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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Organotropism of total mercury (THg) in Cichla pinima, ecological aspects and human consumption in fish from Amazon region, Brazil

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Author(s):
Azevedo, Juliana de Souza [1] ; Hortellani, Marcos Antonio [2] ; de Souza Sarkis, Jorge Eduardo [2]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Ambientais, Inst Ciencias Ambientais Quim & Farmaceut, Rua Sao Nicolau, 210, Diadema - Brazil
[2] Inst Pesquisas Energet & Nucl, Ctr Lasers & Aplicacoes, Ave Prof Lineu Prestes, 2242, Cidade Univ, Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: Environmental Science and Pollution Research; v. 26, n. 21, p. 21363-21370, JUL 2019.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

Specimens of the Cichla pinima are of ecological and economic importance in the Amazon region and are a good bioindicator species of Hg bioaccumulation. Adult specimens of Cichla pinima were obtained by fisheries in the Tapajos river region's impacted gold mining area. Tissues such as muscle, liver, skin, and gill were submitted for total mercury (THg) analysis. For hepatic bioavailability, assays were carried out in the whole liver and in the sub-cellular hepatic fraction. The weight-length relationship showed an equation of W = 2E-06L(3.3002) (R-2 = 0.856) indicating an allometric growth. The mean THg values found in the muscle tissue of 676 +/- 258 mu g kg(-1) were below the maximum limit established for human consumption, but were similar to Cichla fish from other areas impacted by Hg in the Amazon region. The trends of levels in the tissues were as follows: liver>muscle>gonads>skin>gill, with no significant differences between the gills and skin. A significant and positive correlation as r(s) = 0.65 was obtained between the THg contents in cytosolic fraction and the total hepatic THg (liver homogenate). However, only 7% of the THg were found and were available to the sub-cellular hepatic fraction. This profile can be an indicative of a hepatic cellular transference in fish exposed to high Hg levels in the Amazon region now that low concentrations of Hg have been found in the sub-cellular fraction. However, data of differential THg partition in the subcellular compartments should be considered, since others' hepatic fractions can act in the Hg linkage into the cell. (AU)