Abstract
The bioaccumulation of mercury by fish was studied in three natural lakes lining the Tapajós River, Brazilian Amazon. The Hg content variations are also reported between the rainy and the rising water seasons. Position of fish in the food chain and the source of carbon at the base of the food chain were determined using nitrogen and carbon stable isotopes ratios respectively. During the two seasons, the effect of the Hg biomagnification between the non-piscivorous and piscivorous fish of the three lakes is observed. The correlation between the mercury concentrations and the nitrogen isotopic ratios suggests that the fish mercury content variability is connected with the trophic position and size. Aside from classic observations on mercury biomagnification by certain species of fish (i.e. contents increase with size or trophic status), novel results were revealed as well, such as some species decrease of mercury contents with size of fish. Aquatic organisms in the Amazon are adapted to the complexity of trophic webs coupled with changes in environmental variables, depending on the location and/or the season, which results in a wide range of mercurial contamination among the Tapajós ichthyofauna.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agostinho, A. A., Ferretti, C. M., Gomes, L. C., Hahn, N. S., Suzuki, H. I., Fungi, R. and Abujanra, F.: 1997, in: A. A. Agostinho and L. C. Gomes (eds), Reservatório de Segredo: bases ecológicas para manejo. Maringá. 275–292.
Akagi, H., Malm, O., Branches, F. J. P., Kinjo, Y., Kashima, Guimarães, J.-R. D., Oliveira, R. B., Haraguchi, K., Pfeiffer, W. C., Takizawa, Y. and Kato, H.: 1995, Water Air Soil Pollut. 80, 85–94.
Akagi, H., Malm, O. and Branches, F. J. P.: 1996, Environ. Sci. 4(3),199–211.
Araújo-Lima, C. A. R. M., Agostinho, A. A. and Fabré, N. N.: 1995, In: J. G. Tundisi, C. E. M. Bicudo and T. Matsumura (eds), Limnology in Brazil. 105–136.
Bennemann, S. T.: 1996, PhD thesis in Ecology and Natural Resources, São Carlos, SP, Brasil. 142p.
Bowles, K. C., Simon, C., Maher, W. A., Kawei, M. and Ross, S.: 2001, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 58, 888–897.
Cabana, G., Tremblay, A., Kalff, J. and Rassmussen, J.: 1994, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 51, 381–389.
Clarkson, T. W.: 1992, Environ. Health Perspect. 100, 31–38.
DeNiro, M. J. and Epstein, S.: 1978, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 42, 495–506.
Farella N., Lucotte M., Louchouarn P. and Roulet M.: 2001, Organic Geochemistry 32, 1443–1458.
Ferreira, E. J. G., Zuanon, J. A. S. and Santos, G. M.: 1998, Coleção Peixes da Amazônia, Publicações IBAMA.
Fostier, A. H., Oliveira, S. M. B., Guimarães, J.-R. D., Forti, M. C., Melfi, A. J. Boulet, R., Favaro, D. I. T. and Krug, J. F.: 1999, In J.P. Barbosa, R. Melamed and R. Vilas-Bôas (éds).
Fry, B.: 1991, Ecology. 72, 2293–2297.
Grimaldi, M., Grimaldi, C. and Dutin, G.: 2000, Programme Mercure en Guyane du CNRS-PEVS, volet Sols. Distribution spatiale du mercure dans les sols. Rapport de mission. Paris.
Guimarães, J.-R. D., Roulet, M. and Lucotte, M.: 2000, Sci. Total Environ. 261, 91–98.
Hesslein, R. H., Hallard, K. A. and Ramial, P.: 1993, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50, 2071–2076.
Huckabee, J. W., Elwood, J. W. and Hildebrand, S. G.: 1979, In the Biogeochemistry of Mercury in the Environment, Edited by J. O. Nriagu, Elsevier/North Holland Medical Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 277–302.
Mariotti, A.: 1982, PhD thesis in Sciences, Paris, France VI.
Marlier, G.: 1968, Cadernos da Acta Amazonia (INPA), Manaus. 11, 21–57.
Mathers, R. A. and Johansen, P. H.: 1985, Water, Air and Soil Pollution. 80, 915–921.
Meili, M.: 1991, Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science 336.
Meili, M.: 1997, Sigel, A. and Sigel, H. Metal ions in biological systems. Volume 34: Mercury and its effects on environment and biology, 21–51. New York, Mercel Dekker, Inc.
Nico, L. G. and Taphorn, D. C.: 1988, Biotropica. 20, 311–321.
Nico, L. G.: 1990, Environmental Biology of Fishes. 29, 51–57.
Paine, R. T.: 1988, Ecology. 69, 1648–1654.
Peterson, B. J. and Fry, B.: 1987, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematic. 18, 293–320.
Pichet, P., Morrison, K., Rheault, I., Tremblay, A.: 1999, In M. Lucotte, R. Schetagne, N. Thérien, C. Langlois and A. Tremblay (eds), Mercury in the biogeochemical cycle: Natural environments and hydroelectrics reservoirs of northern Québec. Springer. 41–52.
Resende, E. K.: 2000, Rev. Brasil. Biol. 60(3): 389–403.
Roulet, M., Lucotte, M., Farella, N., Serique, G., Coelho, H., Passos, C. J. S., Silva, E. J., Scavone, P., Mergler, D. and Amorim, M.: 1998, Sci. Total Environ. 112, 297–313.
Roulet, M., Lucotte, M. and Guimarães, J.-R. D.: 2000, Sci. Total Environ. 261, 43–59.
Sampaio da Silva, D.: 2002, Master thesis in Environmental Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada.
Sampaio da Silva, Lucotte, M., Roulet, M., Poirier, H., Mergler, D. and Crossa, M., 2004, in press in Acta Amazônica.
Sazima, I. and Machado, F. A.: 1990, Environmental Biology of Fishes. 28, 17–31.
Trippel, E. A. and Beamish, F. H. W.: 1993, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 50, 1442–1455.
Welcomme, R. L.: 1979, Longman, London.
Yossa, M. I. and Araújo-Lima, C. A. R. M.: 1998, Journal of Fish Biology. 52, 1141–1153.
Zeidemann, V. K.: 1998, Master thesis in Biological Sciences in INPA-UA, Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Da Silva, D.S., Lucotte, M., Roulet, M. et al. Trophic Structure and Bioaccumulation of Mercury in Fish of Three Natural Lakes of the Brazilian Amazon. Water Air Soil Pollut 165, 77–94 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-005-4811-8
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-005-4811-8