Mercury concentrations in fish, North Atlantic offshore waters--1971

Mercury concentrations were determined in muscle and liver of 41 species of fish and a limited number of plankton, sediment, and invertebrate samples collected from North Atlantic offshore waters in 1971. The average mercury concentration in fish muscle was 0.154 ppm with a standard deviation of 0.124. Invertebrate samples had mercury concentrations which were generally less than 0.1 ppm. In a single lobster sample, however, 0.31 ppm mercury was found in the tail muscle and there was 0.60 ppm in the liver. Mercury levels in all 9 plankton and 10 sediment samples taken were less than 0.05 ppm.