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Factors influencing mercury concentrations in walleyes in northern Wisconsin lakes

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
By: , and 

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Abstract

The authors examined relations between mercury concentrations in walleyes Stizostedion vitreum and the characteristics of clear-water Wisconsin lakes, which spanned a broad range of pH values (5.0-8.1) and acid- neutralizing capacities (-9 to 1,017 mu eq/L). Total concentrations of mercury in axial muscle tissue of walleyes (total length, 25-56 cm) varied from 0.12 to 1.74 mu g/g wet weight. Concentrations were greatest in fish from the eight lakes with pH less than 7.0; concentrations in these fish equaled or exceeded 0.5 mu g/g in 88% of the samples analyzed and 1.0 mu g/g in 44%. In the five lakes with pH of 7.0 and above, concentrations exceeded 0.5 mu g/g in only 1 of 21 walleyes. Multiple regression revealed that lake pH and total length of fish accounted for 69% of the variation in mercury concentration in walleyes. Regression models with total length and either waterborne calcium or acid-neutralizing capacity as independent variables accounted for 67% of the variation in concentration.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Factors influencing mercury concentrations in walleyes in northern Wisconsin lakes
Series title Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
Volume 119
Issue 5
Year Published 1990
Language English
Publisher U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Contributing office(s) Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Description pp. 862-870
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Transactions of the American Fisheries Society
First page 862
Last page 870
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