Mercury bioaccumulation in Hayward Marsh, California
- CH2M Hill, Sacramento, CA (United States)
- Union Sanitary District, Fremont, CA (United States)
Hayward Marsh was created in 1988 to provide wildlife habitat using treated wastewater from Union Sanitary District, which is located in the San Francisco Bay area. Mercury has been identified as one of the major contaminants of concern for San Francisco Bay sediment and biota. This study was conducted to determine whether mercury bioaccumulation in the Marsh occurred at ecologically significant levels. Sediment, benthic and free-swimming aquatic invertebrates, fish, bird eggs, and muskrat livers were analyzed. Mercury concentrations in the various media were compared to regional background levels and potential adverse effect levels. The findings indicated that mercury concentrations were generally similar to background levels and that there was a low probability of adverse effects to wildlife feeding in the Marsh. An important aspect of the study was inclusion of three bird species, along with their potential food organisms, in the sampling, one of the species had elevated mercury levels in its eggs but those birds probably were exposed outside the Marsh because the two other species and common food-chain organisms did not show elevated mercury levels.
- OSTI ID:
- 242388
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137-; ISBN 1-880611-03-1; TRN: IM9626%%216
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) world conference, Vancouver (Canada), 5-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Second SETAC world congress (16. annual meeting): Abstract book. Global environmental protection: Science, politics, and common sense; PB: 378 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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