Long-term changes in mercury concentrations in fish from the middle Savannah River

Paller, Michael H.; Littrell, J. W.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.04.018

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Though preventive measures have been taken to reduce the input of trace metals into oceans, rivers and estuaries, accumulation in the different aquatic systems have been reported even today (Kumar et al, 2010(Kumar et al, , 2011Dural and Bickici, 2010;Paller and Litterell, 2007). Industrial wastes and mining can create a potential source of heavy metal pollution in the aquatic environment (Gumgum et al, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

Kumar¹,

Sajwan²,

Mukharjee³

2012

Turk. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Untitled

Kumar¹,

Sajwan²,

Mukharjee³

2012

Turk. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In general, many of the factors which affect Hg accumulation in lentic ecosystems also affect Hg accumulation in lotic environments, including watershed characteristics (i.e., percent wetlands), hydrology, atmospheric Hg deposition, and the concentration of chemical constituents that affect MeHg production, such as dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sulfates (SO 2À 4 ) [9][10][11][12]. Riverine networks offer unique opportunities to examine the role of factors that affect Hg accumulation, because they often span physiographic gradients that have substantial effects on Hg methylation and Hg concentration in biota [6,7]. However, a recent assessment of Hg in lotic fish throughout the western United States found that fish Hg concentrations were not consistently related to environmental variables that affect Hg accumulation in lentic ecosystems [7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury contamination of the fish community of a semi‐arid and arid river system: Spatial variation and the influence of environmental gradients

Smith

Abuzeineh

Chumchal

et al. 2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mercury (Hg) contamination of aquatic ecosystems is a global environmental problem. Data are abundant on Hg contamination and factors that affect its bioaccumulation in lake communities, but comparatively little information on riverine ecosystems exists. The present study examines fish Hg concentrations of the Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte drainage, Texas, USA and several of its major tributaries in order to assess whether spatial variation occurs in fish Hg concentrations in the drainage and if patterns of Hg contamination of fish are related to gradients in environmental factors thought to affect Hg concentrations in fish communities. Fish, invertebrates, sediments, and water quality parameters were sampled at 12 sites along the lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte drainage multiple times over a one-year period. Spatial variation was significant in fish Hg concentrations when fish were grouped by literature-defined trophic guilds or as stable isotope-defined trophic levels, with highest concentrations found in the Big Bend region of the drainage. Mercury in fish in most trophic guilds and trophic levels were positively related to environmental factors thought to affect Hg in fish, including water column dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and sediment Hg concentrations. It is likely that fish Hg concentrations in the Big Bend region are relatively high because this section of the river has abundant geologic Hg sources and environmental conditions which may make it sensitive to Hg inputs (i.e., high DOC, variable water levels). Results from the present study indicate that Hg contamination of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte has substantial implications for management and protection of native small-bodied obligate riverine fish, many of which are imperiled.

show abstract

“…Although atmospheric deposition undoubtedly contributed to the Hg exceedances in the SRS subunits, the most and highest exceedances occurred in SC and LTR. Savannah River water contaminated with mercury from industries located upstream of the SRS (Paller and Littrell 2007) was formerly pumped through these streams for reactor cooling purposes. SRS streams that received reactor cooling water from the Savannah River typically have elevated levels of Hg in biota compared with streams that were not used for reactor cooling (Newman and Messier 1994).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological Effects of Metals in Streams on a Defense Materials Processing Site in South Carolina, USA

Paller

Dyer

2010

Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a 780 km 2 U.S. Department of Energy facility near Aiken SC established in 1950 to produce nuclear materials. SRS streams are "integrators" that potentially receive water transportable contaminants from all sources within their watersheds necessitating a GIS-based watershed approach to organize contaminant distribution data and accurately characterize the effects of multiple contaminant sources on aquatic organisms. Concentrations of metals in sediments, fish, and water were elevated in streams affected by SRS operations, but contaminant exposure models for Lontra Canadensis and Ceryle alcyon indicated that toxicological reference values were exceeded only by Hg and Al. Macroinvertebrate community structure was unrelated to sediment metal concentrations. This study indicated that 1) modeling studies and field bioassessments provide a complementary basis for addressing the individual and cumulative effects of contaminants, 2) habitat effects must be controlled when assessing contaminant impacts, 3) sensitivity analyses of contaminant exposure models are helpful in apportioning sampling effort, and 4) contaminants released during fifty years of industrial operations have not resulted in demonstrable harm to aquatic organisms in SRS streams.

show abstract

Long-term changes in mercury concentrations in fish from the middle Savannah River

Cited by 30 publications

References 34 publications

Untitled

Untitled

Mercury contamination of the fish community of a semi‐arid and arid river system: Spatial variation and the influence of environmental gradients

Ecological Effects of Metals in Streams on a Defense Materials Processing Site in South Carolina, USA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About