Antagonistic Interaction of Mercury and Selenium in a Marine Fish Is Dependent on Their Chemical Species

It is well-known that selenium (Se) shows protective effects against mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation and toxicity, but the underlying effects of Se chemical species, concentration, and administration method are poorly known. In this study, we conducted laboratory studies on a marine fish Terapon jurbua...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2011-04, Vol.45 (7), p.3116-3122
Main Authors: Dang, Fei, Wang, Wen-Xiong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agnatha. Pisces
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Antioxidants - metabolism
Antioxidants - pharmacology
Bioaccumulation
Biological and medical sciences
Diet
Drug Interactions
Ecotoxicology and Human Environmental Health
Fish
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Mercury
Mercury - antagonists & inhibitors
Mercury - metabolism
Methylmercury Compounds - antagonists & inhibitors
Methylmercury Compounds - metabolism
Nonnative species
Perciformes - metabolism
Sea water ecosystems
Selenium
Selenium - metabolism
Selenium - pharmacology
Studies
Synecology
Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
Water Pollutants, Chemical - antagonists & inhibitors
Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism
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Summary:It is well-known that selenium (Se) shows protective effects against mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation and toxicity, but the underlying effects of Se chemical species, concentration, and administration method are poorly known. In this study, we conducted laboratory studies on a marine fish Terapon jurbua to explain why Hg accumulation is reduced in the presence of Se observed in field studies. When Se and Hg were administrated concurrently in the fish diets, different Se species including selenite, selenate, seleno-dl-cystine (SeCys), and seleno-dl-methionine (SeMet) affected Hg bioaccumulation differently. At high concentration in fish diet (20 μg g−1 normally), selenate and SeCys significantly reduced the dietary Hg(II) assimilation efficiency (AE) from 38% to 26%. After the fish were pre-exposed to dietary selenite or SeMet (7 μg g−1 normally) for 22 days with significantly elevated Se body concentrations, the Hg(II) AEs were pronouncedly reduced (from 41% to 15−26%), whereas the dissolved uptake rate constant and elimination rate constant were less affected. In contrast to Hg(II), all the MeHg biokinetic parameters remained relatively constant whether Se was administrated simultaneously with the fish diet or when the fish were pre-exposed to Se with elevated body concentrations. Basic biokinetic measurements thus revealed that Se had direct interaction with Hg(II) during dietary assimilation rather than with MeHg and that different Se species had variable effects on Hg assimilation.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es103705a