Correlations between mercury concentration, and stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen of amino acids in scalp hair from whale meat eaters and heavy fish eaters

摘要

RATIONALE: As mercury (Hg) accumulation in marine animals generally increases with increased trophic level (delta N-15 values) through the food web, predators accumulate higher levels of Hg. The main source of human Hg intake is the consumption of fish and other marine animals, and Hg concentration in scalp hair is the preferred marker for evaluating consumption of marine animals. Difference in delta N-15 values between trophic and source amino acids of human consumers could enable us to estimate the trophic level of the consumer without knowing the bulk delta N-15 value of their prey.