Abstract
In estuarine food webs, bivalve molluscs transfer nutrients and pollutants to higher trophic levels. Mercury (Hg) pollution is ubiquitous, but it is especially elevated in estuaries historically impacted by industrial activities, such as those in the U.S. Northeast. Monomethylmercury (MeHg), the organic form of Hg, is highly bioaccumulative and transferable in the food web resulting in the highest concentrations in the largest and oldest marine predators. Patterns of Hg concentrations in marine bivalve molluscs, however, are poorly understood. In this study, inorganic Hg (iHg), MeHg, and the total Hg (THg) in soft tissues of the northern quahogs (Mercenaria mercenaria), eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), and ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) from eastern Long Island sound, a temperate estuary of the western North Atlantic Ocean was investigated. In all three species, concentrations of THg remained similar between the four sampling months (May, June, July, and September), and were mostly independent of animal size. In quahogs, MeHg and iHg displayed significant (p < 0.05) positive (iHg in May and June) and negative (MeHg in July and September) changes with shell height. Variability in concentrations of THg, MeHg, and iHg, both inter- and intra-specifically was high and greater in quahogs and oysters (THg: 37, 39%, MeHg: 28, 39%, respectively) than in mussels (THg: 13%, MeHg: 20%). The percentage of THg that was MeHg (%MeHg) was also highly variable in the three species (range: 10–80%), highlighting the importance of measuring MeHg and not only THg in molluscs.
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Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the 2016-2018 Connecticut Sea Grant Omnibus Grant-award no. R/P-4 (PIs: R.P. Mason and Z. Baumann). We would like to thank Tessa Getchis for her assistance in identifying the sampling location and supporting shellfish collection in the field. Sampling would not be possible without the support of the Groton Shellfish Commission, especially the late warden Al Potter Sr. and his son, Al Potter Jr. who located areas suitable for oysters and quahog sampling. Others who supported the shellfish collections included James Harrington, Erika Edmiston, Wesley Huffman, and Katie Lund. We thank Dr. Nashat Mazrui and Prentiss Balcom for assistance in sampling sediments and water.
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This research was funded by the 2016–2018 Connecticut Sea Grant Omnibus Grant-award no. R/P-4 (PIs: Robert P. Mason and Zofia Baumann).
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The study was designed by Zofia Baumann, Robert P. Mason, and Gunnar Hansen. Funding was secured by Robert P. Mason and Zofia Baumann. Fieldwork and sample processing was executed by Zofia Baumann and Gunnar Hansen. Mercury analyses were performed by G. Hansen and Z. Baumann. Statistical analyses, as well as figures and tables were executed by Gunnar Hansen. Data interpretation and manuscript writing was supported by all authors. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Hansen, G., Shumway, S.E., Mason, R.P. et al. A Comparative Study of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Bivalve Molluscs from a Shallow Estuarine Embayment. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 86, 262–273 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-024-01058-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-024-01058-w