title: Total and monomethyl mercury in terrestrial arthropods from the central California coast.
abstract: The aim of this project was to obtain a baseline understanding and investigate the concentration of mercury (Hg) in the tissue of terrestrial arthropods. The 4-month sampling campaign took place around Monterey Bay, California. Total mercury (HgT) concentrations (x ± SD, dry weight) for the captured specimens ranged from 22 to 188 ng g(-1) in the Jerusalem crickets (Orthoptera: Stenopelmatidae); 65-233 ng g(-1) in the camel crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae); 25-227 ng g(-1) in the pill bugs (Isopoda: Armadillidiidae); 19-563 ng g(-1) in the ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae); 140-441 ng g(-1) in the variegated meadowhawk dragonflies (Odonata: Libellulidae); 607-657 ng g(-1) in the pacific spiketail dragonflies (Odonata: Cordulegastridae); and 81-1,249 ng g(-1) in the wolf spiders (Araneae: Lycosidae). A subset of samples analyzed for monomethyl mercury (MMHg) suggest detrital pill bugs have a higher MMHg/HgT ratio than predatory ground beetles.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Marine Science, University of California - Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA, cortiz@ufl.edu.
authors.forename: Cruz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortiz
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Weiss-Penzias
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fork
authors.forename: A Russell
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Flegal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000378:metabolism*; D002140:California; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D008628:Mercury