Mercury Status of the Amazon Continental Shelf: Guiana Dolphins (Sotalia guianensis, Van Ben,d,n 1864) as a Bioindicator

Total mercury (Hg) was analyzed in muscle tissue of 27 accidentally captured Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) in order to evaluate Hg contamination levels present in the Amazon Continental Shelf, in Amapa state, North Brazil. The samples showed a mean concentration of 0.4 +/- A 0.16 mu g/g wet weight (ww), ranging from 0.07 to 0.79 mu g/g ww. As observed in several other cetacean species, Hg concentrations presented positive correlations to body length, related to the capacity to bioaccumulate this element throughout life. Hg concentrations were not significantly different between males (mean = 0.38 mu g/g ww; n = 15) and females (mean = 0.42 mu g/g ww; n = 12). Concentrations were low when compared to results of studies carried out with small cetaceans in the Northern Hemisphere, and with some previous studies in the south-eastern region of Brazil. In contrast with high Hg concentrations normally detected in river dolphin samples from Amazon River tributaries, our results suggest that the Amazon coast contains low levels of Hg in bioavailable form.