title: Mercury levels in tissues of Giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) from the Rio Negro, Pantanal, Brazil.
abstract: This research reports the first data on mercury levels found in Giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) from South America. Mercury concentrations were analyzed from different organs/tissues of two animals found dead floating on the water of the Rio Negro in the Pantanal, Brazil. The mean mercury concentration ranged from 2.94 to 3.68 microg/g in hair, from 1.52 to 4.3 microg/g in liver, and from 1.11 to 4.59 microg/g in kidney and was 0.17 microg/g in muscle samples. In comparison with other research, there is no evidence of contamination in these animals and mercury concentrations in tissues appeared to be at levels below those associated with toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia-INPA, Caixa Postal 478, 69011-970, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabrizio Rafael
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Dias Fonseca
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Malm
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Francine Waldemarin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005506:Food Contamination; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D010041:Otters; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury