Mercury fish residues, muscle tissue

Most of the mercury in muscle is present as MeHg. Barr (1986) reported that adult loons from a site closest to a mercury somce with 1.87 ppm Hg in fish, resulted in a muscle Hg concentration of 4.57 ppm ww and a brain Hg concentration of 1.49 ppm. Those loons had only 20% of territories successful (Barr 1986). Mallard hens receiving 0.5 ppm dietary mercury for 18 months had a muscle Hg concentration of 0.82 ppm compared with brain Hg = 0.50 ppm. Mallard hens receiving 3 ppm for the same period had 5.01 ppm in muscle and 4.57 in brain (Heinz 1976). Based on these assessments, muscle Hg concentration is more representative of brain Hg concentration and correlates better with effect than the more commonly measured fiver residue. It is also possible to sample muscle tissue nonlethally via biopsy, in... 

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