Mercury accumulation in fish and invertebrates of the North Fork Holston River, Virginia and Tennessee

Journal Article · Tue Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980 · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1980.00472425000900030013x· OSTI ID:5193193

Hildebrand, S G; Strand, R H; Huckabee, J W

Both total and methylmercury accumulation were investigated in fish and invertebrates in the North Fork of the Holston River below a currently inactive chloralkali plant to quantify the extent of contamination, to determine what proportion of the variance in mercury concentration in fish can be explained by mercury concentration in water, sediment, benthic invertebrates, and to determine what proportion of mercury concentration in benthic invertebrates can be explained by mercury concentration in water and sediment. Fish species (rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) and hog sucker (Hypentelium nigricans)) and benthic invertebrates were collected from stations above and below the plant, and axial muscle (fish) or whole animal (invertebrates) was analyzed for total mercury by flameless atomic absorption and for methylmercury by gas chromatography. The relation of total mercury concentration to fish weight and factors affecting mercury concentration in fish and invertebrates were examined through regression analysis. Total mercury concentration in fish and benthic invertebrates decreased with distance below the plant. Significant linear regressions of total mercury concentration on fish weight were observed for some, but not all, samples examined. Mercury in the methyl form comprised 91.7% of total mercury in fish analyzed, while approximately 50% of the mercury in invertebrates was methylmercury.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• OSTI ID: 5193193
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 9:3; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BENTHOS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CENTRAL REGION
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHROMATOGRAPHY
ELEMENTS
FISHES
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
INVERTEBRATES
MATHEMATICS
MERCURY
METALS
METHYLMERCURY
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
REGRESSION ANALYSIS
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOUTHEAST REGION
SPECTROSCOPY
STATISTICS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TENNESSEE
USA
VERTEBRATES
VIRGINIA
WEIGHT