Mercury and methylmercury in muscle tissue of chub from the elbe river main tributaries

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury in muscle of 55 chub (Leuciscus cephalus) from seven main tributaries (Orlice, Chrudimka, Cidlina, Jizera, Vltava, Ohře, Bílina) of the Elbe River and to evaluate the health risks of eating fish from the tributaries monitored. Mercury was determined by means of cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry using AMA-254, methylmercury in the form of CH3HgCl by gas chromatography. The highest mean concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury were found in the Jizera (0.27 ± 0.19 mg/kg and 0.23 ± 0.15 mg/kg, respectively) and the lowest mean concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury were found in the chub from the Cidlina (0.07 ± 0.05 mg/kg and 0.06 ± 0.04 mg/kg, respectively). The average methylmercury-to-total mercury ratio was 83 ± 15%. The fish intake hazard indexes calculated for the individual tributaries monitored were between 0.01 and 0.03. The results of this study show that the Elbe River is not significantly affected by mercury contamination from its main tributaries.