Evers D C, Taylor K M, Major A, Taylor R J, Poppenga R H, Scheuhammer A M
Biodiversity Research Institute, 411 US Rt. 1, North, Suite 1, Falmouth, Maine 04105, USA.
Ecotoxicology. 2003 Feb-Aug;12(1-4):69-81. doi: 10.1023/a:1022593030009.
Increased anthropogenic mercury (Hg) deposition since pre-industrial times, and subsequent transformation of inorganic Hg to methylmercury (MeHg) in aquatic environments, has created areas in North America where Hg poses a relatively high risk to wildlife, especially long-lived, piscivorous species. From 1995 to 2001, we opportunistically collected 577 eggs abandoned by Common Loons from eight states. Egg-Hg concentrations ranged from 0.07 to 4.42 microg/g (ww) or 0.10 to 19.40 microg/g (dw). Mercury was higher in eastern than in western North America. Female blood-Hg concentrations strongly correlated with those of eggs from the same territory even though the mean intraclutch Hg difference was 25%. In New England, egg volume declined significantly as egg-Hg concentrations increased. Fertility was not related to egg-Hg concentrations. Based on existing literature and this study's findings, egg-Hg risk levels were established and applied to our US data set and an existing Canadian data set. Regionally, we found the greatest risk levels in northeastern North America. With few exceptions, loon eggs are suitable indicators of methylmercury availability on lakes with territorial pairs.
自工业化前时代以来，人为汞（Hg）沉积增加，以及随后在水生环境中无机汞向甲基汞（MeHg）的转化，在北美造成了一些地区，在这些地区汞对野生动物，尤其是长寿的食鱼物种构成相对较高的风险。1995年至2001年期间，我们从八个州随机收集了577枚普通潜鸟遗弃的卵。卵汞浓度范围为0.07至4.42微克/克（湿重）或0.10至19.40微克/克（干重）。北美东部的汞含量高于西部。雌性血液汞浓度与同一领地的卵的汞浓度密切相关，尽管同一窝卵内汞含量的平均差异为25%。在新英格兰，随着卵汞浓度的增加，卵体积显著下降。繁殖力与卵汞浓度无关。根据现有文献和本研究结果，确定了卵汞风险水平，并将其应用于我们的美国数据集和现有的加拿大数据集。在区域上，我们发现北美东北部的风险水平最高。除了少数例外情况，潜鸟卵是有领地配对的湖泊中甲基汞可利用性的合适指标。
