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Tracking mercury in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean: the use of tuna and tuna-like species as indicators of bioavailability

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Abstract

Mercury is a trace element that is potentially dangerous due its high toxicity and tendency to bioaccumulate in organisms. Currently, high mercury concentrations are seen in the environment especially due climate changes. Studies regarding mercury bioavailability in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean using tuna and tuna-like species are rare. The aim of the present study was to use tuna and tuna-like species (Thunnus atlanticus, Thunnus albacares, Katsuwonus pelamis, Euthynnus alletteratus, Coryphaena hippurus and Sarda sarda) as indicators of the availability of total mercury (THg) in oceanic food webs of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. THg concentrations varied significantly among species for both muscle and liver (Kruskal–Wallis test; H5,130 = 52.7; p < 0.05; H5,130 = 50.1; p < 0.05, respectively). The lowest concentrations were found in C. hippurus (0.008 mg kg−1 wet weight in the muscle and 0.003 mg kg−1 wet weight in the liver), and the highest concentrations were reported in the muscle of T. atlanticus (1.3 mg kg−1 wet weight) and in the liver of S. sarda (2.5 mg kg−1 wet weight). The continued monitoring of tuna and tuna-like species is necessary to assist in their conservation since tuna can be sentinels of mercury pollution.

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Acknowledgments

The authors give thanks to UERJ and all of the team of the Aquatic Mammals Laboratory (UERJ) and Charles Guimarães for the help in collecting the fish. We also thank the Foundation of Support to Research Carlos Chagas Filho (FAPERJ) for Installation Support and with CNPq, PRONEM Notice. B.M.R.Manhães received support by CAPES master student. The authors give thanks to the reviewers’ suggestions.

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - Brasil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001 and was supported by Rio de Janeiro State Government Research Agency–FAPERJ.A.F.Azevedo and J.Lailson-Brito have research grants from CNPq (PQ-1D), FAPERJ (CNE and JCNE, respectively), and UERJ (Prociência). It was also supported by the Ministry of Education of Brazil–CAPES by the Brazilian Research Council–CNPq (Universal 2012-9). T.L.Bisi has research grants from CNPq (PQ-2) and UERJ (Prociência Program).

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  1. Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos e Bioindicadores “Profa. Izabel Gurgel” (MAQUA), Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, sala 4002, 20550-013, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Bárbara Moura Reis Manhães, Alice de Souza Picaluga, Tatiana Lemos Bisi, Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo & José Lailson-Brito

  2. Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373 Sala G0-61, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil

    Bárbara Moura Reis Manhães, João Paulo Machado Torres & Olaf Malm

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  1. Bárbara Moura Reis Manhães
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  2. Alice de Souza Picaluga
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  3. Tatiana Lemos Bisi
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  4. Alexandre de Freitas Azevedo
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Moura Reis Manhães, B., de Souza Picaluga, A., Bisi, T.L. et al. Tracking mercury in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean: the use of tuna and tuna-like species as indicators of bioavailability. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 6813–6823 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07275-4

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