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Effects of Methyl Mercury Exposure on the Growth of Juvenile Common Loons

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Abstract

We conducted a dose–response laboratory study to quantify the level of mercury exposure associated with negative effects on the development of common loon chicks reared in captivity from hatch to 105 days. A dose regimen was implemented that provided exposure levels that bracketed relevant exposure levels of methyl mercury found in loon chicks across North America. We observed no overt signs of mercury toxicosis and detected no significant effect of dietary mercury exposure on growth or food consumption. However, asymptotic mass was lower in chicks that hatched from eggs collected from nests on low pH lakes relative to eggs from neutral pH lakes. Rapid excretion of methyl mercury during feather growth likely provides loon chicks protection from methyl mercury toxicity and may explain the lack of convincing toxicological findings in this study. Lake-source effects suggest that in ovo exposure to methyl mercury or other factors related to lake pH have consequences on chick development.

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Author notes

  1. Francois Fournier

    Present address: Département de biologie, Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, E1A 3E9

Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA

    Kevin P. Kenow, Steve Gutreuter & Randy K. Hines

  2. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 107 Sutliff Ave., Rhinelander, WI, 54501, USA

    Michael W. Meyer

  3. Department of Wildlife Ecology, 226 Russell Labs, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA

    Francois Fournier & William H. Karasov

Authors
  1. Kevin P. Kenow
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  2. Steve Gutreuter
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  3. Randy K. Hines
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  4. Michael W. Meyer
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  5. Francois Fournier
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  6. William H. Karasov
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Correspondence to Kevin P. Kenow.

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Kenow, K.P., Gutreuter, S., Hines, R.K. et al. Effects of Methyl Mercury Exposure on the Growth of Juvenile Common Loons. Ecotoxicology 12, 171–181 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022598525891

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