Effects of environmental mercury on gonadal function in Lake Champlain northern pike (Esox lucius)

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s001289900070· OSTI ID:223904

Friedmann, A S; Leiter, J C ^[1]; Watzin, M C ^[2]

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1. Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH (United States)
2. Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States); and others

Levels of mercury in the environment have increased steadily over the past two centuries, primarily because of human activity. Common point sources of this heavy metal include industrial waste discharge from chloralkali and paper pulp plants. More diffuse emissions, which become widely distributed by global wind currents, result from the combustion of fossil fuels and incineration of municipal wastes. Stricter laws in the United States have decreased the amount of pollution from point sources. In contrast, mercury from diffuse atmospheric origins has been increasing, causing a rise in rainwater concentrations and aquatic environments frequently distant from the source of pollution. Once in aquatic systems, mercury is readily converted to the more toxic methylated form and is the only heavy metal that indisputably biomagnifies through the food web. Acid rain compounds the environmental impact of anthropogenic mercury because aquatic organisms concentrate more mercury when living in waters with lower alkalinity. The persistence of this heavy metal in teleosts is illustrated by the finding that mercury, unlike cadmium, arsenic, and lead, did not decrease in North American freshwater fish between 1976 and 1984.

• OSTI ID: 223904
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Journal Name: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 56; ISSN 0007-4861; ISSN BECTA6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
FISHES
GONADS
LAKES
MERCURY
NEW YORK