Mercury in the Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) from the Southern Gulf of California: Tissue Distribution and Inter-Annual Variation (2005–2012)

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 98; no. 2; pp. 156 - 161
• Main Authors: Vega-Sánchez, B., Ortega-García, S., Ruelas-Inzunza, J., Frías-Espericueta, M., Escobar-Sánchez, O., Guzmán-Rendón, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-02-2017; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal populations; Animals; Annual variations; Aquatic Pollution; Bioaccumulation; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Fish; Fishes; Ingestion; Liver; Liver - metabolism; Mercury; Mercury - analysis; Mercury - metabolism; Mexico; Muscles - metabolism; Pollution; Selenium; Soil Science & Conservation; Tissue Distribution; Toxicity; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Water Pollution Control; Gulf of California; ISE, Mexico, California Gulf; Gulf of California; Blue marlin; Muscle; Mercury; Liver; Billfish
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-016-1962-9

With the aim of knowing annual variations of Hg concentrations in muscle and liver of blue marlin (
Makaira nigricans
) from the southern Gulf of California, fish were collected between 2005 and 2012 in three areas. In general, Hg levels were more elevated in liver than in muscle. Variations of Hg concentrations in muscle and liver among the studied years were not significant. Hg levels in muscle and liver increased significantly with length and weight of fish. In comparison to other studies, Hg levels in muscle and liver were lower. With respect to maximum permissible limits (1.0 µg g
−1
wet weight) of Hg in Mexico, the average concentration (1.91 µg g
−1
wet weight) in the edible portion (muscle) of blue marlin was over the legal limit; this issue is worth research efforts in relation to the rate of ingestion of this species and the co-occurrence of selenium in the edible portion.