Mercury concentrations of the axial muscle tissues of some marine fishes of the continental shelf adjacent to Tasmania

1985 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
JD Thomson

The mercury concentrations of 35 commercial and potentially commercial fish species from Tasmanian waters were determined. Four species had mean total mercury concentrations above 0.5 mg kg-1 wet weight and in all four there were individuals with concentrations above 1.5 mg kg-1 wet weight. Two species of shark, Parascyllium ferrugineum and Cephaloscyllium laticeps (with sample sizes of 4 and 1, respectively), had total mercury concentrations above the limit of a mean of 1.0 mg kg-1 wet weight set by the Tasmanian Public Health regulations. Concentrations in the species were compared with published data. Organic mercury concentrations in different species ranged from 40 to 96% of the total mercury concentrations. In fewer than half the species were total mercury concentration and total length or weight significantly correlated, indicating that neither total length nor weight could be used as a universal management tool to control human mercury intake from fish consumption.

1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 603 ◽  
Author(s):  
TI Walker

The mercury levels detected in the muscle tissues of sharks ranged from 0.01 to 2.7 pprn wet weight for school shark Galeorhinus australis (Macleay) and from 0.07 to 3.0 ppm for gummy shark Mustelus antarcticus Guenther. Estimates of the mean mercury levels for the 1971 Victorian landed commercial shark catch were found to be 0.90 ppm for the school shark and 0.37 ppm for the gummy shark. The analyses for total mercury determinations were carried out by five independent laboratories. Preliminary analyses carried out by one indicatcd that most of the mercury in school sharks and about two-thirds of the mercury in gummy sharks was present as methylmercury. The mercury concentrations varied exponentially with shark length. School sharks had statistically significantly higher mercury levels than gummy sharks of the same length and for both the medium- sized and large individuals of each species males had significantly higher levels than females. Levels in male gummy sharks were found to be affected by locality.


1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Fabris ◽  
C Monahan ◽  
G Nicholson ◽  
TI Walker

Total mercury concentrations were measured in the axial muscle tissues of 562 sand flathead (Platycephalus bassensis) from a total of 37 sites within Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. Mean concentrations of mercury (0.23 �0.18�g g-1 wet weight) were less than half (P<0.05) of those recorded for this species during 1975-78 and below the Victorian health standard for fish and fish products (i.e. less than a mean concentration of 0.5 �g g-1 wet weight) at all 37 sites. During the 1975-78 period, mercury concentrations in sand flathead from the bay were reported to decrease from north to south and from east to west. During 1990, however, mercury concentrations were found to be related to the water depth at which the fish were sampled. Sand flathead from the deeper (22 m) waters of the bay had significantly (P<0.05) higher mean mercury concentrations than did those collected from shallower (7 m) waters. The overall mean mercury concentration in sand flathead from the bay during 1990 approached the mean concentration in sand flathead collected from six sites in Bass Strait (0.22 �g g-1) during 1975-78, although the range of concentrations for the Port Phillip Bay samples (0.01- 0.89 �g g-1) was wider than that for the Bass Strait samples (0.1-0.33 �g g-1).


Author(s):  
Michael H. Thurston ◽  
Mario Petrillo ◽  
Norberto Della Croce

Baited traps deployed at 7800 m in the Atacama Trench off northern Chile, captured over 400 specimens of Eurythenes gryllus. This is the greatest depth of occurrence reported for the species. Of the 398 specimens available for study, all but three were female, giving a sex ratio very different from any reported previously. Female specimens measured 29–76 mm in length, and all were immature. Length/frequency distributions based on total length, peraeonite 1 length, and coxa 4 oostegite length were unimodal. Relationships between total length, and peraeonite 1 length, oostegite length, and wet weight were established. Oostegite development appeared to be precocious compared with published data. Subtle differences in peraeon, urosome, gnathopods, coxa 4, peraeopod 7, and epimeron 3 morphology, and the growth of oostegites separate Atacama Trench specimens from previously described material. The morphology exhibited by these specimens lies outside the known variability of E. gryllus, and suggests that this pan-oceanic entity may be undergoing incipient speciation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-120
Author(s):  
Zahra Khoshnood ◽  
Reza Khoshnood

Abstract In 2009, 36 fish were sampled from two stations in the Karoon River near an industrial site. Two species of fish, Barbus grypus and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix were analyzed for total mercury (Hg) concentration in liver and muscle tissues. The average concentrations of total Hg in liver of B. grypus were 18.92 and 10.19 μg.g-1 in stations 1 and 2 respectively. The corresponding values for total Hg in edible muscle of Barbus grypus were 8.47 and 0.08 μg.g-1. The average concentrations of Hg in the liver of H. molitrix were 25.49 and 12.52 μg.g-1 in stations 1 and 2 respectively. The values for H. molitrix were 11.88 and 3.2 μg.g-1 in station 1 and station 2 respectively. The results showed that the bioavailability of Hg has increased considerably after industrialization and that these values were higher than the standard values as a result of anthropogenic activities in the region.


1992 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1010-1017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas S. Bloom

Total mercury, monomethylmercury (CH3Hg), and dimethylmercury ((CH3)2Hg) in edible muscle were examined in 229 samples, representing seven freshwater and eight saltwater fish species and several species of marine invertebrates using ultraclean techniques. Total mercury was determined by hot HNO3/H2SO4/BrClldigestion, SnCl2 reduction, purging onto gold, and analysis by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS). Methylmercury was determined by KOH/methanol digestion using aqueous phase ethylation, cryogenic gas chromatography, and CVAFS detection. Total mercury and CH3Hg concentrations varied from 0.011 to 2.78 μg∙g−1 (wet weight basis, as Hg) for all samples, while no sample contained detectable (CH3)2Hg (<0.001 μg∙g−1 as Hg). The observed proportion of total mercury (as CH3Hg) ranged from 69 to 132%, with a relative standard deviation for quintuplicate analysis of about 10%; nearly all of this variability can be explained by the analytical variability of total mercury and CH3Hg. Poorly homogenized samples showed greater variability, primarily because total mercury and CH3Hg were measured on separate aliquots, which vary in mercury concentration, not speciation. I conclude that for all species studied, virtually ail (>95%) of the mercury present is as CH3Hg and that past reports of substantially lower CH3Hg fractions may have been biased by analytical and homogeneity variability.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric G. Johnson ◽  
Angelina Dichiera ◽  
Danielle Goldberg ◽  
MaryKate Swenarton ◽  
James Gelsleichter

ABSTRACTInvasive lionfish (Pterois volitans/miles) pose a serious threat to marine ecosystems throughout the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The development of a fishery for lionfish has been proposed as a strategy for controlling populations; however, there is concern about consumption of this species by humans due to its high trophic position and potential for bioaccumulation of mercury. We analyzed total mercury (THg) in tissues of lionfish from two locations on the east coast of Florida. THg in lionfish increased with size and differed by location and sex. THg was highest in muscle tissue and was strongly positively correlated among tissues. THg in lionfish was lower than other commonly consumed marine fishes, and falls into Florida’s least restrictive advisory level. Consumption of lionfish poses a low risk and concerns over mercury bioaccumulation should not present a significant barrier to lionfish harvest.


2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. STORELLI ◽  
R. GIACOMINELLI STUFFLER ◽  
A. STORELLI ◽  
G. O. MARCOTRIGIANO

The objective of this study was to determine the current levels of total mercury and methyl mercury in the muscle tissues of different fish species caught in the Mediterranean Sea to ascertain whether these concentrations exceed the maximum level stipulated by the European Commission Decision. Total mercury concentrations in the muscles of skates ranged from 0.18 to 1.85 mg/kg (wet weight) (average, 1.00 mg/kg) while levels of 0.11 to 1.92 mg/kg (wet weight) (average, 0.70 mg/kg) and 0.21 to 1.74 mg/kg (wet weight) (average, 0.70 mg/kg) were recorded for blue whiting and red mullet, respectively. For 66.7% of long nose skate samples, 61.4% of thornback ray samples, 42.8% of winter skate samples, and 38% of starry ray samples, the total mercury concentrations exceeded the prescribed legal limit (1.0 mg/kg [wet weight]). Concentrations exceeding the maximum total mercury level stipulated by the European Commission Decision (0.5 mg/kg [wet weight]) were observed in 63.6 and 40% of blue whiting and striped mullet samples, respectively. Mercury was present in the different species almost completely in the methylated form at 55 to 100%. Weekly intakes were estimated and compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake recommended by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives.


1980 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 469 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Chvojka ◽  
RJ Williams

The total mercury content of six species of Australian commercial fish (John dory. Zeus faber: mirror dory. Zenopsis nebulosus; tiger flathead, Neoplatycephalus richardsoni; rubberlip morwong, Nemadactylus douglasii; jackass morwong, Nemadactylus macroprerus; and sand whiting, Sillago ciliata) is reported. Total mercury content is regressed against fish length and the resultant equations and correlation coefficients are presented for each species. A length-frequency histogram derived from the Sydney Fish Market data and a length-mercury content curve are plotted as an overlay for each of the six species. The integrated average mercury content (mg/kg) has been calculated for each species and these are as follows: sand whiting, 0.08; rubberlip morwong, 0.13; tiger flathead, 0.14; John dory, 0.14; mirror dory, 0.15; and jackass morwong, 0.16. The graphical method adequately demonstrates the relationship between mercury levels and the commercial size range of particular species.


2008 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tércia G. Seixas ◽  
Helena do A. Kehrig ◽  
Monica Costa ◽  
Gilberto Fillmann ◽  
Ana Paula M. Di Beneditto ◽  
...  

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