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

Author(s):  
yuqi wang ◽  
Zheng Dongmei ◽  
Ma Huanchi ◽  
Li Huiying ◽  
Wang Bing

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.

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (8) ◽  
pp. 1017
Author(s):  
Wenfeng Zhang ◽  
Weixiong Huang ◽  
Xiao Chen ◽  
Xingfen Yang ◽  
Xiaoguang Yang

The low biomagnification of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in commercially important marine fish from the south coast of China has been demonstrated through the analysis of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. In this study, levels of THg, MeHg and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were determined. Stable isotope signatures of carbon and nitrogen (13C/12C, 15N/14N) were used to trace the carbon flow and reconstruct trophic interactions. Levels of THg and MeHg in fish muscle samples were <220ngg–1. The trophic levels of sampled fish ranged from 2.31 to 5.03. The trophic magnification slopes were ~0.1 for both THg and MeHg, whereas the trophic magnification factor showed that the average biomagnification of THg and MeHg per trophic level was 3.02 and 2.87ngHgg–1 respectively along fish food chains, indicating low biomagnification potential of these mercury species. The low concentrations of MeHg and low biomagnification of mercury in marine fish may result from the trophic levels and habitats of these fish.


1973 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 293-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Williams ◽  
H. V. Weiss

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.


AGROFOR ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Primož ZIDAR ◽  
Špela KRŽIŠNIK ◽  
Marta DEBELJAK ◽  
Suzana ŽIŽEK ◽  
Katarina VOGEL MIKUŠ

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.


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