Journal
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Volume 11, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/jmse11020276
Keywords
aquatic toxicology; heavy metals; mercury bioaccumulation; intertidal species; contamination factor; geoaccumulation index
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study investigated the mercury contamination in coastal sediments and biota near a shipwreck area and compared it to other locations. The results showed significantly higher mercury levels in the sediments and species near the shipwreck. The study also found that the biomagnification of mercury occurred from primary producers to consumers.
During the Spanish colonial era, ships frequently transported mercury across the Atlantic to the New World to be used in gold mining. As many of those eventually sank, shipwrecks may represent a local source of mercury contamination in the marine environment. In this context, evaluating mercury contamination in coastal sediments and mercury magnification in marine food webs is crucial for understanding mercury dynamics and estimating exposure to marine life in locations where shipwrecks occurred. This study investigated mercury concentration present in coastal sediments and biota from three distinct groups: macroalgae (Asparagopsis armata and Ulva lactuca), gastropods (Littorina striata and Patella candei gomesii) and crustaceans (Palaemon elegans and Pachygrapsus marmoratus) collected in the Azores Archipelago, Portugal (one site near a 16(th)-century shipwreck and others in locations further away). Mercury analyses indicated that the sediments and species from the shipwreck area had significantly higher mercury levels than the other areas. Fine sediments showed values above those established in sediment quality guidelines; however, considering the mercury concentration of the total sediment fraction, adverse biological effects are not expected to occur. Moreover, increased mercury concentration from primary producers to consumers reinforced the biomagnification potential of this metal.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available