Mercury Contamination in an Indicator Fish Species from Andean Amazonian Rivers Affected by Petroleum Extraction

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 95; no. 3; pp. 279 - 285
• Main Authors: Webb, Jena, Coomes, Oliver T., Mainville, Nicolas, Mergler, Donna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.09.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Aquatic Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Body weight; Deforestation; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Ecuador; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Fish; Fishes - metabolism; Hoplias malabaricus; Indicator species; Land use; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - metabolism; Migratory species; Mining; Oil pollution; Oil spills; Peru; Petroleum; Pollution; River basins; Rivers; Rivers - chemistry; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollution - analysis; Water Pollution Control; Ecuador; Peru; ISE, Ecuador; South America, Amazonia; ISE, Peru; Peru, Corrientes R; Deforestation; Petroleum extraction; Amazonian fishes; Amazonia; Mercury bioaccumulation; Oil contamination
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-015-1588-3

Elevated mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish from Amazonia have been associated with gold-mining, hydroelectric dams and deforestation but few studies consider the role of petroleum extraction. Hg levels were determined in fish samples collected in three river basins in Ecuador and Peru with contrasting petroleum exploitation and land-use characteristics. The non-migratory, piscivorous species, Hoplias malabaricus , was used as a bioindicator. The rate of Hg increase with body weight for this species was significantly higher on the Corrientes River, near the site of a recent oil spill, than on the other two rivers. In the absence of substantial deforestation and other anthropogenic sources in the Corrientes River basin, this finding suggests that oil contamination in Andean Amazonia may have a significant impact on Hg levels in fish.