Showing papers on "Bioaccumulation published in 1970"

Ecotoxicology modeling of methylmercury bioaccumulation

Abstract: Inorganic elemental mercury discharged into the natural aquatic system is converted under suitable environmental conditions into a highly toxic, organic form of mercury called methylmercury. Studies have found that this form of mercury is more readily available to biota, and may be efficiently transferred up the food chain, thereby concentrating in larger, predatorial fish species in the top trophic levels. The objective of this paper is to apply a bioenergetics-based mathematical model to describe the bioaccumulation behavior of methylmercury in fish. Model results are compared to field observation collected from various locations of Lake Ontario, and the general body buildup of mercury with increasing age is explained through the various pathways of transfer in conjunction with the bioenergetics concepts. The study is conducted on two contrasting Lake Ontario salmonid species: Walleye (Stizostedion vrtreum vitreum) and Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens), occupying different trophic positions in the aquatic food chain. In spite of the notable difference in the fish size, metabolism, diet and trophic level, it was demonstrated that methylmercury accumulation for both species is described satisfactorily by the model.