Mercury in the Sudbury River (Massachusetts, U.S.A.): pollution history and a synthesis of recent research

Wiener, James G.; Shields, Pamela J.

doi:10.1139/f00-039

Cited by 22 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…To accomplish this, we compared linear mixed models of identical structure, but with spatial attributes extracted within different buffer radii (Jackson and Fahrig 2012). Wiener and Shields (2000) demonstrated that industrially contaminated wetlands produced and exported MeHg 25 km downstream from the Sudbury River, Massachusetts, and Hildebrand et al (1980) detected noticeable levels of THg in crayfish 130 km downstream from a chemical processing plant. Thus, we selected and compared buffer radii at 1-km increments from 1-10 km and at 5-km increments from 15-50 km to explore a range of potentially relevant scales.…”

Section: Statistical Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Little is known about the dynamics of Hg in tidal wetlands or how local land cover influences Hg levels. Wetland-associated dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is positively correlated with the presence, production, and export of MeHg in the hydrological system (St. Louis et al 1994;Krabbenhoft et al 1995;Driscoll et al 1995Driscoll et al , 1998Wiener and Shields 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geographic Variation of Mercury in Breeding Tidal Marsh Sparrows of the Northeastern United States

Sayers

Roeder

Forrette³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Saltmarsh sparrows ( Ammospiza caudacuta ) and seaside sparrows ( A. maritima ) are species of conservation concern primarily due to global sea-level rise and habitat degradation. Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination may present additional threats to their reproductive success and survival. To assess site-specific total mercury (THg) exposure and identify environmental correlates of THg detection across a large portion of the breeding range where these species co-occur, we sampled blood from adult male saltmarsh and seaside sparrows at 27 marsh sites from Maine to Virginia, USA. The mean THg concentration (±1 SD) throughout the entire sampling range was 0.531 ± 0.287 µg/g wet weight (ww) for saltmarsh sparrows and 0.442 ± 0.316 µg/g ww for seaside sparrows. Individual THg concentrations ranged from 0.135–1.420 µg/g ww for saltmarsh sparrows and 0.153–1.530 µg/g ww for seaside sparrows. Model averaging from a suite of linear mixed models supported species-based differences in blood THg. On average, saltmarsh sparrows had 20.1% higher blood THg concentrations than seaside sparrows. We hypothesize that species-specific THg concentrations are influenced by differences in diet or foraging preferences between these species. We did not detect any correlations between sparrow THg concentrations and land cover characteristics surrounding sampled marshes or cumulative average annual precipitation.

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Section: Statistical Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographic Variation of Mercury in Breeding Tidal Marsh Sparrows of the Northeastern United States

Sayers

Roeder

Forrette³

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Sources of mercury in a contaminated stream—implications for the timescale of recovery

Southworth

Mathews

Greeley

et al. 2013

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

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Abstract-Mercury contamination in East Fork Poplar Creek in Tennessee arises from dissolved mercury exiting a headwater industrial complex and residual mercury in the streambed and soil throughout the watershed downstream. The headwater inputs generate chronic base flow concentrations of total mercury of about 1,000 ng/L, but most of the annual export of mercury from the system appears to originate farther downstream. Effective targeting of remedial efforts requires determining how long downstream sources might continue to contaminate the system following elimination of the headwater mercury inputs. The authors calculations suggest that (1) contaminated soils and sediments account for >80% of the annual mercury export from the entire watershed, with most export occurring during wet weather events; (2) bank erosion and resuspension of streambed particulates are the major mercury sources maintaining high annual mercury export rates; and (3) the inventory of particle-associated mercury in the streambed was not large enough to sustain the estimated export rates for more than a few years. The authors findings imply that to prevent waterborne mercury contamination in this system from continuing for decades, remedial actions will have to control the headwater mercury source that sustains day-to-day base flow mercury concentrations and the riparian stream-bank sources that generate most of the mercury export from the system. Environ. Toxicol. Chem.

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Influence of a chlor-alkali superfund site on mercury bioaccumulation in periphyton and low-trophic level fauna

Buckman

Marvin-DiPasquale

Taylor

et al. 2015

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

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In Berlin, NH, the Androscoggin River flows adjacent to a former chlor-alkali facility that is a US EPA Superfund site and source of mercury (Hg) to the river. A study was conducted to determine the fate and bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) to lower trophic-level taxa in the river. Surface sediment directly adjacent to the source showed significantly elevated MeHg (10–40x increase, mean±sd: 20.1±24.8 ng g−1 DW) and total mercury (THg, 10–30x increase, mean±sd: 2045±2669 ng g−1 DW) compared to all other reaches, with sediment THg and MeHg from downstream reaches elevated (3–7x on average) relative to the reference (THg mean±sd: 33.5±9.33 ng g−1 DW; MeHg mean±sd: 0.52±0.21 ng g−1 DW). Water column THg concentrations adjacent to the point source for both particulate (0.23 ng L−1) and dissolved (0.76 ng L−1) fractions were 5-fold higher than at the reference sites, and 2–5-fold higher than downstream. Methylmercury production potential (MPP) of periphyton material was highest (2–9 ng g−1 d−1 DW) adjacent to the Superfund site; other reaches were close to or below reporting limits (0. 1 ng g−1 d−1 DW). Total Hg and MeHg bioaccumulation in fauna was variable across sites and taxa, with no clear spatial patterns downstream of the contamination source. Crayfish, mayflies and shiners showed a weak positive relationship with porewater MeHg concentration.

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Mercury in the Sudbury River (Massachusetts, U.S.A.): pollution history and a synthesis of recent research

Cited by 22 publications

References 41 publications

Geographic Variation of Mercury in Breeding Tidal Marsh Sparrows of the Northeastern United States

Geographic Variation of Mercury in Breeding Tidal Marsh Sparrows of the Northeastern United States

Sources of mercury in a contaminated stream—implications for the timescale of recovery

Influence of a chlor-alkali superfund site on mercury bioaccumulation in periphyton and low-trophic level fauna

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