Response of Mercury Contamination in Fish to Decreased Aqueous Concentrations and Loading of Inorganic Mercury in a Small Stream

Approximately 250 000 kg of mercury was lost towater and soils at the U.S. Dept. of Energy Y-12 Plantin Oak Ridge, Tennessee in the 1950s and early 1960s. A creek originating within the plant receivedcontinuous inputs of waterborne mercury, predominantlyas dissolved inorganic mercury, from groundwater,streambed contamination, and sump and process waterdischarges to the contaminated storm sewer network.These produce aqueous total mercury concentrations of1–2 g L^-1 in the upper reaches of the stream,decreasing to about 0.1–0.2 g L^-1 in its lowerreaches. A program to reduce mercury concentrationsin the creek identified specific sources (buildingsumps, contaminated springwater seeps, foundationdrains, and contaminated piping) and rerouted wateraround contaminated portions of the drain system orcollected and treated mercury-contaminated waterbefore discharging it. As a result, waterbornemercury concentrations in the creek and total mercuryloading were reduced from 1.8 g L^-1 to0.6 g L^-1 and 100 to 20 g d^-1, respectively, in the last 5 yr.Mean mercury concentrations in fish nearest sourceareas in the creek headwaters decreased at roughly thesame rate as waterborne total mercury concentrationsover the past five years, but at the facility boundarydownstream the decline in mercury bioaccumulation wasmuch less. At sites 5–15 km farther downstream, nodecrease was evident. Dissolved methylmercury tendedto increase with distance downstream in a patterninverse to that noted for its dissolved inorganicmercury precursor.Improvements in water quality and modification ofweirs to allow the passage of fish have resulted inthe establishment of large populations of fish inmercury-contaminated headwater areas previously devoidof fish. It may be that the accumulation, retention,and eventual downstream transport of this reservoir ofbiologically incorporated methylmercury has acted tobuffer against expected reductions in mercury in fishat downstream sites.     

Mercury, Methylmercury, and Selenium Concentrations in Eggs of Common Loons (Gavia immer) from Canada

Concentrations of Hg and Se were determined for a total of 125Common Loon (Gavia immer) eggs collected from lakes in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and NovaScotia, Canada between 1972 and 1997. Resulting data were compared to Hg and/or Se concentrations known or suspected tocause reproductive impairment in birds. Organic (methyl) Hg analyses were also performed on a subset of 24 loon eggs. Thirty-nine of 125 eggs had total Hg levels exceeding those (0.6 g g^-1 ww, or 2.5 g g^-1 dw)previously reported to be associated with reproductive impairment in common loons (Barr, 1986), and 9 of 125 eggshad Hg concentrations higher than the level associated withreproductive impairment in birds generally 1 g g^-1 ww; (Thompson, 1996). Selenium concentrations in loon egg samples were less than levels known to cause reproductiveimpairment in birds. A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between egg-Hg and -Se concentrations(r = 0.511, p < 0.05). On average, methylmercury accounted for about 87% of total Hg in 24 eggs analysed for both total and organic Hg. In this subset of eggs, the relationship between organic (methyl) Hg and Se was significant (r = 0.538, p = 0.007) while that found between inorganic Hg and Se in the same eggs was not significant (r = 0.353, p = 0.091). This relationship was unexpected and was contrary to relationships established for organic and inorganic Hg vs. Se in adult loon liver and kidney tissue (Scheuhammer et al., 1998b).     

Metal Concentrations in Fish Species from the Northeast Mediterranean Sea

Samples of Mugil cephalus and Mullus barbatus were collected in the Northeast Mediterranean coast of Turkey the contents of cadmium, copper, iron, zinc and lead in the liver, gill and muscle tissues were determined by atomic absorption flame spectrophotometry.Except for lead, highest levels of each metal were found in the liver and this was followed by the gill and muscle in both species. Among the metals analyzed, Cu, Zn and Fe were the most abundant in the different tissues while Cd and Pb were the least abundant both in M. cephalus and M. barbatus. Seasonal changes in metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, Fe and Zn) concentration were observed in the tissues of both species, but these seasonal variations may not influence consumption advisories. In general, the highest concentrations were detected for all metals in summer.     

Background Mercury Concentrations in River Water in Maine, U.S.A.

Mercury concentrations in 58 rivers in Maine was measured to range from below detection up to 7.01 ng L^-1 and averaged 1.80±1.29 ng L^-1. The concentration gradient for mercury in rivers across the state was not uniform. Mercury strongly correlated with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and aluminum, and less strongly with copper, lead, and zinc. Mercuryexhibited significant differences in correlations with chemical variables and local geology when partitioned by flow state (high or low). Mercury concentrations were greatest in rivers flowingacross either wacke-type bedrock at low metamorphic grade, or glacial-till deposits. Elevated concentrations of mercury formed a locus in northern Maine under both high and low-flow states while in southwestern Maine a locus formed only during high-flowstates. These regional differences were statistically significantwhen compared by geographical location. We suggest that there is a bedrock source of mercury in northeastern Maine that is dilutedduring periods of high runoff. The elevated concentrations detected under high-flow states, as noted in southwestern Maine, may reflect mercury released from storage in association withDOC during periods of high runoff. The association of mercury with flow state indicates that watershed processes and local geology can modulate the concentration of mercury in rivers.     

Trace Element Concentrations in Fish, Surficial Sediments and Water from Northern Part of the Persian Gulf

Concentrations of cadmium, lead, nickel and vanadium were determined in water, surficial sediments and the muscle of three demersal fish species (Epinephelus coioides, Psettodes erumei and Solea elongate) from 15 sampling sites in the northern part of Persian Gulf. Concentrations of the elements were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. There were no significant differences among the sampling sites in Cd and Pb levels in the sediments. The highest concentrations of Ni and V in sediments were found near the southern coast of Qeshm Iland and Bandar Lengeh. Concentrations of Cd, Pb and Ni in the sediments were notably higher than global baseline values. Nearly in all cases the element concentrations in the sediments were considerably greater than RSA (ROPME Sea Area) and the ERL (Effects Range Low) guidelines. Significant differences among the sampling sites could be found for concentrations of all the four metals in water. The mean Ni, Pb and Cd levels in the water samples were relatively higher than those in some other regions of the Persian Gulf. Except few cases, the mean concentrations of the elements in muscle of the selected fish species were markedly below the international guidelines for human consumption.     

株洲夏季大气中气态总汞浓度特征

为研究株洲市夏季优良天气下大气中气态总汞(TGM)的浓度特征,于2013年8月利用大气汞分析仪(2537X,加拿大)进行了20 d的连续在线观测。结果显示,实验期间株洲市大气TGM的平均浓度为(4.20±3.37)ng/m3,中值浓度为3.40 ng/m3,高于背景地区和沿海城市,略低于国内其他重点城市。晴天、阴雨天TGM浓度分别为3.59、7.96 ng/m3。晴天TGM浓度具有一定日变化规律,最高值出现在早上7:00~9:00,之后逐渐降低,17:00出现最低值;TGM白天和夜间浓度分别为3.57、3.62 ng/m3,昼夜变化不大。晴天TGM与一次污染物SO2、CO、NO2具有显著的正相关性,与O3呈显著负相关性。株洲市夏季主导风向为东南风,该方向没有明显污染源,西北方向风向频率较低,但TGM浓度明显升高,其主要来源可能是位于西北方向的清水塘工业区。     

Concentrations of Cadmium, Mercury and Selenium in Blood, Liver and Kidney of Common Eider Ducks from the Canadian Arctic

We determined concentrations of selected trace elements inlivers, kidneys and blood samples from common eiders (Somateria mollissima borealis) from the eastern Canadianarctic during 1997 and 1998. Concentrations of totalmercury and organic mercury were generally low in the liversof these birds (less than 6 and 4 g g^–1 dry wt,respectively). Selenium ranged between 11–47 g g^–1 inlivers. Renal cadmium concentrations were among the highestever published for this species (range: 47–281 g g^–1). The regressions of log-transformed concentrations ofthese trace elements in blood samples on those in liver orkidney were significant (all P-values < 0.05) andpositive. However, except for organic mercury (RM ² = 0.83), the co-efficients of determination were low tomoderate (range of R ²: 0.26–0.52), suggesting poorto moderate predictive capability. Furthermore, therelationships between total mercury in blood and liverchanged between 1997 and 1998, suggesting that it would notbe possible to predict consistently, concentrations ofmercury in blood from those in liver based on samples takenin one year. Blood samples can be used to determineconcentrations of these trace elements in common eiders (andprobably other sea duck species as well). The use of bloodsamples is especially warranted when it is undesirable tokill the animal such as when working with rare or endangeredsea duck species or when the objective is to relate traceelement exposure to annual survival rates. However, thepredictive equations developed here should not be used topredict expected concentrations in one type of tissue fromthose in the other.     

洪泽湖鱼体内重金属含量调查

对洪泽湖鱼体中的Pb、Cd、Cu、Cr、Zn等5种重金属进行了测定,分析了不同重金属在鱼的组织器官中的含量分布情况,并重点探讨了重金属在鱼体内的富集规律。结果显示：同一类组织器官中重金属的含量、同一金属在不同组织器官中的分布、不同鱼类对同种金属元素的吸收积累存在显著差异,5种重金属的含量以肌肉中的含量最低;均值型指数法显示,鱼样中肌肉组织残毒污染较小,属于微污染到轻污染级别;污染负荷比说明洪泽湖鱼体残毒的主要污染因子是铅、镉。     

Monitoring Inter-Annual Variability Reveals Sources of Mercury Contamination in Clear Lake, California

Mercury (Hg) in the aquatic ecosystem of Clear Lake has been documented since the 1970s when fishes were found to have elevated levels of toxic methyl mercury (meHg). Mining practices at the Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine (active intermittently from 1872–1957) along the shoreline of Clear Lake included the bulldozing of waste rock and overburden ore into the shallow nearshore regions of the lake and the creation of steeply sloped piles of waste rock at the water's edge. This process, plus erosion of the waste rock piles, resulted in the accumulation of an estimated 100 metric tons of Hg in Clear Lake. A monitoring program to assess Hg in Clear Lake was established in 1992, and conducted continuously from 1994. Drought conditions in California had persisted for ca. 6 yrs prior to 1992, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) remediated the steeply sloped eroding waste rock piles, which appeared to reduce sediment Hg concentrations significantly. In April 1995, a white flocculent material was observed in Clear Lake adjacent to the mine and has been observed every year since, leading to the discovery of ongoing acid mine drainage (AMD), low pH fluids high in Hg and extremely high in sulfate. AMD is now believed to be the most likely cause of elevated meHg in Clear Lake. The discovery of this source of meHg production in Clear Lake, which will significantly influence remedial options, was only made possible by implementation of a diligent monitoring program.     

Seasonal and Inter-Annual Variations in Methyl Mercury Concentrations in Zooplankton from Boreal Lakes Impacted by Deforestation or Natural Forest Fires

We compared the effects of natural and anthropogenic watershed disturbances on methyl mercury (MeHg) concentration in bulk zooplankton from boreal Shield lakes. MeHg in zooplankton was monitored for three years in nine lakes impacted by deforestation, in nine lakes impacted by wildfire, and in twenty lakes with undisturbed catchments. Lakes were sampled during spring, mid- and late summer. MeHg in zooplankton showed a seasonal trend: concentrations were the lowest in spring, then peaked in mid-summer and decreased in late summer. Over the three study years, MeHg concentrations observed in mid-summer in zooplankton from forest harvested lakes were significantly higher than in reference and fire-impacted lakes, whereas differences between these two groups of lakes were not significant. The pattern of distribution of MeHg in zooplankton during the different seasons paralleled that of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is known as a vector of Hg from watershed soils to lake water. Besides DOC, MeHg in zooplankton also showed a positive significant correlation with epilimnetic temperature and sulfate concentrations. An inter-annual decreasing trend in MeHg was observed in zooplankton from reference and fire-impacted lakes. In forest harvested lakes, however, MeHg concentrations remained higher and nearly constant over three years following the impact. Overall these results indicate that the MeHg pulse observed in zooplankton following deforestation by harvesting is relatively long-lived, and may have repercussions to the accumulation of MeHg along the food chain. Therefore, potential effects of deforestation on the Hg contamination of fish should be taken into account in forest management practices.     

Mercury Contamination of Biota from Acadia National Park, Maine: A Review

We reviewed literature reporting both total and methylmercury from biota from Acadia National Park, Maine, USA. Our review of existing data indicates that 1) mercury contamination is widespread throughout the Park’s various aquatic ecosystems; 2) mercury pollution likely represents a moderate to high risk to biota inhabiting the Park; and 3) biota at all trophic levels possess elevated concentrations of both total and methylmercury. Watershed fire history and the resulting post-fire forest succession patterns are an important landscape attribute governing mercury cycling at Acadia National Park. Therefore, park service personnel should consider these factors when planning and implementing Hg biomonitoring efforts. Additional baseline funding from the National Park Service for Hg research and biomonitoring will likely be required in order to further evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of mercury contamination in the park’s biota. An erratum to this article can be found at     

湖南省涉汞行业汞污染现状及防治监管对策

综述了环境中汞污染的来源及其危害,结合湖南省汞污染排放源现状调查,摸清了湖南省主要涉汞行业的基本情况。为有效进行汞污染的防治和监管,提出了加快工业结构转型、加强汞污染源信息管理、进一步提高涉汞行业的准入条件、逐步推进重点行业的汞减排等具体措施和建议。     

高温灰化—电极法测定乌伦古湖鱼中氟的方法初探

以乌伦古湖鱼体(鱼肉,不含鱼内脏)为研究对象,在碱性条件下,用硝酸镁固定样品中氟,高温灰化去除有机物,盐酸浸提,用离子缓冲溶液消除干扰离子,离子选择电极法测定乌伦古湖鱼中的氟。实际样品中加入1.00 mg/kg氟标准品,测定回收率分别为89.5%和88.0%,RSD为3.02%和4.29%。     

Factors affecting food chain transfer of mercury in the vicinity of the Nyanza Site,Sudbury River,Massachusetts

The influence of the Nyanza Chemical Waste Dump Superfund Site on the Sudbury River, Massachusetts, was assessed by analysis of sediment, fish prey organisms, and predator fish from four locations in the river system. Whitehall Reservoir is an impoundment upstream of the site, and Reservoir #2 is an impoundment downstream of the site. Cedar Street is a flowing reach upstream of the site, and Sherman Bridge is a flowing reach downstream of the site. Collections of material for analysis were made three times, in May, July, and October. Sediment was analyzed for acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), simultaneously-extracted (SEM) metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Sb, Zn), and total recoverable Hg. The dominant predatory fish species collected at all sites, largemouth bass (Micropterussalmoides), was analyzed for the same suite of metals as sediment. Analysis of stomach contents of bass identified smallfish (yellow perch Perca flavescens, bluegill Lepomismacrochirus, and pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus), crayfish,and dragonfly larvae as the dominant prey organisms. Samples of the prey were collected from the same locations and at the sametimes as predator fish, and were analyzed for total and methyl mercury. Results of AVS and SEM analyses indicated that sediments were not toxic to aquatic invertebrates at any site. The SEM concentrations of As, Cd, and Cr were significantly higher at Reservoir #2 than at the reference sites, and SEM As and Cdwere significantly higher at Sherman Bridge than at Cedar St. Sediment total Hg was elevated only at Reservoir #2. Hg washigher at site-influenced locations in all fish speciesexcept brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). Cd washigher in bluegill, black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus),and brown bullhead, and Cr was higher in largemouth bass filletsamples but not in whole-body samples. There were no seasonal differences in sediment or prey organism metals, but some metalsin some fish species did vary over time in an inconsistent manner. Predator fish Hg concentration was significantly linearlyrelated to weighted prey organism methyl Hg concentration. Largemouth bass Hg was significantly lower at Reservoir #2 in our study than in previous investigations in 1989 and 1990. High concentrations of inorganic Hg remain in river sediment asa result of operation of the Nyanza site, and fish Hg concentrations in river reaches downstream of the site areelevated compared to upstream reference sites. However, thedifferences are relatively small and Hg concentrations inlargemouth bass from the site-influenced locations are nohigher than those from some other, nearby uncontaminatedsites. We hypothesize that this results from burial ofcontaminated sediment with cleaner material, which reducesbioavailability of contaminants and possibly reducesmethylation of mercury.     

测定水中铁、锰、汞时前处理问题探讨

基于大量实测数据统计,比较了测定水中铁、锰、汞3种重金属时,样品是否过滤、加酸保存等前处理方式对测定结果的影响,提出铁、锰水样需过滤检测,汞水样不能过滤检测,且3种金属的水样均需加酸保存,这样测定的结果才能根据现行水环境质量标准进行评价。     

Mercury concentration in the muscle of seven fish species from Chagan Lake,Northeast China

Chagan Lake is located downstream of the Second Songhua River basin in Northeast China. It is one of the top ten inland freshwater lakes, and an important aquatic farm in China. The lake has been receiving large amounts (currently at 1.5 × 10⁸ m³/a) of water from the river since 1984. This would pose a threat to the aquatic system of the lake because the river was seriously polluted with mercury in 1970s–1980s. The current study is the first to report the total mercury concentrations in fish found in the lake. Mercury concentrations in seven fish species collected from the lake in January 2009 were determined. The related human health risk from fish consumption was also assessed. The average concentration of mercury in the fish was 18.8 μg/kg of wet weight, ranging from 4.5 to 37.6 μg/kg of wet weight. A large difference in the mercury concentrations among the fish species was found. The mercury concentration was found to be higher in carnivorous species and lower in omnivorous and herbivorous species. This demonstrates greater mercury bioaccumulation in fish species at higher trophic levels. Mercury concentrations in fish showed significant positive correlations with age, length, and weight. No significant relationship was found between mercury concentrations in fish and the habitat preferences. Mercury concentrations in fish from the lake were within the limits of the international and national standards of China established for mercury. According to the reference doses established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the maximum safe consuming quantity considering all the fish was 297.3 g/day/person, which was more than five times as much as the current quantity (50 g/day/person) consumed by the local residents. This investigation indicates that the historical pollution of the Second Songhua River has not caused mercury bioaccumulation in fish muscle tissue of Chagan Lake. The present consumption of fish from the lake in the local area does not pose a threat to human health.     

Sources and Concentrations of Mercury and Selenium In Compartments within the Las Vegas Wash During A Period of Rapid Change

The Las VegasWash, which drains the Las Vegas valley watershed and provides the second largest inflow to Lake Mead, is being dramatically altered with erosion control structures and wetland restoration efforts. The impact of these changes on the cycling and distribution of Hg and Se is of particular interest because of their tendency to bioaccumulate and because of a lack of information on these contaminants in the Wash. In this study, we determined concentrations of Hg and Se in surface water (monthly), groundwater (once) and sediments (quarterly) from strategic locations within and along theWash during 2002 and 2003. The data was used to characterize Se sources and loading into theWash. Samples containing resurfacing groundwater and urban runoff (LW10.75 and Duck Creek) had significantly higher yearly means (13.7 ± 4.4 and 23.8 ± 4.1μg/L, respectively) compared with mainstream samples containing primarily treated wastewater (2.8 ± 0.8μg/L). Investigation of Se in tributaries, street runoff and rain suggest that the source of the elevated Se is likely groundwater seeps located within a relatively narrow geographic band on the southeast side of the valley. Se content of sediments was similar, except for LW10.75 which was rich in organic matter. Hg concentrations in the water and sediments were low, averaging 4±5 ng/L and 34±20 ng/g, dw, respectively. Overall, this study suggests that water quality remains relatively stable despite changes in theWash and managers of developing wetlands should not use tributary water as source water.     

巯基棉富集大气中汞的有效解吸方法研究

研究了DMA-80测汞仪对巯基棉富集汞的高效解吸方法。常温定速、定量洗脱巯基棉中汞发现,4.0 mol/L盐酸-氯化钠饱和溶液洗脱巯基棉中汞的效率为25%,而0.28%硝酸-3.5%氯化钠溶液(质量比为1∶12.5)洗脱汞效率不到5.6%,表明多数汞仍被富集,但4.0 mol/L盐酸-氯化钠饱和溶液洗脱巯基棉中汞效率稍高。用3种不同解吸方法探究巯基棉中汞回收率发现,超声波解吸汞效率高、耗时短,且低盐、低酸度、低成本的0.28%硝酸-3.5%氯化钠溶液可实现巯基棉中汞的高效洗脱;以4.0 mol/L盐酸-氯化钠饱和溶液及0.28%硝酸-3.5%氯化钠溶液分别为洗脱介质的微波消解法洗脱汞效率高于94.5%;正交试验得出洗脱介质为0.65 mol/L盐酸-氯化钠饱和溶液在95℃电热板中消解4 h含汞巯基棉后,解吸汞效率高于90%。     

提高环境水中纳克级超痕量汞测定灵敏度的研究

对ｎｇ／Ｌ级超痕量汞测定中的消解、测定各步骤对灵敏度的影响进行了研究。得出结论：采用高纯氩气作载、屏气,选择高负压值和高扩展倍率能明显提高灵敏度;选择合适的消解时间和缩短测定时间能使灵敏度略有提高;试剂和玻璃器皿所带给空白的痕量汞对提高灵敏度不利,应作除汞处理。     

Mercury in the sediments of Vembanad Lake,western coast of India

Mercury, a global pollutant, is popping up in places where it was never expected before and it burdens in sediments and other non-biological materials. It is estimated to have increased up to five times the pre-human level due to anthropogenic activities. Vembanad backwaters, one of the largest Ramsar site in India, which have extraordinary importance for its hydrological function, are now considered as one of the mercury hot spots in India. In this study, surface sediment samples of Vembanad Lake and nearshore areas have been seasonally analysed for total mercury and methyl mercury concentrations while the core sediment samples were analysed for total mercury. The results showed that the northern part of the lake was more contaminated with mercury than the southern part. The mercury concentration was relatively high in the subsurface sediment samples, indicating the possibility of historic industrial mercury deposition. A decreasing trend in the mercury level towards the surface in the core sediment was also observed. The geochemical parameters were also analysed to understand the sediment mercury chemistry. Anoxic conditions, pH and organic carbon, sulphur and Fe determined the presence of various species of mercury in the sediments of Vembanad Lake. The prevailing physical and geochemical conditions in Vembanad Lake have indicated the chances of chemical transformation of mercury and the potential hazard if the deposited mercury fractions are remobilised.