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Rechimont ME, Ruelas-Inzunza J, Amezcua F, Paéz-Osuna F, Castillo-Géniz JL. Hg and Se in Muscle and Liver of Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) from the Entrance of the Gulf of California: An Insight to the Potential Risk to Human Health. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2024; 86:165-177. [PMID: 38383775 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-024-01054-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is the most commonly caught species of Elasmobranchii at the entrance to the Gulf of California. Although fins are the primary target commodity, the entire organism is consumed. This study examined the concentration of Hg and Se in muscle and liver to understand the antagonistic process that occurs between these two elements within the organism. Twenty-two individuals were captured at the Gulf of California inlet between September 2019 and March 2021. Hg was measured by cold vapor atomic absorption, and Se by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in a graphite furnace. All individuals studied showed higher concentrations (µg g-1 wet weight) of Hg (0.69) and Se (2.49) in liver than in muscle (Hg 0.63 and Se 0.08). Although the mean Hg values were below the maximum allowable limits (Hg 1.0 µg g-1 wet weight), the molar ratio (< 1.0) and the negative health benefit value of selenium (HBVSe) in muscle show that additional caution should be taken when consuming this species. We recommend a more thorough study of the antagonistic interaction between Hg and Se to accurately assess the health risk for consumers of blue shark.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Rechimont
- Posgrado en Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 04510, Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico
| | - J Ruelas-Inzunza
- Instituto Tecnológico de Mazatlán, 82070, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico.
| | - F Amezcua
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 82040, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - F Paéz-Osuna
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 82040, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
- El Colegio de Sinaloa, 80000, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - J L Castillo-Géniz
- Centro Regional de Investigación Pesquera de Ensenada, Instituto Nacional de Pesca y Acuacultura, 22760, Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico
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2
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McCormack MA, Nowlin WH, Dutton J. Effect of trophic position on mercury concentrations in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112124. [PMID: 34571031 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Marine species from the Gulf of Mexico often have higher mercury (Hg) concentrations than conspecifics in the Atlantic Ocean. Spatial differences in Hg sources, environmental conditions, and microbial communities influence both Hg methylation rates and the bioavailability of Hg to organisms at the base of the food web. Mercury bioaccumulates within organisms and biomagnifies in marine food webs, and therefore reaches the greatest concentrations in long-lived marine carnivores, such as dolphins. In this study, we explored whether differences in trophic position and foraging habitat among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) contributed to the observed variation in skin total Hg (THg) concentrations. Using the δ13C and δ34S values in dolphin skin, we assigned deceased stranded dolphins from Florida (FL; n = 29) and Louisiana (LA; n = 72) to habitats (estuarine, barrier island, and coastal) east and west of the Mississippi River Delta (MRD). We estimated the mean trophic position of dolphins from each habitat using δ15N values from stranded dolphin skin and tissues of primary consumers taken from the literature following a Bayesian framework. Finally, we compared trophic positions and THg concentrations among dolphins from each habitat, accounting for sex and body length. Estimated marginal mean THg concentrations (μg/g dry weight) were greatest in dolphins assigned to the coastal habitat and estuarine habitats east of the MRD (range: 2.59-4.81), and lowest in dolphins assigned to estuarine and barrier island habitats west of the MRD (range: 0.675-0.993). On average, dolphins from habitats with greater THg concentrations also had higher estimated trophic positions, except for coastal dolphins. Our results suggest that differences in trophic positions and foraging habitats contribute to spatial variability in skin THg concentrations among nGoM bottlenose dolphins, however, the relative influence of these factors on THg concentrations are not easily partitioned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meaghan A McCormack
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Weston H Nowlin
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
| | - Jessica Dutton
- Department of Biology, Texas State University, Aquatic Station, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA.
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Norris SB, Reistad NA, Rumbold DG. Mercury in neonatal and juvenile blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus). Part II: Effects assessment. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2021; 30:311-322. [PMID: 33447940 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02325-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: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As apex predators, blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus) are highly susceptible to biomagnified mercury (Hg) particularly in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), which is known to contain fishes and invertebrates with elevated Hg levels. Blacktip sharks occur in the GOM year-round and are heavily fished both commercially and recreationally, but little is known about how Hg affects the species. In this study, blood, muscle, liver, and kidney samples were collected from neonatal (n = 57) and juvenile (n = 13) blacktip sharks in Charlotte Harbor, Florida. Hg concentrations in neonates and juveniles were found to be elevated in muscle (mean ± SE = 0.59 ± 0.23 mg kg-1), liver (0.39 ± 0.29 mg kg-1), kidney (0.56 ± 0.25 mg kg-1), and blood (0.059 ± 0.041 mg kg-1) compared to other local shark species and conspecifics from other areas. Blood plasma chemistry, hematology, and liver histology were evaluated to assess the relationship between Hg and tissue damage. Plasma chemistry parameters alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and phosphorus (PHOS) were not correlated with tissue Hg or liver condition index. Hematological effects were also not correlated with tissue Hg. However, melanomacrophage presence and lipid deposition, evaluated as part of histopathological analysis, were found to exhibit a statistically significant association with concentrations of Hg in tissue and ALT levels. These results suggest that Hg exposure potentially had a negative effect on the livers of the blacktip sharks evaluated in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Norris
- Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd South, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA.
| | - Nicole A Reistad
- Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd South, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA
| | - Darren G Rumbold
- Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 FGCU Blvd South, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA
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Ning Y, Liu J, Huang X, Wang P, Yang S, Bi X, Yang X, Mo J. Geochemical cycle of mercury associated with wet deposition and inflows in a subalpine wetland. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 208:111507. [PMID: 33120270 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.111507] [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: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Subalpine wetland is a mercury (Hg) sensitive ecosystem, but there is poor understanding of Hg behavior in this typical wetland. Here, distribution and speciation of Hg in waters of a subalpine wetland (Dajiuhu) in China were investigated, and an initial model of the Hg geochemical cycle in the wetland was established based on Hg mass balance calculations. Concentrations of both total Hg (THg, 9.52 ± 6.61 ng L-1) and total methyl mercury (TMeHg, 0.34 ± 0.44 ng L-1) in the waters during the wet season were higher than in the dry season. The majority of THg was in dissolved form whereas most TMeHg was in particle form. The geochemical models suggested that, due to the wet deposition and surface runoff, the input of THg and TMeHg into the wetland in the wet season (222 and 2.74 g year-1, respectively) was higher than that in the dry season (57.9 and 1.15 g year-1, respectively). The output of THg and TMeHg from the wetland underground runoff in the wet season was estimated to be 154 and 2.51 g year-1, respectively, and in the dry season was 15.9 and 0.43 g year-1, respectively. Other losses of Hg were due to volatilization of Hg0 from the sediment water (30.5 and 12.5 g year-1 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively). The flux of the settling of particulate Hg in the wet season was higher than that in the dry season. The fluxes of Hg diffusion from the porewater were relatively low in comparison to the fluxes of inflows and wet deposition. The flux of oxidation was higher than reduction, while the flux of methylation was higher than demethylation. These results indicated that the elevated levels of THg and MeHg in the Dajiuhu wetland are a consequence of rainfall and surface runoff inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqiang Ning
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jinling Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Xianyu Huang
- School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 4370078, China
| | - Pengcong Wang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shaochen Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiangyang Bi
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Critical Zone Evolution, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaojing Yang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430078, China
| | - Jiayong Mo
- Shennongjia National Park Administration, Shennongjia 442400, China
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Zhu S, Zhang Z, Žagar D. Mercury transport and fate models in aquatic systems: A review and synthesis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 639:538-549. [PMID: 29800847 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury contamination in aquatic systems has been an issue to the natural ecosystem and human health. Environmental models have become a valuable decision-making tool and play a significant role in mercury pollution control and management. This paper gives an overview of currently available models for simulating mercury transport and fate in aquatic systems. The mercury transformation mechanisms included in these models were identified, as well as data limitations in the models' application. Future advances in understanding mercury transport, cycling, and biogeochemistry in both water column and sediment will improve the robustness of current modeling applications. Moreover, additional field data are critically needed to better predict the concentrations of multi-phase mercury species in various aquatic systems, including measurements in the water column, benthic sediments, and organisms. Field data are also crucial for model calibration and validation. Without this information it will not be possible to adequately understand the environmental factors controlling mercury fate in aquatic systems. The insufficient quantity of adequate measurements and the unsatisfactory accuracy of mercury models are, in numerous cases, supplemented by mass balances since they diminish the unreliability of models. Mercury science evolves gradually with the advancement of science and technology, which requires that mathematical modeling of mercury transport and transformation should be consistently updated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senlin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing 210029, China
| | - Zhonglong Zhang
- LimnoTech, Environmental Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Dušan Žagar
- Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Jamova 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Nicklisch SCT, Bonito LT, Sandin S, Hamdoun A. Mercury levels of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) are associated with capture location. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 229:87-93. [PMID: 28577385 PMCID: PMC6544047 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.05.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic compound to which humans are exposed by consumption of fish. Current fish consumption advisories focus on minimizing the risk posed by the species that are most likely to have high levels of mercury. Less accounted for is the variation within species, and the potential role of the geographic origin of a fish in determining its mercury level. Here we surveyed the mercury levels in 117 yellowfin tuna caught from 12 different locations worldwide. Our results indicated significant variation in yellowfin tuna methylmercury load, with levels that ranged from 0.03 to 0.82 μg/g wet weight across individual fish. Mean mercury levels were only weakly associated with fish size (R2 < 0.1461) or lipid content (R2 < 0.00007) but varied significantly, by a factor of 8, between sites. The results indicate that the geographic origin of fish can govern mercury load, and argue for better traceability of fish to improve the accuracy of exposure risk predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha C T Nicklisch
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, United States
| | - Lindsay T Bonito
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, United States
| | - Stuart Sandin
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, United States
| | - Amro Hamdoun
- Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0202, United States.
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7
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Buck CS, Hammerschmidt CR, Bowman KL, Gill GA, Landing WM. Flux of Total Mercury and Methylmercury to the Northern Gulf of Mexico from U.S. Estuaries. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:13992-13999. [PMID: 26505206 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
To better understand the source of elevated methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in Gulf of Mexico (GOM) fish, we quantified fluxes of total Hg and MeHg from 11 rivers in the southeastern United States, including the 10 largest rivers discharging to the GOM. Filtered water and suspended particles were collected across estuarine salinity gradients in Spring and Fall 2012 to estimate fluxes from rivers to estuaries and from estuaries to coastal waters. Fluxes of total Hg and MeHg from rivers to estuaries varied as much as 100-fold among rivers. The Mississippi River accounted for 59% of the total Hg flux and 49% of the fluvial MeHg flux into GOM estuaries. While some estuaries were sources of Hg, the combined estimated fluxes of total Hg (~5200 mol y(-1)) and MeHg (~120 mol y(-1)) from the estuaries to the GOM were less than those from rivers to estuaries, suggesting an overall estuarine sink. Fluxes of total Hg from the estuaries to coastal waters of the northern GOM are approximately an order of magnitude less than from atmospheric deposition. However, fluxes from rivers are significant sources of MeHg to estuaries and coastal regions of the northern GOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifton S Buck
- Department of Marine Science, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia , 10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, Georgia 31411, United States
| | - Chad R Hammerschmidt
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University , 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, Ohio 45435, United States
| | - Katlin L Bowman
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University , 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, Ohio 45435, United States
| | - Gary A Gill
- Marine Science Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory , Sequim, Washington 98382, United States
| | - William M Landing
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science, Florida State University , Tallahassee, Florida 32306, United States
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8
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Amos HM, Sonke JE, Obrist D, Robins N, Hagan N, Horowitz HM, Mason RP, Witt M, Hedgecock IM, Corbitt ES, Sunderland EM. Observational and modeling constraints on global anthropogenic enrichment of mercury. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:4036-47. [PMID: 25750991 DOI: 10.1021/es5058665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Centuries of anthropogenic releases have resulted in a global legacy of mercury (Hg) contamination. Here we use a global model to quantify the impact of uncertainty in Hg atmospheric emissions and cycling on anthropogenic enrichment and discuss implications for future Hg levels. The plausibility of sensitivity simulations is evaluated against multiple independent lines of observation, including natural archives and direct measurements of present-day environmental Hg concentrations. It has been previously reported that pre-industrial enrichment recorded in sediment and peat disagree by more than a factor of 10. We find this difference is largely erroneous and caused by comparing peat and sediment against different reference time periods. After correcting this inconsistency, median enrichment in Hg accumulation since pre-industrial 1760 to 1880 is a factor of 4.3 for peat and 3.0 for sediment. Pre-industrial accumulation in peat and sediment is a factor of ∼ 5 greater than the precolonial era (3000 BC to 1550 AD). Model scenarios that omit atmospheric emissions of Hg from early mining are inconsistent with observational constraints on the present-day atmospheric, oceanic, and soil Hg reservoirs, as well as the magnitude of enrichment in archives. Future reductions in anthropogenic emissions will initiate a decline in atmospheric concentrations within 1 year, but stabilization of subsurface and deep ocean Hg levels requires aggressive controls. These findings are robust to the ranges of uncertainty in past emissions and Hg cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Amos
- †Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- ‡Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS-IRD-Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Daniel Obrist
- §Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada 89512, United States
| | - Nicholas Robins
- ∥Department of History, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Nicole Hagan
- ⊥Environmental Health Council, Durham, North Carolina 27701, United States
| | - Hannah M Horowitz
- #Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Robert P Mason
- ∇Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Melanie Witt
- ○Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M Hedgecock
- ◆Rende Division, CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Elizabeth S Corbitt
- #Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Elsie M Sunderland
- †Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- ¶School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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Soerensen AL, Mason RP, Balcom PH, Sunderland EM. Drivers of surface ocean mercury concentrations and air-sea exchange in the West Atlantic Ocean. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:7757-65. [PMID: 23758558 DOI: 10.1021/es401354q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Accurately characterizing net evasion of elemental mercury (Hg(0)) from marine systems is essential for understanding the global biogeochemical mercury (Hg) cycle and the pool of divalent Hg (Hg(II)) available for methylation. Few high resolution measurements of Hg(0) are presently available for constraining global and regional flux estimates and for understanding drivers of spatial and temporal variability in evasion. We simultaneously measured high-resolution atmospheric and surface seawater Hg(0) concentrations as well as the total Hg distribution during six cruises in the West Atlantic Ocean between 2008 and 2010 and examined environmental factors affecting net Hg(0) formation and evasion. We observed the lowest fraction of Hg as Hg(0) (7.8 ± 2.4%) in the near-coastal and shelf areas that are influenced by riverine inputs. Significantly higher %Hg(0) observed in open ocean areas (15.8 ± 3.9%) may reflect lower dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in offshore environments, which is known to affect both the reducible Hg(II) pool and redox kinetics. Calculated Hg(0) evasion changed by more than a factor of 3 between cruises (range: 2.1 ± 0.7 to 6.8 ± 5.1 ng m(-2) h(-1)), driven mainly by variability in Hg(0) and wind speed. Our results suggest that further mechanistic understanding of the role of DOC on Hg redox kinetics in different types of marine environments is needed to explain variability in Hg(0) concentrations and improve global estimates of air-sea exchange.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L Soerensen
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
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Nelson JA, Stallings CD, Landing WM, Chanton J. Biomass Transfer Subsidizes Nitrogen to Offshore Food Webs. Ecosystems 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-013-9672-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Harris R, Pollman C, Landing W, Evans D, Axelrad D, Hutchinson D, Morey SL, Rumbold D, Dukhovskoy D, Adams DH, Vijayaraghavan K, Holmes C, Atkinson RD, Myers T, Sunderland E. Mercury in the Gulf of Mexico: sources to receptors. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 119:42-52. [PMID: 23098613 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2011] [Revised: 07/17/2012] [Accepted: 08/01/2012] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) fisheries account for 41% of the U.S. marine recreational fish catch and 16% of the nation's marine commercial fish landings. Mercury (Hg) concentrations are elevated in some fish species in the Gulf, including king mackerel, sharks, and tilefish. All five Gulf states have fish consumption advisories based on Hg. Per-capita fish consumption in the Gulf region is elevated compared to the U.S. national average, and recreational fishers in the region have a potential for greater MeHg exposure due to higher levels of fish consumption. Atmospheric wet Hg deposition is estimated to be higher in the Gulf region compared to most other areas in the U.S., but the largest source of Hg to the Gulf as a whole is the Atlantic Ocean (>90%) via large flows associated with the Loop Current. Redistribution of atmospheric, Atlantic and terrestrial Hg inputs to the Gulf occurs via large scale water circulation patterns, and further work is needed to refine estimates of the relative importance of these Hg sources in terms of contributing to fish Hg levels in different regions of the Gulf. Measurements are needed to better quantify external loads, in-situ concentrations, and fluxes of total Hg and methylmercury in the water column, sediments, and food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reed Harris
- Reed Harris Environmental Ltd, 180 Forestwood Drive, Oakville, Ontario L6J4E6, Canada.
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Driscoll CT, Chen CY, Hammerschmidt CR, Mason RP, Gilmour CC, Sunderland EM, Greenfield BK, Buckman KL, Lamborg CH. Nutrient supply and mercury dynamics in marine ecosystems: a conceptual model. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 119:118-31. [PMID: 22749872 PMCID: PMC3646528 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Revised: 05/07/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest and concern over the impacts of mercury (Hg) inputs to marine ecosystems. One of the challenges in assessing these effects is that the cycling and trophic transfer of Hg are strongly linked to other contaminants and disturbances. In addition to Hg, a major problem facing coastal waters is the impacts of elevated nutrient, particularly nitrogen (N), inputs. Increases in nutrient loading alter coastal ecosystems in ways that should change the transport, transformations and fate of Hg, including increases in fixation of organic carbon and deposition to sediments, decreases in the redox status of sediments and changes in fish habitat. In this paper we present a conceptual model which suggests that increases in loading of reactive N to marine ecosystems might alter Hg dynamics, decreasing bioavailabilty and trophic transfer. This conceptual model is most applicable to coastal waters, but may also be relevant to the pelagic ocean. We present information from case studies that both support and challenge this conceptual model, including marine observations across a nutrient gradient; results of a nutrient-trophic transfer Hg model for pelagic and coastal ecosystems; observations of Hg species, and nutrients from coastal sediments in the northeastern U.S.; and an analysis of fish Hg concentrations in estuaries under different nutrient loadings. These case studies suggest that changes in nutrient loading can impact Hg dynamics in coastal and open ocean ecosystems. Unfortunately none of the case studies is comprehensive; each only addresses a portion of the conceptual model and has limitations. Nevertheless, our conceptual model has important management implications. Many estuaries near developed areas are impaired due to elevated nutrient inputs. Widespread efforts are underway to control N loading and restore coastal ecosystem function. An unintended consequence of nutrient control measures could be to exacerbate problems associated with Hg contamination. Additional focused research and monitoring are needed to critically examine the link between nutrient supply and Hg contamination of marine waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles T. Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA, 315-443-3434 (phone), 315-443-1243 (fax)
| | - Celia Y. Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, HB 6044, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Chad R. Hammerschmidt
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, OH 45435, USA
| | - Robert P. Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Cynthia C. Gilmour
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, PO Box 28, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | - Elsie M. Sunderland
- Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Ben K. Greenfield
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Kate L. Buckman
- San Francisco Estuary Institute, 7770 Pardee Lane, Oakland, CA 94610, USA
| | - Carl H. Lamborg
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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Chen CY, Driscoll CT, Lambert KF, Mason RP, Rardin LR, Serrell N, Sunderland EM. Marine mercury fate: from sources to seafood consumers. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 119:1-2. [PMID: 23121885 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2012] [Revised: 10/04/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
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Lambert KF, Evers DC, Warner KA, King SL, Selin NE. Integrating mercury science and policy in the marine context: challenges and opportunities. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 119:132-42. [PMID: 22901766 PMCID: PMC4271454 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2011] [Revised: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/05/2012] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global pollutant and presents policy challenges at local, regional, and global scales. Mercury poses risks to the health of people, fish, and wildlife exposed to elevated levels of mercury, most commonly from the consumption of methylmercury in marine and estuarine fish. The patchwork of current mercury abatement efforts limits the effectiveness of national and multi-national policies. This paper provides an overview of the major policy challenges and opportunities related to mercury in coastal and marine environments, and highlights science and policy linkages of the past several decades. The U.S. policy examples explored here point to the need for a full life cycle approach to mercury policy with a focus on source reduction and increased attention to: (1) the transboundary movement of mercury in air, water, and biota; (2) the coordination of policy efforts across multiple environmental media; (3) the cross-cutting issues related to pollutant interactions, mitigation of legacy sources, and adaptation to elevated mercury via improved communication efforts; and (4) the integration of recent research on human and ecological health effects into benefits analyses for regulatory purposes. Stronger science and policy integration will benefit national and international efforts to prevent, control, and minimize exposure to methylmercury.
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