Jewett Stephen C, Zhang Xiaoming, Naidu A Sathy, Kelley John J, Dasher Doug, Duffy Lawrence K
Institute of Marine Science, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757220, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220, USA.
Chemosphere. 2003 Jan;50(3):383-92. doi: 10.1016/s0045-6535(02)00421-6.
In western Alaska, mercury (Hg) could be a potential health risk to people whose diet is primarily fish-based. In 2000, total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were examined in northern pike (Esox lucius) and Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) from two watersheds in western Alaska, the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Whitefish (Coregonus sp.) were also examined from the Kuskokwim River. Pike from the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers had mean concentrations of THg in muscle of 1.506 and 0.628 mg/kg wet wt, respectively. The mean concentrations of THg in grayling muscle from these rivers were 0.264 and 0.078 mg/kg, respectfully. Whitefish had a mean THg concentration in muscle of 0.032 mg/kg. MeHg, in pike and grayling constituted nearly 100% of the THg concentrations; the proportion was less in whitefish. A significant positive correlation between Hg levels and fish length was also found. Generally, there were no changes in Hg concentrations in pike or grayling over the last several years. Only pike from theYukon River had THg concentrations that exceeded the USFDA action level for human consumption of edible fish (1 mg/kg). Human hazard index for pike was > or = 1 for both adults and children, indicating a potential for toxic concern, especially among children. Further studies are needed to determine the environmental and human health impacts associated with these Hg concentrations in western Alaska, especially in the context of potentially increased consumption of resident fishes when anadromous salmon catches are reduced.
在阿拉斯加西部，汞（Hg）可能会对那些主要以鱼类为食的人群构成潜在的健康风险。2000年，对来自阿拉斯加西部育空河和库斯科基姆河两个流域的白斑狗鱼（Esox lucius）和北极茴鱼（Thymallus arcticus）中的总汞（THg）和甲基汞（MeHg）进行了检测。还从库斯科基姆河采集了白鲑（Coregonus sp.）进行检测。育空河和库斯科基姆河的白斑狗鱼肌肉中的总汞平均浓度分别为1.506毫克/千克湿重和0.628毫克/千克湿重。这些河流中北极茴鱼肌肉中的总汞平均浓度分别为0.264毫克/千克和0.078毫克/千克。白鲑肌肉中的总汞平均浓度为0.032毫克/千克。白斑狗鱼和北极茴鱼中的甲基汞占总汞浓度的近100%；白鲑中的比例则较低。还发现汞含量与鱼的长度之间存在显著的正相关关系。一般来说，在过去几年中，白斑狗鱼或北极茴鱼中的汞浓度没有变化。只有育空河的白斑狗鱼的总汞浓度超过了美国食品药品监督管理局（USFDA）规定的食用鱼人体消费行动水平（1毫克/千克）。白斑狗鱼对成年人和儿童的人体危害指数均≥1，这表明存在潜在的毒性问题，尤其是对儿童而言。需要进一步开展研究，以确定阿拉斯加西部这些汞浓度对环境和人类健康的影响，特别是在洄游鲑鱼捕捞量减少时，当地鱼类消费量可能增加的情况下。
