Influence of a chlor‐alkali superfund site on mercury bioaccumulation in periphyton and low‐trophic level fauna

Abstract

 

In Berlin, New Hampshire, USA, the Androscoggin River flows adjacent to a former chlor‐alkali facility that is a US Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site and source of mercury (Hg) to the river. The present study was conducted to determine the fate and bioaccumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) to lower trophic‐level taxa in the river. Surface sediment directly adjacent to the source showed significantly elevated MeHg (10–40× increase, mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 20.1 ± 24.8 ng g^–1 dry wt) and total mercury (THg; 10–30× increase, mean ± SD: 2045 ± 2669 ng g^–1 dry wt) compared with all other reaches, with sediment THg and MeHg from downstream reaches elevated (3–7× on average) relative to the reference (THg mean ± SD: 33.5 ± 9.33 ng g^–1 dry wt; MeHg mean ± SD: 0.52 ± 0.21 ng g^–1 dry wt). Water column THg concentrations adjacent to the point source for both particulate (0.23 ng L^–1) and dissolved (0.76 ng L^–1) fractions were 5‐fold higher than at the reference sites, and 2‐fold to 5‐fold higher than downstream. Methylmercury production potential of periphyton material was highest (2–9 ng g^–1 d^–1 dry wt) adjacent to the Superfund site; other reaches were close to or below reporting limits (0. 1 ng g^–1 d^–1 dry wt). Total Hg and MeHg bioaccumulation in fauna was variable across sites and taxa, with no clear spatial patterns downstream of the contamination source. Crayfish, mayflies, and shiners showed a weak positive relationship with porewater MeHg concentration. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1649–1658. © 2015 SETAC

Mercury, Bioaccumulation, Periphyton, Mayflies, Low‐trophic level