The Pollution of Minamata Bay by Mercury

1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 133-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fujiki ◽  
S. Tajima
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water ◽  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Inorganic Mercury ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Mercury Oxide ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
Minamata Bay ◽  
Very High

Minamata Disease, methylmercury poisoning, was recognized late in 1953 among the inhabitants living around Minamata Bay. In a chemical factory situated near Minamata Bay, acetaldehyde had been synthesized by the hydration of acetylene till 1968; in the reaction mercury oxide dissolved in sulfuric acid had been used as a catalyst. Inorganic mercury in waste water from the acetaldehyde plant had been discharged into the bay and it had accumulated into bottom sediment. It was proved that a part of inorganic mercury used as the catalyst had changed into methylmercury by a sidereaction in the plant and waste water containing methylmercury from the plant had discharged into the bay and methylmercury had accumulated into the fishes. The mercury concentrations in the muds were very high: in 1963, 29~713 ppm (dry weight); in 1969, 19~908 ppm (dry weight); in 1970, 8~253 ppm (dry weight) and in 1971, 14~586 ppm (dry weight). Since 1977, dredging work had been carried out to remove mercury-contaminated mud and all of the work had finished at March 1990. The concentration of mercury in fishes from the bay was very high in 1959: shellfishes 108~178 ppm (dry weight) and fish 15 ppm (wet weight). Mercury concentration in fishes has decreased markedly since 1966. Total mercury concentration in fishes (87 species) were 0.01~1.74 ppm (wet weight) and fishes containing over 0.4 ppm of total mercury were 16 species in 1989. The hair of patients contained a high concentration of mercury, the highest being 705 ppm. In 1968, the average mercury concentration in patients was 10.6 ppm, for fishermen, the average was 9.2 ppm, and for general inhabitants, the average was 8.1 ppm. In 1982, the average methylmercury concentration in fishermen was 6.15 ppm and for general inhabitants, the averge was 3.78 ppm. Thus, the mercury content in hair decreased gradually with time. After treatment of mercury in waste water was initiated, the mercury content in fishes from Minamta Bay was gradually reduced. It is necessary to supervise strictly to avoid mercury pollution of the environment.

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 Hg Levels in Marine Porifera of Montecristo and Giglio Islands (Tuscan Archipelago, Italy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4342
Author(s):  
Camilla Roveta ◽  
Daniela Pica ◽  
Barbara Calcinai ◽  
Federico Girolametti ◽  
Cristina Truzzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Additional Data ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Mediterranean Species ◽  
Direct Mercury Analyzer ◽  
Mercury Analyzer ◽  
Main Input ◽  
First Time

Porifera are filter-feeding organisms known to bioaccumulate different contaminants in their tissues. The presence of mercury (Hg) has been reported in different Mediterranean species, mainly collected in the southern coast of France. In the present study, mercury concentrations in the tissue of the sponges of Montecristo and Giglio, two islands of Tuscany Archipelago National Park (TANP), are presented for the first time. Analyses of total mercury content were performed by Direct Mercury Analyzer. Statistical differences have been reported in the Hg concentrations of species collected in both islands, but they do not appear related to the anthropic impacts of the islands. Among the collected species, a high intra- and inter-variability have been recorded, with Cliona viridis showing the lowest concentration (0.0167–0.033 mg·kg−1 dry weight), and Chondrosia reniformis and Sarcotragus spinosulus the highest (0.57 ± 0.15 and 0.64 ± 0.01 mg·kg−1 dry weight, respectively). The variability of Hg measured did not allow us to identify sponges as bioindicators of toxic elements. Anyway, these results improve knowledge on the ecosystem of the TANP, underlining the species-specificity of metal concentrations for Porifera, and providing additional data to address the main input of the Marine Strategy guidelines to protect coasts, seas and oceans.

Mercury and selenium concentrations in sharks from northern Australian waters

1986 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 309 ◽  
Author(s):  
JM Lyle
Keyword(s):  
Muscle Tissue ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Fork Length ◽  
Selenium Concentration ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Sphyrna Lewini ◽  
Weighted Means ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
Function Relationship

Total mercury, alkyl mercury and selenium concentrations in the muscle tissue of 15 carcharhinid (Carcharhinus sp., C. limbatus, C. sorrah, C. fitzroyensis, C. amblyrhynchoides, C. melanopterus, C. cautus, C. amboinensis, C. macloti, C. dussumieri, C. brevipinna, Rhizoprionodon acutus, R. taylori, Galeocerdo cuvieri, Negaprion acutidens) and three hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini, S. mokarran and S. blochii) sharks from northern Australian waters are reported. Total mercury concentrations ranged widely with maximum individual concentrations exceeding 1.5 mg kg-1 wet weight in 11 species and values of over 3.0 mg kg-1 in Carcharhinus sp., C. amblyrhynchoides, C. melanopterus, C. amboinensis and S. mokarran. Much of the variability in total mercury concentration was attributable to differences in length. Total mercury was adequately correlated with fork length by the power function relationship. There were signficiant differences in these relationships for males and females of six species: males had higher concentrations of mercury than females of the same size. Weighted mean mercury concentrations were calculated using species and size composition data from commercial feasibility fishing trials. Weighted means for species other than C. sorrah, C. macloti, C. brevipinna and C. dussumieri were greater than 0.5 mg kg-1 and the value for the combined catch of all species was 1.22 mg kg-1. Alkyl mercury comprised over 80% of the total mercury content in the muscle tissue. Maximum individual selenium concentrations were greater than 1.0 mg kg-1 in nine species and the maximum concentration recorded was 3.4 mg kg-1 for C. dussumieri. There were no obvious or consistent relationships between selenium concentration and fork length or between selenium and mercury concentrations.

A Case History; Minamata Mercury Pollution in Japan – From Loss of Human Lives to Decontamination

1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (1-3) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Kudo ◽  
Shojiro Miyahara
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Industrial Wastewater ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Surface Sediments ◽  
Sea Water ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Organic Mercury ◽  
Yatsushiro Sea ◽  
History Of ◽  
Minamata Bay

At Minamata Bay in Japan, more than 100 people lost their lives and many thousands more were permanently paralyzed from eating mercury contaminated fish. In the long history of water pollution, this was the first known case where the natural bioaccumulation (in fish) of a toxicant from an industrial wastewater killed a large number of human beings. The mercury, discharged from a factory, was deposited on the bottom of the Bay and has remained there since the 1950's. The fate of the mercury was traced by measuring 268 mercury concentrations in the surface sediments at Yatsushiro Sea (outside of the Bay) during the last 14 years. Twenty-four sampling stations were established to collect samples at the same location every year. Samples were analyzed for total mercury concentrations. The concentrations of mercury in the surface sediments at the Sea were not alarming. Only 33 samples exceeded a mercury concentration of 1 ppm. The dispersion of the mercury from the Bay, however, was clearly documented with the data. On average, 3.7 tons of the mercury was transported outside from the Bay every year. A decontamination project started in 1984 dramatically decreased the flow of mercury from the Bay to the Sea. A historic rainfall in 1982 also ‘purified' the surface sediments. Organic mercury concentration in the sea water was 5.1 ng/l while total mercury was 120 ng/l at the center of the Bay in 1985.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Hair Total Mercury Content as a Biomarker of Methylmercury Exposure to Communities in the Area of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13350
Author(s):  
Faye Koenigsmark ◽  
Caren Weinhouse ◽  
Axel Berky ◽  
Ana Morales ◽  
Ernesto Ortiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Inorganic Mercury ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Mercury Exposure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Mehg Exposure ◽  
Madre De Dios

Total mercury content (THg) in hair is an accepted biomarker for chronic dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. In artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities, the validity of this biomarker is questioned because of the potential for contamination from inorganic mercury. As mining communities may have both inorganic and organic mercury exposures, the efficacy of the hair-THg biomarker needs to be evaluated, particularly as nations begin population exposure assessments under their commitments to the Minamata Convention. We sought to validate the efficacy of hair THg for public health monitoring of MeHg exposures for populations living in ASGM communities. We quantified both THg and MeHg contents in hair from a representative subset of participants (N = 287) in a large, population-level mercury exposure assessment in the ASGM region in Madre de Dios (MDD), Peru. We compared population MeHg-THg correlations and %MeHg values with demographic variables including community location, sex, occupation, and nativity. We observed that hair MeHg-THg correlations were high (r > 0.7) for all communities, regardless of location or nativity. Specifically, for individuals within ASGM communities, 81% (121 of 150 total) had hair THg predominantly in the form of MeHg (i.e., >66% of THg) and reflective of dietary exposure to mercury. Furthermore, for individuals with hair THg exceeding the U.S. EPA threshold (1.0 μg/g), 88 out of 106 (83%) had MeHg as the predominant form. As a result, had urine THg solely been used for mercury exposure monitoring, approximately 59% of the ASGM population would have been misclassified as having low mercury exposure. Our results support the use of hair THg for monitoring of MeHg exposure of populations in ASGM settings where alternative biomarkers of MeHg exposure are not feasible.

Mercury content of edible flesh from snapper, Chrysophrys auratus (Bloch & Schneider), in the Victorian commercial catch

1981 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
TI Walker
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Fork Length ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
Total Weight ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Commercial Catch ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Statutory Limit

The concentrations of total mercury (range 0.1-1.5 �g /g) in 40 individual snapper, C. auratus, caught in two commercial fishing areas in Victorian waters were adequately correlated with fork length by a power-law relationship. From further relationships established between length and total weight, and between filleted weight and total weight, the mean mercury concentration in the edible flesh of this species was estimated for each of the six years (1973-78) for which information on the length-frequency distribution was available for the Victorian commercial catch. The annual estimates ranged from 0.47 to 0.52 �g/g wet weight, and 45-52% of the edible flesh had values exceeding the Victorian statutory limit of 0.5 �g/g. Various management options available to health and fisheries agencies are discussed, and the methods of calculating the important parameters corresponding to these options are described. For example, graphs are presented from which can be read a legal maximum length of landed snapper, designed to reduce the mean mercury concentration of the catch to below a nominated level.

Mecury Concentrations in Ten Species of Australian Waterfowl (Family Anatidae)

1984 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 387 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Bacher ◽  
FI Norman
Keyword(s):  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Black Duck ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
South Eastern Australia

Total mercury concentrations in wing muscle of 10 species of waterfowl (Anatidae) collected during 1977 and 1978 in south-eastern Australia ranged from 0.08 � 0.04 (mean � SD) g g-1 wet weight in Australian shelduck Tadorna tadornoides and Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa, to 0.17 � 0.08 g g-1 in freckled duck Stictonetta naevosa. No significant differences in concentrations of mercury in muscle were found between sexes or between juvenile and adult birds. Total mercury concentrations in feathers were 3.01 � 0.09 g g-1 dry weight in Pacific black duck and 3.27 � 1.11 g g-1 in grey teal Anas gibberifrons. A significant positive correlation (r= 0.7783; P<0.01) was found between mercury concentrations in wing muscles and feathers of Pacific black duck.

Polar microbes and their implications in the aquatic mercury cycle

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Céline Lavergne ◽  
Lars-Eric Heimburger ◽  
Patricia Bovio-Winkler ◽  
Rolando Chamy ◽  
Léa Cabrol
Keyword(s):  
Mercury Concentration ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Inorganic Mercury ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Aquatic Systems ◽  
Tierra Del Fuego ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
P Value ◽  
Beaver Ponds ◽  
Total Mercury Concentration

&lt;p&gt;The methylmercury has the feature, in addition to its high toxicity for living organisms, to be easily incorporated, bioaccumulated and biomagnified through the food web in aquatic systems. Recently, the microorganisms implicated in the transformation of mercury to methylmercury have been found much more diverse than previously thought. Among them, 9 methanogenic Archaea strains are able to methylate the mercury in pure culture. However, few proofs exist &lt;em&gt;in situ&lt;/em&gt; in polar aquatic systems. Antarctic polar regions receive atmospheric mercury through long-range transport of foreign emissions. In a context of increasing releases of heavy metals in aquatic environments and atmosphere, it is a crucial objective to elucidate the fate of mercury in Antarctic polar aquatic ecosystems and the role Archaea could play in mercury transformations. Hence, microbial diversity was investigated in pristine Antarctic lakes (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic, Chile) and continental sub-Antarctic beaver ponds (Tierra del Fuego, Chile) where benthic total mercury concentration was 14 &amp;#177;6.5 and 89 &amp;#177;13 ppm, respectively. Until 6.3% of the active community could be constituted by putative methylators and a positive significant correlation was found between total mercury concentration and putative methylator relative abundance (linear model, p-value=0.001). Putative methylator Archaea &lt;em&gt;Methanoregula&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Methanosphaerula&lt;/em&gt; have been detected but did not seem active in the studied ecosystems (RNA metabarcoding VS DNA metabarcoding).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Combined with these molecular data, mercury methylation and methylmercury demethylation activities were performed by addition of enriched stables isotopes of inorganic mercury and methylmercury, respectively and we expect to find highest methylation rates in the rich-organic matter ecosystems such as sub-Antarctic beaver ponds.&lt;/p&gt;

Effects of species, sex, length and locality on the mercury content of school shark Galeorhinus australis (Macleay) and gummy shark Mustelus antarcticus Guenther from south-eastern Australian waters

1976 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 603 ◽  
Author(s):  
TI Walker
Keyword(s):  
Total Mercury ◽  
Mercury Content ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Muscle Tissues ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
The Mean

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.

scholarly journals Total mercury and methylmercury (MeHg) in braised and crude Boletus edulis carpophores during various developmental stages

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Falandysz ◽  
Martyna Saba ◽  
Małgorzata Rutkowska ◽  
Piotr Konieczka
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Total Mercury ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
The Other ◽  
Large White ◽  
Boletus Edulis ◽  
Single Meal ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
First Time

AbstractWe collected and processed Boletus edulis (King Bolete) carpophores grouped in four batches based on their developmental stage (button stage, young—white, large—white, and large—yellow). The study aimed, for the first time, to examine the B. edulis content and effect of braising and to estimate the intake of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) from a single meal based on whole (wet) weight (ww) and dry weight (dw). In braised carpophores, THg concentrations ranged from 0.2668 ± 0.0090 to 0.5434 ± 0.0071 mg kg−1 ww at different developmental stages, whereas crude products concentrations ranged from 0.1880 ± 0.0247 to 0.2929 ± 0.0030 mg kg−1 ww. The button stage crude carpophores were more highly contaminated with THg than at later stages of maturity, but MeHg levels were lower (p < 0.0001). On the other hand, braised button stage carpophores showed more MeHg than at later maturity stages. MeHg contributed at 1.9 ± 0.7% in THg in crude mushrooms and at 1.4 ± 0.3% in braised meals. The effect of braising was to increase the average THg and MeHg contents in fresh mushroom meals by 52 ± 31% and 53 ± 122% respectively, but a reduction of 40 ±14% and 40 ± 49% respectively was seen on a dw basis. The potential intakes of THg and MeHg from braised meals of B. edulis studied were small and considered safe. Graphical abstract

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