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Tropical Coastal Organisms as Qualitative Indicators of Mercury and Organomercury for Sustainable Use of Living Resources

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Abstract

Organisms sensitive to ambient environment are used as bioindicators in monitoring pollution. The present investigation is designed to measure the extent of mercury and organomercury levels in selective biota of different trophic levels inhabiting in the coastal environment of Sunderban Biosphere Reserve, eastern part of India. The primary objective of this work is to provide baseline data for future environmental quality programme and to ascertain the suitability of these organisms to be used as bioindicator species of pollution. The seagrass (Porterasia coarctata), macrobenthos (polychaetes, gastropods and bivalve molluscs) and pelagic finfishes were collected from sites of different physiochemical characteristics. Concentration of total mercury was determined by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry technique (CVAAS) using a Perkin-Elmer 2380 AAS equipped with MHS 10.

Both mercury and organomercury levels showed considerable interspecific and regional variations which reflected the feeding strategy of these animals and also the location of stations. The bivalve molluscs showed a high degree of organ-specificity in accumulation which might be attributed to the ion exchange activity of mucous membrane covering gill and mantle. Mercury levels in various compartments did not reveal any regular temporal variations but showed a slight increase in the late monsoon months indicating the apparent influence of river run-off and reduction in salinity in the ambient medium. A continuous monitoring programme is recommended in order to clarify the present trend and to establish the studied organisms as indicator species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Metallurgical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, 700 032, India (e-mail

    S.K. Sarkar, B. Bhattacharya, G. Bandopadhaya, Sankar Giri & S. Debnath

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  1. S.K. Sarkar
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Sarkar, S., Bhattacharya, B., Bandopadhaya, G. et al. Tropical Coastal Organisms as Qualitative Indicators of Mercury and Organomercury for Sustainable Use of Living Resources. Environment, Development and Sustainability 1, 135–147 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010087516131

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