Mercury species accumulation and trophic transfer in biological systems using the Almadén mining district (Ciudad Real, Spain) as a case of study

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 23; no. 7; pp. 6074 - 6081
• Main Authors: Patiño Ropero, M. J, Rodríguez Fariñas, N, Mateo, R, Berzas Nevado, J. J, Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios, R. C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.04.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal species; Animal tissues; Animals; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bioaccumulation; biogeography; case studies; Cervus elaphus; Contamination; Contamination related to anthropic activities. Characterization and remediation; Deer; Detoxification; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental science; exposure scenario; Food Chain; Food chains; food consumption; Food contamination & poisoning; Humans; Investigations; Kidneys; Laboratories; Liver; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; methylmercury compounds; Mines; Mining; Pollution; Selenium; Selenium - analysis; Spain; Speciation; Studies; Sus scrofa; Swine; Terrestrial ecosystems; Terrestrial environments; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; wild boars; Spain; ANE, Spain; Pollution; Selenium; Terrestrial animal; Tissues; Mercury; Speciation
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4989-2

The impact of mercury (Hg) pollution in the terrestrial environments and the terrestrial food chains including the impact on human food consumption is still greatly under-investigated. In particular, studies including Hg speciation and detoxification strategies in terrestrial animals are almost non-existing, but these are key information with important implications for human beings. Therefore, in this work, we report on Hg species (inorganic mercury, iHg, and monomethylmercury, MeHg) distribution among terrestrial animal tissues obtained from a real-world Hg exposure scenario (Almadén mining district, Spain). Thus, we studied Hg species (iHg and MeHg) and total selenium (Se) content in liver and kidney of red deer (Cervus elaphus; n = 41) and wild boar (Sus scrofa; n = 16). Similar mercury species distribution was found for both red deer and wild boar. Major differences were found between tissues; thus, in kidney, iHg was clearly the predominant species (more than 81 %), while in liver, the species distribution was less homogeneous with a percentage of MeHg up to 46 % in some cases. Therefore, Hg accumulation and MeHg transfer were evident in terrestrial ecosystems. The interaction between total Se and Hg species has been evaluated by tissue and by animal species. Similar relationships were found in kidney for both Hg species in red deer and wild boar. However, in liver, there were differences between animals. The possible underlying mechanisms are discussed.