High Mercury Concentrations of European Perch (Perca fluviatilis) in Boreal Headwater Lakes with Variable History of Acidification and Recovery
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Published:2021-09
Issue:9
Volume:232
Page:
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ISSN:0049-6979
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Container-title:Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Water Air Soil Pollut
Author:
Rask MarttiORCID, Malinen Tommi, Olin Mikko, Nyberg Kari, Ruuhijärvi Jukka, Kahilainen Kimmo K., Verta Matti, Vuorenmaa Jussi, Blauberg Tarja-Riitta, Arvola Lauri
Abstract
AbstractHigh dissolved organic carbon and low pH are often associated with elevated mercury content of fish in boreal lakes, but less is known about the fish mercury dynamics in lakes recovering from acidification stress. We measured total mercury concentration (THg) in muscle of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and evaluated the overall correlation with environmental and growth variables in 24 boreal headwater lakes in the 2010s. We found negative correlations of length-corrected perch THg with lake pH and perch growth, but no correlation with dissolved organic carbon. The main emphasis in the present study was focused to a subset of ten lakes in southern Finland with known perch THg during severe acidification in the 1980–1990s. The comparison of perch THg concentrations in the 2010s with values determined in the 1980–1990s showed a sharp increase in most acidic lakes where the perch populations suffered from severe acid stress in the 1980s. This increase was attributed to growth condensation caused by sharp decrease in perch growth during recovery of reproduction capacity and the consequent increases in population densities of perch. Our results highlight the importance of perch growth rate and population density for understanding the variability of fish Hg in boreal headwater lakes, where recovery from acidification can lead to higher mercury concentration of fish in certain cases.
Funder
University of Helsinki including Helsinki University Central Hospital
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Pollution,Water Science and Technology,Ecological Modelling,Environmental Chemistry,Environmental Engineering
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