No such thing as pristine: mercury in Maine waters and northeast National Parks

Nelson, S.; Vaux, ,; Zoellick, B.

'Recent research regarding ultra-trace level contaminants, such as mercury, has revealed that even seemingly pristine sites such as National Parks and remote areas are affected by elevated levels of these contaminants. Mercury, in its toxic methylated form, is a potent neurotoxin that is delivered to ecosystems via deposition from a global atmospheric pool, and ultimately bioaccumulates in aquatic and terrestrial foodwebs. Around the Gulf of Maine, research sites in æpristineÆ areas have fish and other biota that exceed thresholds considered safe for human consumption or wildlife protection. We will report on a recent compilation of data from two National Parks (Acadia National Park and Cape Cod National Seashore) and from lakes and streams across Maine. We found patterns consistent with US EPAÆs recent reports where, nationally, 48% of fish had mercury burdens greater than those considered safe for human consumption. Further, some amphibians at Acadia have mercury body burdens of concern. Ongoing research is evaluating the utility of dragonfly larvae (Odonata: Anisoptera) as indicators of mercury status in the Gulf of Maine region. The average mercury concentration in dragonfly larvae sampled across Maine was 0.097 ppm, greater than the proposed wildlife safety criterion (0.077 ppm). All Maine surface waters are under fish consumption advisory and are considered impaired with respect to mercury because of these patterns and the difficulty in predicting which systems are most affected. We will discuss regional and national efforts to monitor and reduce mercury in light of its ubiquity, even in seemingly pristine sites.' /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /ACADIA NATIONAL PARK/

No such thing as pristine: mercury in Maine waters and northeast National Parks

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