Total mercury (THg) concentrations were measured in wild alligators inhabiting a coastal marsh in southern Louisiana, to determine the tissue distribution of THg among various body organs and tissue compartments. Concentrations of THg in claws and dermal tail scutes were compared to those in blood, brain, gonad, heart, kidney, liver, and skeletal muscle to determine if the former tissues, commonly available by non-lethal sampling, could be used as measures of body burdens in various internal organs. Mercury was found in all body organs and tissue compartments. However, overall, THg concentrations measured in alligators were below the FDA action level for fish consumption and were comparable to previous data reported from southwestern Louisiana. Our results suggest consumption of meat from alligators found in this region may be of little public health concern. However, the extended period of time between sampling (in this study) and the present-day highlight the need for continuous, additional, and more recent sampling to ensure consumer safety. Total mercury concentrations were highest in the kidney (3.18 ± 0.69 mg/kg dw) and liver (3.12 ± 0.76 mg/kg dw). THg levels in non-lethal samples (blood, claws, and dermal tail scutes) were positively correlated with all tissue THg concentrations (blood: R² = 0.513–0.988; claw: R² = 0.347–0.637, scutes: R² = 0.333–0.649). Because THg concentrations from blood, claws, and scutes were correlated with those of the internal organs, non-lethal sampling methods may be a viable method of estimating levels of THg in other body tissues.

在路易斯安那州南部沿海沼泽地的野生鳄鱼中测量了总汞 (THg) 浓度，以确定 THg 在各种身体器官和组织隔间中的组织分布。将爪子和真皮尾盾中的 THg 浓度与血液、大脑、性腺、心脏、肾脏、肝脏和骨骼肌中的浓度进行比较，以确定通常通过非致命采样获得的前组织是否可以用作测量身体各个器官的负担。在所有身体器官和组织隔间中都发现了汞。然而，总体而言，短吻鳄中测得的 THg 浓度低于 FDA 对鱼类消费的行动水平，并且与路易斯安那州西南部报告的先前数据相当。我们的研究结果表明，食用在该地区发现的短吻鳄的肉可能几乎没有公共卫生问题。然而，采样（在本研究中）和现在之间的延长时间凸显了持续、额外和更新采样的必要性，以确保消费者安全。肾脏 (3.18 ± 0.69 mg/kg dw) 和肝脏 (3.12 ± 0.76 mg/kg dw) 的总汞浓度最高。非致命样本（血液、爪子和真皮尾盾）中的 THg 水平与所有组织 THg 浓度（血液：12 ± 0.76 毫克/千克干重）。非致命样本（血液、爪子和真皮尾盾）中的 THg 水平与所有组织 THg 浓度（血液：12 ± 0.76 毫克/千克干重）。非致命样本（血液、爪子和真皮尾盾）中的 THg 水平与所有组织 THg 浓度（血液：R ²  = 0.513–0.988；爪：R ²  = 0.347–0.637，鳞片：R ²  = 0.333–0.649)。由于血液、爪子和盾牌中的 THg 浓度与内脏器官的浓度相关，因此非致命采样方法可能是估计其他身体组织中 THg 水平的可行方法。