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Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in fish from the Mojana region of Colombia

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Abstract

Total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations have been measured in the muscle tissue of 16 fish species consumed in the Mojana region of Colombia. T-Hg analysis was performed by cold-vapor atomic-absorption spectroscopy (CV-ASS) and MeHg analysis by gas chromatography with electron-capture detection. Higher T-Hg and MeHg concentrations were detected in carnivorous species (T-Hg = 0.371 ± 0.172 (μg g−1 fresh wt, MeHg = 0.346 ± 0.171 μg g−1 fresh wt) than in non-carnivorous fish (T-Hg = 0.155 ± 0.108 μg g−1 fresh wt, MeHg = 0.146 ± 0.102 μg g−1 fresh wt). In the different species mercury was present almost completely as the methylated form, with percentages between 80.5 and 98.1% (mean 92.0 ± 3.4%). In 13.5% of fish-tissue samples T-Hg concentrations exceeded the maximum level recommended by the World Health Organization for human consumption (Hg = 0.5 μg g−1 fresh wt). Although mean T-Hg concentrations in all fish samples (0.269 ± 0.181 μg g−1 fresh wt) did not exceed this limit, risk assessment suggested that the consumption of 0.12 kg fish day−1 could increase the risk of mercury poisoning of the inhabitants of this region.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the University of Cordoba, the Valle University, and the University of Cartagena, Colombia, for financial support. Special thanks also to Professor Lawrence Fischer for his scientific support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Group, University of Cordoba, Grupo de Química Analítica y Ambiental, Carrera 6, No. 76-103, Monteria, Colombia

    José Marrugo-Negrete & Edineldo Lans Ceballos

  2. Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, University of Cartagena, Campus de Zaragocilla, Cartagena, Colombia

    Jesus Olivero Verbel

  3. Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle, A.A. 25360, Cali, Colombia

    Luis Norberto Benitez

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  1. José Marrugo-Negrete
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  2. Jesus Olivero Verbel
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  3. Edineldo Lans Ceballos
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  4. Luis Norberto Benitez
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Correspondence to José Marrugo-Negrete.

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Marrugo-Negrete, J., Verbel, J.O., Ceballos, E.L. et al. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations in fish from the Mojana region of Colombia. Environ Geochem Health 30, 21–30 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-007-9104-2

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