Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Wildlife Research and Assessment Section, Bangor, ME 04401, USA.
Penobscot River Mercury Study, 479 Beechwood Ave., Old Town, ME 04468, USA.
Sci Total Environ. 2018 Jan 15;612:1187-1199. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.08.146. Epub 2017 Sep 8.
Waterfowl wintering along the lower Penobscot River, Maine continue to be exposed to elevated Hg concentrations from the HoltraChem chlor-alkali plant that operated along the river between 1967 and 2000. In American black ducks (Anas rubripes) total Hg in duck breast muscle increased with residence time on contaminated marshes, reaching means of 0.82±0.21μg/g ww (wet weight) by the end of the fall hunting season, and prompting Maine to issue a human consumption advisory on duck breast muscle. Methyl Hg comprised over 99% of the total Hg in breast muscle. The ratio of Hg concentrations in blood and muscle were strongly correlated and approached 1:1 after extended residence times. Primary feather (P1) total Hg concentrations averaged 2.2±1.3μg/g fw (fresh weight), verifying low Hg exposure during feather growth on distant breeding grounds the preceding summer. Mercury concentrations in black ducks, following winter residence along the lower Penobscot exceeded levels associated with reproductive toxicity. Carry-over of Hg to summer breeding grounds may limit the subsequent reproductive success of black ducks.
在缅因州下彭布罗克河越冬的水禽继续暴露在霍特拉彻氯碱厂的汞浓度升高的环境中，该工厂在 1967 年至 2000 年期间沿该河运营。在美洲黑鸭（Anas rubripes）中，鸭胸肌中的总汞含量随受污染沼泽地的居留时间而增加，到秋季狩猎季节结束时，达到 0.82±0.21μg/g 湿重的平均值，并促使缅因州发布了关于鸭胸肌的人类食用建议。甲基汞占胸肌中总汞的 99%以上。血液和肌肉中的汞浓度比值高度相关，在延长居留时间后接近 1:1。主羽（P1）总汞浓度平均为 2.2±1.3μg/g 鲜重，证实了前一年夏季在遥远的繁殖地羽毛生长期间的低汞暴露。在下彭布罗克河越冬后，黑鸭体内的汞浓度超过了与生殖毒性相关的水平。汞向夏季繁殖地的转移可能会限制黑鸭随后的繁殖成功。
