Comparative assessment of blood mercury in American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) from Coastal North Carolina and Florida.

ABSTRACT: Mercury (Hg) is a widespread and harmful persistent pollutant of aquatic ecosystems. Except for the northern most populations of American alligators (Alligator Mississippiensis) found in North Carolina, the potential adverse health impacts of Hg on ecosystems and humans consuming alligator meat have been studied for over three decades. Now that alligators are being recreationally hunted and consumed across their range, it is especially important to monitor toxic contaminant levels to best understand possible adverse impacts of exposures on alligator populations and human health. In this study, we determined blood Hg concentrations in American alligators from an urbanized site in Wilmington, NC, a nearby site at Lake Waccamaw, NC, and a site on the St Johns River in Florida. Median blood to

SUBMITTER: Belcher SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9463099 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature