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A. Gnamus and M. Horvat
established for different tissues of roe deer, and the relationship to their diet
was found.
• Some efforts were made to establish the role of herbivores in transferring
various mercury species from plant foodstuffs into the higher links of the
terrestrial food web. The importance of herbivore Hg transformation
processes for accumulation in consumers of the higher trophic levels,
including man, will be assessed through further studies. The data from the
study should be complemented with a larger number of herbivores, more
individual raptors in the present food web in the polluted area, and also biota
from other terrestrial and aquatic food webs, in order to demonstrate their
interdependence.
• Since the potential harmful effects of Hg for some larger terrestrial wild
mammals in the natural environment affected by anthropogenic Hg
emissions are comparable to those for the exposed human population in
the area animals may serve as appropriate indicators of Hg contamination.
• Our data on Hg concentrations in soil samples, composite plant samples
corresponding to roe deer diet, roe deer tissues as well as the tissues of their
raptors, provide sufficient data to confirm roe deer tissues as indicators of
mercury contamination, transfer and accumulation in the terrestrial environment. Furthermore, the good correlation between mercury levels in roe
deer and some tissue analyses of the mining area's human residents
illustrates that tissues of roe deer may be successfully used as an early
warning of possible health effects of mercury on humans.
• Comparison of the present results on Hg concentration values in the roe deer
tissues with the data on similar tissues obtained from some postmortem
human autopsy cases of the Idrija residents in the early 1970S shows similar
mercury concentrations, despite the passage of more than two decades.
• The mercury contamination problem of the area is complicated due to the
interdependence of a variety of abiotic and biotic factors influencing
the transformation processes of the element in biogeochemical cycles, the
occurrence and intensity of its accumulation and transfer of mercury
compounds in the food webs. Further analysis and Hg speciation in the
tissues of animal indicators within the complex ecological monitoring
programme will be needed to elucidate accumulation patterns and important
transformation mechanisms dependent on the different toxicological and
pharmacological features of the Hg species involved.
• Meaningful biomonitoring programs should be implemented in the areas
where distinctive local contamination exists. It is of special concern to
control heavy local pollution, to evaluate data acquired, and to determine
possible toxic effects of long-term Hg exposure on the organisms living in
their natural habitats. The fate of mercury in the heavily polluted
environment should be monitored to prevent possible harmful effects to
humans. In particular, it would be important to conduct additional studies
on the parameters that influence the mobility and transformation of mercury
under various environmental conditions.
•
It is suggested that careful trend biomonitoring of mercury and methylmercury compounds should be continued in order to observe the natural
A. Gnamus and M. Horvat
established for different tissues of roe deer, and the relationship to their diet
was found.
• Some efforts were made to establish the role of herbivores in transferring
various mercury species from plant foodstuffs into the higher links of the
terrestrial food web. The importance of herbivore Hg transformation
processes for accumulation in consumers of the higher trophic levels,
including man, will be assessed through further studies. The data from the
study should be complemented with a larger number of herbivores, more
individual raptors in the present food web in the polluted area, and also biota
from other terrestrial and aquatic food webs, in order to demonstrate their
interdependence.
• Since the potential harmful effects of Hg for some larger terrestrial wild
mammals in the natural environment affected by anthropogenic Hg
emissions are comparable to those for the exposed human population in
the area animals may serve as appropriate indicators of Hg contamination.
• Our data on Hg concentrations in soil samples, composite plant samples
corresponding to roe deer diet, roe deer tissues as well as the tissues of their
raptors, provide sufficient data to confirm roe deer tissues as indicators of
mercury contamination, transfer and accumulation in the terrestrial environment. Furthermore, the good correlation between mercury levels in roe
deer and some tissue analyses of the mining area's human residents
illustrates that tissues of roe deer may be successfully used as an early
warning of possible health effects of mercury on humans.
• Comparison of the present results on Hg concentration values in the roe deer
tissues with the data on similar tissues obtained from some postmortem
human autopsy cases of the Idrija residents in the early 1970S shows similar
mercury concentrations, despite the passage of more than two decades.
• The mercury contamination problem of the area is complicated due to the
interdependence of a variety of abiotic and biotic factors influencing
the transformation processes of the element in biogeochemical cycles, the
occurrence and intensity of its accumulation and transfer of mercury
compounds in the food webs. Further analysis and Hg speciation in the
tissues of animal indicators within the complex ecological monitoring
programme will be needed to elucidate accumulation patterns and important
transformation mechanisms dependent on the different toxicological and
pharmacological features of the Hg species involved.
• Meaningful biomonitoring programs should be implemented in the areas
where distinctive local contamination exists. It is of special concern to
control heavy local pollution, to evaluate data acquired, and to determine
possible toxic effects of long-term Hg exposure on the organisms living in
their natural habitats. The fate of mercury in the heavily polluted
environment should be monitored to prevent possible harmful effects to
humans. In particular, it would be important to conduct additional studies
on the parameters that influence the mobility and transformation of mercury
under various environmental conditions.
•
It is suggested that careful trend biomonitoring of mercury and methylmercury compounds should be continued in order to observe the natural