Total Mercury in Sediments, Macrophytes, and Fish from a Shallow Steppe Lake in Eastern Austria
- Author(s)
- Franz Jirsa, Daniel Pirker, Regina Krachler, Bernhard K. Keppler
- Abstract
During summer 2011, samples of sediment, macrophytes, and fish tissues from the shallow, slightly alkaline Lake Neusiedl, Austria, were evaluated for their total Hg content. This is the first report of Hg levels from this lake. Sediments displayed Hg contents between 0.025 and 0.113μgg-1 dw (dry weight), significantly correlating with the proportion of organic components pointing to a small anthropogenic impact on the lake's Hg content. Hg Levels in plants and fish were unexpectedly high: both investigated submerged plant species, Potamogeton pectinatus and Myriophyllum spicatum, showed mean values of 0.245±0.152 and 0.298±0.115μg g-1 dw, respectively. Biomagnification was evident when comparing muscle samples of the planktivorous fish species rudd Scardinus erythrophthalmus (n=10, mean=0.084μgg-1 ww (wet weight)) with the piscivorous perch Perca fluviatilis (n=21, mean=0.184μgg-1 ww) or pike-perch Sander lucioperca (n=9, mean=0.205 μg g-1 ww). Significantly lower values were found in the muscle of the piscivorous pike Esox lucius (n=25, mean=0.135 μg g-1 ww), pointing to a specific Hg metabolism of this fish, presumably under the particular physicochemical properties of the lake. Hg Concentrations in fish could pose a risk to piscivorous birds in this protected wetland system.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry
- External organisation(s)
- University of Johannesburg (UJ)
- Journal
- Chemistry & Biodiversity
- Volume
- 11
- Pages
- 1263-1275
- No. of pages
- 13
- ISSN
- 1612-1872
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.201400172
- Publication date
- 08-2014
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106023 Molecular biology, 104023 Environmental chemistry
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering, Chemistry(all), Molecular Medicine, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/total-mercury-in-sediments-macrophytes-and-fish-from-a-shallow-steppe-lake-in-eastern-austria(f95d4579-ba6f-4022-bd57-a6176dedf811).html