TY - JOUR
AU - Gray, Brian
AB - To determine the level of in ovo methylmercury (MeHg) exposure that results in detrimental effects on fitness and survival of loon embryos and hatched chicks, we conducted a field study in which we injected eggs with various doses of MeHg on day 4 of incubation. Eggs were collected following about 23 days of natural incubation and artificially incubated to observe hatching. Reduced embryo survival was evident in eggs injected at a rate of ≥1.3 μg Hg/g wet-mass. When maternally deposited Hg and injected Hg were considered together, the median lethal concentration of Hg (LC50) was estimated to be 1.78 μg Hg/g wet-mass. Organ mass patterns from eggs of chicks injected at a rate of 2.9 μg Hg/g differed from that of controls and chicks from the 0.5 μg Hg/g treatment, largely related to a negative relation between yolk sac mass and egg mercury concentration. Chicks from eggs in the 2.9 μg Hg/g treatment were also less responsive to a frightening stimulus than controls and chicks from the 0.5 μg Hg/g treatment. We also found that the length of incubation period increased with increasing egg mercury concentration. Tissue Hg concentrations were strongly associated (r
2 ≥ 0.80) with egg Hg concentration.
TI - Effects of injected methylmercury on the hatching of common loon (Gavia immer) eggs
JF - Ecotoxicology
DO - 10.1007/s10646-011-0743-9
DA - 2011-07-26
UR - https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/springer-journals/effects-of-injected-methylmercury-on-the-hatching-of-common-loon-gavia-jXRmWN9thl
SP - 1684
EP - 1693
VL - 20
IS - 7
DP - DeepDyve
ER -