eISSN 2788-1369
The aim of this study was to optimize the determination of mercury content in small mammals from the Soricidae family and compare it with the mercury content in larger mammals with slower metabolism, which are also linked to the aquatic foog chain with dangerous forms of mercury. Mercury content was measured in the fur, which is the main mechanism for eliminating toxins, and in the liver. The ratio between the liver and fur served to verify the intensity of metabolism. This intensity was also monitored in small rodents with lower metabolic output. In rodents, the change in mercury content in tissues due to mercury accumulation in the fetus during pregnancy was also measured. The degree of environmental load, the degree of dependence on the aquatic food chain and the degree of mercury demethylation in the liver within a specific detection are discussed. The optimal method of biomonitoring is also discussed.
Keywords: Soricidae, mercury, metabolism, fur, aquatic food sources
Hájek T. & Arnoštová L. 2025: Indicative content of mercury in insectivores (Central Bohemia, Czech Republic). Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae 89(3–4): 133–141.
Published: 30. 12. 2025.
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