PMID: 15376533Sep 21, 2004Paper

A historical record of mercury contamination in Southern Florida (USA) as inferred from avian feather tissue

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Peter C FrederickMarilyn G Spalding

Abstract

During the late 1980s, the upper trophic-level biota of the Everglades (FL, USA) was recognized as being highly contaminated with mercury (Hg). However, the timing and pattern of that increase is poorly known, and no information is available about mercury contamination in Everglades wildlife prior to 1974. We measured methylmercury concentrations in feathers of white ibises (n = 33), great egrets (n = 7), anhingas (n = 21), and great blue herons (n = 12) from museum specimens collected from 1910 through 1980 and combined them with more recent feather samples collected from live birds (1985-2000, n = 98, 37, 49, and 7, respectively). We found no evidence of contamination of museum samples with inorganic mercuric preservatives (0.01-0.28% of total Hg in feathers). All species showed relatively low concentrations of mercury through the 1970s (<5 microl/L dry wt for anhingas, ibises, and egrets, <10 microl/L for herons). Samples from all species taken during the 1990s showed a large and significant increase (4-5X) in MeHg concentration. This evidence suggests that most of the increase in Hg deposition during the 20th century in south Florida occurred during the last two to three decades, which is consistent with information about l...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 3, 2007·Ecotoxicology·David C EversJeff Fair
Sep 29, 2011·Ecotoxicology·Virginia L Winder, Steven D Emslie
Dec 25, 2010·Environmental Monitoring and Assessment·Luciano Francisco La SalaRobert W Furness
Jan 15, 2014·Ecotoxicology·Rebecca Hylton KellerTheodore R Simons
Mar 15, 2012·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Charles E ClarksonAmi Riscassi
Jul 4, 2015·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Sarah E SchulwitzJeff A Johnson
Aug 21, 2012·Environmental Research·Monica F CostaOlaf Malm
Nov 27, 2014·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part a·Joanna Burger, Susan Elbin
Sep 14, 2016·The Science of the Total Environment·Allison C LuengenBen K Greenfield
Jun 5, 2019·Ecotoxicology·Marie PerkinsElsie M Sunderland
Dec 22, 2019·The Science of the Total Environment·Abigail J LawsonPatrick G R Jodice

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