Comparative study of mercury in liver and muscle of Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) off Sanriku coast of Japan

J. Yang; T. Kunito; S. Tanabe; N. Miyazaki

doi:doi:10.1051/jp4:20030562

Numéro		J. Phys. IV France Volume 107, May 2003


Page(s)		1393 - 1398
DOI		https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:20030562

J. Phys. IV France 107 (2003) 1393
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:20030562

Comparative study of mercury in liver and muscle of Dall's porpoise (Phocoenoides dalli) off Sanriku coast of Japan

J. Yang^{1, 2}, T. Kunito³, S. Tanabe³ and N. Miyazaki⁴

¹ lnstitute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
² Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, The Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, No. 1 Qitang, Wuxi City, Jiangsu 214081, China
³ Center for Marine Environmental Studies, Ehime University, Tarumi 3-5-7, Matsuyama 790-8566, Ehime, Japan
⁴ Otsuchi Marine Research Center, Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, Akahama 2-106-1, Otsuchi 028-1102, Iwate, Japan

Abstract
Liver and muscle samples of 22 Dall's porpoises (Phocoenoides dalli ) collected off Sanriku coast of Japan were analyzed to compare the bioaccumulation of total mercury ( $\Sigma$ Hg) and organic mercury (OrgHg). Concentrations of $\Sigma$ Hg and OrgHg in the liver were significantly higher than those in the muscle. In the liver evident detoxification effect of Hg was suggested by that concentrations of $\sigma$ Hg were usually much higher than those of OrgHg. In the muscle such effect was limited as $\Sigma$ Hg concentrations were closed to those of OrgHg.