Leeches as indicators of dietary mercury exposure in non-piscivorous waterfowl in central Ontario, Canada

摘要: We collected and analysed 113 leeches (Hirudinea) from 17 small lakes in the acid-stressed Muskoka region of central Ontario, Canada to examine relationship between lake chemistry mercury (Hg) concentrations leeches, thus determine whether other benthic invertebrates posed a dietary risk Hg exposure for non-piscivorous waterfowl. were generally low only few-fold above detection limit (0.78 ng g(-1) wet weight (ww)). Mean concentration bloodsucker Macrobdella decora was 6.94 +/- 0.78 SE ww (n=49) 5.98 0.46 (n=64) scavenger Percymoorensis marmoratis. Leech correlated with calcium dissolved organic carbon water, respectively. These data suggest that are not suitable monitors (usually as methylmercury) biomagnification Ontario lakes, do pose