title: Tracing mercury pathways in Augusta Bay (southern Italy) by total concentration and isotope determination.
abstract: The mercury (Hg) pollution of sediments is the main carrier of Hg for the biota and, subsequently, for the local fish consumers in Augusta Bay area (SE Sicily, Italy), a coastal marine system affected by relevant sewage from an important chlor-alkali factory. This relationship was revealed by the determination of Mass Dependent (MDF) and Mass Independent Fractionation (MIF) of Hg isotopes in sediment, fish and human hair samples. Sediments showed MDF but no MIF, while fish showed MIF, possibly due to photochemical reduction in the water column and depending on the feeding habitat of the species. Benthic and demersal fish exhibited MDF similar to that of sediments in which anthropogenic Hg was deposited, while pelagic organisms evidenced higher MDF and MIF due to photoreduction. Human hair showed high values of δ(202)Hg (offset of +2.2‰ with respect to the consumed fish) and Δ(199)Hg, both associated to fish consumption.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Coastal and Marine Environment (IAMC) - CNR, Via del Mare, 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy. Electronic address: maria.bonsignore@iamc.cnr.it.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonsignore
authors.affiliation: Institute for Coastal and Marine Environment (IAMC) - CNR, Via del Mare, 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamburrino
authors.affiliation: Institute for Coastal and Marine Environment (IAMC) - CNR, Via del Mare, 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oliveri
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 183, 41125 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 183, 41125 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durante
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, via Campi 183, 41125 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berni
authors.affiliation: Institute for Coastal and Marine Environment (IAMC) - CNR, Via del Mare, 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Quinci
authors.affiliation: Institute for Coastal and Marine Environment (IAMC) - CNR, Via del Mare, 3, 91021 Torretta Granitola, Campobello di Mazara (TP), Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sprovieri
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D061006:Bays; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008629:Mercury Isotopes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008629:Mercury Isotopes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Environmental pollution; MC-ICP/MS; Mercury isotope ratios