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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
An Anaerobic Biosensor Assay for the Detection of Mercury and Cadmium
Published on: December 17, 2018
Assessment of mercury concentrations in small mammals collected near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
S L Gerstenberger1, C L Cross, D D Divine
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 453064, Las Vegas, Nevada 89154-3064, USA. shawn.gerstenberger@unlv.edu
Abstract:
Mercury concentrations in liver and hair tissue were determined for five species of small mammals captured near Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. These data were then used to evaluate the suitability of using hair as a noninvasive technique for determining body burdens of mercury. A total of 104 small mammals were captured and analyzed; four main species were examined and included: Dipodomys merriami, Chaetodipus penicillatus, Peromyscus eremicus, and Neotoma lepida. Mean mercury concentrations were highest in N. lepida, followed by D. merriami, C. penicillatus, and P. eremicus respectively. Positive associations were found between hair and liver taken from D. merriami (r = 0.647) and C. penicillatus (r = 0.533) indicating that hair may be a suitable indicator of body burdens in these two species.