Linking landscape development intensity within watersheds to methyl-mercury accumulation in river sediments |
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| Authors: | Jean-Claude J. Bonzongo Augustine K. Donkor Attibayeba Attibayeba Jie Gao |
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| Affiliation: | .Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment, Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida, P.O. Box 116450, Gainesville, FL 32611-6450 USA ;.Department of Chemistry, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG56, Legon, Ghana ;.Faculté des Sciences, Université Marien Ngouabi, B.P. 69, Brazzaville, Congo ;.Manufacturing Technology & Engineering, Corning Incorporated, Decker Building, Corning, NY 14831 USA |
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| Abstract: | An indicator of the disturbance of natural systems, the landscape development intensity (LDI) index, was used to assess the potential for land-use within watersheds to influence the production/accumulation of methyl-mercury (MeHg) in river sediments. Sediment samples were collected from locations impacted by well-identified land-use types within the Mobile-Alabama River Basin in Southeastern USA. The samples were analyzed for total-Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations and the obtained values correlated to the calculated LDI indexes of the sampled watersheds to assess the impact of prevalent land use/land cover on MeHg accumulation in sediments. The results show that unlike THg, levels of MeHg found in sediments are impacted by the LDI indexes. Overall, certain combinations of land-use types within a given watershed appear to be more conducive to MeHg accumulation than others, therefore, pointing to the possibility of targeting land-use practices as potential means for reducing MeHg accumulation in sediments, and ultimately, fish contamination. |
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| Keywords: | Watersheds Ecological Disturbance index LDI Mercury |
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