Mercury in the Marine Environment: Concentration in Sea Water and in a Pelagic Food Chain

1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Williams ◽  
H. V. Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Bottom Sediment ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Vertical Profile ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Single Station ◽  
Almost All

Mercury in seawater, in a pelagic food chain, and in bottom sediment was determined at a single station 430 km southeast of San Diego, California. The concentration of mercury in zooplankton slightly increased with depth of collection. The mercury content in almost all of the higher trophic levels of organisms collected at greater depths was indistinguishable from the concentration of mercury in zooplankton at these depths. Mercury concentration in the seawater column was essentially constant below 100 m and significantly higher at the surface. This vertical profile of mercury content is not ascribable to biological activity.

scholarly journals Mercury Accumulation in Terrestrial Food Chains of the Liaohe Estuary Wetlands

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
yuqi wang ◽  
Zheng Dongmei ◽  
Ma Huanchi ◽  
Li Huiying ◽  
Wang Bing
Keyword(s):  
Food Chain ◽  
Rice Field ◽  
Nitrogen Isotopes ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Mercury Accumulation ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Carbon And Nitrogen ◽  
Global Pollutant

Abstract Mercury is a global pollutant that can accumulate in organisms and endanger human health. This paper studied the soil, plants and animals in the light beach, Suaeda wing wetland, reed wetland and rice field in the Liaohe Estuary in 2018 and 2019, and determined the stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of animals and plants to construct the food chain. The results show that from 2018 to 2019, the accumulation of mercury in the soil of the light beach, Suaeda winged wetland and reed wetland of the Liaohe Estuary continued to increase, but the accumulation of mercury in paddy soil showed a decreasing trend; the mercury content in plant samples also showed a certain degree There is a positive correlation between the accumulation of mercury in the food chain and the construction of trophic levels in the food chain. Mercury can carry out efficient biomagnification and bioaccumulation through the food chain.

RELEASE OF NUTRIENTS FROM BOTTOM SEDIMENTS IN OSAKA BAY, JAPAN IN 2015

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukio Komai ◽  
Yukio Komai ◽  
Mana Sakata ◽  
Mana Sakata ◽  
Masaki Nakajima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bottom Sediment ◽  
Bottom Sediments ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Industrial Effluents ◽  
Ammonium Nitrogen ◽  
Water Release ◽  
Osaka Bay ◽  
The Core ◽  
Similar Range ◽  
Sea Area

Osaka Bay is the most polluted enclosed sea area, in which is located the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan. There are four kinds of sources on loadings of nutrients to Osaka Bay, which are land including rivers and industrial effluents beside coast, ocean sea water, release from bottom sediment to sea water, and wet and dry deposition from air. The pollutant loadings inflowing from the land to Osaka Bay have been cut by various policies since 1970’s. The concentrations of nutrients in the inner part of Osaka Bay have showed an obvious decreasing tendency. However, the water quality in offshore sea has not satisfied the environmental standard on nutrients. We investigated the amount of nutrients released from bottom sediments. The core samples were taken at two stations in the inner part of Osaka Bay once a month from February to November, 2015. The core incubation experiment in laboratory was conducted for 24 hours according to Tada et.al. The concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and phosphate phosphorus (PO4-P) were measured by an automatic analyzer. The flux showed similar range with the values investigated in 1986. The results suggested that the flux of nutrients from bottom sediments in the inner part of Osaka Bay has not decreased during summer season at least since 1985. Therefore, the contribution of release from bottom sediment on the nutrients budget would relatively become larger in inner part of Osaka Bay.

Bioresilience to Mercury Chloride of the Brine Shrimp Artemia Salina after Treatment with Homeopathic Mercurius Corrosivus

Homeopathy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreia Adelaide G. Pinto ◽  
Mirian Y. de Oliveira Nagai ◽  
Ednar Nascimento Coimbra ◽  
Suham Nowrooz Mohammad ◽  
Jefferson Souza Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sea Water ◽  
Specific Interaction ◽  
Artemia Salina ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Mercury Chloride ◽  
Hatching Rate ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Cyst Hatching ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Introduction Finding solutions to mitigate the impact of pollution on living systems is a matter of great interest. Homeopathic preparations of toxic substances have been described in the literature as attenuation factors for intoxication. Herein, an experimental study using Artemia salina and mercury chloride was developed as a model to identify aspects related to bioresilience. Aims The aim of the study was to describe the effects of homeopathic Mercurius corrosivus (MC) on Artemia salina cysts hatching and on mercury bioavailability. Methods Artemia salina cysts were exposed to 5.0 µg/mL of mercury chloride during the hatching phase. MC potencies (6cH, 30cH, and 200cH) were prepared in sterile purified water and poured into artificial sea water. Different controls were used (non-challenged cysts and challenged cysts treated with water, succussed water, and Ethilicum 1cH). Four series of nine experiments were performed to evaluate the percentage of cyst hatching. Soluble total mercury (THg) levels and precipitated mercury content were also evaluated. Solvatochromic dyes were used to check for eventual physicochemical markers of MC biological activity. Results Significant delay (p < 0.0001) in cyst hatching was observed only after treatment with MC 30cH, compared with controls. This result was associated with an increase of THg concentration in water (p = 0.0018) and of chlorine/oxygen ratio (p < 0.0001) in suspended micraggregates, suggesting changes in mercury bioavailability. A specific interaction of MC 30cH with the solvatochromic dye ET33 (p = 0.0017) was found. Conclusion Changes in hatching rate and possible changes in Hg bioavailability are postulated as protective effects of MC 30cH on Artemia salina, by improving its natural bioresilience processes.

scholarly journals Mercury content in the wool of domestic animals in Cherepovets

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 19-23
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Sergeevna Bachina ◽  
Olga Yurievna Rumiantseva ◽  
Elena Sergeevna Ivanova ◽  
Viktor Trofimovic Komov ◽  
Marina Andreevna Guseva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Statistical Difference ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Average Content ◽  
Comparison Analysis ◽  
Vologda Region ◽  
Total Mercury Concentration ◽  
Mercury Analyzer

Mercury (Hg) and its compounds are considered as one of the ten major dangerous groups of chemicals. The content of mercury in the coat was 136 cats and 113 dogs in the territory of the Vologda Region in Cherepovets. The total mercury concentration in the wool samples was measured on a mercury analyzer RA-915 +. The values of the mercury index in cats range from less than 0,001 mg / kg to 13,00 mg / kg, in dogs from less than 0,001 mg / kg to 1,858 mg / kg. Statistical difference in the content of mercury in wool between cats and dogs was revealed. The Hg content in cats is 3,5 times higher than the dogs have. Comparison analysis showed the concentration of mercury in the wool of cats and dogs have no statistically significant differences. The authors noted that cats had 4 times more mercury who ate fish. The average content of Hg in the wool of dogs is slightly different for those who ate fish.

scholarly journals Food-web modification in the eastern Gulf of Finland after invasion of Marenzelleria arctia (Spionidae, Polychaeta)

NeoBiota ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 66 ◽  
pp. 75-94
Author(s):  
Sergey Golubkov ◽  
Alexei Tiunov ◽  
Mikhail Golubkov
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Benthivorous Fish ◽  
Neva Estuary ◽  
The Baltic

The paucity of data on non-indigenous marine species is a particular challenge for understanding the ecology of invasions and prioritising conservation and research efforts in marine ecosystems. Marenzelleria spp. are amongst the most successful non-native benthic species in the Baltic Sea during recent decades. We used stable isotope analysis (SIA) to test the hypothesis that the dominance of polychaete worm Marenzelleria arctia in the zoobenthos of the Neva Estuary after its invasion in the late 2000s is related to the position of this species in the benthic food webs. The trend towards a gradual decrease in the biomass of Marenzelleria worms was observed during 2014–2020, probably due to significant negative relationships between the biomass of oligochaetes and polychaetes, both of which, according to SIA, primarily use allochthonous organic carbon for their production. The biomass of benthic crustaceans practically did not change and remained very low. The SIA showed that, in contrast to the native crustacean Monoporeia affinis, polychates are practically not consumed either by the main invertebrate predator Saduria entomon, which preys on M. affinis, oligochaetes and larvae of chironomids or by benthivorous fish that prefer native benthic crustaceans. A hypothetical model for the position and functional role of M. arctia in the bottom food web is presented and discussed. According the model, the invasion of M. arctia has created an offshoot food chain in the Estuary food webs. The former dominant food webs, associated with native crustaceans, are now poorly developed. The lack of top-down control obviously contributes to the significant development of the Marenzelleria food chain, which, unlike native food chains, does not provide energy transfer from autochthonous and allochthonous organic matter to the upper trophic levels. The study showed that an alien species, without displacing native species, can significantly change the structure of food webs, creating blind offshoots of the food chain.

scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF SELENIUM ON MERCURY TRANSPORT ALONG THE FOOD CHAIN

AGROFOR ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Primož ZIDAR ◽  
Špela KRŽIŠNIK ◽  
Marta DEBELJAK ◽  
Suzana ŽIŽEK ◽  
Katarina VOGEL MIKUŠ
Keyword(s):  
Food Chain ◽  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Food Chains ◽  
Chemical Transformations ◽  
Soil Concentration ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Mercury Transport ◽  
Hg Accumulation

More than 500 years of mercury (Hg) production in Idrija (Slovenia) resulted in aconsiderable pollution of Idrija region with Hg. Although the mine is closed formore than 20 years, the total soil concentration of Hg may still reach up to severalhundred mgkg-1dry weightin local gardens and more that thousand inother urbanregions. Hg in soil undergoesdifferent chemical transformations and in someformsit may enterplants and higher trophic levelsin food chains, also withbiomagnification pattern.The local population is, besides air and dust, thus exposedto mercury also via consumption of locally produced food.Several studies showedthat the increased level of selenium in soil may reduce the uptake of mercury inplants but very few include other trophic levels in a food chain as well.In our pilotstudy we followed an impact of Seon Hg transport from soil to plants(Lactucasativa) and further to soil dwelling animals (Porcellioscaber). Lettuce wasplanted in a contaminated soil from Idrija and in soil with added HgCl2. The leavesof half of the plants weresprayed with Sesolution (5μg L-1)threeand five weeksafter planting.After six weeks plants were analyzed for Hg and Se and offered asfood to terrestrial isopods for two weeks. Our preliminary results revealed thatfoliar treatment of plants with Se may affect Hg accumulation in plants andtherefore further transport of Hg across the food chain.

On the use of ammonium for buoyancy in squids

1979 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Clarke ◽  
E. J. Denton ◽  
J. B. Gilpin-Brown
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Other ◽  
Neutral Buoyancy ◽  
Rich Solution ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Neutrally Buoyant

Squids (teuthoids) fall into two distinct groups according to their density in sea water. Squids of one group are considerably denser than sea water and must swim to stop sinking; squids in the other group are nearly neutrally buoyant. Analyses show that in almost all the neutrally buoyant squids large amounts of ammonium are present. This ammonium is not uniformly distributed throughout the body but is mostly confined to special tissues where its concentration can approach half molar. The locations of such tissues differ according to the species and developmental stage of the squid. It is clear that the ammonium-rich solution are almost isosmotic with sea water but of lower density and they are present in sufficient volume to provide the main buoyancy mechanism of these squids. A variety of evidence is given which suggests that squids in no less than 12 of the 26 families achieve near-neutral buoyancy in this way and that 14 families contain squids appreciably denser than sea water [at least one family contains both types of squid]. Some of the ammonium-rich squids are extremely abundant in the oceans.

scholarly journals Towards End-2-End modelling in a consistent NPZD-F modelling framework (ECOSMOE2E_vs1.0): Application to the North Sea and Baltic Sea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Daewel ◽  
Corinna Schrum ◽  
Jed Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Food Chain ◽  
Current System ◽  
Ecosystem Model ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Production Model ◽  
Fish Mortality ◽  
Fish Biomass ◽  
Trophic Chain

Abstract. Coupled physical-biological models usually resolve only parts of the trophic food chain and hence, run the risk of neglecting relevant ecosystem processes. Additionally, this imposes a closure term problem at the respective “ends” of the considered trophic levels. Here we propose a consistent NPZD-Fish modelling approach (ECOSMO E2E) to address the above-mentioned problem in lower trophic ecosystem modelling, and to understand how the implementation of higher trophic levels in a NPZD model affects the simulated response of the combined North Sea and Baltic Sea ecosystem. On the basis of the coupled ecosystem model ECOSMO II we implemented one functional group that represents fish and one group representing macrobenthos in the 3d model formulation. Both groups are linked to the lower trophic levels and to each other via predator-prey relationships. The model allows investigating bottom-up impacts on primary and secondary production and cumulative fish biomass dynamics, but also top-down mechanisms on the lower trophic level production. Model results for a ten-year long simulation period (1980–1989) were analysed and discussed with respect to the observed pattern. To address the relevance of the newly implemented trophic levels for the simulated model response, we compare the performance of the ECOSMO E2E to a respective truncated NPZD model (ECOSMO II), which simulated the same time period. Additionally, we performed scenario tests to analyse the new role of the zooplankton mortality closure term in the truncated NPZD and the fish mortality term in the end-to-end model, which summarizes pressure imposed on the system by fisheries and mortality imposed by apex predators. We found that the model-simulated macrobenthos and fish spatial and seasonal pattern agree well with current system understanding. Considering a dynamic fish component in the ecosystem model resulted in slightly improved model performance with respect to representation of spatial and temporal variations in nutrients, changes in modelled plankton seasonality and nutrient profiles. Model sensitivity scenarios showed that changes in the zooplankton mortality parameter are transferred up and down the trophic chain with little attenuation of the signal, while major changes in fish mortality and in fish biomass cascade down the food chain.

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