Mercury content and speciation in the plankton and benthos of Lake Superior

As part of a study is to assess the importance of watersheds in controlling sources, transport, fate, and bioavailability of monomethyl mercury (MeHg) in Lake Superior, biotic samples were collected and analyzed to determine total mercury (HgT) and MeHg content, and to examine size, species, trophic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science of the total environment 2003-03, Vol.304 (1), p.349-354
Main Authors: Back, Richard C., Gorski, Patrick R., Cleckner, Lisa B., Hurley, James P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Applied ecology
Bioaccumulation
Biological and medical sciences
Biological Availability
Bivalvia
Body Constitution
Chironomidae
Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution
Environmental Monitoring
Food Chain
Fresh water environment
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Great Lakes Region
Mercury - analysis
Mercury - chemistry
Mercury - pharmacokinetics
Methylmercury
Mysis relicta
Seasons
Seston
Suspended particulate matter
Tissue Distribution
Water Pollutants - analysis
Water Pollutants - pharmacokinetics
Zooplankton
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Summary:As part of a study is to assess the importance of watersheds in controlling sources, transport, fate, and bioavailability of monomethyl mercury (MeHg) in Lake Superior, biotic samples were collected and analyzed to determine total mercury (HgT) and MeHg content, and to examine size, species, trophic and geographic trends. Plankton was collected in two ways: vertical tows of non-metallic, 153 μm mesh net (bulk zooplankton), and by passively filtering near-surface water through stacked Nitex sieves, generating size-fractionated seston (112 μm). Benthos was sampled using a Ponar grab to collect sediment, and a non-metallic sieve to separate biota from substrate. Samples were processed to quantify dry weights, HgT and MeHg. Results for bulk zooplankton sampled offshore showed a range of approximately from 35 to 50 ng MeHg/gram dry weight (gdw) and from 80 to 130 ng HgT/gdw during April, and from 15 to 25 ng MeHg/gdw and from 20 to 70 ng HgT/gdw during August. Results from sieved, near-surface water from offshore sites in April showed a dominance by the
ISSN:0048-9697
1879-1026
DOI:10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00580-6