Mercury levels of soils, sediments and fish in French Guiana, South America

This study examines the level of mercury contamination for different compon ents of the biosphere in French Guiana. The spatial variability of the cont amination of the waters, soils and sediments in the catchment area of the S innamary River is studied. The contamination of the trophic chain is discus sed by analysis of the flesh of fish for the principal species represented in nine Guianese rivers, especially species consumed by human populations. The mercury contamination of sediments and soils, is extremely heterogeneou s and that of fish is generalised. For carnivorous fish, the average mercur y content is 0.48 mug g(-1) (+/-0.28) (fresh weight) and for non-carnivorou s species, 0.05 mug g(-1) (+/-0.07). The concentrations measured are greate r than the European standards for consumption for 4.7% of the carnivorous i ndividuals.