Journal ArticleDOI
Recovery of Mercury-Contaminated Fisheries
John Munthe,R.A. Bodaly,Brian A. Branfireun,Charles T. Driscoll,Cynthia C. Gilmour,R. Harris,Milena Horvat,Marc Lucotte,Olaf Malm +8 more
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TLDR
The main conclusion drawn is that changes in Hg loading (increase or decrease) will yield a response in fish MeHg but that the timing and magnitude of the response will vary depending of ecosystem-specific variables and the form of the Hg loaded.Abstract:
In this paper, we synthesize available information on the links between changes in ecosystem loading of inorganic mercury (Hg) and levels of methylmercury (MeHg) in fish. Although it is widely hypothesized that increased Hg load to aquatic ecosystems leads to increases in MeHg in fish, there is limited quantitative data to test this hypothesis. Here we examine the available evidence from a range of sources: studies of ecosystems contaminated by industrial discharges, observations of fish MeHg responses to changes in atmospheric load, studies over space and environmental gradients, and experimental manipulations. A summary of the current understanding of the main processes involved in the transport and transformation from Hg load to MeHg in fish is provided. The role of Hg loading is discussed in context with other factors affecting Hg cycling and bioaccumulation in relation to timing and magnitude of response in fish MeHg. The main conclusion drawn is that changes in Hg loading (increase or decrease) will yield a response in fish MeHg but that the timing and magnitude of the response will vary depending of ecosystem-specific variables and the form of the Hg loaded.read more
Citations
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Mercury as a Global Pollutant: Sources, Pathways, and Effects
TL;DR: Understanding of sources, atmosphere-land-ocean Hg dynamics and health effects are synthesized, and integration of Hg science with national and international policy efforts is needed to target efforts and evaluate efficacy.
Journal ArticleDOI
Global Biogeochemical Cycling of Mercury: A Review
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors studied uncertainty in the global biogeochemical cycle of mercury, including oxidation processes in the atmosphere, land atmosphere and ocean-atmosphere cycling.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mechanisms Regulating Mercury Bioavailability for Methylating Microorganisms in the Aquatic Environment: A Critical Review
TL;DR: This Review evaluates the current state of knowledge regarding the mechanisms regulating microbial mercury methylation, including the speciation of mercury in environments where methylation occurs and the processes that control mercury bioavailability to these organisms.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mercury methylation by dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria
E. J. Kerin,E. J. Kerin,Cynthia C. Gilmour,Eric E. Roden,Marcelino T. Suzuki,John D. Coates,Robert P. Mason +6 more
TL;DR: The Hg-methylating ability of dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria in the genera Geobacter, Desulfuromonas, and Shewanella was examined and none of the Shewanelle strains produced methylmercury at higher levels than abiotic controls under similar culture conditions.
Journal ArticleDOI
Whole-ecosystem study shows rapid fish-mercury response to changes in mercury deposition
R. Harris,John W. M. Rudd,Marc Amyot,Christopher L. Babiarz,Ken G. Beaty,Paul J. Blanchfield,R.A. Bodaly,Brian A. Branfireun,Cynthia C. Gilmour,Jennifer A. Graydon,Andrew Heyes,Holger Hintelmann,James P. Hurley,Carol A. Kelly,David P. Krabbenhoft,Steve E. Lindberg,Robert P. Mason,Michael J. Paterson,Cheryl L. Podemski,Art Robinson,Ken A. Sandilands,George R. Southworth,Vincent L. St. Louis,Michael T. Tate +23 more
TL;DR: Mercury emissions reductions will yield rapid (years) reductions in fish methylmercury concentrations and will yield concomitant reductions in risk, however, a full response will be delayed by the gradual export of mercury stored in watersheds.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
On the Chemical Form of Mercury in Edible Fish and Marine Invertebrate Tissue
TL;DR: In this paper, total mercury, monomethylmercury (CH3Hg), and dimethylmerc mercury ((CH3)2Hg) in edible muscle were examined in 229 samples, representing seven freshwater and eight saltwater fish species and several sp...
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Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria: Principal Methylators of Mercury in Anoxic Estuarine Sediment
G. C. Compeau,Richard Bartha +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors applied substrate-electron acceptor combinations and specific metabolic inhibitors to anoxic saltmarsh sediment spiked with mercuric ions (Hg2+) in an effort to identify, by a direct approach, the microorganisms responsible for the synthesis of hazardous monomethylmercury.
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Methylmercury exposure and health effects in humans: a worldwide concern.
Donna Mergler,Henry A. Anderson,Laurie Hing Man Chan,Kathryn R. Mahaffey,Michael Murray,Mineshi Sakamoto,Alan H. Stern +6 more
TL;DR: It is concluded that to preserve human health, all efforts need to be made to reduce and eliminate sources of exposure from the large number of marine and freshwater fish and fish-eating species.
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Sulfate stimulation of mercury methylation in freshwater sediments
TL;DR: The relationship between bacterial sulfate reduction and mercury methylation, as well as the in situ distribution of methylmercury in sediments, was studied in Quabbin Reservoir, MA as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mercury in the Swedish environment — Recent research on causes, consequences and corrective methods
Oliver Lindqvist,Kjell Johansson,Lage Bringmark,Birgitta Timm,Mats Aastrup,Arne Andersson,Gunnar Hovsenius,Lars Håkanson,Åke Iverfeldt,Markus Meili +9 more
TL;DR: In the last decade, a new pattern of Hg pollution has been discerned, mostly in Scandinavia and North America, mostly due to more widespread air pollution and long-range transport of pollutants.