Freshwater shrimps (Macrobrachium depressimanum and Macrobrachium jelskii) as biomonitors of Hg availability in the Madeira River Basin, Western Amazon

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 190; no. 2; pp. 77 - 8
• Main Authors: Galvão, R. C. F., Holanda, I. B. B., De Carvalho, D. P., Almeida, R., Souza, C. M. M., Lacerda, L. D., Bastos, W. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Shells - chemistry; Animals; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Atomic absorption analysis; Atomic absorption spectrophotometry; Biomonitors; Brazil; Confluence; Data mining; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Exoskeleton; Exoskeletons; Food chains; Food webs; Freshwater; Freshwater crustaceans; Gold; Gold mines & mining; Hepatopancreas; Hepatopancreas - chemistry; Indicator organisms; Inland water environment; Macrobrachium depressimanum; Macrobrachium jelskii; Mercury; Mercury (metal); Mercury - analysis; Mining; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Muscles; Muscles - chemistry; Palaemonidae; River basins; Rivers; Shellfish; Shrimps; Species; Spectral analysis; Spectrophotometry; Tissue; Tributaries; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Brazil, Amazonas, Madeira River; Amazon Basin; Brazilian Amazon; Biomonitoring; Gold mining; Mercury; Macroinvertebrates
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6460-6

Total mercury (THg) concentrations measured in two freshwater shrimp species ( Macrobrachium depressimanum and Macrobrachium jelskii ) showed a relationship with the location of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) from the Madeira River Basin, Western Amazon. Between August 2009 and May 2010, 212 shrimp samples were collected in the confluence of the Madeira River with three of its tributaries (Western Amazon). THg concentration was quantified in the exoskeleton, hepatopancreas and muscle tissue of the shrimps by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry. There were no significant differences between the two shrimp species when samples came from the Madeira River, but Hg concentrations were significantly lower in a tributary outside the influence of the gold mining area. Average THg concentrations were higher in the hepatopancreas (up to 160.0 ng g −1 ) and lower in the exoskeleton and muscle tissue (10.0–35.0 ng g −1 and < 0.9–42.0 ng g −1 , respectively). Freshwater shrimps from the Madeira River respond to local environmental levels of Hg and can be considered as biomonitors for environmental Hg at this spatial scale. These organisms are important for moving Hg up food webs including those that harbor economic significant fish species and thus enhancing human exposure.