260
13.7
Conclusions
M.E. Farago
Our understanding of the part played by the oceans in the global cycle of mercury is
increasing, largely due to the analytical techniques which allow very low levels of
mercury species to be determined in marine samples. The part played by biota in the
cycle, including biomethylation, is receiving study. It is now known that mercury is a
pollutant of importance, and adverse health effects at relatively low exposure levels
have been documented from the ingestion of marine seafood.
References
Ahrland S (1985) Inorganic chemistry of the ocean. In: Irgolic KJ, Martell AE (eds) Environmental
inorganic chemistry. VCH Publishers Inc., Deerfield Beach FL, pp 65-88
Andren AW, Harris CR (1973) Methyl mercury in estuarine sediments. Nature 245:256-257
Baeyens W, Leermarkers M (1998) Elemental mercury concentrations and formation rates in the
Scheidt Estuary and the North Sea. Mar Chern 60:257-266
Bartlett PD, Craig, pJ, Morton, SF (1987) Sci Tot Env 10:24-249
Beijer J, Jernelov A (1979) Methylation of mercury in aquatic environments. In: Nriagu JO (ed) The
biogeochemistry of mercury in the aquatic environment. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford, New York,
pp 203-210
Benoit JM, Gilmour CC, Mason RP, Riedel GS, Riedel GF (1998) Behaviour of mercury in the Patuxent
River estuary. Biogeochemistry 40:249-265
Berdowski JJM, Bloos JJ, Visschedijk AJH (1998) The European emission inventory of heavy metals
for 1990. In: Skeaff JM (ed) Metals and the environment. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy
and Petroleum, Montreal (Canada), Pp85-93
Berlin M (1986) Mercury. In: Friberg L, Nordberg GF, Voulk V (eds) Handbook on the toxicology of
metals, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford, New York
Bernhard M (1985) Mercury accumulation in a pelagic food chain. In: Irgolic KJ, Martell AE (eds) Environmental inorganic chemistry. VCH Publishers Inc., Deerfield Beach FL pp 349-358
Bernhard M (1988) Mercury in the Mediterranean. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 98
Bloom NS, Fitzgerald WF (1988) Determination of volatile mercury species at the picogram level by
low temperature gas chromatography with cold vapour atomic fluorescence detector. Anal Chimica
Acta 208:151-161
Capone DG, Kiene RP (1988) Comparison of microbial dynamics in marine and fresh-water sediments.
Contrasts in anaerobic carbon metabolism. Limnol Oceanogr 33:725-749
Carpi A (1997) Mercury from combustion sources: A review of chemical species emitted and their
transport in the atmosphere. Water Air Soil Pollut 98:241-254
Choi SC, BartiIa R (1994) Environmental factors affecting mercury methylation in estuarine sediments.
Bull Environmental Con tam Toxicol 53:805-812
Clarkson TW (1994) The toxicology of mercury and its compounds. In: Watras CJ, Huckerbee JW (eds)
Mercury pollution integration and synthesis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, London, pp 631-641
Compeau G, Bartha R (1983) Effects of sea salt anions on the formation and stability of methyl mercury. Bull Environmental Contam Toxicol 31:486-493
Compeau G, Bartha R (1985) Sulphate reducing bacteria - principal methylators of mercury in anoxic estuarine sediments. App Environ Microbiol 50:498-502
Craig PJ (1980) Metal cycles and biological methylation In: Hutzinger (ed) The handbook of
environmental chemistry, vol l. Part A: The natural environment and the biogeochemical cycles.
pp 169-227
Craig PJ (1986) Organomercurycompounds in the environment. In: Craig PJ (ed) Organometallic compounds in the environment. J Wiley and Sons New York, Chichester, Toronto
D'Itri FM (1991) Mercury contamination: What have we learned since Minamata? Environmental
Monitoring and Assessment 19:165-182
Dorten WS, Elbaz-Poulichet F, Mart LR, Martin J-M (1991) Reassessment of the river input of trace
metals into the Mediterranean Sea. Ambio 20:2-6
Fagerstrom T, J, Jernelov A (1972) Wat Res 6:1193. Cited in Mason and Fitzgerald (1991)
Farris FF, Smith JC (1997) Pharmacokinetics of methyl mercury. Abstracts of the International Conference on Human Health and Mercury Exposure, Faroe Islands, June 1997
13.7
Conclusions
M.E. Farago
Our understanding of the part played by the oceans in the global cycle of mercury is
increasing, largely due to the analytical techniques which allow very low levels of
mercury species to be determined in marine samples. The part played by biota in the
cycle, including biomethylation, is receiving study. It is now known that mercury is a
pollutant of importance, and adverse health effects at relatively low exposure levels
have been documented from the ingestion of marine seafood.
References
Ahrland S (1985) Inorganic chemistry of the ocean. In: Irgolic KJ, Martell AE (eds) Environmental
inorganic chemistry. VCH Publishers Inc., Deerfield Beach FL, pp 65-88
Andren AW, Harris CR (1973) Methyl mercury in estuarine sediments. Nature 245:256-257
Baeyens W, Leermarkers M (1998) Elemental mercury concentrations and formation rates in the
Scheidt Estuary and the North Sea. Mar Chern 60:257-266
Bartlett PD, Craig, pJ, Morton, SF (1987) Sci Tot Env 10:24-249
Beijer J, Jernelov A (1979) Methylation of mercury in aquatic environments. In: Nriagu JO (ed) The
biogeochemistry of mercury in the aquatic environment. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford, New York,
pp 203-210
Benoit JM, Gilmour CC, Mason RP, Riedel GS, Riedel GF (1998) Behaviour of mercury in the Patuxent
River estuary. Biogeochemistry 40:249-265
Berdowski JJM, Bloos JJ, Visschedijk AJH (1998) The European emission inventory of heavy metals
for 1990. In: Skeaff JM (ed) Metals and the environment. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy
and Petroleum, Montreal (Canada), Pp85-93
Berlin M (1986) Mercury. In: Friberg L, Nordberg GF, Voulk V (eds) Handbook on the toxicology of
metals, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford, New York
Bernhard M (1985) Mercury accumulation in a pelagic food chain. In: Irgolic KJ, Martell AE (eds) Environmental inorganic chemistry. VCH Publishers Inc., Deerfield Beach FL pp 349-358
Bernhard M (1988) Mercury in the Mediterranean. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 98
Bloom NS, Fitzgerald WF (1988) Determination of volatile mercury species at the picogram level by
low temperature gas chromatography with cold vapour atomic fluorescence detector. Anal Chimica
Acta 208:151-161
Capone DG, Kiene RP (1988) Comparison of microbial dynamics in marine and fresh-water sediments.
Contrasts in anaerobic carbon metabolism. Limnol Oceanogr 33:725-749
Carpi A (1997) Mercury from combustion sources: A review of chemical species emitted and their
transport in the atmosphere. Water Air Soil Pollut 98:241-254
Choi SC, BartiIa R (1994) Environmental factors affecting mercury methylation in estuarine sediments.
Bull Environmental Con tam Toxicol 53:805-812
Clarkson TW (1994) The toxicology of mercury and its compounds. In: Watras CJ, Huckerbee JW (eds)
Mercury pollution integration and synthesis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, London, pp 631-641
Compeau G, Bartha R (1983) Effects of sea salt anions on the formation and stability of methyl mercury. Bull Environmental Contam Toxicol 31:486-493
Compeau G, Bartha R (1985) Sulphate reducing bacteria - principal methylators of mercury in anoxic estuarine sediments. App Environ Microbiol 50:498-502
Craig PJ (1980) Metal cycles and biological methylation In: Hutzinger (ed) The handbook of
environmental chemistry, vol l. Part A: The natural environment and the biogeochemical cycles.
pp 169-227
Craig PJ (1986) Organomercurycompounds in the environment. In: Craig PJ (ed) Organometallic compounds in the environment. J Wiley and Sons New York, Chichester, Toronto
D'Itri FM (1991) Mercury contamination: What have we learned since Minamata? Environmental
Monitoring and Assessment 19:165-182
Dorten WS, Elbaz-Poulichet F, Mart LR, Martin J-M (1991) Reassessment of the river input of trace
metals into the Mediterranean Sea. Ambio 20:2-6
Fagerstrom T, J, Jernelov A (1972) Wat Res 6:1193. Cited in Mason and Fitzgerald (1991)
Farris FF, Smith JC (1997) Pharmacokinetics of methyl mercury. Abstracts of the International Conference on Human Health and Mercury Exposure, Faroe Islands, June 1997