Wren C D
Environ Res. 1986 Jun;40(1):210-44. doi: 10.1016/s0013-9351(86)80098-6.
Release of Hg compounds into the environment from point sources has largely been curtailed due to the known impacts of Hg on biological systems. Mercury continues to be released into the environment, however, from nonpoint sources such as combustion of fossil fuels and smelting operations. While the accumulation and toxicity of Hg in aquatic biota, domestic animals, and humans is well documented, relatively little is understood about these processes in wild terrestrial mammals. The purpose of this paper is to review the available literature on Hg levels and toxicity in wild mammals (excluding marine mammals). It is clear that Hg levels are biomagnified within terrestrial food chains, where carnivores greater than omnivores greater than herbivores. Among carnivorous species, Hg levels are generally highest in fish-eating animals. There is usually a high degree of correlation of Hg levels between different animal tissues. The age and sex of an animal appear to influence observed Hg levels, but field data are conflicting for both factors. Tissue Hg levels are affected by location, with significant differences attributable to both local contamination and natural background variability. Experimental studies have shown many mammal species to sensitive to Hg intoxication, but documented incidents of Hg poisoning in wild mammals are rare. Such rarity may be more a function of our inability to observe and demonstrate Hg poisoning in wild populations, rather than an absence of the disease.
由于已知汞对生物系统的影响，点源向环境中释放汞化合物的情况已基本得到控制。然而，汞仍通过化石燃料燃烧和冶炼作业等非点源持续释放到环境中。虽然汞在水生生物群、家畜和人类中的积累及毒性已有充分记录，但对于野生陆生哺乳动物的这些过程却了解相对较少。本文的目的是综述有关野生哺乳动物（不包括海洋哺乳动物）汞含量及毒性的现有文献。很明显，汞含量在陆地食物链中会生物放大，其中食肉动物大于杂食动物大于食草动物。在食肉物种中，以鱼为食的动物汞含量通常最高。不同动物组织中的汞含量通常具有高度相关性。动物的年龄和性别似乎会影响观察到的汞含量，但关于这两个因素的实地数据相互矛盾。组织汞含量受地理位置影响，局部污染和自然背景变化都会导致显著差异。实验研究表明，许多哺乳动物物种对汞中毒敏感，但野生哺乳动物汞中毒的记录事件却很少。这种罕见情况可能更多是因为我们无法在野生种群中观察和证明汞中毒，而非该疾病不存在。
