Mercury distribution, bioavailability and bioaccessibility in marine farmed fish of southern China

Abstract

We analyzed both the total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in nine species of commercial fish from two marine-cage farms in Southern China. ¹³C and ¹⁵N stable isotopes were concurrently analyzed to identify the artificial feed sources and the trophic levels of farmed fish. Mercury concentrations of all species were much lower than the human health screening values and safety limits established by different countries. Mercury levels in artificial pellets were the main determinants of Hg accumulation in fish between two sites, while somatic growth dilution and size also played an important role. Among the different fish tissues, muscle was a major sink for Hg and contained the highest ratio of MeHg/THg, and liver was the second important organ for Hg accumulation in most fish species. Intestine was a critical organ for Hg biotransformation with its %MeHg differing greatly among different fish species. δ¹⁵N analysis could not be used to determine the trophic levels in culturing systems where artificial practices were involved. Based on the δ¹³C signatures, five species of fish were identified to solely feed on the artificial pellets, yet the Hg bioaccumulation differed significantly among these species. We therefore concluded that Hg bioaccumulation in different fish species may be dependent on their internal Hg biotransformation as well as their biokinetics. An in-vivo bioavailability test based on a mice model was also conducted to look in to the fraction of Hg that can be absorbed after digestion, as well as four in-vitro bioaccessibility methodologies for comparison. But the results vary too much from different methods that it could not be used to predict the released fraction of Hg in gastrointestinal tract.

Date of Award	2018
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology