Comparative Uptake, Bioaccumulation, and Gill Damages of Inorganic Mercury in Tropical and Nordic Freshwater Fish

• Published in: Environmental research 2000-07, Vol.83 (3), p.286-292
• Main Authors: Oliveira Ribeiro, C.A., Pelletier, E., Pfeiffer, W.C., Rouleau, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Fishes - physiology; Fresh Water; Freshwater; freshwater fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gill damages; Gills - drug effects; Gills - pathology; Inorganic Chemicals; inorganic mercury; Mercury - adverse effects; Mercury - pharmacokinetics; Salvelinus alpinus; scanning electron microscopy; Tissue Distribution; Trichomycterus zonatus; Trout - physiology; Water Pollutants, Chemical - adverse effects; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1006/enrs.2000.4056

This paper reports comparative results on the bioaccumulation of inorganic mercury and resulting gill damages in the tropical fish, Trichomycterus zonatus, and a nordic species, Salvelinus alpinus, using radioisotope 203Hg techniques and scanning electron microscopy. Uptake of inorganic Hg from water was much more important in T. zonatus than in S. alpinus and the Hg concentration in S. alpinus increased at a slower rate in all tissues during the first 24 h of exposure. After 96 h, Hg concentration was 70 times higher in the kidney, 10 times higher in liver, intestine, skin, and brain, and 3 times higher in gills, muscle, and the rest of body of T. zonatus compared to S. alpinus. Gill damages in T. zonatus were more evident and occurred much earlier than for S. alpinus. According to our data, the high differences observed in the inorganic mercury uptake, bioaccumulation, and gills damages strongly suggest that T. zonatus is more sensitive to inorganic mercury pollution than S. alpinus. Further studies are urgently needed to determine whether the high sensitivity observed for T. zonatus to inorganic Hg is also present in the majority of tropical species or whether this species presents an isolated case.