Mercury in air, water and biota in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada
Beauchamp S, Burgess N, D'Entremont A, Tordon R, Brun G, Leger D, Schroeder W, Abraham J. 1997. Mercury in air, water and biota in Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia, Canada. Pages 1-13. In Proceedings of the Third International Conference of Science and the Management of Protected Areas, Calgary. May 12-16 1997. Maintaining Ecological Integrity and Biodiversity. Calgary. May 12-16 1997
From the abstract: "Mercury in the environment (Hg) has re-emerged as an environmental issue in light of recent findings of elevated mercury levels in the tissues and blood of fish, mammals and aquatic birds in many areas of eastern North America including the lakes and streams of Kejimkujik National Park. The Atlantic provinces lie downwind of North American anthropogenic pollution emission source regions and various atmospheriC studies have shown that pollutants can travel long distances and be deposited far from initial emission sources. Anthropogenic input of mercury to regional ecosystems via long range transport of airborne pollutants is a concern in this region. Studies of atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) in the Atlantic region have found that TGM concentrations in ambient air at Kejimkujik National Park in 1996 ranged from 0.51 to 2.9 ng/m3 with an annual median concentration of 1.52 ng/m3. TGM levels were similar at two other regional sites, St. Andrews, N.B. (median 1.50 ng/m3) and Acadia National Park, Maine (median 1.73 ng/m3). Total mercury in precipitation for a 6 month period in 1996 in Kejimkujik averaged 11.4 ng/L compared to 9.1 ng/L in St. Andrews. Mercury deposition via wet precipitation was estimated to be 8.4 ug/m2/yr in the St. Andrews area and 10.5 ug/m2/yr in Kejimkujik. Mercury in biota at Kejimkujik National Park has been measured at levels which have been shown elsewhere to cause detrimental effects· to wildlife and, in the case of some sportfish, at levels (0.35 - 2.0 uglg wet wt.) which exceed safe consumption guidelines."
- Type
- Conference Proceeding Paper
- Authors
- Beauchamp, S.; Burgess, N.; D'Entremont, A.; Tordon, R.; Brun, G.; Leger, D.; Schroeder, W.; Abraham, J.
- Units
- ACAD
- Keywords
- Acadia National Park, Air Quality, Aquatic Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences, Contamination, ME, Mercury (Hg), Water Quality