**Mercury and Wildlife**

+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| *       | **S       | **Loc   | **Exposure / Effects**        | **  |
| *Common | cientific | ation** |                               | Ref |
| name**  | name**    |         |                               | /   |
|         |           |         |                               | Y   |
|         |           |         |                               | r** |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| GENERAL |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Birds   | Various   | S       | Tested bioacumulation of      | Wi  |
|         | species   | avannah | metals from sediments         | eme |
| R       |           | Harbor, | collected from 2              | yer |
| accoons | Procyon   | Georgia | dredge-disposal areas. Hg     | SN  |
|         | lotor     |         | bioaccumulated to             | et  |
|         |           |         | concentrations higher than    | al. |
|         |           |         | those in the sediments. Hg    | 1   |
|         |           |         | levels higher in livers of    | 993 |
|         |           |         | birds & raccoons than those   |     |
|         |           |         | in dredge-spoil sediments     |     |
|         |           |         | suggest bioavailability. Hg   |     |
|         |           |         | in raccoon livers collected   |     |
|         |           |         | near the river &              |     |
|         |           |         | dredge-disposal areas         |     |
|         |           |         | significantly higher than     |     |
|         |           |         | those of raccoons from the    |     |
|         |           |         | upland control site. Evidence |     |
|         |           |         | showed some metals in the     |     |
|         |           |         | dredge-disposal areas are     |     |
|         |           |         | mobile and biologically       |     |
|         |           |         | available. Drainage from      |     |
|         |           |         | these areas may be impacting  |     |
|         |           |         | habitat quality in the river  |     |
|         |           |         | and fish and wildlife may be  |     |
|         |           |         | at risk from metal            |     |
|         |           |         | contamination.                |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Various | Various   | So      | Summary of USFWS studies that | Fa  |
|         |           | utheast | have investigated the sources | cem |
|         |           | US      | and impacts of Hg             | ire |
|         |           |         | contamination since 1989.     | C   |
|         |           |         |                               | et  |
|         |           |         |                               | al. |
|         |           |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 995 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| A       | Alligator | Ever    | Ranges of dietary exposure    | Duv |
| merican | mississ   | glades, | concentrations (and           | all |
| al      | ippiensis | FL      | probablility distribution     | SE  |
| ligator |           |         | functions) were derived for   | and |
|         | Egretta   |         | two general areas of the      | MG  |
| Great   | alba      |         | Everglades: Shark Slough and  | Bar |
| egret   |           |         | the south-central region.     | ron |
|         | Procyon   |         | Piscivorous wildlife feeding  | 2   |
| Raccoon | lotor     |         | in the south-central region   | 000 |
|         | varius    |         | of the Everglades are at high |     |
|         |           |         | risk from consumption of      |     |
|         |           |         | Hg-contaminated prey. Results |     |
|         |           |         | support previous studies      |     |
|         |           |         | suggesting that top predators |     |
|         |           |         | of the Everglades may be at   |     |
|         |           |         | risk from Hg contamination    |     |
|         |           |         | and indicate that Hg risks    |     |
|         |           |         | are location-dependent.       |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| MAMMALS |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Wild    | Lutra     | O       | Otter found dead, left        | W   |
| otter   | c         | ntario, | abnormal tracks prior to      | ren |
|         | anadensis | Canada  | dying; results of tissue      | 1   |
|         |           |         | analyses show extremely high  | 985 |
|         |           |         | levels of mercury.            |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Mink    | Mustela   | O       | Mean levels of mercury were   | W   |
|         | vison     | ntario, | higher in both mink and       | ren |
| Otter   |           | Canada  | otters collected near the     | CD  |
|         | Lutra     |         | English River System than     | et  |
|         | c         |         | elsewhere.                    | al. |
|         | anadensis |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 986 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| River   | Lutra     | M       | Otters collected from an area | F   |
| otter   | c         | ichigan | with no point source of       | ran |
|         | anadensis | (Upper  | mercury had higher            | cis |
|         |           | Peni    | concentration of mercury than | and |
|         |           | nsula), | in previous MI study; similar | B   |
|         |           | USA     | levels to studies in other    | enn |
|         |           |         | areas. Mature animals had     | ett |
|         |           |         | greater levels than immature. | 1   |
|         |           |         | Possible biomagnification     | 994 |
|         |           |         | occurring.                    |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Florida | Felis     | Florida | Sample blood from 19 males    | Fa  |
| panther | concolor  |         | and 5 females selected for    | cem |
|         | coryi     |         | analysis. Results provide     | ire |
|         |           |         | evidence that environmental   | CF  |
|         |           |         | contaminants may be a major   | et  |
|         |           |         | factor contributing to        | al. |
|         |           |         | reproductive impairment in    | 1   |
|         |           |         | the Florida panther           | 995 |
|         |           |         | population.                   |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Humans  | Homo      | S       | 350 people who had eaten fish | Fl  |
|         | sapiens   | outhern | and/or wildlife were surveyed | emi |
|         |           | Florida | and the Hg in their hair was  | ng, |
|         |           |         | measured. 36% of these people | LE  |
|         |           |         | had Hg levels above the       | et  |
|         |           |         | detection limit. Their mean   | al. |
|         |           |         | Hg hair concentration was     | 1   |
|         |           |         | 3.48 ug/g (1.26 to 15.57).    | 995 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Mink    | Mustela   | Georgia | Identified 17 substances,     | O   |
|         | vison     |         | including Hg, potentially     | sow |
|         |           | North   | related to decline of mink    | ski |
|         |           | C       | since 1960s in these 3        | SL  |
|         |           | arolina | states. Kidleys & femurs      | et  |
|         |           |         | analyzed. \[Hg\]=s            | al. |
|         |           | South   | significantly higher in       | 1   |
|         |           | C       | coastal plain mink from all   | 995 |
|         |           | arolina | three states and were in the  |     |
|         |           |         | range of those known to cause |     |
|         |           |         | impacts to reproduction,      |     |
|         |           |         | growth, and behavior to wild  |     |
|         |           |         | mink.                         |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Mink    | Mustela   | Oak     | Fish collected from streams   | Ha  |
|         | vison     | Ridge   | on the ORR fed to mink prior  | lbr |
|         |           | Reser   | to, during, and after         | ook |
|         |           | vation, | breeding to determine effects | RS  |
|         |           | TN      | of feeding Hg-contaminated    | et  |
|         |           |         | fish to mink. Compared Hg     | al. |
|         |           |         | concentrations in diets,      | 1   |
|         |           |         | tissues of adult mink &       | 997 |
|         |           |         | offspring, & physiological &  |     |
|         |           |         | reproductive effects of diets |     |
|         |           |         | composed of 25, 50, or 75%    |     |
|         |           |         | fish collected from ORR       |     |
|         |           |         | streams. \[Hg\]=s in adult    |     |
|         |           |         | offpring diets & tissues      |     |
|         |           |         | increased progressively with  |     |
|         |           |         | increased percentage of ORR   |     |
|         |           |         | fish in the diets. Results    |     |
|         |           |         | showed lower body weight &    |     |
|         |           |         | decreased numbers of kits in  |     |
|         |           |         | females compared to females   |     |
|         |           |         | fed 75% fish from ocean or    |     |
|         |           |         | above ORR. However, authors   |     |
|         |           |         | suggest observed effects not  |     |
|         |           |         | due to Hg exposure based on   |     |
|         |           |         | previous data.                |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Muskrat | Ondatra   | Oak     | Compared levels of Hg in mink | S   |
|         | z         | Ridge   | and muskrat hair from near    | tev |
| Mink    | ibethicus | Reser   | Oak Ridge lab contaminated    | ens |
|         |           | vation, | site to animals from          | RT  |
|         | Mustela   | TN      | surrounding areas. Levels in  | et  |
|         | vison     |         | mink much higher than levels  | al. |
|         |           |         | in muskrat. This was          | 1   |
|         |           |         | attributed to trophic level   | 997 |
|         |           |         | differences btwn the 2        |     |
|         |           |         | species (muskrat herbivore,   |     |
|         |           |         | mink carnivore). Oak Ridge:   |     |
|         |           |         | adult muskrat mean 0.24 ppm;  |     |
|         |           |         | adult mink mean 11.0 ppm.     |     |
|         |           |         | Reference sites: adult        |     |
|         |           |         | muskrat mean 0.13 ppm; adult  |     |
|         |           |         | mink mean 5.15 ppm. Authors   |     |
|         |           |         | list reasons why muskrats may |     |
|         |           |         | be useful indicators of       |     |
|         |           |         | aquatic Hg levels.            |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Beluga  | Delph     | C       | Methylmercury concentrations  | Wa  |
| whale   | inapterus | anadian | in most tissues analyzed      | gem |
|         | leucas,   | Arctic  | exceeded Canadian Federal     | ann |
| Ringed  |           |         | Consumption Guidelines for    | R   |
| seal    | Phoca     |         | mercury in fish,              | et  |
|         | hispida,  |         | methylmercury concentrations  | al. |
| Narwhal |           |         | in specific tissues were      | 1   |
|         | Monodon   |         | significantly higher in the   | 998 |
|         | monoceros |         | western Arctic than the       |     |
|         |           |         | eastern Arctic for belugas    |     |
|         |           |         | and ringed seals.             |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| BIRDS   |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Osprey  |           | MD, VA, | Hg residues in all eggs       | Au  |
|         |           | MA      | appeared insignificant with   | det |
|         |           |         | regard to potential effects   | DJ  |
|         |           |         | on shell thickness or         | et  |
|         |           |         | reproduction. Mercury         | al. |
|         |           |         | residues in eggs from Martin  | 1   |
|         |           |         | Refuge, MD may be increasing. | 992 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Wood    | Mycteria  | North   | Hg concentrations in chicks   | B   |
| stork   | americana | eastern | from Florida significantly    | urg |
|         |           | Florida | higher than those from Costa  | er, |
|         |           | & west  | Rica.                         | J   |
|         |           | coast   |                               | et  |
|         |           | of      |                               | al. |
|         |           | Costa   |                               | 1   |
|         |           | Rica    |                               | 993 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| A       | Elanoides | Central | Mean mercury concentrations   | Lee |
| merican | f         | Florida | (n=12) were 0.09 ppm for      | DS  |
| swallow | orficatus |         | muscle, 0.25 ppm for liver,   | and |
| -tailed |           |         | and 0.31 ppm for kidney       | Cl  |
| kite    |           |         | tissues. Food items recovered | ark |
|         |           |         | from gizzards were almost all | MK  |
|         |           |         | insects.                      | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 993 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Bald    | H         | USA     | Eggs collected in 15 states   | Wi  |
| eagle   | aliaeetus |         | (AK,OR,ID,WY,AZ,MN            | eme |
|         | leuc      |         | ,WI,MI,OH,ME,NJ,DE,MD,VA,FL). | yer |
|         | ocephalus |         | Hg concentations highest in   | SN  |
|         |           |         | eggs from Maine, most         | et  |
|         |           |         | contaminants lowest in eggs   | al. |
|         |           |         | from AZ.                      | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 993 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | S       | Hg concentrations in the      | Spa |
| white   | herodias  | outhern | livers of 22 dead birds were  | ldi |
| heron   | occ       | Florida | measured. Birds that died of  | ng, |
|         | identalis |         | acute causes (9) had less Hg  | MG  |
|         |           |         | (mean 1.77 ppm wet mass) than | et  |
|         |           |         | those (13) that died of       | al. |
|         |           |         | chronic diseases (mean 9.76   | 1   |
|         |           |         | ppm wet mass). Kidney disease | 994 |
|         |           |         | and gout were present in      |     |
|         |           |         | birds w/ \>25 ppm wet mass    |     |
|         |           |         | liver Hg (3).                 |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Wading  | Various   | S       | Birds with higher \[Hg\]=s    | S   |
| birds   | species   | outhern | were either from central      | und |
|         |           | Florida | Everglades and eastern        | lof |
|         |           |         | Florida Bay areas vs other    | SF  |
|         |           |         | areas, fledgling or young     | et  |
|         |           |         | adult birds vs nestlings, ate | al. |
|         |           |         | larger fish than other        | 1   |
|         |           |         | species, or had minimal to    | 994 |
|         |           |         | moderate amounts of body fat  |     |
|         |           |         | vs relatively abundant body   |     |
|         |           |         | fat reserves. Data suggest    |     |
|         |           |         | declining numbers of nesting  |     |
|         |           |         | goniconiiform birds in FL may |     |
|         |           |         | be due in part to Hg          |     |
|         |           |         | contamination of food supply. |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Wood    | Mycteria  | C       | Computer simulation of        | H   |
| stork   | americana | omputer | effects of Hg on a population | all |
|         |           | Simu    | of Wood Storks. No actual     | am, |
|         |           | lation/ | data.                         | TG  |
|         |           | Florida |                               | et  |
|         |           | Eve     |                               | al. |
|         |           | rglades |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 996 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| S       | Various   | N       | Determined the relationship   | Kim |
| eabirds | species   | orthern | between Hg and Se levels in   | EY  |
|         |           | Pacific | the liver of 10 seabird       | et  |
|         |           | Ocean & | species. Highest              | al. |
|         |           | Gough   | concentrations of total Hg    | 1   |
|         |           | Island  | (mean 267 ug/g dry wt), MeHg  | 996 |
|         |           |         | (mean 25.5 ug/g dry wt) and   |     |
|         |           |         | Se (mean 113 ug/g dry wt)     |     |
|         |           |         | were in liver of blackfooted  |     |
|         |           |         | albatross (Diomedea           |     |
|         |           |         | nigripes). Equivalent molar   |     |
|         |           |         | ratio of 1:1 btwn total Hg    |     |
|         |           |         | and Se was found in           |     |
|         |           |         | individuals that contain over |     |
|         |           |         | 100 ug Hg/g. This             |     |
|         |           |         | relationship was unclear in   |     |
|         |           |         | individuals with relatively   |     |
|         |           |         | low Hg levels. Suggests that  |     |
|         |           |         | Se plays a role in Hg         |     |
|         |           |         | detoxification for            |     |
|         |           |         | individuals with high Hg.     |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Bald    | H         | F       | Mercury levels are lower than | W   |
| eagle   | aliaeetus | lorida, | other wild populations, but   | ood |
|         | le        | USA     | higher than in captive        | and |
|         | ucephalus |         | eagles. Below levels that     | oth |
|         |           |         | cause increased mortality,    | ers |
|         |           |         | but possibly within range to  | 1   |
|         |           |         | affect behavior or            | 996 |
|         |           |         | reproduction.                 |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Sharp   | Accipiter | Eastern | Tested other conatminant      | W   |
| shinned | striatus  | US      | lefvels in addition to Hg. Hg | ood |
| hawk    |           | states  | was one of 3 contaminates     | et  |
|         |           |         | test that was detected most   | al. |
|         |           |         | often and in highest          | 1   |
|         |           |         | concentrations. Data suggest  | 996 |
|         |           |         | that it is unlikely that the  |     |
|         |           |         | contaminants are impairing    |     |
|         |           |         | reproduction.                 |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Roseate | Ajaia     | S       | Mean concentrations of Hg in  | Bey |
| sp      | ajaja     | outhern | feathers ranged from 2.0 ppm  | er, |
| oonbill |           | Florida | (spoonbill nestlings) to 8.2  | WN  |
|         | Ardea     |         | ppm (GW heron adults).        | et  |
| Great   | herodias  |         | Regression of liver           | al. |
| blue    |           |         | concentration vs. feather     | 1   |
| heron   | Ardea     |         | concentration had r=0.84.     | 997 |
|         | herodias  |         |                               |     |
| Great   | occ       |         |                               |     |
| white   | identalis |         |                               |     |
| heron   |           |         |                               |     |
|         | Ca        |         |                               |     |
| Great   | smerodius |         |                               |     |
| egret   | albus     |         |                               |     |
|         |           |         |                               |     |
| Wood    | Mycteria  |         |                               |     |
| stork   | americana |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Fo      | Sterna    | LAB     | Laboratory studies determined | Bur |
| rster=s | forsteri  | ORATORY | that mercury levels of 0.5-6  | ger |
| tern    |           | STUDY & | ppm (wet wt.) in eggs and     | and |
|         | Rynchops  | field   | 5-40 ppm (dry wt.) in         | Go  |
| Black   | niger     | study:  | feathers cause adverse        | chf |
| skimmer |           | New     | effects, including decreased  | eld |
|         | etc       | York,   | growth, embryo malformations, | 1   |
| others  |           | USA     | and increases in mortality.   | 997 |
|         |           |         | Field studies in New York     |     |
|         |           |         | Bight found mercury levels    |     |
|         |           |         | within these ranges; two      |     |
|         |           |         | species with highest Hg       |     |
|         |           |         | levels also experiencing      |     |
|         |           |         | greatest population declines  |     |
|         |           |         | (Forster=s tern, black        |     |
|         |           |         | skimmer).                     |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| M       | Zenaida   | South   | Analysis of Hg and other      | Bur |
| ourning | macroura  | C       | metals in breast feathers,    | ger |
| dove    |           | arolina | liver, and muscle. In all 3   | et  |
|         |           |         | tissues, Hg levels were       | al. |
|         |           |         | nondetectable.                | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 997 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Little  | Egretta   | Axios   | Mercury concentrations were   | G   |
| egret   | garzetta  | Delta,  | similar to or higher than     | out |
|         | N         | Greece  | concentrations in herons from | ner |
| Night   | ycticorax |         | polluted areas in the US and  | and |
| heron   | n         |         | Japan; toxic effects          | F   |
|         | ycticorax |         | difficult to assess.          | urn |
|         |           |         |                               | ess |
|         |           |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 997 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Mallard | Anas      | lab     | Compares effects on drakes of | H   |
| duck    | plat      | study   | Se and Hg in combination &    | off |
|         | yrhynchos |         | separately. Response to Hg    | man |
|         |           |         | exposure: hematocrit &        | DJ  |
|         |           |         | hemoglobin concentrations     | and |
|         |           |         | decreased; activities of      | GH  |
|         |           |         | enzymes glutathione (GSH)     | He  |
|         |           |         | peroxidase (plasma & liver),  | inz |
|         |           |         | glutathione-S-transferase     | 1   |
|         |           |         | (liver), and                  | 998 |
|         |           |         | glucose-6-phosphate           |     |
|         |           |         | dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH)       |     |
|         |           |         | (liver and brain) decreased;  |     |
|         |           |         | hepatic oxidized glutathione  |     |
|         |           |         | (GSSG) concentration          |     |
|         |           |         | increased relative to reduced |     |
|         |           |         | glutathione (GSH). Exposure   |     |
|         |           |         | to Se & Hg partially or       |     |
|         |           |         | totally alleviated effects of |     |
|         |           |         | Hg on GSH peroxidase,         |     |
|         |           |         | G-6-PDH, and GSSG. Concludes  |     |
|         |           |         | ability of Se to restore      |     |
|         |           |         | activities of G-6-PDH, GSH    |     |
|         |           |         | peroxidase, U glutathione     |     |
|         |           |         | status involved in            |     |
|         |           |         | antioxidative defense         |     |
|         |           |         | mechanisms may be crucial to  |     |
|         |           |         | protection from effects of    |     |
|         |           |         | Hg.                           |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Common  | Gavia     | North   | Die-off of common loons       | A   |
| loon    | immer     | C       | investigated. Geometric mean  | ugs |
|         |           | arolina | \[Hg\] in primary remiges     | pur |
|         |           |         | (5.44 ppm dry wt)             | ger |
|         |           |         | significantly lower than in   | T   |
|         |           |         | reference birds. Liver Hg     | et  |
|         |           |         | correlated with liver Se on   | al. |
|         |           |         | molar concentration basis.    | 1   |
|         |           |         | Range of \[Hg\] in birds from | 998 |
|         |           |         | the epizootic, similar liver  |     |
|         |           |         | \[Hg\]=s in reference loons,  |     |
|         |           |         | and higher \[Hg\]=s in        |     |
|         |           |         | reference loon feathers       |     |
|         |           |         | suggest that Hg was not       |     |
|         |           |         | primarily responsible for the |     |
|         |           |         | emaciation diagnosed as the   |     |
|         |           |         | cause of mortality.           |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Wood    | Mycteria  | G       | Mercury was found in most     | Gar |
| stork   | americana | eorgia, | prey items regurgitated by    | ibo |
|         |           | USA     | nestlings; using one lowest   | ldi |
|         |           |         | observable adverse effect     | and |
|         |           |         | concentration (LOAEC)         | oth |
|         |           |         | guideline, nestlings in all   | ers |
|         |           |         | colonies studied may be at    | 1   |
|         |           |         | risk of sublethal effects     | 998 |
|         |           |         | from mercury.                 |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Osprey, | Pandion   | Clear   | Osprey feathers from Clear    | Cah |
| other   | haliaetus | Lake,   | Lake had higher Hg than 3     | ill |
| bird    |           | CA, USA | other areas; differences in   | and |
| spp.    |           |         | Hg concentrations in other    | oth |
|         |           |         | birds follow trophic status;  | ers |
|         |           |         | osprey reproduction does not  | 1   |
|         |           |         | seem to be affected.          | 998 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Common  | Gavia     | Nova    | Mercury levels in blood are   | Noc |
| loon    | immer     | Scotia, | unusually high; downy young   | era |
|         |           | Canada  | spend less time back-riding   | and |
|         |           |         | and more time preening,       | Tay |
|         |           |         | possibly increasing energy    | lor |
|         |           |         | expenditure and risk to       | 1   |
|         |           |         | young.                        | 998 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Common  | Gavia     | North   | Geographic trend was found,   | Ev  |
| loon    | immer     | America | with blood mercury levels     | ers |
|         |           |         | increasing from west to east, | and |
|         |           |         | highest in Canadian           | oth |
|         |           |         | Maritimes. Mercury            | ers |
|         |           |         | concentrations in feathers    | 1   |
|         |           |         | highest in New England;       | 998 |
|         |           |         | mercury higher in males than  |     |
|         |           |         | females, higher in adults     |     |
|         |           |         | than juveniles.               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Common  | Gavia     | Eastern | Emaciated loons found dead or | Sc  |
| loon    | immer     | Canada  | weakened had tissue mercury   | heu |
| Common  |           |         | concentrations associated     | ham |
| me      | Mergus    |         | with reproductive impairment  | mer |
| rganser | merganser |         | and toxicity; healthy loons   | and |
|         |           |         | and mergansers had lower      | oth |
|         |           |         | levels; selenium              | ers |
|         |           |         | concentrations in all birds   | 1   |
|         |           |         | exceeded background           | 998 |
|         |           |         | standards.                    |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | In      | Chicks received 0, .5, or 5   | B   |
| egret   | albus     | cap     | mg MeHgCl/ kg of food between | out |
|         |           | tivity; | 12 and 105 d of age.          | on, |
|         |           | eggs    | High-dose birds became        | SN  |
|         |           | from    | severely ataxic and were      | et  |
|         |           | s       | euthanized by 12 weeks of     | al. |
|         |           | outhern | age. There were significant   | 1   |
|         |           | Florida | effects in the low-dose       | 999 |
|         |           |         | birdson activity, tendency to |     |
|         |           |         | seek shade, and motivation to |     |
|         |           |         | hunt prey.                    |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Sc      | A         | Central | Analyzed levels in eggs.      | Bur |
| rub-jay | phelocoma | Florida | Arithmetic mean Hg            | ger |
|         | coe       |         | concentration (74 ppb) low,   | J   |
|         | rulescens |         | lower than concentrations     | et  |
|         |           |         | associated with abnormalities | al. |
|         |           |         | in birds. Highly skewed data  | 1   |
|         |           |         | (arithmetic mean much higher  | 999 |
|         |           |         | than geometric mean).         |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Belted  | Ceryle    | Oak     | MeHg poses a moderate risk to | Dwa |
| kin     | alcyon    | Ridge,  | female mink and kingfishers   | yne |
| gfisher |           | TN      | in the East Fork Poplar Creek | RJ, |
|         | Mustela   |         | near the US Dept. of Energy   | et  |
| Mink    | vison     |         | nuclear weapons facility.     | al. |
|         |           |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 999 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | Florida | Found 4-yr mean total Hg      | Fre |
| egret   | albus     | Eve     | concentration in diets = 0.41 | der |
|         |           | rglades | mg/kg; based on that level,   | ick |
|         |           |         | estimated that nestlings      | PC, |
|         |           |         | would ingest 4.32 mg total Hg | et  |
|         |           |         | during 80-day nestling        | al. |
|         |           |         | period.                       | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 999 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | Ten     | PCB and mercury               | Ha  |
| blue    | herodias  | nessee, | concentrations generally      | lbr |
| heron   |           | USA     | higher in eggs and chicks     | ook |
|         |           |         | collected from a colony on    | and |
|         |           |         | the Oak Ridge Reservation;    | oth |
|         |           |         | heron fecundity does not      | ers |
|         |           |         | appear to be affected, though | 1   |
|         |           |         | effects on individual chicks  | 999 |
|         |           |         | are unknown.                  |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | F       | Great egret nestlings in the  | Sep |
| egret   | albus     | lorida, | Everglade region seem to have | ulv |
|         |           | USA     | higher mercury concentrations | eda |
|         |           |         | than other young birds        | and |
|         |           |         | studied in southern Florida.  | oth |
|         |           |         |                               | ers |
|         |           |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 999 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | Florida | Study compared effects of     | Sp  |
| egret   | albus     | Eve     | MeHg chloride levels in       | ald |
|         |           | rglades | captive and wild nestlings.   | ing |
|         |           | (FE)    | Captive low (0.5 mg/kg fish)  | MG, |
|         |           |         | dosed birds given MeHg at     | et  |
|         |           |         | concentrations comparable to  | al. |
|         |           |         | current exposure of wild      | 2   |
|         |           |         | birds in the FE showed        | 000 |
|         |           |         | symptoms such as lower packed |     |
|         |           |         | cell volumes, dingy feathers, |     |
|         |           |         | and few lymphoid aggregates   |     |
|         |           |         | in lung when compared to      |     |
|         |           |         | control nestlings. High dosed |     |
|         |           |         | captives (5 mg/kg) showed     |     |
|         |           |         | severe hematologic,           |     |
|         |           |         | neurologic, and histologic    |     |
|         |           |         | changes.                      |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Great   | Ardea     | Florida | Captive nestlings taken from  | Sp  |
| egret   | albus     | Eve     | FE kept as controls or dosed  | ald |
|         |           | rglades | at low or high levels (see    | ing |
|         |           | (FE)    | above). High-dosed birds      | MG, |
|         |           |         | showed subacutre toxicosis at | et  |
|         |           |         | wk 10-12. Found that rapidly  | al. |
|         |           |         | growing feathers retain       | 2   |
|         |           |         | mercury and may protect       | 000 |
|         |           |         | nestlings from adverse        |     |
|         |           |         | effects until feathers cease  |     |
|         |           |         | growing. Therefore fledging   |     |
|         |           |         | wading birds may be more at   |     |
|         |           |         | risk than younger nestlings.  |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Osprey  | Pandion   | British | Hg concentrations uniform     | E   |
|         | haliaetus | Co      | across sites and comparable   | lli |
|         |           | lumbia, | to those reported in the      | ott |
|         |           | Wash    | literature for ospreys        | JE, |
|         |           | ington, | nesting on naturally formed   | et  |
|         |           | and     | lakes and rivers. No          | al. |
|         |           | Oregon  | significant temporal changes  | 2   |
|         |           |         | in mean concentrations from   | 000 |
|         |           |         | 1991 to 1997.                 |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Lesser  | Aythya    | East    | Male lesser scaup collected   | Cus |
| scaup   | affinis   | C       | on the Indiana Harbor Canal   | ter |
|         |           | hicago, | had higher concentrations of  | TW, |
|         |           | IN      | mercury than reference        | et  |
|         |           |         | (bought from a farm in MN)    | al. |
|         |           |         | birds. The maximum Hg         | 2   |
|         |           |         | concentration found in the 21 | 000 |
|         |           |         | scaup analyzed was 1.6 ug/g.  |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Common  | Somateria | Finland | Median residue of mercury in  | F   |
| eider   | m         |         | eider eggs was 0.10 ppm on    | ran |
|         | ollissima |         | fresh weight basis and        | son |
|         |           |         | concentrations of Hg in eggs  | JC, |
|         |           |         | were correlated with those in | et  |
|         |           |         | blood.                        | al. |
|         |           |         |                               | 2   |
|         |           |         |                               | 000 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
|         |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| FISH    |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Fish    | Various   | Mi      | Trend analysis showed mercury | Sw  |
|         |           | nnesota | levels in fish increased      | ain |
|         |           |         | significantly between the     | EB  |
|         |           |         | 1930s and 1980s and between   | and |
|         |           |         | the 1970s and 1980s. Rates of | DD  |
|         |           |         | increase highest in           | Hel |
|         |           |         | low-alkalinity lakes.         | wig |
|         |           |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 989 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Walleye | Sti       | Wi      | Analyzed 231 walleye from 38  | L   |
|         | zostedion | sconsin | lakes; positive correlation   | ath |
|         | vitreum   |         | between fish length and Hg    | rop |
|         |           |         | concentration; mean Hg        | RC  |
|         |           |         | concentration increased as    | et  |
|         |           |         | lake pH, alkalinity, calcium, | al. |
|         |           |         | conductivity, and chlorophyll | 1   |
|         |           |         | a values decreased.           | 989 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| N       | Esox      | Mi      | Mercury concentrations in     | So  |
| orthern | lucius    | nnesota | fish, precip, lake water,     | ren |
| pike    |           |         | sediment, and zooplankton     | sen |
|         | Sti       |         | analyzed in 80 watersheds. Hg | JA  |
| Walleye | zostedion |         | residue levels in northern    | et  |
|         | vitreum   |         | pike average was \~450 ng     | al. |
|         |           |         | Hg/g. Found notable           | 1   |
|         |           |         | correlates with Hg residue    | 990 |
|         |           |         | levels in northern pike to be |     |
|         |           |         | Hg concentrations in          |     |
|         |           |         | zooplankton and water, total  |     |
|         |           |         | organic carbon concentration, |     |
|         |           |         | and pH.                       |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Lar     | Mi        | Marais  | Eleven samples were analyzed  | Al  |
| gemouth | cropterus | Des     | (2 of each species, 3 of      | len |
| bass    | salmoides | Cygnes  | smallmouth buffalo). Hg       | GT  |
| River   |           | N       | concentrations (in ug/g dry   | et  |
| car     | Carpiodes | ational | weight): largemouth           | al. |
| psucker | carpio    | W       | bass(.66,.66); river          | 1   |
| Common  |           | ildlife | carpsucker(.52,.20), common   | 995 |
| carp    | Cyprinus  | Refuge, | carp(.23,.36), smallmouth     |     |
| Sma     | carpio    | KS and  | buffalo(.24,\<.20,\<.20),     |     |
| llmouth |           | MO      | bigmouth                      |     |
| buffalo | Ictiobus  |         | buffalo(\<.20,\<.20).         |     |
| B       | bubalus   |         |                               |     |
| igmouth |           |         |                               |     |
| buffalo | Ictiobus  |         |                               |     |
|         | cy        |         |                               |     |
|         | prinnelus |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
|         |           |         | Trophic transfer of MeHg from | Ma  |
|         |           |         | phytoplankton to zooplankton  | son |
|         |           |         | is much more efficient than   | RP  |
|         |           |         | the same transfer of          | et  |
|         |           |         | inorganic mercury. Shows that | al. |
|         |           |         | this is due to greater        | 1   |
|         |           |         | concentration of MeHg in the  | 995 |
|         |           |         | algal cytoplasm compared to   |     |
|         |           |         | inorganic Hg, which is        |     |
|         |           |         | associated primarily with the |     |
|         |           |         | cellular membranes. Major     |     |
|         |           |         | enrichment factor is between  |     |
|         |           |         | water and phytoplankton. As a |     |
|         |           |         | result, \[MeHg\] in fish is   |     |
|         |           |         | ultimately decided by water   |     |
|         |           |         | chemistry, which controls     |     |
|         |           |         | MeHg speciation and uptake at |     |
|         |           |         | the base of the food chain.   |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Sand    | Pomat     | S       | Adults exposed to sewage      | War |
| goby    | oschistus | cotland | sludge for 19 wks prior to    | ing |
|         | minutus   |         | end of spawning. Significant  | CP  |
|         |           |         | effect on male mortality      | et  |
|         |           |         | rates, tendency toward higher | al. |
|         |           |         | mortality rate of eggs and    | 1   |
|         |           |         | larvae from sludge-exposed    | 996 |
|         |           |         | females, major reduction in   |     |
|         |           |         | the number of eggs and larvae |     |
|         |           |         | produced.                     |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Red     | Sciaenops | South   | HgCl2 shown to produce both   | Mac |
| drum    | ocellatus | C       | high-dose inhibition and      | dou |
|         |           | arolina | low-dose activation of        | gal |
|         |           |         | leukocytes. Concentrations    | KC  |
|         |           |         | \>= 10uM suppressed DNA       | et  |
|         |           |         | synthesis and induce rapid    | al. |
|         |           |         | influx of radiolabeled        | 1   |
|         |           |         | calcium, as well as tyrosine  | 996 |
|         |           |         | phosphorylation of numerous   |     |
|         |           |         | cellular proteins. Results    |     |
|         |           |         | support possibility that      |     |
|         |           |         | subtoxic doses of HgCl2 may   |     |
|         |           |         | inappropriately activate      |     |
|         |           |         | teleost leukocytes,           |     |
|         |           |         | potentially altering the      |     |
|         |           |         | processes that regulate the   |     |
|         |           |         | magnitude and specificity of  |     |
|         |           |         | the fish immune response to   |     |
|         |           |         | environmental pathogens.      |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| B       | Lepomis   | M       | Sampled fish in ponds near a  | P   |
| luegill | ma        | aryland | coal-fired power plant. Mean  | ink |
| sunfish | crochirus |         | Hg concentrations in the 23   | ney |
|         |           |         | ponds sampled for sunfish     | AE  |
| Green   | Lepomis   |         | ranged from 0.01 to 0.38ppm   | et  |
| sunfish | cyanellus |         | and in the 14 ponds sampled   | al. |
|         |           |         | for largemouth bass ranged    | 1   |
| Lar     | Mi        |         | from 0.04 to 0.43 ppm.        | 997 |
| gemouth | cropterus |         |                               |     |
| bass    | salmoides |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| G       | Thymallus | LAB     | Fish that developed from      | Fj  |
| rayling | thymallus | ORATORY | embryos with methylmercury    | eld |
|         |           | EXPE    | concentrations of 0.27 mg     | and |
|         |           | RIMENT, | Hg/kg exhibited decreased     | oth |
|         |           | Norway  | foraging efficiency when      | ers |
|         |           |         | tested against control fish.  | 1   |
|         |           |         | Permanent behavioral          | 998 |
|         |           |         | impairment may result in      |     |
|         |           |         | decreased fitness of natural  |     |
|         |           |         | fish populations in exposed   |     |
|         |           |         | areas.                        |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Sma     | Mi        | M       | Concentrations of mercury are | He  |
| llmouth | cropterus | ichigan | high enough to cause concern  | nry |
| bass    | dolomieu  | (Upper  | about predation by upper      | and |
|         |           | Peni    | trophic-level predators, such | oth |
|         |           | nsula), | as mink, though no population | ers |
|         |           | USA     | level effects can be          | 1   |
|         |           |         | expected.                     | 998 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Lar     | Mi        | Conn    | Analyzed relationships        | Han |
| gemouth | cropterus | ecticut | between \[Hg\] in largemouth  | ten |
| bass    | salmoides |         | bass (LMB) and physical &     | RP  |
|         |           |         | chemical characteristics of 2 | et  |
|         |           |         | types of lakes: Type I        | al. |
|         |           |         | (natural drainage lakes) and  | 1   |
|         |           |         | Type II (artificial           | 998 |
|         |           |         | impoundments). LMB expected   |     |
|         |           |         | \[Hg\] (EHg) in Type I lakes  |     |
|         |           |         | was most strongly correlated  |     |
|         |           |         | to particulate phosphorus and |     |
|         |           |         | conductivity. LMB EHg in Type |     |
|         |           |         | II lakes was significantly    |     |
|         |           |         | different among regions.      |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Sac     | Orthodon  | Clear   | Through a 10 week sampling    | Ch  |
| ramento | micro     | Lake,   | period, found highly          | oi, |
| bl      | lepidotus | CA      | significant, positive         | MH  |
| ackfish |           |         | correlation between mean      | and |
|         |           |         | total \[Hg\] in fish blood    | JJ  |
|         |           |         | and in the pelleted           | C   |
|         |           |         | commercial fish feed used to  | ech |
|         |           |         | feed fish in lab and fish     | Jr  |
|         |           |         | farm settings.                | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 998 |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Yellow  | Perca     | Massach | 24 lakes examined, largemouth | R   |
| perch   | f         | usetts, | bass had highest              | ose |
| Lar     | lavescens | USA     | concentrations of mercury,    | and |
| gemouth |           |         | and correlation was found     | oth |
| bass    | Mi        |         | between mercury level and     | ers |
|         | cropterus |         | size/weight of bass.          | 1   |
| Brown   | salmoides |         |                               | 999 |
| b       |           |         |                               |     |
| ullhead | Ameiurus  |         |                               |     |
|         | nebulosus |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Brown   | Salmo     | Sweden  | Hg did not accumulate after   | R   |
| trout   | trutta    |         | intravenous injection         | oul |
|         |           |         | indicating blood-brain        | eau |
| Rainbow | Onc       |         | barrier impervious to Hg in   | C   |
| trout   | orhynchus |         | plasma. Hg accumulated in     | et  |
|         | mykiss    |         | specific areas of the brain   | al. |
|         |           |         | and spinal cord after water   | 1   |
|         |           |         | exposure to Hg. Specificity   | 999 |
|         |           |         | of areas affected indicated   |     |
|         |           |         | axonal transport toward the   |     |
|         |           |         | brain, a normal physiological |     |
|         |           |         | process.                      |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Rainbow | Onc       | New     | Mean \[MeHg\] in all 4        | Kim |
| trout   | orhynchus | Zealand | species increased linearly    | JP  |
|         | mykiss    |         | with mean total Hg and        | and |
| Smelt   |           |         | \[MeHgCl\] in water           | S   |
|         | R         |         |                               | Bur |
| Bully   | etropinna |         |                               | ggr |
|         | r         |         |                               | aaf |
| Koura   | etropinna |         |                               | 1   |
|         |           |         |                               | 999 |
|         | Gob       |         |                               |     |
|         | iomorphus |         |                               |     |
|         | c         |         |                               |     |
|         | otidianus |         |                               |     |
|         |           |         |                               |     |
|         | Par       |         |                               |     |
|         | anephrops |         |                               |     |
|         | p         |         |                               |     |
|         | lanifrons |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Striped | Morone    | M       | Freshwater, tidal, &          | G   |
| bass    | saxatilis | aryland | estuarine sites. Largest      | ilm |
|         |           |         | freshwater fish contained     | our |
| Lar     | Mi        |         | highest \[Hg\].Striped bass   | CC  |
| gemouth | cropterus |         | (SB) & Largemouth bass (LMB)  | and |
| bass    | salmoides |         | from estuarine and tidal      | GS  |
|         |           |         | sites contained less Hg at    | Rie |
| Other   |           |         | the same size than same       | del |
| species |           |         | species in freshwaters. Large | 2   |
| g       |           |         | striped bass, chain pickerel  | 000 |
| amefish |           |         | (Esox niger), and walleye     |     |
|         |           |         | (Stizostedion vitreum) from   |     |
|         |           |         | Deep Creek Lake and Liberty   |     |
|         |           |         | Reservoir exceeded FDA action |     |
|         |           |         | level of 1 mg Hg/kg. SB, LMB, |     |
|         |           |         | and white crappie (Pomoxis    |     |
|         |           |         | annularis) in other           |     |
|         |           |         | impoundments equaled or       |     |
|         |           |         | exceeded a common advisory    |     |
|         |           |         | level of 0.5 mg Hg/kg.        |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| R       |           |         |                               |     |
| EPTILES |           |         |                               |     |
| &       |           |         |                               |     |
| AMP     |           |         |                               |     |
| HIBIANS |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Frog    | Xenopus   | lab     | Cytokine IL-1B decreased in   | Jel |
|         | laevis    | study   | Vth cranial ganlion and       | aso |
|         |           | (Tulane | myotomal blocks of X. laevis  | AM  |
|         |           | U., LA) | whole embryos exposed to      | et  |
|         |           |         | concentrations of MeHgCl      | al. |
|         |           |         | greater than or equal to 50   | 1   |
|         |           |         | ppb. Alterations in gross     | 997 |
|         |           |         | morphology and behavior as    |     |
|         |           |         | well as increased mortality   |     |
|         |           |         | also observed.                |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Al      | Alligator | USA,    | Mercury was found in all      | Ja  |
| ligator | missis    | sout    | alligators sampled; levels    | goe |
|         | sipiensis | heaster | highest in Florida            | and |
|         |           | n       | Everglades. Mercury           | oth |
|         |           | region  | concentrations were           | ers |
|         |           |         | correlated with length in     | 1   |
|         |           |         | Everglade alligators. Mercury | 998 |
|         |           |         | levels exceed consumption     |     |
|         |           |         | guidelines set for fish in    |     |
|         |           |         | many of the alligators        |     |
|         |           |         | tested; this may pose a       |     |
|         |           |         | health risk to those that     |     |
|         |           |         | consume alligator meat.       |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
| Al      | Alligator | Florida | Found concentrations of Hg &  | Bur |
| ligator | missis    |         | other metals ot be relatively | ger |
|         | sipiensis |         | low. Suggests that            | J   |
|         |           |         | reprodutive impairment not    | et  |
|         |           |         | due to metal s and metals     | al. |
|         |           |         | pose no health risk to the    | 2   |
|         |           |         | alligators. \[Hg\]=s in liver | 000 |
|         |           |         | most highly correlated with   |     |
|         |           |         | that in biopsied skin tissue. |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+
|         |           |         |                               |     |
+---------+-----------+---------+-------------------------------+-----+