Mercury biomagnification

Bowles KC, Apte SC, Maher WA, Kawei M, Smith R. 2001. Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury in Lake Murray, Papua New Guinea. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 58 888-897. 

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. 

Mercury (Hg) can occur in a large number of physical and chemical forms with a variety of properties, thus determining complex distribution, bioavailability, and toxicity patterns [1]. The most important chemical forms are elemental Hg (Hg°), ionic Hg (Hg2+ and Hg22+), and alkylmercury compounds. Because of their capability to permeate through biological membranes and to bioaccumulate and to biomagnificate through the trophic chain, alkylmercury compounds are the most toxic mercury species found in the aquatic environment [2]. 

Northern pike (1.93 pg/g) exhibited a significantly higher mean mercury concentration than common carp (1.23 pg/g). This result indicates a biomagnification of mercury from common carp, a larger secondary consumer, to northern pike, a tertiary consumer. Nevertheless, barbel (1.98 pg/g), also a secondary consumer, showed a mean THg level similar to that of northern pike. Different behavioral habits may explain the high mercury levels found in barbel species. 

Bargagli, R., F. Monaci, J.C. Sanchez-Hemandez, and D. Cateni. 1998. Biomagnification of mercury in an Antarctic marine coastal food web. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 169 65-76. 

MMHg is UpophiUc, causing it to bioaccumulate and biomagnify through the marine food web. About 85 to 95% of the total mercury in fish is MMHg, most of which is the result of biomagnification. Marine fish consumption accoimts far most of the mercury burden in... 

The biomagnification LOE involves determining concentrations of contaminants such as DDT, PCBs, dioxins, TBT, and methyl mercury in benthic invertebrates or fish. This LOE only applies to those few organic contaminants that actually biomagnify. Concentrations are compared to reference areas or literature-based toxicity reference values (TRVs) and assessed via food chain bioaccumulation models (Grapentine et ah, 2002). 

Table 5-7. Comparison of the Biomagnification of Methylmercury and Inorganic Mercury in a Freshwater Food Chain (Little Rock Lake)...

RiisgSrd, H.U. and Hansen, S. (1990) Biomagnification of mercury in a marine grazing food-chain algal cells Phaeodactylum tricornutum, mussels Mytilus edulis and flounders Platichtys flesus studied by means of a stepwise-reduction-CVAA method. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 62, 259-270. 

Minamata Disease is defined as neuropathy arising from intake of fish and shellfish containing high concentrations of methylmer-cury. The outbreak is dependent on factors that include mercury concentrations in water, bioconcentration and biomagnification of mercuric compounds by aquatic plants and animals, and continuous daily intake of mercury-contaminated fish in large quantities. Minamata Disease patients have neurological symptoms that include paresthesia, visual field... 

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