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From Past Use to Present Effects: Total Mercury in Crustaceans and Fish in the Inner Estuary of Paraíba do Sul River, Southeast Brazil

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Abstract

Total mercury (Hg) concentration and stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) were used as chemical tracers in two crustaceans and four fish species that are targets of subsistence fishery in the inner estuary of the Paraíba do Sul River. This fluvial environment in southeast Brazil has a large historical utilization of Hg. δ15N was a better predictor of Hg concentration in the muscle (edible part) than δ13C; i.e., the Hg concentration was more closely related to the trophic position of species than species’ trophic habitat. Consumers at higher trophic levels had higher Hg concentrations. The Hg concentration was below the maximum permissible limits established by the Brazilian Government in fishery products, and there are no human risks related to its consumption.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to Dr. Marcelo Gomes de Almeida for the stable isotope’s analysis. This study was funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPq (Grant No. 301.259/2017-8) and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro—FAPERJ (Grant Nos. E-26/202.770/2017, E-26/210.883/2016 and E-26/210.064/2018).

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Correspondence to Ana Paula Madeira Di Beneditto.

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Di Beneditto, A.P.M., Kehrig, H.d.A. & Pestana, I.A. From Past Use to Present Effects: Total Mercury in Crustaceans and Fish in the Inner Estuary of Paraíba do Sul River, Southeast Brazil. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 107, 124–130 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03167-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-021-03167-x

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