NDLI: Trophic transfer and accumulation of mercury in ray species in coastal waters affected by historic mercury mining (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea)

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Horvat, Milena Degenek, Nina Lipej, Lovrenc Sj Tratnik, Janja Faganeli, Jadran
Copyright Year	2013
Abstract	Total mercury (Hg) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) were analysed in the gills, liver and muscle of four cartilaginous fish species (top predators), namely, the eagle ray (Myliobatis aquila), the bull ray (Pteromylaeus bovinus), the pelagic stingray (Dasyatis violacea) and the common stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca), collected in the Gulf of Trieste, one of the most Hg-polluted areas in the Mediterranean and worldwide due to past mining activity in Idrija (West Slovenia). The highest Hg and MMHg concentrations expressed on a dry weight (d.w.) basis were found in the muscle of the pelagic stingray (mean, 2.529 mg/kg; range, 1.179–4.398 mg/kg, d.w.), followed by the bull ray (mean, 1.582 mg/kg; range, 0.129–3.050 mg/kg d.w.) and the eagle ray (mean, 0.222 mg/kg; range, 0.070–0.467 mg/kg, d.w.). Only one specimen of the common stingray was analysed, with a mean value in the muscle of 1.596 mg/kg, d.w. Hg and MMHg contents in the bull ray were found to be positively correlated with species length and weight. The highest MMHg accumulation was found in muscle tissue. Hg and MMHg were also found in two embryos of a bull ray, indicating Hg transfer from the mother during pregnancy. The number of specimens and the size coverage of the bull rays allowed an assessment of Hg accumulation with age. It was shown that in bigger bull ray specimens, the high uptake of inorganic Hg in the liver and the slower MMHg increase in the muscle were most probably due to the demethylation of MMHg in the liver. The highest Hg and MMHg contents in all organs were found in the pelagic stingray, which first appeared in the northern Adriatic in 1999. High Hg and MMHg concentrations were also found in prey species such as the banded murex (Hexaplex trunculus), the principal prey of the eagle rays and bull rays, the anchovy (Engraulis encrasicholus) and the red bandfish (Cepola rubescens), which are preyed upon by the pelagic stingray, as well as in zooplankton and seawater. Based on previously published data, a tentative estimation of MMHg bioamagnification was established. The average increase in MMHg between seawater, including phytoplankton, and zooplankton in the Gulf was about 10$^{4}$, and MMHg in anchovy was about 50-fold higher than in zooplankton. The bioaccumulation of MMHg between seawater and small pelagic fish (anchovy) amounted to 10$^{6}$ and between water and the muscle of larger pelagic fish (pelagic stingray) to 10$^{7}$. The MMHg increase between surface sediment and benthic invertebrates (murex) and between benthic invertebrates and small benthic fish was 10$^{2}$. Ultimately, the trophic transfer resulted in a 10$^{3}$ accumulation of MMHg between water and muscle of larger benthic fish (bull ray, eagle ray, common stingray), suggesting lower bioaccumulation by benthic feeding species.
Starting Page	4163
Ending Page	4176
Page Count	14
File Format	PDF
ISSN	09441344
Journal	Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Volume Number	21
Issue Number	6
e-ISSN	16147499
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Publisher Date	2013-11-14
Publisher Place	Berlin, Heidelberg
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Mercury Methylmercury Fish Rays Bioaccumulation Northern Adriatic Environment Environmental Chemistry Ecotoxicology Environmental Health Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution Waste Water Technology Water Pollution Control Water Management Aquatic Pollution
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Environmental Chemistry Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis Pollution Medicine

Sl.	Authority	Responsibilities	Communication Details
1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
5	Website/Portal (Helpdesk)	Queries regarding NDLI and its services	support@ndl.gov.in
6	Contents and Copyright Issues	Queries related to content curation and copyright issues	content@ndl.gov.in
7	National Digital Library of India Club (NDLI Club)	Queries related to NDLI Club formation, support, user awareness program, seminar/symposium, collaboration, social media, promotion, and outreach	clubsupport@ndl.gov.in
8	Digital Preservation Centre (DPC)	Assistance with digitizing and archiving copyright-free printed books	dpc@ndl.gov.in
9	IDR Setup or Support	Queries related to establishment and support of Institutional Digital Repository (IDR) and IDR workshops	idr@ndl.gov.in

A laboratory-incubated redox oscillation experiment to investigate Hg fluxes from highly contaminated coastal marine sediments (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Modelling of pore water nutrient distribution and benthic fluxes in shallow coastal waters (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic)

Environmental mercury concentrations in cultured low-trophic-level fish using food waste-based diets

Modelling of Pore Water Nutrient Distribution and Benthic Fluxes in Shallow Coastal Waters (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic)

Macrophyta as a vector of contemporary and historical mercury from the marine environment to the trophic web

Ecological and biological determinants of methylmercury accumulation in tropical coastal fish

Selenium and Mercury Interactions in Apex Predators from the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea)

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in coastal lagoons of the Po River delta: sediment contamination, bioaccumulation and effects on Manila clams

Heavy Metal Contents and Distribution in Coastal Sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy)

Trophic transfer and accumulation of mercury in ray species in coastal waters affected by historic mercury mining (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea)

Similar Documents

A laboratory-incubated redox oscillation experiment to investigate Hg fluxes from highly contaminated coastal marine sediments (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Modelling of pore water nutrient distribution and benthic fluxes in shallow coastal waters (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic)

Environmental mercury concentrations in cultured low-trophic-level fish using food waste-based diets

Modelling of Pore Water Nutrient Distribution and Benthic Fluxes in Shallow Coastal Waters (Gulf of Trieste, Northern Adriatic)

Macrophyta as a vector of contemporary and historical mercury from the marine environment to the trophic web

Ecological and biological determinants of methylmercury accumulation in tropical coastal fish

Selenium and Mercury Interactions in Apex Predators from the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea)

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in coastal lagoons of the Po River delta: sediment contamination, bioaccumulation and effects on Manila clams

Heavy Metal Contents and Distribution in Coastal Sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy)

Trophic transfer and accumulation of mercury in ray species in coastal waters affected by historic mercury mining (Gulf of Trieste, northern Adriatic Sea)