| Abstract: | An in situ caged crayfish experiment was conducted in the Wabigoon River System, Ontario, Canada to determine the relative importance of food and water pathways for mercury accumulation in crayfish. Two groups of 160 crayfish were suspended in the water column; one at an ucontaminated site, the other at a location with highly elevated total mercury and methylmercury levels in water. Crayfish at each site were divided into two groups. Crayfish were fed either sucker flesh obtained from an uncontaminated lake (low mercury diet) or walleye flesh from contaminated Clay Lake, Ontario, Canada (high mercury diet). After 10 weeks crayfish at both sites fed the high mercury diet had over 20 times mercury accumulation compared to crayfish on the low mercury diet. There was no statistical effects due to sharply elevated water concentrations of total and methylmercury on mercury bodyburdens. This indicated that food was the dominant pathway for mercury accumulation in crayfish. |
