Understanding drivers of mercury in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), a top-predator fish in southwest Alaska's parklands.

ABSTRACT: Mercury (Hg) is a widespread element and persistent pollutant, harmful to fish, wildlife, and humans in its organic, methylated form. The risk of Hg contamination is driven by factors that regulate Hg loading, methylation, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification. In remote locations, with infrequent access and limited data, understanding the relative importance of these factors can pose a challenge. Here, we assessed Hg concentrations in an apex predator fish species, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), collected from 14 lakes spanning two National Parks in southwest Alaska, U.S.A. We then examined factors associated with the variation in fish Hg concentrations using a Bayesian hierarchical model. We found that total Hg concentrations in water were consistently low among lakes (0.11-0.50 ng L

SUBMITTER: Bartz KK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10716799 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature