Mercury levels in fish from the upper peninsula of Michigan (ElS Subregion 2B) in relation to lake acidity

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6445999

Landers, D; Gloss, S P; Grieb, T M; Driscoll, C T; Schofield, C L

The accumulation of mercury by fish and the potential human health effects of eating mercury-contaminated fish have been well documented. However, elevated mercury concentrations in fish from dilute, low-pH lakes have only recently been associated with increased lake acidity. Nevertheless, there now is ample evidence to document that elevated levels of mercury are found in fish from lakes in remote areas with no known point sources of mercury and that an apparent relationship exists between lake pH and fish mercury level. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set an action level of 1.0 ppm methyl mercury as the limit for human consumption. Many state fisheries agencies in the United States have established advisories regarding consumption of fish with mercury levels that do not exceed the standard of 1.0 ppm, usually invoking a standard of 0.5 ppm. Forty-nine drainage and seepage lakes in the Upper Michigan Peninsula were sampled in conjunction with Phase 2 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Eastern Lake Survey to explore the relationship between chemical and physical characteristics of lakes and mercury concentrations in fish tissue. The lakes were selected using a stratified random design weighted for low pH so that acidification effects on mercury accumulation could be evaluated. By coupling the study to Phase I, the authors were able to examine the role of chemical and physical lake variables on the assimilation of mercury by fish.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR (USA). Environmental Research Lab.
• OSTI ID: 6445999
• Report Number(s): PB-90-263484/XAB; EPA--600/3-90/068
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACIDIFICATION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION V
FISHES
LAKES
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE INTAKE
MERCURY
METABOLISM
METALS
MICHIGAN
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
PH VALUE
POLLUTION
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
SURFACE WATERS
US EPA
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
VERTEBRATES
WATER POLLUTION