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Bioaccumulation and Elimination of Waterborne Mercury in the Midge Larvae, Chironomus riparius Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae)

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Abstract

Here, mercury kinetics and behavioural effects in the midge larvae under a water-only exposure were assessed. Uptake and elimination of waterborne mercury were described by using a one-compartment kinetic model. Results show that midges were able to readily accumulate the heavy metal (BCF = 450), presenting a fast uptake, up to 13.1 μg Hg g of animal−1 at the end of the exposure period. Elimination was slow, with c.a. 39 % of the mercury in larvae being depurated after 48 h in clean medium. Behaviour did not present differences upon exposure or elimination, but a trend to increase ventilation was noticed during the exposure period.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this work was provided by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through a PhD research grant to Henrique M.V.S. Azevedo Pereira (SFRH/BD/18516/2004), a Post-Doc grant to S.N. Abreu (SFRH/BPD/45807/2008), and by funding FEDER through COMPETE—Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade, and by National funding through FCT-Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, within the research project «FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-007069» (PTDC/BIA-BDE/72841/2006).

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Author notes

  1. Henrique M. V. S. Azevedo-Pereira

    Present address: Institute of Marine Research-Marine and Environmental Research Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CESAM and Departament of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal

    Henrique M. V. S. Azevedo-Pereira, Sizenando N. Abreu, Marco F. L. Lemos & Amadeu M. V. M. Soares

  2. ESTM and GIRM, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, 2520-641, Peniche, Portugal

    Marco F. L. Lemos

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  1. Henrique M. V. S. Azevedo-Pereira
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  2. Sizenando N. Abreu
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  3. Marco F. L. Lemos
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  4. Amadeu M. V. M. Soares
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henrique M. V. S. Azevedo-Pereira.

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Azevedo-Pereira, H.M.V.S., Abreu, S.N., Lemos, M.F.L. et al. Bioaccumulation and Elimination of Waterborne Mercury in the Midge Larvae, Chironomus riparius Meigen (Diptera: Chironomidae). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 89, 245–250 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0674-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0674-z

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