Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA.
Environ Toxicol Chem. 2013 Mar;32(3):638-43. doi: 10.1002/etc.2100. Epub 2013 Jan 17.
Zebra mussels have invaded many lakes in the United States and could be a useful tool for monitoring responses of aquatic biota to changes in mercury loading. The goal of the present study was to evaluate zebra mussels for use as a biomonitor of mercury contamination by comparing zebra mussel mercury concentrations between a lake with only indirect atmospheric mercury contamination (Otisco Lake, NY, USA) and a lake that was directly contaminated by mercury discharges (Onondaga Lake, NY, USA). Zebra mussels were sampled in both the spring and fall of 2004 and 2005. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in zebra mussels were approximately seven times greater in Onondaga Lake than in Otisco Lake, and water column mercury concentrations differed by an order of magnitude between the two lakes. Seasonal differences resulted in significantly higher zebra mussel THg concentrations during the fall for both lakes. There was also significant variation among different sampling sites in Onondaga Lake. Mussel methylmercury concentrations averaged 53% of THg concentrations but were highly variable. Strong relationships between water column THg and zebra mussel THg suggest that zebra mussels are a good indicator of aquatic mercury concentrations and could be used as an effective biomonitor of mercury contamination in aquatic ecosystems.
斑马贻贝已入侵美国的许多湖泊，它们可能成为监测水生物群对汞负荷变化反应的有用工具。本研究的目的是通过比较仅受到间接大气汞污染的湖泊（美国纽约州奥蒂斯科湖）和直接受到汞排放污染的湖泊（美国纽约州安大略湖）的斑马贻贝汞浓度，评估斑马贻贝作为汞污染生物监测器的适用性。2004 年和 2005 年的春季和秋季均采集了斑马贻贝样本。安大略湖的斑马贻贝总汞（THg）浓度约比奥蒂斯科湖高 7 倍，两个湖泊的水柱汞浓度相差一个数量级。两个湖泊的秋季斑马贻贝 THg 浓度明显高于其他季节。安大略湖的不同采样点之间也存在显著差异。甲基汞浓度平均为总汞浓度的 53%，但变化很大。水柱 THg 与斑马贻贝 THg 之间存在很强的关系，这表明斑马贻贝是水汞浓度的良好指标，可以作为水生生态系统汞污染的有效生物监测器。
