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Influence of Delipidation on Hg Analyses in Biological Tissues: A Case Study for an Antarctic Ecosystem

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Abstract

The use of low-polarity organic solvents is widespread in cleanup/extraction processes in order to carry compounds of interest, remove interferences and separate phases, among other uses. A large number of studies have used delipidation to remove excess of lipids to analyse carbon stable isotopes in biological tissues for trophic and behavioural ecology investigations. In this context, the primary aim of this study is to assess the influence of one delipidation process on the results of total mercury (Hg) analyses and the possible use of delipidated samples from previous analyses, such as for stable isotopes, in Hg level determination. Samples of vegetation (angiosperm, lichens and mosses), invertebrates (krill and limpets), fish (marbled and black rockcod), bird liver and eggs (Antarctic, Gentoo and Adélie penguins, kelp gull, Antarctic tern, cape petrel and giant southern petrel) and pinniped tissues (Weddell seal, crabeater seal, southern elephant seal and Antarctic fur seal) were analysed for Hg before and after delipidation by cyclohexane. The difference between the two measurements ranged individually from −63 to 136% (in the moss Sanionia uncinata) and the averages ranged from −60 to 66% (in pinniped tissues). The proportion of organic Hg, which presents considerable lipophilicity, but also high affinity for sulfhydryl groups in proteins, might be responsible for such variability. Given the limitations of our study, we think it is safe to say that delipidated samples could not be used to infer total Hg values in non-delipidated ones.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge CPER 13 (Contrat de Plan État-Région) for funding the AMA. C.V.Z.C. received scholarships from CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel via the Science without Borders programme, Brazil; grant no. 11490-13-6). C. Churlaud and M. Brault-Favrou of the ‘Plateforme Analyses Elémentaires’ of LIENSs are to be thanked for their assistance during Hg analyses and G. Guillou and B. Lebreton of the ‘Plateforme Analyses Isotopiques’ of LIENSs are also thanked for their assistance during SIA analyses. The present work is a result of the projects ‘Environmental management of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica: persistent organic pollutants and sewage’ (CNPq No. 55.0348/2002-6), and ‘Modeling the bioaccumulation of organic pollutants throughout an Antarctic food web’ (CNPq 550018/2007-7) and also contributes to the Brazilian National Science and Technology Institute on Antarctic Environmental Research (INCT-APA). Financial support was obtained from the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR), Ministry of the Environment (MMA) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico (CNPq). Antarctic logistics was provided by Secretaria da Comissão Interministerial para os Recursos do Mar (SECIRM). Finally, authors wish many thanks to everyone involved in the fieldwork.

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  1. Laboratório de Química Orgânica Marinha, Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-120, Brazil

    Caio V. Z. Cipro & Rosalinda C. Montone

  2. Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266, CNRS–Université de La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, Cedex 01, 17042, La Rochelle, France

    Caio V. Z. Cipro & Paco Bustamante

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  1. Caio V. Z. Cipro
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Correspondence to Caio V. Z. Cipro.

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Cipro, C.V.Z., Bustamante, P. & Montone, R.C. Influence of Delipidation on Hg Analyses in Biological Tissues: A Case Study for an Antarctic Ecosystem. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 188 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3367-8

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