Mercury in the San Francisco Estuary - Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - page 32

A Human Health

Consumption of mercury-contaminated fish from the estuary is the issue most rele-
vant to human health. Accordingly, recent studies of mercury in fish in San Francisco
Estuary (Davis et al. 2002; Fairey et al. 1997; Greenfield et al. 2005) have focused on
concentrations and spatial and temporal trends in those concentrations in various fish
species. The range of concentrations in several species are summarized in Table 1.
Fish mercury concentrations can exceed regulatory standards in leopard shark, striped

Table 1 Survey of total mercury (Hg T ) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations ( µ g g −1 )

in organisms from San Francisco Estuary

Hg T ( µ g g −1 ),

range (mean), MeHg, ( µ g g −1 ),

Species Tissue wet weight wet weight Notes

Fish a,b

California halibut Muscle 0.20-0.36

( Paralichthys
californicus )

Jacksmelt Muscle 0.068-0.17

( Atherinopsis

(0.09)

californiensis )

Leopard shark Muscle 0.28-1.3

( Triiakis semifasciata )

Shiner surfperch Muscle 0.068-0.42

( Cymmatogaster

aggregata )

Striped bass Muscle 0.15-0.55

( Morone saxatilis )

Sturgeon Muscle 0.25-0.30

( Acipenser
transmontanus )

White croaker Muscle 0.069-0.41

( Genyonemus lineatus )

Birds

California clapper rails Egg d 0.11-2.5 MeHg averaged

Rallus longirostris

95% of total

obsoletus ) c

in subset

analyzed

Canvasbacks Liver ND-9.4 f

( Aythya valisineria ) e

Greater scaup Liver 1.8-20 f

( Aythya marila )

Lesser scaup Liver 1.1-9.9 f

( Aythya affinis )

Surf scoters Liver 5-21 f

( Melanitta
perspicillata )

Ruddy ducks Liver 2-7 f

( Oxyura jamaicensis )

(continued)