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Preferential Liver Accumulation of Mercury Explains Low Concentrations in Muscle of Caiman yacare (Alligatoridae) in Upper Amazon

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Abstract

Caiman yacare is considered one of the top predators in the Amazon basin, and understanding pollutant distribution within its tissues may help its sustainable management. As a top predator, C. yacare should have the highest mercury concentrations, but has lower Hg concentrations than carnivorous fish (Rivera et al. 2016), which are part of their diet. We compared total Hg among liver, kidney, fat, and muscle of C. yacare, and whether trends in the distribution of Hg among tissues were like other crocodilians, aquatic birds, omnivorous, and carnivorous fish. Fat had the lowest concentrations (0.025 ± 0.03 mg kg−1) followed by muscle (0.15 ± 0.06 mg kg−1), kidney (0.57 ± 0.30 mg kg−1) and liver (1.81 ± 0.80 mg kg−1). Such preferential accumulation makes C. yacare meat a safer alternative for human consumption than carnivorous fish. The relation between Hg accumulation in liver and muscle is highest in crocodilians, which has evolutive and environmental implications.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Unidad de Calidad Ambiental (P.I.; D. Achá) of the Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) and the Master program in Biology of the same University. This work was performed within the young research associate team “JEAI TITICACA” (P.I.; D. Achá) supported by the French Institute National Research for Sustainable Development (IRD). Field sampling was possible thanks to the funding and continues support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). We extend our particular thanks to Consejo Indígena del Pueblo Tacana (CIPTA) and Matusha Aidha Association of Caiman managers in Cachichira community. We would also like to thanks Gustavo Álvarez and José Luis Mollericona for their help during sampling.

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  1. Maestría en Ciencias Biológicas, Carrera de Biología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, P.O. Box 10077, La Paz, Bolivia

    Andrea C. Salazar-Pammo

  2. Wildlife Conservation Society, Madidi-Tambopata Landscape Conservation Program, P.O. Box 3- 35181, La Paz, Bolivia

    Andrea C. Salazar-Pammo & Guido Miranda-Chumacero

  3. Instituto de Ecología, Unidad de Calidad Ambiental, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, P.O. Box 10077, La Paz, Bolivia

    Dario Achá

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  1. Andrea C. Salazar-Pammo
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Salazar-Pammo, A.C., Achá, D. & Miranda-Chumacero, G. Preferential Liver Accumulation of Mercury Explains Low Concentrations in Muscle of Caiman yacare (Alligatoridae) in Upper Amazon. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 106, 264–269 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-03081-8

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