Author(s)

G.K. Luk

Abstract

Ecotoxicology modeling of methylmercury bioaccumulation G. K. Luk Department of Civil Engineering, Ryerson University, Canada Abstract Inorganic elemental mercury discharged into the natural aquatic system is converted under suitable environmental conditions into a highly toxic, organic form of mercury called methylmercury. Studies have found that this form of mercury is more readily available to biota, and may be efficiently transferred up the food chain, thereby concentrating in larger, predatorial fish species in the top trophic levels. The objective of this paper is to apply a bioenergetics-based mathematical model to describe the bioaccumulation behavior of methylmercury in fish. Model results are compared to field observation collected from various locations of Lake Ontario, and the general body buildup of mercury with increasing age is explained through the various pathways of transfer in conjunction with the bioenergetics concepts. The study is conducted

Keywords