Brain lesions in mallard ducklings from parents fed methylmercury.
Methylmercury dicyandiamide was fed to mallard ducks at 3 ppm mercury. Mercury accumulated in the eggs to an average of 7.18 and 5.46 ppm on a wet-weight basis in 2 successive years. Mercury in the eggs is believed to have caused brain lesions in the hatched ducklings. Lesions included demyelination, neuron shrink-age, necrosis, and hemorrhage in the meninges overlying the cerebellum. Brains of dead ducklings contained an average of 6.17 and 5.19 ppm mercury on a wet-weight basis in 2 successive years.
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary; D004372:Ducks; D004531:Eggs / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning*; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000151:congenital / Q000473:pathology*
D008767:Methylmercury Compounds