Sexual difference in mercury concentrations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Lake Ontario
Chemosphere
By: C.P. Madenjian, M.J. Keir, and D.M. Whittle
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
We determined total mercury (Hg) concentrations in 50 female lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and 69 male lake trout from Lake Ontario (Ontario, Canada and New York, United States). Results showed that, on average, males were 8% higher in Hg concentration than females in Lake Ontario. We also used bioenergetics modeling to determine whether a sexual difference in gross growth efficiency (GGE) could explain the observed sexual difference in Hg concentrations. According to the bioenergetics modeling results, male GGE was about 3% higher than female GGE, on average. Although the bioenergetics modeling could not explain the higher Hg concentrations exhibited by the males, a sexual difference in GGE remained a plausible explanation for the sexual difference in Hg concentrations of the lake trout. In an earlier study, male lake trout from Lake Ontario were found to be 22% higher in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentration than females from Lake Ontario. Thus, although males were higher in both Hg and PCB concentrations, the degree of the sexual difference in concentration varied between the two contaminants. Further research on sexual differences in Hg excretion rates and Hg direct uptake rates may be needed to resolve the disparity in results between the two contaminants.
Suggested Citation
Madenjian, C., Keir, M., and Whittle, D., 2011, Sexual difference in mercury concentrations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Lake Ontario: Chemosphere, v. 83, no. 7, p. 903-908, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.02.053.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Sexual difference in mercury concentrations of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from Lake Ontario |
| Series title | Chemosphere |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2011.02.053 |
| Volume | 83 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Year Published | 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Publisher location | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Contributing office(s) | Great Lakes Science Center |
| Description | 6 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Chemosphere |
| First page | 903 |
| Last page | 908 |
| Other Geospatial | Lake Ontario |