Mercury (Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) concentrations in fish from the coastal lagoon of Orbetello, central Italy

Abstract Total mercury (Hg tot ) and methyl mercury (MeHg) were quantified in several specimens of Dicentrarchus labrax and Sparus aurata from the east basin of the Orbetello lagoon, central Italy. The size of each specimen was recorded to estimate body burdens (BBs); =Hg tot and MeHg were measured in fillets of both species. Hg tot and MeHg in S. aurata ranged between 0.355–1.58 and 0.341–1.53 μg/g wet weight (ww), respectively; in D. labrax , their ranges were 0.284–2.54 and 0.214–2.35 μg/g ww. Approximately 90% of the concentrations measured exceeded Hg tot regulatory maximum level of 0.5 μg/g ww; however, exceedance rate was different in the two species studied. No correlations between specimen size and Hg tot or MeHg BBs were detected in this study.