Kinetics, dose-response, excretion, and toxicity of methylmercury in free-living Cory's shearwater chicks

Monteiro, L.R. and Furness, R.W. (2001) Kinetics, dose-response, excretion, and toxicity of methylmercury in free-living Cory's shearwater chicks. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 20(8), pp. 1816-1823. (doi: 10.1897/1551-5028(2001)020<1816:KDREAT>2.0.CO;2)

Abstract

Methylmercury (MHg) kinetics, dose-response, excretion, and toxicity were experimentally evaluated and compared between small tone to two weeks old) and large (six to seven weeks old), free-living Gory's shearwater chicks. The half-time for the terminal elimination phase of MHg in blood (5.7 d) and the average percentage of ingested MI-Ig deposited in the blood volume (12%) were independent of the age at exposure. Therefore, these data were employed to derive a relationship between steady-state blood concentrations and dietary intake of MHg in bird chicks. Plumage:blood ratios were independent of dose and could be used as partition coefficients. Dose-response relationships in plumage and blood were linear over the wide range of exposures employed. Blood dose-responses of MHg in small and large chicks were similar. Excretion percentages into the final plumage varied between 42 and 60% of intake. The body condition of experimental chicks did not indicate sublethal toxicity of the doses administered; hence, the exposure levels provide maximum avian no-observed-adverse-effect levels for external symptoms in wild seabird chicks

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Furness, Professor Robert
• Authors: Monteiro, L.R., and Furness, R.W.
• Subjects: Q Science > QL Zoology; G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
• ISSN: 0730-7268