Mercury levels of soils, sediments and fish in French Guiana, South America

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution Vol. 124; no. 3-4; pp. 221 - 244
• Main Authors: RICHARD, Sandrine, ARNOUX, André, CERDAN, Philippe, REYNOUARD, Cécile, HOREAU, Véronique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01-12-2000; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agnatha. Pisces; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biosphere; Catchment areas; Contamination; Continental surface waters; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Fish; Fisheries; Freshwater; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human populations; Marine biology; Marine pollution; Mercury; Natural water pollution; Pisces; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Population studies; River pollution; Rivers; Sediment pollution; Sediments; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil pollution; Soils; Water treatment and pollution; South America; French Guiana; America; South America, French Guiana, Sinnamary R; French Guiana, Sinnamary R; Drainage basins; Soil pollution; Sediments; Spatial variation; Heavy metal; Freshwater environment; Trophic chain; Vertebrata; Pisces; Environment impact; Content; Surface water; Water pollution; Biological accumulation; Mercury
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1005251016314

This study examines the level of mercury contamination for different components of the biosphere in French Guiana. The spatial variability of the contamination of the waters, soils and sediments in the catchment area of the Sinnamary River is studied. The contamination of the trophic chain isdiscussed by analysis of the flesh of fish for the principal species represented in nine Guianese rivers, especially species consumed by human populations. The mercury contamination of sediments and soils, is extremely heterogeneous and that of fish is generalised. For carnivorous fish, the average mercury content is 0.48 kg g super(-1) ( plus or minus 0.28) (fresh weight) and for non-carnivorous species, 0.05 kg g super(-1) ( plus or minus 0.07). The concentrationsmeasured are greater than the European standards forconsumption for 4.7% of the carnivorous individuals.