Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorJardine, Timothy D
dc.contributor.authorHalliday, Ian A
dc.contributor.authorHowley, Christina
dc.contributor.authorSinnamon, Vivian
dc.contributor.authorBunn, Stuart E
dc.date.accessioned2017-05-03T11:34:25Z
dc.date.available2017-05-03T11:34:25Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.date.modified2013-05-30T05:06:19Z
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.11.022
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10072/46950
dc.description.abstractLittle is known about the threat of mercury (Hg) to consumers in food webs of Australia's wet-dry tropics. This is despite high concentrations in similar biomes elsewhere and a recent history of gold mining that could lead to a high degree of exposure for biota. We analysed Hg in water, sediments, invertebrates and fishes in rivers and estuaries of north Queensland, Australia to determine its availability and biomagnification in food webs. Concentrations in water and sediments were low relative to other regions of Hg concern, with only four of 138 water samples and five of 60 sediment samples above detection limits of 0.1 姠L- 1 and 0.1 姠g- 1, respectively. Concentrations of Hg in fishes and invertebrates from riverine and wetland food webs were well below international consumption guidelines, including those in piscivorous fishes, likely due to low baseline concentrations and limited rates of biomagnification (average slope of log Hg vs. d15N = 0.08). A large fish species of recreational, commercial, and cultural importance (the barramundi, Lates calcarifer), had low concentrations that were below consumption guidelines. Observed variation in Hg concentrations in this species was primarily explained by age and foraging location (floodplain vs. coastal), with floodplain feeders having higher Hg concentrations than those foraging at sea. These analyses suggest that there is a limited threat of Hg exposure for fish-eating consumers in this region.
dc.description.peerreviewedYes
dc.description.publicationstatusYes
dc.format.extent248718 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.publisher.placeNetherlands
dc.relation.ispartofstudentpublicationN
dc.relation.ispartofpagefrom385
dc.relation.ispartofpageto393
dc.relation.ispartofjournalScience of the Total Environment
dc.relation.ispartofvolume416
dc.rights.retentionY
dc.subject.fieldofresearchEnvironmental Monitoring
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode050206
dc.titleLarge scale surveys suggest limited mercury availability in tropical north Queensland (Australia)
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.descriptionC1 - Articles
dc.type.codeC - Journal Articles
gro.facultyGriffith Sciences, Griffith School of Environment
gro.rights.copyright© 2012 Elsevier B.V.. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
gro.date.issued2012
gro.hasfulltextFull Text
gro.griffith.authorBunn, Stuart E.


Files in this item

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

  • Journal articles
    Contains articles published by Griffith authors in scholarly journals.

Show simple item record