The Chemistry of Aluminum in an Acidic Lake in the Adirondack Region of New York State, USA

Driscoll, Charles T.; Schafran, Gary C.

doi:10.1007/978-94-009-6167-8_21

Cited by 26 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Locations with elevated suspended particle MeHg concentrations and suspended particle:sediment MeHg ratios may be associated with watersheds with a high percentage of wetlands. Numerous studies have reported elevated watershed MeHg yields for wetland areas (e.g., Watras et al, 2005; Lawson et al, 2001; Driscoll et al, 1998; St Louis et al, 1996; Hurley et al, 1995). Unlike the current study, Chen et al (2014) found that suspended particle MeHg concentrations and water:sediment MeHg ratios were not elevated at either Wells or MC (Hackensack).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of water column methylmercury across multiple estuaries in the Northeast U.S.

et al. 2015

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Estuarine water column methylmercury (MeHg) is an important driver of mercury (Hg) bioaccumulation in pelagic organisms and thus it is necessary to understand the sources and processes affecting environmental levels of MeHg. Increases in water column MeHg concentrations can ultimately be transferred to fish consumed by humans, but despite this, the sources of MeHg to the estuarine water column are still poorly understood. Here we evaluate MeHg sources across 4 estuaries and 10 sampling sites and examine the distributions and partitioning of sediment and water column MeHg across a geographic range (Maine to New Jersey). Our study sites present a gradient in the concentrations of sediment, pore water and water column Hg species. Suspended particle MeHg ranged from below detection to 187 pmol g−1, dissolved MeHg from 0.01 to 0.68 pM, and sediment MeHg from 0.01 to 109 pmol g−1. Across multiple estuaries, dissolved MeHg correlated with Hg species in the water column, and sediment MeHg correlated with sediment total Hg (HgT). Water column MeHg did not correlate well with sediment Hg across estuaries, indicating that sediment concentrations were not a good predictor of water MeHg concentrations. This is an unexpected finding since it has been shown that MeHg production from inorganic Hg2+ within sediment is the primary source of MeHg to coastal waters. Additional sources of MeHg regulate water column MeHg levels in some of the shallow estuaries included in this study.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of water column methylmercury across multiple estuaries in the Northeast U.S.

et al. 2015

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“…Decomposing plant tissue in wet and saturated sites in Ontario lost both mass and total Hg, but gained mass of MeHg (Heyes et al, 1998). Rates of MeHg production measured in a beaver pond were also higher than rates from sediments of lakes (Driscoll et al, 1998).…”

Section: Soilsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Mercury Sequestration in Forests and Peatlands

2003

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Nearly all Hg in vegetation is derived directly from the atmosphere. Mass of Hg in forest vegetation (roughly 0.1 mg m(-2)) is about an order of magnitude smaller than that in the forest floor (1 mg m(-2)) and two orders of magnitude smaller than that in the mineral soil (10 mg m(-2)). Mass of Hg in peat (20 mg m(-2)) is greater than the sum of that in mineral soil and the forest floor; wetlands usually sequester more Hg than associated uplands. The strong relationship of Hg to organic matter, associated with binding by reduced S groups, is fundamental to understanding Hg distribution and behavior in terrestrial systems. The stoichiometry of the Hg-C relationship varies; Hg-S relationships, though less variable, are not constant. Because of the Hg-organic matter link, landscape conditions that lead to differential soil organic matter accumulation are likely to lead to differential Hg accumulation. The ratio of methylmercury (MeHg) to total Hg is generally low in both vegetation (near 1.5%) and soil (<1%), but areas of poorly drained soils and wetlands are sites of MeHg production. The annual emission of anthropic Hg from the 48 contiguous states of the USA (144 Mg) is two orders of magnitude less than the pool of Hg in forests of those states (30,300 Mg). Peatlands, less than 2% of total land area, sequester more than 20 times annual emissions (2930 Mg). If global climate change affects C storage it will indirectly affect Hg storage, having a major effect on the balance between emissions and sequestration and on the global Hg cycle.

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“…Natural wetlands and streams in this region have exhibited relatively high concentrations of Hg. Drainage from the Beverly swamp, located 70 km east of the study site, had mean total Hg of 1.3 ng L −1 and MeHg of 0.09 ng L −1 during monitoring in 2000 (Galloway and Branfireun, 2004), whereas drainage from a beaver ( Castor canadensis Kuhl) pond located in the Adirondack area of New York, 500 km east of the study site, had mean total Hg of 2.5 ng L −1 and MeHg of about 0.2 ng L −1 during monitoring from 1993 to 1995 (Driscoll et al, 1998). We are not aware of previous studies that have assessed MeHg production in an engineered bioreactor.…”

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confidence: 99%

Nitrate Controls Methyl Mercury Production in a Streambed Bioreactor

et al. 2011

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Organic carbon bioreactors provide low-cost, passive treatment of a variety of environmental contaminants but can have undesirable side effects in some cases. This study examines the production of methyl mercury (MeHg) in a streambed bioreactor consisting of 40 m³ of wood chips and designed to treat nitrate (NO₃) in an agricultural drainage ditch in southern Ontario (Avon site). The reactor provides 30 to 100% removal of NO₃-N concentrations of 0.6 to 4.4 mg L(-1), but sulfate (SO₄(2-)) reducing conditions develop when NO₃ removal is complete. Sulfate reducing conditions are known to stimulation the production of MeHg in natural wetlands. Over one seasonal cycle, effluent MeHg ranged from 0.01 to 0.76 ng L(-1) and total Hg ranged from 1.3 to 3.4 ng L(-1). During all sampling events when reducing conditions were only sufficient to promote NO₃(-) reduction (or denitrification) ( = 5, late fall 2009, winter 2010), MeHg concentrations decreased in the reactor and it was a net sink for MeHg (mean flux of -5.1 μg m(-2) yr(-1)). During all sampling events when SO₄(2-) reducing conditions were present ( = 6, early fall 2009, spring 2010), MeHg concentrations increased in the reactor and it was a strong source of MeHg to the stream (mean flux of 15.2 μg m(-2) yr(-1)). Total Hg was consistently removed in the reactor (10 of 11 sampling events) and was correlated to the total suspended sediment load ( r² = 0.69), which was removed in the reactor by physical filtration. This study shows that organic carbon bioreactors can be a strong source of MeHg production when SO₄(2-) reducing conditions develop; however, maintaining NO₃-N concentrations > 0.5 mg L suppresses the production of MeHg.

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The Chemistry of Aluminum in an Acidic Lake in the Adirondack Region of New York State, USA

Cited by 26 publications

References 4 publications

Sources of water column methylmercury across multiple estuaries in the Northeast U.S.

Sources of water column methylmercury across multiple estuaries in the Northeast U.S.

Mercury Sequestration in Forests and Peatlands

Nitrate Controls Methyl Mercury Production in a Streambed Bioreactor

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