---
attrs:
  .reference_type: 0
  Abstract: 'Marine food webs are the most important link between the global contaminant, methylmercury (MeHg), and human exposure through consumption of seafood. Warming temperatures may increase human exposure to MeHg, a potent neurotoxin, by increasing MeHg production as well as bioaccumulation and trophic transfer through marine food webs. Studies of the effects of temperature on MeHg bioaccumulation are rare and no study has specifically related temperature to MeHg fate by linking laboratory experiments with natural field manipulations in coastal ecosystems. We performed laboratory and field experiments on MeHg accumulation under varying temperature regimes using the killifish, Fundulus heteroclitus. Temperature treatments were established in salt pools on a coastal salt marsh using a natural temperature gradient where killifish fed on natural food sources. Temperatures were manipulated across a wider range in laboratory experiments with killifish exposed to MeHg enriched food. In both laboratory microcosms and field mesocosms, MeHg concentrations in killifish significantly increased at elevated temperatures. Moreover, in field experiments, other ancillary variables (salinity, MeHg in sediment, etc.) did not relate to MeHg bioaccumulation. Modeling of laboratory experimental results suggested increases in metabolic rate as a driving factor. The elevated temperatures we tested are consistent with predicted trends in climate warming, and indicate that in the absence of confounding factors, warmer sea surface temperatures could result in greater in bioaccumulation of MeHg in fish, and consequently, increased human exposure.'
  Author: 'Dijkstra, J. A.; Buckman, K. L.; Ward, D.; Evans, D. W.; Dionne, M.; Chen, C. Y.'
  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058401
  ISSN: 1932-6203
  Issue: 3
  Journal: PLoS ONE
  Keywords: 'Animals; Fishes/ metabolism; Food Chain; Global Warming; Humans; Maine; Mercury/analysis/chemistry; Methylmercury Compounds/adverse effects/ analysis/chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical/adverse effects/ analysis/chemistry'
  Language: eng
  Notes: "Dijkstra, Jennifer A Buckman, Kate L Ward, Darren Evans, David W Dionne, Michele Chen, Celia Y P42 ES007373/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/United States Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't United States PLoS One. 2013;8(3):e58401. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058401. Epub 2013 Mar 12."
  Pages: e58401
  Title: Experimental and natural warming elevates mercury concentrations in estuarine fish
  Volume: 8
  Year: 2013
  _record_number: 4327
  _uuid: 90048433-9538-4100-a94f-3ecb8940519f
  reftype: Journal Article
child_publication: /article/10.1371/journal.pone.0058401
description: Experimental and natural warming elevates mercury concentrations in estuarine fish
display_name: Experimental and natural warming elevates mercury concentrations in estuarine fish
href: http://52.38.26.42:8080/reference/90048433-9538-4100-a94f-3ecb8940519f.yaml
identifier: 90048433-9538-4100-a94f-3ecb8940519f
publications:
  - /report/usgcrp-climate-human-health-assessment-2016/chapter/food-safety-nutrition-and-distribution/finding/chemical-contaminants-in-the-food-chain
  - /report/usgcrp-climate-human-health-assessment-2016/chapter/populations-of-concern
  - /report/usgcrp-climate-human-health-assessment-2016/chapter/food-safety-nutrition-and-distribution
  - /report/usgcrp-climate-human-health-assessment-2016
type: reference
uri: /reference/90048433-9538-4100-a94f-3ecb8940519f