Monitoring of Mercury in Air from the Abandoned Mercury Mine Area using Direct Mercury Analyzer

Mercury (Hg) fish and seafood contamination is a global concern and needs worldwide sea investigations in order to protect consumers. The aim of this study was to investigate the Hg concentration by means of a rapid and simple analytical technique with direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80) in pelagic fish species, Tetrapturus belone (spearfish), Thunnus thynnus (tuna) and Xiphias gladius (swordfish) caught in the Mediterranean Sea. Hg contents were evaluated also in Salmo salar (salmon) as pelagic fish not belonging to the Mediterranean area. The results obtained were variable ranging between 0,015-2,562 mg kg-1 for T. thynnus specie, 0,477-3,182 mg kg-1 for X. gladius, 0,434-1,730 mg kg-1 for T. belone and 0,004-0,019 mg kg-1 for S. salar, respectively. The total Hg tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and % tolerable weekly intake (TWI%) values according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) were calculated. The results highlighted that the pelagic species caught in the Mediterranean Sea should be constantly monitored due to their high Hg contents as well as their TWI and TWI% with respect to S. salar samples.

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

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app10124342 ◽

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.

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Dredging Activities Carried Out in a Brazilian Estuary Affect Mercury Levels in Swimming Crabs

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17124396 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (12) ◽

pp. 4396

Author(s):

Paloma de Almeida Rodrigues ◽

Rafaela Gomes Ferrari ◽

Rachel Ann Hauser-Davis ◽

Luciano Neves dos Santos ◽

Carlos Adam Conte-Junior

Keyword(s):

Total Mercury ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Consumer Health ◽

Swimming Crab ◽

Health Issues ◽

Guanabara Bay ◽

Direct Mercury Analyzer ◽

Mercury Analyzer

(1) Although suffers from intense pollution inputs, Guanabara Bay, the most socioeconomically and environmentally important estuary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is still home to a diverse fauna, including several fish and crab species consumed by humans. The bay presents high sedimentation rates and sediment contamination, further aggravated by dredging processes carried out in recent years. In this context, this study aimed to verify the effect of the dredging process on total mercury (THg) concentrations at Guanabara Bay through swimming crab assessments sampled before (2016), during (2017), and after (2018) the dredging process, and mainly, if the detected concentrations can be harmful to consumer health; (2) Methods: Swimming crab samplings were carried out at the same time and sampling points in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and the total Hg was determined using a Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA-80, Milestone, Bergamo, Italy); (3) Results: Increased Hg concentrations were observed during the dredging process, decreasing to lower values, close to the initial concentrations, at the end of the process. Some of the investigated abiotic factors favor Hg dynamics in the aquatic environment, while others were positively altered at some of the assessed sampling areas at the end of the dredging process; (4) Conclusions: Although crab Hg levels were below maximum permissible limits for human consumption, it is important to note that these animals are significantly consumed around Guanabara Bay, which may lead to public health issues in the long term.

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Simultaneous determination of mercury and organic carbon in sediment and soils using a direct mercury analyzer based on thermal decomposition–atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Analytica Chimica Acta ◽

10.1016/j.aca.2015.03.011 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 871 ◽

pp. 9-17 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Jingjing Chen ◽

Pragya Chakravarty ◽

Gregg R. Davidson ◽

Daniel G. Wren ◽

Martin A. Locke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Decomposition ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Atomic Absorption ◽

Simultaneous Determination ◽

Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry ◽

Absorption Spectrophotometry ◽

Direct Mercury Analyzer ◽

Mercury Analyzer

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Total mercury, organic mercury and mercury fractionation in soil profiles from the Almadén mercury mine area

Environmental Science Processes & Impacts ◽

10.1039/c3em00445g ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 333 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Rodolfo Fernández-Martínez ◽

Isabel Rucandio

Keyword(s):

Total Mercury ◽

Soil Profiles ◽

Organic Mercury ◽

Mine Area ◽

Mercury Mine ◽

Mercury Fractionation

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Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) determination of mercury distribution in the sediments of lake Nokoué in Benin Republic-West Africa

International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences ◽

10.4314/ijbcs.v15i1.27 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 306-316

Author(s):

N.B. Nadia Azon ◽

Peace Hounkpe ◽

Julien G. Adounkpe ◽

Hermione W. Degila ◽

Martin P. Aina

Keyword(s):

Mercury Content ◽

Equal Mass ◽

Mercury Contamination ◽

Aquatic Life ◽

Average Value ◽

Direct Mercury Analyzer ◽

Eastern Zone ◽

The Us ◽

Us Epa ◽

Mercury Analyzer

Mercury pollution of water bodies constitutes a hazard to both the aquatic life and the populations consuming fishery products. To anticipate the probable eco-toxicological risks that may arise from the largest lake in southern Benin, the present work aims at assessing the mercury status of the sediments of Lake Nokoué, while identifying the areas exposed to anthropogenic mercury contamination. 45 sites were sampled according to a grid plan covering the entire ecosystem of the lake. Employing a Van Veen grab, surface sediments are collected at a depth from 0 to 5 cm in three catches at each site. The composite samples formed at equal mass on the three portions were frozen, lyophilized at - 40 °C, crushed, sieved and homogenized. Fraction less than 63 µm was collected for the mercury content determination by Direct Mercury Analyzer (DMA) operating by atomic absorption according to the US EPA 7473 method. The mercury concentration varies from 1.56 µg/kg to 164.88 µg/kg with an average value of 35.18 µg per kg of sediment. The south-eastern zone of the lake is more concentrated in mercury with a summation of the mercury content of 530.3 µg/kg of sediment. However, the lake has moderate contamination overall (1 ≤ FC ≤ 3). Keywords: Pollution, contamination, mercury, sediment, Lake Nokoué.

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