Lacustrine responses to decreasing wet mercury deposition rates: results from a case study in northern Minnesota
Environmental Science & Technology
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Abstract
We present a case study comparing metrics of methylmercury (MeHg) contamination for four undeveloped lakes in Voyageurs National Park to wet atmospheric deposition of mercury (Hg), sulfate (SO4–2), and hydrogen ion (H+) in northern Minnesota. Annual wet Hg, SO4–2, and H+ deposition rates at two nearby precipitation monitoring sites indicate considerable decreases from 1998 to 2012 (mean decreases of 32, 48, and 66%, respectively). Consistent with decreases in the atmospheric pollutants, epilimnetic aqueous methylmercury (MeHgaq) and mercury in small yellow perch (Hgfish) decreased in two of four lakes (mean decreases of 46.5% and 34.5%, respectively, between 2001 and 2012). Counter to decreases in the atmospheric pollutants, MeHgaq increased by 85% in a third lake, whereas Hgfish increased by 80%. The fourth lake had two disturbances in its watershed during the study period (forest fire; changes in shoreline inundation due to beaver activity); this lake lacked overall trends in MeHgaq and Hgfish. The diverging responses among the study lakes exemplify the complexity of ecosystem responses to decreased loads of atmospheric pollutants.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Lacustrine responses to decreasing wet mercury deposition rates: results from a case study in northern Minnesota |
| Series title | Environmental Science & Technology |
| DOI | 10.1021/es500301a |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Year Published | 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Chemical Society |
| Contributing office(s) | Minnesota Water Science Center, Toxic Substances Hydrology Program |
| Description | 9 p. |
| First page | 6115 |
| Last page | 6123 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Minnesota |
| Other Geospatial | Voyageurs National Park |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |