Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal)
During the Spanish colonial era, ships frequently transported mercury across the Atlantic to the New World to be used in gold mining. As many of those eventually sank, shipwrecks may represent a local source of mercury contamination in the marine environment. In this context, evaluating mercury cont...
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/2/276 |
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| author | Hugo C. Vieira Maria D. Bordalo Jaime Rendón-von Osten Amadeu M. V. M. Soares Sizenando N. Abreu Fernando Morgado |
| author_facet | Hugo C. Vieira Maria D. Bordalo Jaime Rendón-von Osten Amadeu M. V. M. Soares Sizenando N. Abreu Fernando Morgado |
| author_sort | Hugo C. Vieira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the Spanish colonial era, ships frequently transported mercury across the Atlantic to the New World to be used in gold mining. As many of those eventually sank, shipwrecks may represent a local source of mercury contamination in the marine environment. In this context, evaluating mercury contamination in coastal sediments and mercury magnification in marine food webs is crucial for understanding mercury dynamics and estimating exposure to marine life in locations where shipwrecks occurred. This study investigated mercury concentration present in coastal sediments and biota from three distinct groups: macroalgae (<i>Asparagopsis armata</i> and <i>Ulva lactuca</i>), gastropods (<i>Littorina striata</i> and <i>Patella candei gomesii</i>) and crustaceans (<i>Palaemon elegans</i> and <i>Pachygrapsus marmoratus</i>) collected in the Azores Archipelago, Portugal (one site near a 16<sup>th</sup>-century shipwreck and others in locations further away). Mercury analyses indicated that the sediments and species from the shipwreck area had significantly higher mercury levels than the other areas. Fine sediments showed values above those established in sediment quality guidelines; however, considering the mercury concentration of the total sediment fraction, adverse biological effects are not expected to occur. Moreover, increased mercury concentration from primary producers to consumers reinforced the biomagnification potential of this metal. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:36:41Z |
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| id | doaj.art-a9851f36d5bd40aeb299b6edf334086b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1312 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T08:36:41Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Marine Science and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-a9851f36d5bd40aeb299b6edf334086b2023-11-16T21:26:56ZengMDPI AGJournal of Marine Science and Engineering2077-13122023-01-0111227610.3390/jmse11020276Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal)Hugo C. Vieira0Maria D. Bordalo1Jaime Rendón-von Osten2Amadeu M. V. M. Soares3Sizenando N. Abreu4Fernando Morgado5CESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalCESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalEPOMEX Institute, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Campus VI, Av. Héroe de Nacozari 480, Campeche 24070, MexicoCESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalCESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalCESAM—Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalDuring the Spanish colonial era, ships frequently transported mercury across the Atlantic to the New World to be used in gold mining. As many of those eventually sank, shipwrecks may represent a local source of mercury contamination in the marine environment. In this context, evaluating mercury contamination in coastal sediments and mercury magnification in marine food webs is crucial for understanding mercury dynamics and estimating exposure to marine life in locations where shipwrecks occurred. This study investigated mercury concentration present in coastal sediments and biota from three distinct groups: macroalgae (<i>Asparagopsis armata</i> and <i>Ulva lactuca</i>), gastropods (<i>Littorina striata</i> and <i>Patella candei gomesii</i>) and crustaceans (<i>Palaemon elegans</i> and <i>Pachygrapsus marmoratus</i>) collected in the Azores Archipelago, Portugal (one site near a 16<sup>th</sup>-century shipwreck and others in locations further away). Mercury analyses indicated that the sediments and species from the shipwreck area had significantly higher mercury levels than the other areas. Fine sediments showed values above those established in sediment quality guidelines; however, considering the mercury concentration of the total sediment fraction, adverse biological effects are not expected to occur. Moreover, increased mercury concentration from primary producers to consumers reinforced the biomagnification potential of this metal.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/2/276aquatic toxicologyheavy metalsmercury bioaccumulationintertidal speciescontamination factorgeoaccumulation index |
| spellingShingle | Hugo C. Vieira Maria D. Bordalo Jaime Rendón-von Osten Amadeu M. V. M. Soares Sizenando N. Abreu Fernando Morgado Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) Journal of Marine Science and Engineering aquatic toxicology heavy metals mercury bioaccumulation intertidal species contamination factor geoaccumulation index |
| title | Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) |
| title_full | Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) |
| title_fullStr | Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) |
| title_short | Can a 16<sup>th</sup> Century Shipwreck Be Considered a Mercury Source in the 21<sup>st</sup> Century?—A Case Study in the Azores Archipelago (Portugal) |
| title_sort | can a 16 sup th sup century shipwreck be considered a mercury source in the 21 sup st sup century a case study in the azores archipelago portugal |
| topic | aquatic toxicology heavy metals mercury bioaccumulation intertidal species contamination factor geoaccumulation index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1312/11/2/276 |
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