Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mercury in Marine Environments

  • Chapter
Chemical Processes in Marine Environments

Part of the book series: Environmental Science ((ENVSCIENCE))

Abstract

Concentrations of elements vary depending on the compartment of the environment that is under consideration. Thus, although the inputs of elements to the oceans are very large in absolute terms, the dilution is extremely high, leading to very low concentrations. This situation is generalised in Fig. 13.1. The consequences of low concentrations in the open oceans are that the possibilities for deficiency are high whereas those for toxicity are low (Mcgrath 1997). In rivers, wetlands and closed seas, where the dilution is lower, there can be accumulation of potentially toxic elements. Because of the low concentrations in open oceans, analytical methods for the determination of an element and its chemical species must have very low detection limits, and it is only in recent years that such methods have emerged.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Andren AW, Harris CR (1973) Methyl mercury in estuarine sediments. Nature 245: 256–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baeyens W, Leermarkers M (1998) Elemental mercury concentrations and formation rates in the Scheldt Estuary and the North Sea. Mar Chem 60: 257–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartlett PD, Craig, PJ, Morton, SF (1987) Sci Tot Env 10:24–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Beijer J, Jernelöv 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Benoit JM, Gilmour CC, Mason RP, Riedel GS, Riedel GF (1998) Behaviour of mercury in the Patuxent River estuary. Biogeochemistry 40:249–265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernhard M (1985) Mercury accumulation in a pelagic food chain. In: Irgolic KJ, Martell AE (eds) En-vironmental inorganic chemistry. VCH Publishers Inc., Deerfield Beach FL pp 349–358

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernhard M (1988) Mercury in the Mediterranean. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 98

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi SC, Bartha R (1994) Environmental factors affecting mercury methylation in estuarine sediments. Bull Environmental Contam Toxicol 53: 805–812

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Compeau G, Bartha R (1985) Sulphate reducing bacteria–principal methylators of mercury in anoxic estuarine sediments. App Environ Microbiol 50: 498–502

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig PJ (1980) Metal cycles and biological methylation In: Hutzinger (ed) The handbook of environmental chemistry, vol I. Part A: The natural environment and the biogeochemical cycles. pp 169–227

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig PJ (1986) Organomercury compounds in the environment. In: Craig PJ (ed) Organometallic compounds in the environment. J Wiley and Sons New York, Chichester, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Itri FM (1991) Mercury contamination: What have we learned since Minamata?. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 19: 165–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagerstrom T, J, Jernelöv A (1972) Wat Res 6: 1193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farris FF, Smith JC (1997) Pharmacokinetics of methyl mercury. Abstracts of the International Conference on Human Health and Mercury Exposure, Faroe Islands, June 1997

    Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald W (1989) Atmospheric and oceanic cycling of mercury. In: Riley JP, Chester R (eds) Chemical oceanography. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Foo SC, Ngim CH, Phon WO, Lee J (1988) Mercury in scalp hair of healthy Singapore residents. Science of the Total Environment 72: 113–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Förstner U, Wittmann GTW (1979) Metal pollution in the aquatic environment. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp 486

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Franchi E, Loprieno G, Ballardin M, Petrozzi L, Migliore L (1994) Cytogenic monitoring of fishermen with environmental mercury exposure. Mutat Res 320: 23–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaggi C, Zino F, Duccini D, Renzoni A (1996) Levels of mercury in scalp hair of fishermen and their families from Camara de Lobos, Madeira ( Portugal ). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 56: 860–865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gagon C, Pelletier É, Mucci A (1997) Behaviour of anthropogenic mercury in marine coastal sediments. Mar Chem 59: 159–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gill GA, Fitzgerald WF (1985) Mercury sampling of open ocean waters at the picomolar level. Deep Sea Research 32: 287–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore CG, Henry EA (1991) Mercury methylation in aquatic systems affected by acid deposition. Environ Pollut 71: 131–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grandjean P, Weihe P, White RF., Debes F,Araki S,Yokoyama K, Murata K, Sorensen N, Dahl R, Jorgensen PJ (1997) Cognitive deficit in 7-year-old children with prenatal exposure to methyl mercury. Neurotoxicol Teratol 19: 417–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grandjean P, Weihe P, White RF, Debes F (1998) Cognitive performance of children exposed prenatally to “safe” levels of methyl mercury. Environ Res A 77: 165–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen JC, Wulf HC, Kromann N, Alboge K (1976) Human exposure to heavy metals in East Greenland. 1. Mercury. Sci Total Environ 26:233–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harada M, Nakanishi J, Ohno K, Kimura T, Yamaguchi H, Tsuruta K, Kizaki T, Ookawara T, Ohno H (1998) The present mercury contents of scalp hair and clinical symptoms in inhabitants of the Minamata area. Environ Res A 77: 160–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haxton J, Lidsay DG, Hislop JS, Salmon L, Dixon EJ, Evans WH, Reid JR, Hewitt CJ, Jeffries DF (1979) Duplicate diet study of fishing communities in the United Kingdom: Mercury exposure in a critical group. Environ Res 18: 351–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herbert MT, Acres GJK, Hughes JE (1980) Platinum, gold, silver and mercury. In: Hatfull D (ed) Future metal strategy. The Metals Society, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Holm HW, Cox MF (1975) Transformation of elemental mercury by bacteria. Appl Microbiol 29: 491–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Hornung H, Krumholz BS, Cohen Y (1984) Mercury pollution in benthic animals, fish and sediments in Haifa Bay, Israel. Mar Environ Res 12, 191–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jensen S. Jernelöv A (1969) Biological methylation of mercury in aquatic organisms. Nature 223: 753–754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jernelöv A, Ramel C (1994) Mercury in the environment. Ambio 23: 166

    Google Scholar 

  • Jernelöv A, Landner L, Larsson T (1975) Swedish perspectives on mercury pollution. J Wat Pollut Control Fed 47: 810–822

    Google Scholar 

  • Jòhannesson T, Lunde G, Steinnes E (1981) Mercury, arsenic, cadmium selenium and zinc in human hair and salmon fries in Iceland. Acta Pharmacol Toxicol 48: 185–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kannan K, Falandysz J (1998) Speciation and concentrations of mercury in certain coastal marine sediments. Water Air Soil Pollut 103: 129–136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knauer GA, Martin GH (1972) Mercury in a marine pelagic food chain. Limnol Oceanogr 17: 868–876

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kniewald C, Kwokal, Z, Branica M (1987) Marine sampling by scuba diving. 3 sampling procedures for measurement of mercury concentrations in estuarine waters and seawater. Mar Chem 22:2–4, 342–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawson NM, Mason RP (1998) Accumulation of mercury in estuarine food chains. Biogeochemistry 40: 235–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leatherland TM, Burton JD (1974) The occurrence of trace metals in coastal organisms with particular reference to the Solent Region. J Mar Bio Ass (UK) 54:547–568

    Google Scholar 

  • Leermakers M, Baeyens W, Ebinghaus R, Kuballa J, Kock HH (1997) Determination of atmospheric mercury during the North Sea Experiment. Water Air Soil Pollut 97: 257–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindberg, Stokes P, Goldberg E, Wren C (1987) Mercury. In: Hutchinson TW, Meemz KM (eds) Lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in the environment. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Chichester, Toronto, pp 17–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindqvist O, Jernelöv A, Johansson K, Rodhe R (1984) Mercury in the Swedish environment: Global and local sources. SOLNA, Swedish National Environmental Protection Board Report No 1816

    Google Scholar 

  • Mance G, (1987) Pollution threat of heavy metals in aqueous systems. Elsevier Applied Science, Lon-don, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin M, Osborne KE, Billig P, Glockstein N (1981) Toxicities of ten metals to Crassostrea gigas and Mytilus edulis embryos and Cancer magister Larvae. Mar Pollut 12: 305–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Fitzgerald WF (1990) Mercury species in the equatorial Pacific. Nature 347: 457–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Fitzgerald WF (1991) Mercury speciation in open ocean waters. Water Air Soil Pollut 56: 779–789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Fitzgerald WF (1993) The distribution and biogeochemical cycling of mercury in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, Deep-Sea Ocean Research 4o: 1897–2001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Fitzgerald WF (1994) Elemental mercury cycling within the mixed layer of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. In: Watras CJ, Huckerbee JW (eds) Mercury pollution integration and synthesis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, London, Tokyo, pp 83–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Fitzgerald WF, Morel FMM (1994) The biogeochemical cycling of elemental mercury: Anthropogenic influences. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 58: 3192–3198

    Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Rolfhus KR, Fitzgerald WF (1995) Methylated and elemental mercury cycling in surface and deep ocean waters of the North Atlantic. Water Air Soil Pollut 80: 665–677

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason RP, Rolfhus KR, Fitzgerald WF (1998) Mercury in the North Atlantic. Mar Chem 61: 37–53

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews AD (1982) Mercury content of commercially important of Seychelles and hair mercury levels of a selected part of the population. Environ Res 30: 305–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • May K, Stoeppler M (1983) Studies on the biogeochemical cycle of mercury. I Mercury in inland waters and food products. Proc. Int. Conf. Heavy Metals in the Environment. Sept 1983, vol I, pp 241–244

    Google Scholar 

  • McClurg TP (1984) Effects of fluoride, cadmium and mercury on the estuarine prawn Penaeus indicus. Water SA10: 40–45

    Google Scholar 

  • McGrath SP (1997) Behaviour of trace elements in terrestrial ecosystems. In: Prost R (ed) Contaminated soils. 3rd International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements Paris, May 1995, Institut National de la Researche Agronomique, Paris (France), pp 35–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Miganti V, Capelli R, De Pellegrini R, Orsi-Relini L, Relini G (1996) Total and organic mercury concentrations in offshore crustaceans of the Ligurian Sea and their relations to the trophic levels. Sci Tot Env 184: 149–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mikac N, Kwokal Z, May K, Branica M (1989) Mercury distribution in the Krka River estuary (E. Adriatic coast ). Mar Chem 28: 109–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miskimmin BM, Rudd JWM, Kelly CA (1992) Influence of dissolved oxygen, carbon, pH and microbial respiration rates on mercury methylation and demethylation in lake water. Can J Fish Aquat Sci 49: 17–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitch WJ, Gosselink JG (1986) Wetlands. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Muhaya BBM, Leermakers M, Baeyens W(1997) Total mercury and methyl mercury in sediments and in the polychaete Nereis diversicolor at Groot Buitenschoor (Scheldt Estuary, Belgium). Water Air Soil Pollut 94: 109–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Nriagu JO, Pacyna JM (1988) Quantitative assessment of world-wide contamination of air, water and soils by trace metals. Nature 333: 134–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olson BH, Cooper RC (1974) In situ methylation of mercury in estuarine sediments, Nature 252: 682–683

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pacyna JM (1987) Atmospheric emissions of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury from high tempera-ture processes in power generation and industry. In: Hutchinson TW, Meemz KM (eds) Lead, mer-cury, cadmium and arsenic in the environment. John Wiley and Sons, New York, Chichester, To-ronto, pp 69–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Pacyna JM (1996) Monitoring and assessment of metal contaminants in the air. In: Chang LW, Magos L, Suzuki T (eds) Toxicology of metals. CRC, Lewis Publishers, New York, London, Boca Raton, pp 9–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen PE, Edwards GC, Kemp RJ, Fitzgerald-Hubble CR, Schroeder WH (1998) Towards an im-proved natural sources inventory for mercury. In: Skeaff JM (ed) Metals and the environment. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, Montreal (Canada), pp 73–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Regnell O (1994) The effect of pH and dissolved oxygen levels on methylation and partitioning of mercury in fresh water model systems. Environ Pollut 84:7–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renzoni A (1989) Mercury in scalp hair of Maldivians. Mar Pollut Bull 20:93–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renzoni A (1992) Comparative observations on levels of mercury in scalp hair of humans from different islands. Environ Management 16: 597–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renzoni A, Zino F, Franchi E, (1998) Mercury levels along the food chain and risks for exposed populations. Environ Res A77: 68–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ridley WP, Dizikes LJ, Wood JM (1977) Biomethylation of toxic elements in the environment. Science 197: 329–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schlesinger WH (1997) Biogeochemistry: An analysis of global change. Academic Press, London, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt D (1992) Mercury in Baltic and North Sea waters. Water Air Soil Pollut 62:43–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharp JR and Neff JM (1980) Effects of the duration of exposure to mercuric chloride on the embryogenisis of the estuarine teleost Fundulus heteroclitus. Mar Environ Res 3: 195–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skerfving S (1970) Chromosome breakage in humans exposed to methyl mercury through fish con-sumption. Arch Environ Health 21: 133–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Skerfving S (1991) Exposure to mercury in the population. In: Suzuki T, Imura N, Clarkson T (eds) Advances in mercury toxicology. Plenum Press, New York, pp 411–425

    Google Scholar 

  • Slemr F, Langer E (1992) Increase in global atmospheric concentrations of mercury inferred from measurements over the Atlantic Ocean. Nature 355: 434–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith WE, Smith AM (1973) Minamata. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stoeppler M, Bernhard M, Backhaus F, Schulte E (1979) Comparative studies on trace metal levels in marine biota. I Mercury in marine organisms from the western Italian coast, the Strait of Gibraltar and the North Sea. Sci Total Environ 209–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Summers AO, Silver S (1978) Microbial transformation of metals. Ann Rev Microbiol 32: 637–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, T (1988) Hair and nails: Advantages and pitfalls when used in biological monitoring. In: Clarkson TW, Friberg L, Nordberg GF, Sager PR (eds) Biological monitoring of toxic metals. Plenum Press, New York, pp 623–640

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Takeuchi T (1972) Distribution of mercury in the environment of Minamata Bay and the Inland Ariake Sea. In: Hartung R, Dinaman BD (eds) Environmental mercury contamination. Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, pp 79–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Topping G, Davies IM (1981) Methyl mercury production in the marine water column. Nature: 290: 243–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weihe P, Grandjean P, Jorgensen (1997) Methyl mercury exposure in the Faroes. Abstracts of the International Conference on Human Health and Mercury Exposure, Faroe Islands, June 1997, pp 18

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss HV, Koide M, Goldberg ED (1971) Mercury in a Greenland ice sheet: Evidence of recent input by man. Science 174: 692–694

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO/IPCS (1990) Environmental health criteria, loi. Methyl mercury. International Programme on Chemical Safety, World Health Organisation, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO/IPCS (1991) Environmental Health Criteria,118. Inorganic Mercury. International Programme on Chemical Safety, World Health Organisation, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilken R-D, Hintlemann H (1991) Mercury and methyl mercury in sediments and suspended particles from the River Elbe, North Germany. Water Air Soil Pollut 56: 427–4370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood JM, Kennedy FS, Rose CG (1968) Synthesis of methyl mercury compounds by extracts of a methogenic bacterium. Nature 220: 173–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. M. E. Farago
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica, Sezione di Chimica Ambientale, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Parco d’Orleans II, I-90128, Palermo, Italy

    Antonio Gianguzza

  2. Dipartimento di Chimica Analitica, Università di Torino, Via P. Giuria 5, I-10125, Torino, Italy

    Ezio Pelizetti

  3. Dipartimento di Chimica Inorganica, Chimica Analitica e Chimica Fisika, Università di Messina, Salita Sperone 31, I-98166, Messina, Italy

    Silvio Sammartano

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Farago, M.E. (2000). Mercury in Marine Environments. In: Gianguzza, A., Pelizetti, E., Sammartano, S. (eds) Chemical Processes in Marine Environments. Environmental Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04207-6_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-04207-6_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08589-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-04207-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation