Mercury content of copepods (Crustacea) collected from the Antarctic Sea

概要

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Inorganic and methylmercury in copepods collected from 9 stations in the Antarctic Sea in December 1985 and February 1986 was measured. There was considerable variation of inorganic mercury in copepods at all stations while inorganic mercury in copepods from deeper (bottom) waters was higher than that from surface waters. This result indicates that the inorganic mercury concentrated in the copepods might have been derived from bottom sediments and/or bottom waters. On the contrary, there is little regional or vertical difference in methylmercury content of copepods which was generally low. Its value is considered to be standard value in sea areas expected to be non-polluted from human activities. The mercury content (mean value) in zooplankton collected from various sea areas was compared with each other. The value of total mercury in the Antarctic Sea (recorded in the present study) was about the same as that in Yatsushiro-kai adjacent to polluted area and was higher than those in the other non-polluted sea areas, except the East Indian Ocean (off Java) affected by active submarine volcanos.
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