Open Environmental Sciences

2014, 8 : 35-48
Published online 2014 November 26. DOI: 10.2174/1876325101408010035
Publisher ID: TOENVIRJ-8-35

Methylmercury and Trace Element Distribution in the Organs of Stenella coeruleoalba Dolphins Stranded on the French Mediterranean Coast

Emmanuel Wafo , Véronique Risoul , Thérèse Schembri , Véronique Lagadec , Frank Dhermain , Chacha Mama , Pierre Boissery and Henri Portugal
Laboratoire Chimie Analytique, IMBE UMR 7263 CNRS, 237 IRD - UMR NORT 1062 INSERM / INRA 1260 et UMR 910 Génétique, Faculté de Pharmacie, AMU, Marseille, France.

ABSTRACT

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the contamination by mercury (Hg), methylmercury (Me-Hg), cadmium (Cd), selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in dolphins stranded on the French Mediterranean coast. The distributions of these contaminants in the organs of dolphins have also been studied. Overall, contamination levels varied according to the following sequence: liver > kidney > lung > muscle, except for cadmium (kidney > liver > lung > muscle). Size and sex of animals were also considered. Young dolphins were less impacted with trace elements than adults, except for copper. Among the studied parameters, the most important appeared to be the size of mammals. In addition, in the case of mercury and selenium, the sex of mammals seemed to be also relevant. The correlations between the concentrations of trace elements suggest the existence of detoxification processes. Since 1990s, using dolphins for tracing marine pollution, a slight reduction in the burden of the considered trace elements could be noted.

Keywords:

Mediterranean sea, methylmercury, striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, trace elements.