Distribution and bioaccumulation of mercury in biotic and abiotic compartments of a contaminated river-reservoir system

Conference · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7361112

Hildebrand, S G; Andren, A W; Huckabee, J W

The distribution and bioaccumulation of mercury in the North Fork of the Holston River--Cherokee Reservoir which receives mercury inputs from an abandoned chlor-alkali plant were studied to determine the behavior and ultimate fate of mercury in this system. Mercury in the dissolved form appears to be leaching from waste disposal ponds at the abandoned plant. Dissolved mercury is rapidly adsorbed onto suspended particulates and the main downstream transport of mercury appears to take place in the particulate phase. Total mercury and methylmercurials in fish and benthic invertebrate taxa are highest immediately below the mercury source then decrease downstream. This pattern is similar to the downstream distribution of mercury in the water and sediments. Total mercury in rockbass (Ambloplites rupestris) 83 miles downstream from mercury inputs exceeds 1.0 ppM. Approximately 80 percent of mercury in fish species in the river is methylmercury and on the order of 50 percent of mercury in benthic invertebrates is methylmercury. We have not detected methylmercury in bed sediments in this system. Dietary uptake of methylmercury by fish species feeding on benthic invertebrates may be a significant route of entry of methylmercury into food webs in this river. Future research necessary to more completely understand the biogeochemical cycling of mercury in aquatic ecosystems is suggested. (auth)

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., Tenn. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7361112
• Report Number(s): CONF-751058-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALKYL RADICALS
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BUILDUP
CONTAMINATION
DISSOLUTION
DISTRIBUTION
ECOSYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FISHES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INGESTION
INTAKE
LEACHING
MANAGEMENT
MERCURY
METALS
METHYL RADICALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PONDS
RADICALS
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSPORT
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
WATER RESERVOIRS