jensen BA. Mercury accumulation and biomarkers of exposure in two popular recreational fishes in Hawaiian waters. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:1010-1023. [PMID: 37491684 PMCID: PMC10622350 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02684-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) exposure has not been examined in many recreational nearshore fish species that are commonly consumed around the Hawaiian Islands. Specific gene transcripts, such as metallothionein (MET) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), can be used to examine Hg exposure responses in aquatic organisms. This study measured total mercury (THg) in four species from two groups of Hawaiian nearshore fishes: giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis, n = 13), bluefin trevally (C. melampygus, n = 4), sharp jaw bonefish (Albula virgata, n = 2), and round jaw bonefish (A. glossodonta, n = 19). Total Hg accumulation and abundance profiles of MET and TrxR were evaluated for muscle, liver, and kidney tissues. Total Hg in round jaw bonefish and giant trevally tissues accumulated with length and calculated age. In round jaw bonefish tissues, mean THg was greater in kidney (1156 ng/g wet mass (wm)) than liver (339 ng/g wm) and muscle (330 ng/g wm). Giant trevally muscle (187 ng/g wm) and liver (277 ng/g wm) mean THg did not differ significantly. Fish species in this study were compared to commercial and local fish species with state and federal muscle tissue consumption advisories based on THg benchmarks developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Both bonefishes had mean muscle THg that exceeded benchmarks suggesting consumption advisories should be considered. MET transcript in round jaw bonefish kidney tissue and kidney THg exhibited a marginally significant positive correlation, while TrxR transcript in liver tissue negatively correlated with increasing liver THg. These results contribute to our understanding of Hg exposure associated health effects in fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Shaw Holbert
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, USA
| | - Colleen E Bryan
- Chemical Sciences Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Keith E Korsmeyer
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, USA
| | - Brenda A Jensen
- College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Hawaii Pacific University, Kaneohe, HI, USA
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Yánez-Jácome GS, Romero-Estévez D, Vélez-Terreros PY, Navarrete H. Total mercury and fatty acids content in selected fish marketed in Quito - Ecuador. A benefit-risk assessment. Toxicol Rep 2023; 10:647-658. [PMID: 37250532 PMCID: PMC10220416 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Total mercury and fatty acids contents were determined in muscles of croaker, snapper, dolphinfish, blue marlin, and shark, from different markets in the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador. Fifty-five samples were collected and analyzed for total mercury using cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry, and the fatty acids were analyzed using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector. The lowest total mercury levels were found in snapper [0.041 µg·g-1 wet weight (ww)] while blue marlin showed the highest (5.883 µg·g-1 ww). EPA + DHA ranged from 1.0 mg·g-1 in snapper to 2.4 mg·g-1 in shark. A high omega-3/omega-6 ratio was found for all fish types; however, the HQEFA for the benefit-risk ratio was above 1, suggesting an evident risk to human health. Based on our results, consumption of croaker and dolphinfish is recommended up to one serving per week, considering the importance of EFAs intake and avoiding fish with elevated MeHg content. Therefore, Ecuadorian authorities could enhance public standards for seafood safety and develop consumer advice for pregnant women and young children to determine good fish choices or those to avoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela S. Yánez-Jácome
- Centro de Estudios Aplicados en Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
| | - David Romero-Estévez
- Centro de Estudios Aplicados en Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
| | - Pamela Y. Vélez-Terreros
- Centro de Estudios Aplicados en Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
| | - Hugo Navarrete
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
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Rudershausen PJ, Cross FA, Runde BJ, Evans DW, Cope WG, Buckel JA. Total mercury, methylmercury, and selenium concentrations in blue marlin Makaira nigricans from a long-term dataset in the western north Atlantic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159947. [PMID: 36336054 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury in seafood is a neurotoxicant that threatens human health. Dynamic rates of mercury emission, re-emission, and atmospheric deposition warrant studies into mercury concentrations in fish because many are consumed by humans and can serve as sentinels of mercury levels in the environment. We modeled trends in total mercury content in an apex marine fish predator, Atlantic blue marlin Makaira nigricans, whose muscle tissues were opportunistically sampled from North Carolina (USA) sportfishing tournaments over a discontinuous time period: between 1975 and 77 and 1998-2021 (n = 148). The model-estimated influence of marlin weight on total mercury concentration was constant across years (shared slope) allowing for comparisons of weight-corrected mercury concentrations among years. Weight-corrected total mercury concentrations revealed an inter-decadal decline of approximately 45 % between the 1970s and late 1990s and then variable but relatively stable concentrations through 2021. The mean (SD) wet weight concentration of total mercury was 9.47 (4.11) from 1975 to 77 and 4.17 (2.61) from 2020 to 2021. Methylmercury and selenium were measured on a subset of fish to address questions related to human health and consumption. Methylmercury levels (mean = 0.72 μg/g) were much lower than total mercury (mean = 4.69 μg/g) indicating that total mercury is not a good proxy for methylmercury in Atlantic blue marlin. Selenium, examined as a Se:Hg molar ratio and as a selenium health benefit value (HBVSe), showed high protective value against mercury toxicity. Long-term trends in the concentration of mercury in blue marlin should continue to be monitored to determine whether policies to mitigate anthropogenic contributions to global mercury are achieving their intended goals and to provide information to inform safe human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- P J Rudershausen
- North Carolina State University, Department of Applied Ecology, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA.
| | - F A Cross
- NOAA, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - B J Runde
- North Carolina State University, Department of Applied Ecology, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
| | - D W Evans
- NOAA, Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 101 Pivers Island Road, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - W G Cope
- North Carolina State University, Department of Applied Ecology, Box 7617, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - J A Buckel
- North Carolina State University, Department of Applied Ecology, Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, 303 College Circle, Morehead City, NC 28557, USA
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Evidence that Pacific tuna mercury levels are driven by marine methylmercury production and anthropogenic inputs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2113032119. [PMID: 34983875 PMCID: PMC8764691 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113032119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Pacific Ocean tuna is among the most-consumed seafood products but contains relatively high levels of the neurotoxin methylmercury. Limited observations suggest tuna mercury levels vary in space and time, yet the drivers are not well understood. Here, we map mercury concentrations in skipjack tuna across the Pacific Ocean and build generalized additive models to quantify the anthropogenic, ecological, and biogeochemical drivers. Skipjack mercury levels display a fivefold spatial gradient, with maximum concentrations in the northwest near Asia, intermediate values in the east, and the lowest levels in the west, southwest, and central Pacific. Large spatial differences can be explained by the depth of the seawater methylmercury peak near low-oxygen zones, leading to enhanced tuna mercury concentrations in regions where oxygen depletion is shallow. Despite this natural biogeochemical control, the mercury hotspot in tuna caught near Asia is explained by elevated atmospheric mercury concentrations and/or mercury river inputs to the coastal shelf. While we cannot ignore the legacy mercury contribution from other regions to the Pacific Ocean (e.g., North America and Europe), our results suggest that recent anthropogenic mercury release, which is currently largest in Asia, contributes directly to present-day human mercury exposure.
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Kljaković-Gašpić Z, Tičina V. Mercury and selenium levels in archive samples of wild Atlantic bluefin tuna from the Mediterranean Sea. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 284:131402. [PMID: 34323802 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study examined total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se) levels in archive samples (white and red muscles, liver, gills) of the wild Atlantic bluefin tuna (ABFT) (Thunnus thynnus) (n = 18) captured in the central Adriatic Sea. The influence of fish size, age, and tissue type on element distribution was examined. There were significant differences in THg and Se levels, and Se:THg molar ratios among tissues. THg levels were highest in liver and lowest in gills (liver > red muscle > white muscle > gills), while Se levels were also highest in liver but lowest in white muscle (liver > red muscle > gills > white muscle). Se:THg molar ratios were highest in gills (22-82), intermediate in liver (11-29) and red muscle (7-36), and lowest in white muscle (1.7-7.6). Concentrations of THg in all tissues and Se in liver and caudal muscle were positively correlated with tuna age and size, while the Se:THg molar ratio in gills and all white muscles was negatively correlated with tuna age and size, indicating that the protective role of Se against THg is reduced in older specimens. The selenium health benefit values (HBVSe) were above zero in all tissues, indicating a small excess of Se after Hg sequestration. However, since the obtained HBVSe for edible tissues were near zero (0.01-0.04), and more than 70% of white muscle samples and all red muscle samples exceeded the EU regulatory limit for THg in fish muscle, it would be advisable to limit their intake in adults to one meal per month.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zorana Kljaković-Gašpić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10001, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Vjekoslav Tičina
- Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, PO Box 500, 21000, Split, Croatia.
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Bluefin tuna reveal global patterns of mercury pollution and bioavailability in the world's oceans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2111205118. [PMID: 34518236 PMCID: PMC8463802 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2111205118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bluefin tuna (BFT) is an apex predatory, long-lived, migratory pelagic fish that is widely distributed throughout the world's oceans. These fish have very high concentrations of neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) in their tissues, which increase with age. Our study shows that Hg accumulation rates (MARs) in BFT as a global pollution index can reveal global patterns of Hg pollution and bioavailability in the oceans and further reflect both natural and anthropogenic emissions and regional environmental features. Overall, MARs provide a means to compare Hg bioavailability among geographically distinct populations of upper trophic level marine fish across ocean subbasins, to investigate trophic dynamics of Hg in marine food webs, and furthermore, to improve public health risk assessments of Hg exposure from seafood. Bluefin tuna (BFT), highly prized among consumers, accumulate high levels of mercury (Hg) as neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). However, how Hg bioaccumulation varies among globally distributed BFT populations is not understood. Here, we show mercury accumulation rates (MARs) in BFT are highest in the Mediterranean Sea and decrease as North Pacific Ocean > Indian Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean. Moreover, MARs increase in proportion to the concentrations of MeHg in regional seawater and zooplankton, linking MeHg accumulation in BFT to MeHg bioavailability at the base of each subbasin's food web. Observed global patterns correspond to levels of Hg in each ocean subbasin; the Mediterranean, North Pacific, and Indian Oceans are subject to geogenic enrichment and anthropogenic contamination, while the North Atlantic Ocean is less so. MAR in BFT as a global pollution index reflects natural and human sources and global thermohaline circulation.
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Grieb TM, Fisher NS, Karimi R, Levin L. An assessment of temporal trends in mercury concentrations in fish. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1739-1749. [PMID: 31583510 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02112-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The importance of fish consumption as the primary pathway of human exposure to mercury and the establishment of fish consumption advisories to protect human health have led to large fish tissue monitoring programs worldwide. Data on fish tissue mercury concentrations collected by state, tribal, and provincial governments via contaminant monitoring programs have been compiled into large data bases by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Great Lakes National Monitoring Program Office (GLNPO), the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's Fish Contaminants Monitoring and Surveillance Program (FMSP), and many others. These data have been used by a wide range of governmental and academic investigators worldwide to examine long-term and recent trends in fish tissue mercury concentrations. The largest component of the trend literature is for North American freshwater species important in recreational fisheries. This review of temporal trends in fish tissue mercury concentrations focused on published results from freshwater fisheries of North America as well as marine fisheries worldwide. Trends in fish tissue mercury concentrations in North American lakes with marked overall decreases were reported over the period 1972-2016. These trends are consistent with reported mercury emission declines as well as trends in wet deposition across the U.S. and Canada. More recently, a leveling-off in the rate of decreases or increases in fish tissue mercury concentrations has been reported. Increased emissions of mercury from global sources beginning between 1990 and 1995, despite a decrease in North American emissions, have been advanced as an explanation for the observed changes in fish tissue trends. In addition to increased atmospheric deposition, the other factors identified to explain the observed mercury increases in the affected fish species include a systematic shift in the food-web structure with the introduction of non-native species, creating a new or expanding role for sediments as a net source for mercury. The influences of climate change have also been identified as contributing factors, including considerations such as increases in temperature (resulting in metabolic changes and higher uptake rates of methylmercury), increased rainfall intensity and runoff (hydrologic export of organic matter carrying HgII from watersheds to surface water), and water level fluctuations that alter either the methylation of mercury or the mobilization of monomethylmercury. The primary source of mercury exposure in the human diet in North America is from the commercial fish and seafood market which is dominated (>90%) by marine species. However, very little information is available on mercury trends in marine fisheries. Most of the data used in the published marine trend studies are assembled from earlier reports. The data collection efforts are generally intermittent, and the spatial and fish-size distribution of the target species vary widely. As a result, convincing evidence for the existence of fish tissue mercury trends in marine fish is generally lacking. However, there is some evidence from sampling of large, long-lived commercially-important fish showing both lower mercury concentrations in the North Atlantic in response to reduced anthropogenic mercury emission rates in North America and increases in fish tissue mercury concentrations over time in the North Pacific in response to increased mercury loading.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicholas S Fisher
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Roxanne Karimi
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Leonard Levin
- Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, USA
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Bille L, Crovato S, Manfrin A, Dalla Pozza M, Toson M, Franzago E, Pinto A, Mascarello G, Muzzolon O, Tosi F, Negroni G, Cappi G, Obregon P, Ravarotto L, Binato G. Mercury contents in commercial Billfish species of the Western Central Atlantic: Assessing the potential risks to human health of Billfish consumption. Food Control 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.107002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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11
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Buck DG, Evers DC, Adams E, DiGangi J, Beeler B, Samánek J, Petrlik J, Turnquist MA, Speranskaya O, Regan K, Johnson S. A global-scale assessment of fish mercury concentrations and the identification of biological hotspots. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 687:956-966. [PMID: 31412499 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We present data on a rapid assessment of fish Hg concentrations from 40 different waterbodies in 26 countries that includes data on 451 fish of 92 species. Significant differences in fish Hg concentrations were observed across fish foraging guilds and in general, higher trophic level fish (i.e., piscivores and carnivores) showed the highest mean total Hg (THg) concentrations. However, elevated THg concentrations observed in a lower trophic level, detrivorous species highlights the importance of understanding Hg concentrations across a wide range of trophic levels, and also characterizing site-specific processes that influence methylmercury (MeHg) bioavailability. A linear mixed effects model was used to evaluate the effects of length, trophic level, sampling location, and taxonomy on THg concentrations. A positive, significant relationship between THg in fish and fish size, trophic level, and latitude of the sampling site was observed. A comparison of Hg concentrations across all sites identifies biological mercury hotspots, as well as sites with reduced Hg concentrations relative to our overall sampling population mean Hg concentration. Results from this study highlight the value of rapid assessments on the availability of methylmercury in the environment using fish as bioindicators and the need for expanded biomonitoring efforts in understudied regions of the world. This study also provides insights for the future design and implementation of large-scale Hg biomonitoring efforts intended to evaluate the effectiveness of future Hg reduction strategies instituted by the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Buck
- Shoals Marine Laboratory, School of Marine Sciences and Ocean Engineering, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA; Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA.
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Evan Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | | | - Bjorn Beeler
- IPEN, Första Långgatan 18, 413 28 Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Jan Samánek
- Arnika Association, Chlumova 17, Prague 3 130 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jindrich Petrlik
- Arnika Association, Chlumova 17, Prague 3 130 00, Czech Republic
| | - Madeline A Turnquist
- The Intelligence Group LLC, 443 North Franklin St., Suite 220, Syracuse, NY 13204, USA
| | - Olga Speranskaya
- Eco-Accord Center for Environment and Sustainable Development, P.O. Box 43, Moscow 129090, Kuusinena Str. 21 B, Russia
| | - Kevin Regan
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Sarah Johnson
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME 04103, USA
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Chen L, Li Y. A Review on the Distribution and Cycling of Mercury in the Pacific Ocean. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2019; 102:665-671. [PMID: 30725129 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-019-02560-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
With the rapid development of economy in surrounding land, the Pacific Ocean is facing a number of serious environmental challenges, including mercury (Hg) pollution. Over the past several decades, a number of studies have been conducted on investigating the cycling of Hg in this ecosystem. This review summarizes recent studies on the distribution of Hg species in the water, sediment, and biota and the important processes controlling Hg cycling in the Pacific Ocean. Although a lot of studies have been conducted in this system, more efforts should be made on Hg speciation and cycling in the Pacific Ocean, especially some areas that have rarely studied so far. There is a need to measure the rates of important biogeochemical processes in this ecosystem. Application of multiple methods expected to give a better estimation of the sources and sinks of Hg species in the Pacific Ocean in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lufeng Chen
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan, 430056, China
| | - Yanbin Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
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Selin H, Keane SE, Wang S, Selin NE, Davis K, Bally D. Linking science and policy to support the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. AMBIO 2018; 47:198-215. [PMID: 29388129 PMCID: PMC5794682 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-017-1003-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, with its objective to protect human health and the environment from the dangers of mercury (Hg), entered into force in 2017. The Convention outlines a life-cycle approach to the production, use, emissions, releases, handling, and disposal of Hg. As it moves into the implementation phase, scientific work and information are critically needed to support decision-making and management. This paper synthesizes existing knowledge and examines three areas in which researchers across the natural sciences, engineering, and social sciences can mobilize and disseminate knowledge in support of Hg abatement and the realization of the Convention's objective: (1) uses, emissions, and releases; (2) support, awareness raising, and education; and (3) impacts and effectiveness. The paper ends with a discussion of the future of Hg science and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Selin
- Frederick S Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, 154 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Susan Egan Keane
- Natural Resources Defense Council, 1152 15th St, NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005 USA
| | - Shuxiao Wang
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084 China
| | - Noelle E. Selin
- Institute for Data, Systems, and Society, and Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Kenneth Davis
- United Nations Environment Programme, Chemicals and Health Branch, International Environment House I, 11-13 chemin des Anemones, 1219 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Bally
- African Center for Environmental Health, BP 826, Cidex 03 Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
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