System controls on the aqueous distribution of mercury in the northern Florida Everglades

Biogeochemistry
By: , and 

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Abstract

The forms and partitioning of aqueous mercury species in the canals and marshes of the Northern Florida Everglades exhibit strong spatial and temporal variability. In canals feeding Water Conservation Area (WCA) 2A, unfiltered total Hg (HgT(U)) is less than 3 ng L-1 and relatively constant. In contrast, methyl mercury (MeHg) exhibited a strong seasonal pattern, with highest levels entering WCA-2A marshes during July. Stagnation and reduced flows also lead to particle enrichment of MeHg. In the marshes of WCA-2A, 2B and 3A, HgT(U) is usually <5 ng L-1 with no consistent north-south patterns. However, for individual dates, aqueous unfiltered MeHg (MeHg(U)) levels increase from north to south with generally lowest levels in the eutrophied regions of northern WCA-2A. A strong relationship between filtered Hg species and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), evident for rivers draining wetlands in Wisconsin, was not apparent in the Everglades, suggesting either differences in the binding sites of DOC between the two regions, or non-organic Hg complexation in the Everglades.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title System controls on the aqueous distribution of mercury in the northern Florida Everglades
Series title Biogeochemistry
DOI 10.1023/A:1005928927272
Volume 40
Issue 2-3
Year Published 1998
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) Toxic Substances Hydrology Program
Description 19 p.
First page 293
Last page 311
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