Accumulation, Trophic Transfer, and Health Risk Assessment of Mercury under Typical Ecological Mariculture Models

• • Sediment THg in ecological mariculture averaged 4.0 ± 1.3 ng·g−1 dw (n=56), indicating minimal Hg accumulation due to sandy/silty sediments and low inputs, which is critical for site selection and sediment management in sustainable aquaculture. • • Fish muscle THg and MeHg concentrations were 59.7 ± 30.0 and 53.8 ± 29.2 ng·g−1 ww (n=7), respectively, comparable to wild fish, demonstrating that ecological mariculture does not inherently reduce Hg bioaccumulation, necessitating food chain management. • • At high seafood consumption (255.6 g·d−1), MeHg EDI for most aquaculture products exceeded the USEPA reference dose (0.1 μg·kg−1·d−1), with THQ values up to 3.98, indicating significant health risks for high-end consumers. • • Only Penaeus monodon and Metapenaeus ensis were safe at all consumption levels, suggesting species-specific differences in Hg accumulation that can guide consumer choices and aquaculture species selection.