A risk assessment of the effects of mercury on Baltic Sea, Greater North Sea and North Atlantic wildlife, fish and bivalves

A wide range of species, including marine mammals, seabirds, birds of prey, fish and bivalves, were investigated
for potential population health risks resulting from contemporary (post 2000) mercury (Hg) exposure, using
novel risk thresholds based on literature and de novo contamination data. The main geographic focus is on the
Baltic Sea, while data from the same species in adjacent waters, such as the Greater North Sea and North Atlantic,
were included for comparative purposes. For marine mammals, 23% of the groups, each composing individuals
of a specific sex and maturity from the same species in a specific study region, showed Hg-concentrations within
the High Risk Category (HRC) and Severe Risk Category (SRC). The corresponding percentages for seabirds, fish
and bivalves were 2.7%, 25% and 8.0%, respectively, although fish and bivalves were not represented in the SRC.