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Mercury contamination in alligators (Melanosuchus niger) from Mamirauá Reservoir (Brazilian Amazon) and human health risk assessment

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Abstract

Mercury (Hg) concentrations in muscles of wild alligators (Melanosuchus niger) from the Mamirauá Reservoir (a reference area in the Brazilian Amazon) and the human health risks associated with its consumption were assessed. The mean Hg concentration in alligator muscles was 0.407 ± 0.114 μg/g (N = 61). Close to 5 % of the muscle samples showed Hg levels above the World Health Organization guideline for fish consumption (0.5 μg/g). A positive and significant relationship was observed between Hg concentrations in muscle and the age of the specimens. The dose-response approach suggests that close to 27.4 years is required for half of the exposed specimens to attain 0.5 μg/g. The hazard quotient (HQ) is a risk indicator which defines the ratio of exposure level and a toxicological reference dose. HQ resulted above the unity for all the specimens when the ingestion rate for riverine communities (200 g of muscle per day) is considered, indicating the existence of hazard. When the ingestion rate for market consumers (28.57 g/day) is considered, the risks are much lower (mean HQ = 0.55), suggesting that such group is not at risk. The establishment of local and regional ingestion rates for riverine populations and market consumers is extremely recommended.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Saúde e Produção Animal, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, PA, Brazil

    Jozélia Correia

  2. Centro de Tecnologia Mineral - CETEM/MCTI, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Ricardo Cesar & Zuleica Castilhos

  3. Departamento de Tecnologia dos Alimentos, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil

    Eliane Marsico

  4. Centro de Pesquisas Ageu Magalhães - CPqAM, Recife, PE, Brazil

    George Tadeu Nunes Diniz

  5. Instituto Federal de Educação em Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará – IFPA Campus, Belém, PA, Brazil

    Mauricio Camargo Zorro

Authors
  1. Jozélia Correia
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  2. Ricardo Cesar
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  3. Eliane Marsico
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  4. George Tadeu Nunes Diniz
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  5. Mauricio Camargo Zorro
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  6. Zuleica Castilhos
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Correspondence to Jozélia Correia.

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Responsible editor: Céline Guéguen

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Correia, J., Cesar, R., Marsico, E. et al. Mercury contamination in alligators (Melanosuchus niger) from Mamirauá Reservoir (Brazilian Amazon) and human health risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 13522–13527 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3282-0

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