Evaluation of the Distribution of Mercury in Lakes in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (Canada)

Distribution and sources of total mercury were evaluated in sixty lakes in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The concentration of total mercury in the lake water samples was similar to those observed in other natural water systems. Mercury concentration in the lakes correlated positively with aluminum, total organic carbon, color, iron, and total nitrogens and inversely with pH and sulfate. The lake water quality parameters were placed in three distinct groups using principal component and cluster analyses. The chemical constituents in the groups were identified as being associated with lake watershed geology, atmospheric washouts of long range transported acidic pollutants and dust particles, and a marine source. Stepwise multiple regression applied to the variables in the same principal component and strongly correlating with mercury identified total organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, aluminum and iron as the best predictors for total mercury concentrations in the study lakes.     

Influence of Physical and Chemical Characteristics on Mercury in Aquatic Sediments

Given the variation observed in mercury in fish from natural lakes, it is difficult to determine what represents a background mercury level. Mercury in aquatic sediments is a potential source of this trace metal to biota, notably fish. Site specific factors, such as acidity and dissolved organic carbon have been shown to affect the mobilization of mercury and methylation of mercury. Methyl mercury is the most toxic form of this metal and the form most readily accumulated by biota. Thirty-four headwater lakes, selected for a range in pH, were sampled for sediment mercury levels as part of an investigation of the impacts of acid rain on insular Newfoundland lakes. Selected physical and chemical data were also collected on all of the study sites. Acidity was not found to be significantly related to sediment mercury concentrations despite the wide range in pH. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that sediment mercury level was positively correlated with WA:LA (watershed to lake area ratio). WA:LA was also correlated with Secchi depth and colour. Linear regression was used to estimate the parameters of a model relating sediment mercury to WA:LA. Watershed area to lake area ratio was more important than site specific factors in governing the concentration of sediment mercury in lakes without industrial input.     

The importance of geological controls on the natural distribution of mercury in lake and stream sediments across Canada

The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) has surveyed a significant portion of Canada using systematic stream and lake surveys under the National Geochemical Reconnaissance (NGR) program. Total mercury (Hg) data, available for most of the sites, reveal significant natural variation. Much of the observed variation in Hg concentration can be directly related to the composition of the bedrock, regolith and glacial deposits in the surrounding watershed. Some of the highest Hg values within the sediments of Ontario lakes occur southwest of Thunder Bay in an area underlain by shales known to be naturally enriched in Hg and other trace metals.     

Origin of organic halogen in boreal lakes

Old (>100 years, situated below 15 cm depth) sediment layers, of two humic forest lakes contained 400 to 600 mg of solvent soluble organic halogen (EOX) (kg C)^-1. This was two to three fold more than in the most recent layers at the depth of 0 to 10 cm. Sediment accumulation of EOX in humic forest lakes correlated positively with the sediment accumulation of organic matter. Lake water concentration of adsorbable organic halogen (AOX) correlated positively with water concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) and with the water colour in the different strata, seasons and lakes. These facts suggest that organic halogen in boreal humic lakes originated from the drainage area. Paleolimnological study of diatom remains showed that sediment concentration of organic halogen correlated negatively with the historical pH of the lake water column. This fact supports a view that the presence of organic halogen was promoted by haloperoxidase type of enzyme, which is most active at low pH (3.5 to 4). The dates of forest management events (clear cutting, prescribed burning) matched with the observed changes in lake water column historical pH and decrease in sediment content organic halogen in dated sediment layers. Clear cutting and prescribed burning are known to increase soil pH. This may decrease the intrinsic formation of organic halogens in soil, thereby decreasing the flow of organic halogens from the runoff area to the forest lake. Our results support a conclusion that changes in natural organically bound halogen in the sediment were promoted by acidification, forest fires and forest management in the drainage area. The organic halogen content in the most polluted layer of the pulp mill recipient sediment was 10 to 100 fold as compared to forest lake sediments.     

Factors influencing fluoride concentrations in Norwegian lakes

The sources and mechanisms regulating fluoride (F) in Norwegian lake waters are studied using data from regional surveys of precipitation chemistry, lake water chemistry and bedrock geology. Fluoride concentrations in Norwegian lakes range from < 5 to 560 μg L^?1. Fluoride content in the bedrock is the most important factor controlling F levels in lake waters, as shown by significant differences in median value of F concentrations between lakes situated in different geological provinces. There are also weak but significant correlations between F in the lakes and components typical for weathering such as non-marine Ca, Mg, Na and K. The regional picture of F concentration in lake water shows elevated F concentrations in the acidified areas in southern and southeastern Norway compared to other regions of the country with comparable geology. There is a weak but significant correlation between F and SO₄, a typical indicator of acidification in surface water. Mass balance calculations in three catchments show that F is retained in soils in pristine areas, while F output exceeds precipitation input in acidified areas. This both demonstrates the strong retention capacity for F in soils and indicates that anthropogenic F added through polluted rain is a minor source of F in surface waters. Fluoride is mobilized in acidifies areas, probably due to complexation with Al.     

Perch mercury content is related to acidity and color of 26 Russian lakes

We determined mercury in fish (perch Perca fluviatilis) from 26 Russian lakes in three regions over four years. The lakes ranged in size from 2 to 395,000 ha, in pH from 4.5 to 10.0, and in color from 3 to 190 hazen. Sixteen lakes were drainage lakes, with permanent outlets, and 10 were seepage lakes, with no permanent inlets or outlets. The lakes were generally located in forested regions with little or no human habitation in the watershed. The three regions were geologically distinct: Precambrian Shield granitic bedrock covered with thin soil; Triassic bedrock covered with thick glacial tills; and Triassic bedrock covered with thin sediments. At each lake water samples were collected and analyzed for pH, add neutralizing capacity (ANC), major cations, and anions. Dissolved mercury species were estimated with a thermodynamic equilibrium model (MINTEQA2). Mercury content of dorsal muscle varied from 0.04 to 1.0 g/g wet weight, and was linearly related to calculated HgCH₃Cl (r²0.68, p<0.001). lake=">₃Cl, in turn, was related to lake pH (r²=0.86, p<0.001). stepwise=" multiple=" regression=" selected=" lake=">₃Cl and color as the factors most highly related to fish mercury content, with the model accounting for 75% of the variation.     

Metal concentration in the gill,gastrointestinal tract,and carcass of white suckers (Catostomus commersoni) in relation to lake acidity

Adult white suckers were collected from four lakes in Maine that ranged in pH from 7.0 to 5.4. The gastrointestinal tract and remainder of the carcass of fishes of similar age and size from each lake, and gills from additional fishes of similar size, were analyzed for Al, Cd, Pb, and Zn. Carcasses were also analyzed for Hg. Concentrations of Al, Cd, and Pb were highest in the gastrointestinal tract and lowest in the carcass; Zn concentration was highest in the gill. For carcass, all metals except Al differed significantly among lakes, for gill tissue Cd and Pb differed, and for gastrointestinal tract, only Cd differed among lakes. Where differences were significant, patterns among lakes were similar in each tissue analyzed. Concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Pb were negatively correlated with lake water pH, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), Ca, and lake:watershed area, and positively correlated with lake water SO₄, indicating that concentrations were higher in fish from more acidic lakes. Zinc concentrations in gills were unrelated to lake acidity, and carcass concentrations were higher in the less acidic lakes, which is the opposite of the pattern for the other metals studied. Zinc in gastrointestinal tract did not differ among lakes. Although the lakes we studied were located in undisturbed watersheds and did not receive any point source discharges, fish metal concentrations were comparable to or higher than those reported from waters receiving industrial discharges.     

Freshwater Fish Mercury Concentrations in a Regionally High Mercury Deposition Area

We sampled and analyzed individually, edible dorsal muscle from largemouth bass (LMB), Micropterus salmoides (n?=?138) and yellow perch (YP), Perca flavescens (n?=?97) from 15 lakes to investigate potential local impacts of mercury emission point sources in northeastern Massachusetts (MA), USA. This area was identified in three separate modeling exercises as a mercury deposition hotspot. In 1995, 55% of mercury emissions to the environment from all MA sources came from three municipal solid waste combustors (trash incinerators) and one large regional medical waste incinerator in the study area. We determined the mercury accumulation history in sediments of a lake centrally located in the study area. Recent maximum mercury accumulation rates in the sediment of the lake of ~ 88 μg/m²/year were highly elevated on a watershed area adjusted basis compared to other lakes in the Northeast and Minnesota. Fish from the study area lakes had significantly (p?=?0.05) greater total mercury concentrations than fish from 24 more rural, non-source-impacted lakes in other regions of the state (LMB n?=?238, YP n?=?381) (LMB: 1.5–2.5 x; YP: 1.5 x). The integration of this extensive fish tissue data set, depositional modeling projections, historical record of mercury accumulation in sediments of a lake in the area, and knowledge of substantial mercury emissions to the atmosphere in the area support designation of this area as a mercury depositional and biological concentration hotspot in the late 1990s, and provides further evidence that major mercury point sources may be associated with significant local impacts on fisheries resources.     

Role of precipitation chemistry versus other watershed properties in Wisconsin lake acidification

Data for over 100 watershed properties, including aspects of topography, hydrology, geology, soils, vegetation, lake morphometry and input precipitation chemistry, have been developed since 1980 for 316 watersheds in northern Wisconsin. The hypothesis being evaluated for this lake population is that the observed water chemistry, can be accounted for as a function of antecedent water and chemical inputs, after considering exchange processes in the lake and watershed and the lake/groundwater interactions. The variables found by regression analysis to explain observed variability in color, sulfate, and acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) levels in Wisconsin lakes are: for color, vegetative characteristics, mean depth, and water renewal times; for sulfate, precipitation concentration of sulfur, evaporative concentration, and lake water renewal time; ANC appears to be controlled by the size of the watershed, lake depth or water renewal time, and the intensity of anthropogenic inputs and cultural developments in the watershed. These results differ from previous studies in Wisconsin and nearby areas of Michigan and Minnesota by indicating that in some lakes acidity may not be in equilibrium with current precipitation chemistry.     

Relationship Between pH and Stream Water Total Mercury Concentrations in Shenandoah National Park

The purpose of this study was to gather information on the spatial and temporal variation of stream water total mercury concentrations ([THg]) and to test the hypothesis that stream water [THg] increases as stream pH decreases in the Shenandoah National Park (SNP). We based our hypothesis on studies in lakes that found mercury methylation increases with decreasing pH, and studies in streams that found total mercury and other trace metal concentrations increase with decreasing pH. Stream water was collected at baseflow in SNP in April, July, and October 2005 and February 2006. Contrary to our hypothesis, stream water [THg] decreased with decreasing pH and acid neutralizing capacity. In SNP, stream pH and acid neutralizing capacity are strongly influenced by bedrock geology. We found that bedrock also influences stream water [THg]. Streams on basaltic bedrock had higher [THg] (0.648 ng L^?1?±?0.39) than streams on siliciclastic bedrock (0.301 ng L^?1?±?0.10) and streams on granitic bedrock (0.522 ng L^?1?±?0.06). The higher pH streams on basaltic bedrock had the highest [THg]. The variation in stream water [THg] occurred despite no known variation in wet deposition of mercury across the SNP. The findings of this study indicate that the SNP can be an important area for mercury research with significant variations in mercury concentrations across the park.     

The role of dissolved organic carbon in the chemistry and bioavailability of mercury in remote Adirondack lakes

A number of recent studies have documented elevated concentrations of mercury (Hg) in fish caught in remote lakes and a pattern of increased concentrations of Hg in fish tissue with decreasing water column pH. Because of the potential linkage between fish Hg and surface water acidification, factors regulating water column concentrations and bioavailability of Hg were investigated in Adirondack lakes through a field study and application of the Mercury Cycling Model (MCM). Concentrations of total Hg and total MeHg were highly variable, with concentrations of total MeHg about 10% of total Hg in lakes which did not show anoxic conditions. In lakes exhibiting anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion during summer stratification, concentrations of total MeHg were elevated. Concentrations of total Hg and total MeHg increased with decreasing pH in remote Adirondack lakes. However, more importantly, concentrations of total Hg and total MeHg increased with increasing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and percent near-shore wetlands in the drainage basin. Mercury concentrations in muscle tissue of yellow perch from Adirondack lakes were elevated above the U.S. FDA action level (1 μg/g Hg) in 7% of the fish sampled or in one or more individual fish from 9 of the 16 lakes sampled. Fish Hg concentrations generally increased with increasing fish length, weight and age. Patterns of increasing Hg concentration with age likely reflect shifts in prey of yellow perch and the bioconcentration of Hg along the food chain. For age 3 to 5 perch, concentrations of Hg increased with increasing concentrations of DOC and percent near-shore wetlands in the drainage basin. However, for a lake with very high DOC concentrations, fish concentrations of Hg declined. Calculations with the MCM also show that concentrations of Hg species increase with increasing DOC due to complexation reactions. Increases in DOC result in increasing concentrations of Hg in biota but decreases in the bioconcentration factor of Hg in fish tissue. This research suggests that DOC is important in the transport of Hg to lake systems. High concentrations of DOC may complex MeHg, diminishing its bioavailability. At high concentrations of monomeric Al, the complexation of MeHg with DOC apparently decreases, enhancing the bioavailability of MeHg.     

Mercury cycling in the Allequash Creek watershed,northern Wisconsin

Although there have been recent significant gains in our understanding of mercury (Hg) cycling in aquatic environments, few studies have addressed Hg cycling on a watershed scale. In particular, attention to Hg species transfer between watershed components (upland soils, groundwater, wetlands, streams, and lakes) has been lacking. This study describes spatial and temporal distributions of total Hg and MeHg among watershed components of the Allequash Creek watershed (northern Wisconsin, USA). Substantial increases in total Hg and MeHg were observed as groundwater discharged through peat to form springs that flow into the stream, or rivulets that drain across the surface of the wetland. This increase was concomitant with increases in DOC. During fall, when the Allequash Creek wetland released a substantial amount of DOC to the stream, a 2–3 fold increase in total Hg concentrations was observed along the entire length of the stream. Methylmercury, however, did not show a similar response. Substantial variability was observed in total Hg (0.9 to 6.3) and MeHg (<0.02 to 0.33) concentrations during synoptic surveys of the entire creek. For the Allequash Creek watershed, the contributing groundwater basin is about 50% larger than the topographic drainage basin. Total Hg concentrations in groundwater, the area of the groundwater basin, and annual stream flow data give a watershed-yield rate of 1.2 mg/km²/d, which equates to a retention rate of 96%. The calculated MeHg yield rate for the wetland area is 0.6 to 1.5 mg/km²/d, a value that is 3–6 fold greater than the atmospheric deposition rate.     

Mercury anomalies in lake water and in commercially harvested fish,Kaminak Lake area,district of Keewatin,Canada

Mercury (Hg) was measured in approximately seven hundred samples of surface water collected from Kaminak Lake and nearby small and large lakes in a tundra environment located west of Hudson Bay. Mercury variations were expected to be related to sulphide mineralization, and patterns of Hg enrichment were to be used as pathfinders for locating potentially economic sulphide deposits. Water in the northern part of Kaminak Lake, which is underlain by sedimentary and volcanic bedrock with known potential for sulphide (base metal) mineralization, was consistently enriched in Hg, as were smaller lakes lying along the same bedrock trend. Mercury concentrations in lake trout from a commercial fishery on Kaminak Lake ranged from 0.57 ppm (parts per million = mg/kg or mg/l) to 2.0 ppm Hg (70 samples), exceeding the national consumption guidelines of 0.5 ppm. Subsequently, the Kaminak fishery was abandoned and relocated on nearby Kaminuriak Lake where similar fish species averaged less than 0.5 ppm Hg. High Hg concentrations in fish from this remote, unpopulated region, far from industrial sources of pollution, are related mostly or wholly to local geological phenomena.     

中国长江中下游地区浅水湖泊沉积物有机磷研究

Thirteen sediment core samples （0 10 cm） were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus （P） fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area. The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P （MLOP） 〉 moderately resistant organic P （MROP） 〉 highly resistant organic P （HROP） 〉 labile organic P （LOP）, with average proportional ratios of 13.2：2.8：1.3：1.0. LOP, MLOP, and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon （TOC）, water-soluble P （WSP）, algal-available P （AAP）, NaHCO3-extractable P （Olsen-P）, total P （TP）, organic P （OP）, and inorganic P （IP）. However, HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC, WSP, AAP, Olsen-P, TP or IP. This suggested that organic P, especially LOP and MLOP in sediments, deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication. In terms of organic P, sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication. Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment, LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment, which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.     

Variation in trace metal exports from small Canadian shield watersheds

Annual exports of Cu, Pb, and Cd were estimated for eleven headwater and two lake outflow streams in the District of Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. COCl₂-APDC coprecipitation coupled with anodic stripping voltammetry was used to determine metal concentrations. Concentrations of all three metals were similar to those reported from other temperate forested ecosystems, being usually less than 1 ug L^?1 with Cd undetectable (<25 ng L^?1) in many samples. There was limited evidence for a spring peak in metal concentrations associated with the snowpack melt. Annual export (mass per unit area per year) of each metal was calculated; variability between streams was small. Exports of Pb appear to be related to the organic content of the water. Copper export was correlated with watershed area, not with organic acids, implying that a different transport mechanism and possibly a different source are important for this metal. The exports of Pb and Cu were much lower in all streams than the estimated annual atmospheric metal depositions reported for this area in the literature. Terrestrial retention was higher than 95% for all catchments, while lake retention was slightly lower in some cases. Despite the small fractional loss of trace metal from the watersheds, terrestrial inputs can comprise a significant portion of the total metal load to typical lakes in this region because of size of the catchments relative to the lake areas.     

Profile Distributions of Lead,Zinc, and Copper in Dystric Cambisols Developed from Granite and Gneiss of the Sudetes Mountains,Poland

Total contents of Pb, Zn and Cu were examined in twenty-five soilprofiles of forested Dystric Cambisols developed from granite andgneiss in the area of the Sudetes Mountains (SW Poland). Sequential extraction of heavy metals was also carried out to study relations between metal content and soil compounds. Profile distribution differed among the metals examined: Pb concentrations decreased gradually from surface with depth, whereas those of Zn increased with depth of soil profile, obtaining their maximum in the bedrock horizon. Cu was found to accumulate in topsoil and decrease with depth, but showed secondary increase of the concentration in bedrock. Organic matter was found to be a crucial factor of Pb binding and distribution, while iron oxides played the most important rolein Zn binding. Both organic matter and oxides were important factors of Cu distribution. The results of sequential extractionshow that all studied elements are mobile under strong acidicconditions in investigated Cambisols. Thus, total contents of Zn and Cu in bedrock cannot be used as geochemical background or as reference levels for assessing the contamination of soilsurface with these metals.     

Spatial Variation and Correlations of Mercury Levels in the Terrestrial and Aquatic Components of a Wetland Dominated Ecosystem: Kejimkujik Park,Nova Scotia,Canada

This study investigates the ranges and spatial variation ofmercury in various media in the wetland ecosystems ofKejimkujik Park, Nova Scotia. Mercury concentrations infive-year-old yellow perch (age based on regression analysesof existing data) ranged from 0.12–0.72 μgg^-1(wet weight basis) in 24 lakes. Mercury concentrations inred maple ranged from 5 to 41 ng g^-1 and levels inwhite pine ranged from 5 to 58 ng g^-1, dry weight.Concentrations of total mercury were found to besignificantly higher in epiphytic lichens (maximum of 660 ngg^-1) and in feather mosses (maximum of 395 ng g^-1)compared to vascular species. The soil Ah horizon exhibitsthe highest concentrations for both mercury and gold, withmaximum values of 466 and 42.8 ng g^-1 respectively;whereas the C-horizon appears to host the most Zn (maximum209.9 μg g^-1). Lake water pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were thevariables most highly correlated with mercury in lake watersand yellow perch. No correlations were observed betweenmercury in terrestrial components and mercury in yellowperch; however, mercury in yellow perch was correlated withP in leaf tissues of both red maple and white pine. Theimportance of understanding linkages between terrestrial andaquatic ecosystems is emphasized through this study.     

我国湖泊沉积物营养盐和粒度分布及其关系研究

通过现场采样及室内理化性质分析,研究了我国不同区域6个不同特征湖泊表层沉积物营养盐和粒度的分布及其相互关系。结果发现,浅水富营养化湖泊杞麓湖、巢湖的沉积物营养盐含量和水体富营养化程度一致,而深水湖泊泸沽湖、程海和青海湖的沉积物营养盐含量和水体的营养状态没有关系,尤其是贫营养湖泊泸沽湖,沉积物中TN、TP含量远远高于东部富营养化严重的浅水湖泊。研究湖泊的表层沉积物中TOC与TN和Po表现出显著相关关系,表明沉积物中氮主要以有机氮的形式存在,有机质是有机磷的重要载体。表层沉积物粒径主要集中在64μm以下,不同的湖泊表层沉积物表现不同的粒度分布特征,沉积物营养盐含量较高的杞麓湖、程海、泸沽湖和巢湖的沉积物粒径更细,细颗粒所占比例高低与其污染程度相一致。沉积物中TOC、TN、TP、Pi、Po与小于4μm的细颗粒都呈现显著的正相关关系,而与16～64μm的粒径范围呈现负相关关系。     

An Evaluation of Trace Metals in High-Altitude Lakes of the Central Alps

Alpine areas in north-western Italy are subject to high deposition of atmospheric pollutants. Chemical investigations on high-altitude lakes indicate that most of them are recovering from acidification; however, they are still affected by the deposition of pollutants from the atmosphere, especially of heavy metals. This study compares the concentrations of heavy metals in alpine lake waters with those found in atmospheric depositions, to identify the possible contribution of deposition inputs to surface water ecosystems. The results were analysed by multivariate statistical techniques to identify the main emission sources of the various metals. Levels of trace metals in alpine lakes are generally low, and bedrock and surficial geology proved to be a major factor controlling metal concentrations in lake water. In fact, terrigenous elements show a wide range of concentrations while metals of anthropogenic origin, such as lead and cadmium, are often below the detection limits of the method; chrome and nickel are also present in very low concentrations. The median values of heavy metals in Italian alpine lakes are similar to those found in other lake surveys performed in remote areas, especially as regards metals of anthropogenic origin. The Visual MINTEQ model was applied to long-term chemical data of selected alpine lakes, to calculate aluminium speciation and to simulate its change in response to gradual modifications in a unit of pH. The ultimate aim of the modelling was to evaluate the possible threat to aquatic organisms of these highly toxic compounds.

     

Natural and anthropogenic acidity sources for Finnish Lakes

The headwater lakes in peat-rich areas in Finland commonly have high organic matter concentrations and are surrounded by soils and bedrock poor in bases. As a result the organic acid load on the watercourses is generally high. The significance of the organic vs anthropogenic acidity in 78 moderately acid lakes (pH range 4.3 to 7.1, TOC range 0.6 to 33.9 mg L^?1) was evaluated in areas receiving different levels of acid deposition. The lakes were sampled during autumn overturn, and their water quality (mean TOC = 10.9 mg L^?1, mean pH = 5.9) represents rather well the average water quality in small lakes in Finland. According to the correlation and regression analyses, TOC is a better predictor of pH than non-marine sulfate. Base cation concentrations are important in determining the sensitivity of the lakes to organic and anthropogenic acidity. The highest minerogenic acid contribution is found in high-deposition areas, while the percent organic acid contribution is greater in low deposition areas although TOC levels are comparable in both areas. It would appear that the pH of humic lakes is determined to a greater extent by individual watershed characteristics than by their geographical location at the present atmospheric loadings received in Finland.