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Bioaccumulation and Elimination of Hg in the Fireworm Eurythoe complanata (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Mazatlan, Mexico

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Abstract

Mercury accumulation and elimination by Eurythoe complanata were evaluated through two laboratory bioassays in the absence (bioassay A) and presence (bioassay B) of sediment. Ten individuals per treatment (three replicates) were exposed to Hg in solution (0, 1.5, 1.7, 3, 7.4, 8.7, 9, and 11 μg/L) for an 8-day exposure period. At the beginning of the elimination period, the solutions (both bioassays) and sediments (bioassay B) were replaced by seawater only and clean sediment, respectively. This period lasted 8 days. The effect of Hg concentrations on Hg accumulation by worms from bioassay A was confirmed by the Kruskal-Wallis test (H = 19.43, df = 7, χ2 = 18.475, p = 0.01), whereas this effect was nonsignificant for bioassay B. Specimens from bioassay A accumulated about double the Hg than those of bioassay B. This indicates that sediment plays an important role in the bioaccumulation process. Mercury elimination was observed only on specimens from bioassay B, where 25% to 36% of the total Hg was eliminated during 8 days. This suggests that worms need a longer period of time to completely depurate the accumulated Hg. The Hg balance was performed at the beginning and end of the experimental periods. The total Hg percentage per aquarium decreased at the end of the experiment, which suggests that a considerable amount of Hg was evaporated or adhered to the aquarium walls. This first approach points out that experimental studies using E. complanata as a test species can be useful to evaluate the potential risk produced by Hg or other toxicants on marine biota inhabiting zones subjected to anthropogenic activities.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Sergio Rendón-Rodríguez for his support in the maintenance of laboratory cultures. The collection of samples was possible thanks to Sergio Rendón-Rodríguez and José Salgado-Barragán. Humberto Bojórquez-Leyva helped during Hg analyses. Ramón Vázquez-Núñez received a Master fellowship from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Joel Montes Camarena s/n, Col. Centro Mazatlán, Sinaloa, 82000, México

    Ramón Vázquez-Núñez, Nuria Méndez & Carlos Green-Ruíz

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  1. Ramón Vázquez-Núñez
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  2. Nuria Méndez
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  3. Carlos Green-Ruíz
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Correspondence to Nuria Méndez.

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Vázquez-Núñez, R., Méndez, N. & Green-Ruíz, C. Bioaccumulation and Elimination of Hg in the Fireworm Eurythoe complanata (Annelida: Polychaeta) from Mazatlan, Mexico. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52, 541–548 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0016-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0016-4

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