Methyl and Total Mercury Found in Two Man-Made Amazonian Reservoirs

Methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in water and fish samples from two reservoirs within Brazilian Amazon that present different limnological and ecological characteristics. Tucurui, a mesotrophic reservoir with clear water, presented higher Hg in water samples (12.7 +/- 8.4 ng L-1) than Balbina (2.2 +/- 0.5 ng L-1), an oligotrophic reservoir with black water. Neither Cichla spp. (piscivorous fish), nor Geophagus surinamensis (omnivorous fish) presented significant differences in length-normalized concentrations of MeHg and Hg in muscle, between both reservoirs. MeHg and Hg increased with body weight and standard length of Cichla spp., and also with the trophic level on the food chain. The Hg bioconcentration factor (BCF) increased with the trophic level of the fish, from the omnivorous (10(3)) to piscivorous fish (10(4)). Fish from Balbina, an ecosystem naturally rich in dissolved organic matter, presented the highest BCF. Not only the different limnological and ecological characteristics but also the feeding habits seem to influence the mercury concentration in fish.