Specific Pathways of Dietary Methylmercury and Inorganic Mercury Determined by Mercury Speciation and Isotopic Composition in Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Nov 3;49(21):12984-93. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b03587. Epub 2015 Oct 22.

Abstract

An original approach is proposed to investigate inorganic (iHg) and methylmercury (MeHg) trophic transfer and fate in a model fish, Danio rerio, by combining natural isotopic fractionation and speciation. Animals were exposed to three different dietary conditions: (1) 50 ng Hg g(-1), 80% as MeHg; (2) diet enriched in MeHg 10,000 ng Hg g(-1), 95% as MeHg, and (3) diet enriched in iHg 10,000 ng Hg g(-1), 99% as iHg. Harvesting was carried out after 0, 7, 25, and 62 days. Time-dependent Hg species distribution and isotopic fractionation in fish organs (muscle, brain, liver) and feces, exhibited different patterns, as a consequence of their dissimilar metabolization. The rapid isotopic re-equilibration to the new MeHg-food source reflects its high bioaccumulation rate. Relevant aspects related to Hg excretion are also described. This study confirms Hg isotopic fractionation as a powerful tool to investigate biological processes, although its deconvolution and fully understanding is still a challenge.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Diet*
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Feces / chemistry
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Mercury / analysis*
  • Mercury Isotopes
  • Methylmercury Compounds / analysis*
  • Muscles / metabolism
  • Zebrafish / metabolism*

Substances

  • Mercury Isotopes
  • Methylmercury Compounds
  • Mercury