Mercury in fish, bed sediment and water from streams across the United States, 1998-2005
Scudder BC, Chasar LC, Wentz DA, Bauch NJ, Brigham ME, Moran PW, Krabbenhoft DP. 2009. Mercury in fish, bed sediment and water from streams across the United States, 1998-2005. Scientific Investigations Report 2009-5109. U.S. Geological Survey. Reston, VI
From the Abstract: "Mercury (Hg) was examined in top-predator fish, bed sediment, and water from streams that spanned regional and national gradients of Hg source strength and other factors thought to influence methymercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation. Sampled settings include stream basins that were agricultural, urbanized, undeveloped (forested, grassland, shrubland, and wetland land cover), and mined (for gold and Hg). Each site was sampled one time during seasonal low flow. Predator fish were targeted for collection, and composited samples of fish (primarily skin-off fillets) were analyzed for total Hg (THg), as most of the Hg found in fish tissue (95-99 percent is MeHg. Samples of bed sediment and stream water were analyzed for THg, MeHg, and characteristics thought to affect Hg methylation, such as loss-on-ignitition (LOI, a measure of organic matter content) and acid-volatile sulfide in bed sedement, and pH, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and dissolved sulfate in water." Streams on the Olympic Peninsula were sampled.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Scudder, Barbara; Chasar, Lia; Wentz, Dennis; Bauch, Nancy; Brigham, Mark; Moran, Patrick; Krabbenhoft, David
- Date of Issue
- 2009
- Publisher
- U.S. Geological Survey
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- Freshwater Stream, Mercury, Pollution, predator fish, Sediment, Water Quality