Mercury bioaccumulation in green frog (Rana clamitans) and bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA.
Mercury contamination in the northeastern United States, including Acadia National Park (ANP; ME, USA), is well documented and continues to be a public health issue of concern. Mercury contamination of wild amphibians has received little attention, however, despite reports of worldwide population declines. Here, we report total Hg and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations for water, sediment, and green frog (Rana clamitans) and bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles (age, approximately one year) from ANP. Total Hg concentrations (mean+/-standard error) in green frog and bullfrog tadpoles were 25.1+/-1.5 and 19.1+/-0.8 ng/g wet weight, respectively. Mean total Hg was highest for green frog tadpoles sampled from the Schooner Head site (ANP, Bar Harbor, ME, USA), a small, semipermanent beaver pond where Ranavirus was detected during the summer of 2003 sampling period. Methyl Hg comprised 7.6 to 40% of the total Hg in tadpole tissue (wet-wt basis), and mean total Hg levels in tadpoles were significantly different among pond sites (n = 9). Total Hg in pond water was a significant predictor of tadpole total Hg levels. Dissolved organic carbon was a significant predictor of both total Hg and MeHg in water, and total Hg in water also was strongly correlated with MeHg in water. Of the nine pond ecosystems sampled at ANP 44% had a methylation efficiency (water MeHg to total Hg ratio) of greater than 10%, and 33% had total Hg levels in sediment that were approximately equal to or greater than the established threshold level effect concentration for freshwater sediments (0.174 mg/kg dry wt). Our data indicate that wetland food webs in ANP likely are susceptible to high levels of total Hg bioaccumulation and that methylation dynamics appear to be influenced by local abiotic and biotic factors, including disturbances by beavers and in situ water chemistry patterns. These findings may be important to National Park Service resource managers, especially considering the class I airshed status of ANP and the strong potential for negative effects to aquatic ecosystem structure and function from Hg pollution.
Bank
Michael S
MS
Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. mbank@hsph.harvard.edu
Crocker
Jeff
J
Connery
Bruce
B
Amirbahman
Aria
A
D000818:Animals; D007814:Larva / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008628:Mercury / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011898:Ranidae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury