MERCURY DISTRIBUTION IN A POLLUTED MARINE AREA - CONCENTRATIONS OF METHYL MERCURY IN SEDIMENTS AND SOME MARINE ORGANISMS

Methyl mercury concentrations were measured in various parts of Kastela Bay in the Central Adriatic, which is polluted with inorganic mercury. The values obtained, on a wet weight basis, for sediments were from 2 to 20 mu g methyl mercury kg** minus **1; for the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis from 10 to 110 mu g kg** minus **1; and for various species of fish from 102 to 1448 mu g kg** minus **1. The methyl mercury content increases by three orders of magnitude going from sediment to fish. The distribution of methyl mercury in relation to the depth of the sediment and the different organs of the mussel is presented. On the basis of the results obtained, it may be concluded that non-migratory species of fish are more suitable for methyl mercury monitoring in the marine environment than are sediment and mussels.