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Mercury concentrations in the coastal marine food web along the Senegalese coast

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of seasonal (wet and dry seasons) and spatial (five sites) variation of mercury concentration in seven marine organisms representative for shallow Senegalese coastal waters and including species of commercial importance. Total mercury levels were recorded in the green algae (Ulva lactuca); the brown mussel (Perna perna); the Caramote prawn (Penaeus kerathurus); and in the liver and muscles of the following fish: Solea senegalensis, Mugil cephalus, Saratherondon melanotheron, and Sardinella aurita. The total selenium (Se) contents were determined only in the edible part of Perna perna, Penaeus kerathurus and in the muscles of Sardinella aurita and Solea senegalensis. Hg concentration in fish species was higher in liver compared to the muscle. Between species differences in Hg, concentrations were recorded with the highest concentration found in fish and the lowest in algae. The spatiotemporal study showed that there was no clear seasonal pattern in Hg concentrations in biota, but spatial differences existed with highest concentrations in sites located near important anthropogenic pressure. For shrimp, mussel, and the muscles of sardine and sole, Hg concentrations were below the health safety limits for human consumption as defined by the European Union. The Se/Hg molar ratio was always higher than one whatever the species or location suggesting a protection of Se against Hg potential adverse effect.

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Acknowledgments

A doctoral grant was funded for M. Diop by Bourses de Coopération et d’Action Culturelle de l’ambassade de France à Dakar and ERASMUS ANGLE grant. The authors sincerely thank Drs. Michael Howsam and Lucie Courco for their assistance with the Hg and Se analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, University of Littoral (ULCO), Wimereux, 62930, France

    Mamadou Diop & Rachid Amara

  2. Laboratoire de Toxicologie et d’Hydrologie (LTH), UCAD, Dakar, 5005, Sénégal

    Mamadou Diop

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  1. Mamadou Diop
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  2. Rachid Amara
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Correspondence to Rachid Amara.

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Diop, M., Amara, R. Mercury concentrations in the coastal marine food web along the Senegalese coast. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 11975–11984 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6386-x

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