Mercury accumulation

The site of accumulation may define tlie point of toxic action. Inorganic mercury accumulation in the kidneys causes sever functional impairment Kidney damage has been shown to occur when the accumulated total of cadmium in the kidney cortex reaches 100-200 ppm... 

Susong DD, Abbott ML, Krabbenhoft DP. 2003. Mercury accumulation in snow on the Idaho National Engineering and Enviromnental Laboratory and surrounding region, southeast Idaho, USA. Environ Geol 43 357-363. 

Brndler R, Renberg I, Appleby PG, Anderson NJ, Rose NL. 2001. Mercury accumulation rates and spatial patterns in lake sediments from west Greenland a coast to ice margin transect. Environ Sci Technol 35 1736-1741. 

Cope WG, Wiener JG, Rada RG. 1990. Mercury accumulation in yellow perch in Wisconsin seepage lakes relation to lake characteristics. Environ Toxicol Chem 9 931-940. 

Grieb TM, Driscoll CT, Gloss SP, Schofield CL, Bowie GL, Porcella DB. 1990. Factors affecting mercury accumulation in fish in the upper Michigan peninsula. Environ Toxicol Chem 9 919-930. 

Sorensen JA, KaUemeyn LW, Sydor M. 2005. Relationship between mercury accumulation in young-of-the-year yellow perch and water-level fluctuations. Environ Sci Technol 39 9237-9243. 

Abernathy AR, Cumbie PM. 1977. Mercury accumulation by largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides) in recently impounded reservoirs. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 17 595-602. 

DesGranges J-L, Rodrigue J, Tardif B, Laperle M. 1998. Mercury accumulation and biomagnification in ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in the James Bay and Hudson Bay regions of Quebec. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 35 330-341. 

Honda K, Nasu T, Tatsukawa R. 1986. Seasonal changes in mercury accumulation in the black-eared kite, Milvus migrans lineatus). Environ Pollut 42 325-334. 

Rood BE, Gottgens JF, DeUrno JJ, Earle CD, CrismanTL. 1995. Mercury accumulation trends in Florida Everglades and savannas marsh flooded soils. Water Air Soil Pollut 80 981-990. 

Thompson DR, Hamer KC, Furness RW. 1991. Mercury accumulation in great skuas, Cathar-acta skua of known age and sex and its effects upon breeding and survival. J Appl Ecol 28 672-684. 

Markholm and Bennett (1998) determined mercury accumulated in transplanted lichens downwind of a Cl-alkali plant. 

Markholm mm and Bennett JP (1998) Mercury accumulation in transplanted llypogymniaphy-sodes lichens downwind of Wisconsin chlor-alkali plant. Water, Air Soil Poll 102 427-436. 

Biester H, Kilian R, Franzen C, Woda C, Mangini A, Scholer HF (2002) Elevated mercury accumulation in a peat bog of the Magellanic Moorlands, Chile (53 degrees S) - an anthropogenic signal from the Southern Hemisphere. Earth Planet Sci Lett 201 609-620... 

High concentrations of methyknercury in subthermocline low-oxygen seawater were significantly and positively correlated with median daytime depth (<200 m to >300 m) of eight species of pelagic fishes mean total mercury concentrations in whole fishes ranged between 57 and 377 jjg/kg DW. The enhanced mercury accumulations in the marine mesopelagic compartment is attributable to diet and ultimately to water chemistry that controls mercury speciation and uptake at the base of the food chain (Monteiro et al. 1996). 

And finally, additional research is needed on mercury accumulation and detoxification in comparatively pristine ecosystems. Key uncertainties in understanding the process of mercury uptake in aquatic ecosystems, for example, include relations between water chemistry and respiratory uptake, quantitative estimates of intestinal tract methylation and depuration, and degree of seasonal variability in mercury speciation and methylation-demethylation processes (Post et al. 1996). 

Four courses of action now seem warranted. First, toxic mercurials in agriculture and industry should be replaced by less toxic substitutes. Second, controls should be applied at the point of origin to prevent the discharge of potentially harmful mercury wastes. Third, continued periodic monitoring of mercury in fish and wildlife is needed for identification of potential problem areas, and for evaluation of ongoing mercury curtailment programs. And fourth, additional research is merited on mechanisms of mercury accumulation and detoxification in comparatively pristine ecosystems. 

Andre, J.M., A. Boudou, and F. Ribeyre. 1991a. Mercury accumulation in Delphididae. Water Air Soil Pollut. 56 187-201. 

Andre, J., A. Boudou, F. Ribeyre, and M. Bernhard. 1991b. Comparative study of mercury accumulation in dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from French Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Sci. Total Environ. 104 191-209. 

Braune, B.M. 1987b. Mercury accumulation in relation to size and age of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus harengus) from the southwestern Bay of Fundy, Canada. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 16 311-320. 

Fjeld, E. and S. Rognerud. 1993. Use of path analysis to investigate mercury accumulation in brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Norway and the influence of environmental factors. Canad Jour. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50 1158-1167. 

Heinz, G.H. 1987. Mercury accumulations in mallards fed methylmercury with or without added DDE. Environ. Res. 42 372-376. 

Jackson, T.A. 1991. Biological and environmental control of mercury accumulation by fish in lakes and reservoirs of northern Manitoba, Canada. Canad. Jour. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 48 2449-2470. 

Lange, T.R., H.E. Royals, and L.L. Connor. 1994. Mercury accumulation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in a Florida lake. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 27 466-471. 

Nanda, D.R. and B.B. Mishra. 1997. Effect of solid waste from a chlor-alkali factory on rice plants mercury accumulation and changes in biochemical variables. Pages 601-612 in P.N. Cheremisinoff (ed.). Ecological Issues and Environmental Impact Assessment. Gulf Publishing Co., Houston, TX. 

Geological controls concerning mercury accumulations in stream... 

Boudou, A., Delnomdedieu, M., Georgescauld, D., Ribeyre, F. and Saouter, E. (1991). Fundamental roles of biological barriers in mercury accumulation and transfer in freshwater ecosystems (analysis at organism, organ, cell and molecular levels), Wat. Air, Soil Poll., 56, 807-822. 

Accumulation in plant and structures - a considerable amount of mercury accumulates, e.g. in pipework, and can only be recovered and accounted for at the time of plant decommissioning (or possibly, in part, during maintenance and/ or replacement of individual plant items such as pumps) studies suggest that over 90% of this mercury can eventually be recovered. 

There are several different types of organic mercury, but by far the most important in terms of health effects is methyl mercury. When atmospheric mercury is deposited on the ground or in the water, it is converted to methyl mercury by bacteria. Mercury compounds are very toxic and this is the bacteria s way to detoxify mercury. Small animals then consume the bacteria, along with the methyl mercury and bigger animals in turn consume the smaller animals, thus increasing the concentrations of methyl mercury. Methyl mercury accumulates in the larger carnivorous animals, most important of which are fish such as tuna, pike, and shark. 

Mercury accumulates in the muscle of the fish, which makes it all but impossible to avoid consumption of the methyl mercury. Methyl mercury is readily absorbed from the intestine and crosses the blood-brain barrier and the placenta. 

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