STUDY ON METABOLISM OF MERCURY IN Tilapia Mossambica

Using ²⁰³HgCl₂ as a tracer, uptake and combination of inorganic mercury in Tilapia mossambica (petres) and its transfer between different tissues of the fish were studied.The results demonstrate that gill is the main tissue uptaking mercury directly from seawater and that the mercury in gill, skin, digestive tube and fin would be transferred to the other tissues.The result of gel chromatography with Sephadex G-75 shows that most of mercury in gill filaments, liver, and digestive tube are bound in high molecules (MW-70000) and not in metallothionein, but in kidney and bile mercury binding proteins are similar to metallothionein and are accounted for up to 60% and 46% respectively.