Mercury in the Aquatic Environment of the Village of Caimito at the Mojana Region, North of Colombia

Authors: Jesus Olivero-Verbel¹; Boris Johnson-Restrepo²; Claudia Mendoza-Marín²; Ramon Paz-Martinez²; Rafael Olivero-Verbel²

Source: Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, Volume 159, Number 1, November 2004 , pp. 409-420(12)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

During May–September 1999, several aquatic environmental samples were collected from the village of Caimito, in the San Jorge River basin area, state of Sucre (Colombia), and analyzed for total mercury (T-Hg). Mean T-Hg concentration in sediments from surrounded marshes was 0.155 ± 0.016

g Hg/g. Low Hg concentrations were found in the phytoplanktivorous fish species Prochilodus magdalenae (0.087 ± 0.01

g Hg/g), while four-fold greater concentrations were found in all the carnivorous species. In average, T-Hg concentrations for fish samples did not exceed the limit consumption level (0.5

g Hg/g). However, risk assessment based on the hazard index suggested that the consumption of 0.1 kg per day of carnivorous fish could increase the risk of mercury poisoning in local population.

Keywords: Colombia; fish; hazard index; mercury; risk; sediment

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:WATE.0000049162.54404.76

Affiliations: 1: Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, University of Cartagena, A.A. 6541, Cartagena, Colombia, South America., Email: jesusolivero@yahoo.com 2: Environmental and Computational Chemistry Group, University of Cartagena, A.A. 6541, Cartagena, Colombia, South America

Publication date: 2004-11-01