Contrasting Mercury Bioavailability in the Marine and Fluvial Dominated Areas of the Jaguaribe River Basin, Ceará, Brazil

This study evaluates the influence of environmental and biological factors upon the mercury (Hg) concentrations in the aquatic fauna in the Lower Jaguaribe River Basin (LJRB) – NE, Brazil. Two campaigns conducted in 2015 in the fluvial (FDA) and in the marine-dominated (MDA) areas resulted in 830 organisms from 16 species collected (nine of finfish and seven of invertebrates). Among the invertebrates, the highest Hg concentration occurred in the crab Callinectes bocourti (201 ng g −1 ), while among the finfish the highest concentration was found in the ladyfish Elops saurus (109 ng g −1 ), both carnivorous and of high trophic level (TL). Intra-specific comparison showed significant higher Hg concentrations in individuals captured in the MDA. Also, Hg bioaccumulation rate in the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei was much higher in the MDA. These results, point to a concomitant control of Hg bioavailability by physical–chemical variables along the estuarine gradient of the LJRB.