TY - JOUR
T1 - Legacy source of mercury in an urban stream-wetland ecosystem in central North Carolina, USA
AU - Deonarine, Amrika
AU - Hsu-Kim, Heileen
AU - Zhang, Tong
AU - Cai, Yong
AU - Richardson, Curtis J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2015/11/1
Y1 - 2015/11/1
N2 - In the United States, aquatic mercury contamination originates from point and non-point sources to watersheds. Here, we studied the contribution of mercury in urban runoff derived from historically contaminated soils and the subsequent production of methylmercury in a stream-wetland complex (Durham, North Carolina), the receiving water of this runoff. Our results demonstrated that the mercury originated from the leachate of grass-covered athletic fields. A fraction of mercury in this soil existed as phenylmercury, suggesting that mercurial anti-fungal compounds were historically applied to this soil. Further downstream in the anaerobic sediments of the stream-wetland complex, a fraction (up to 9%) of mercury was converted to methylmercury, the bioaccumulative form of the metal. Importantly, the concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury were reduced to background levels within the stream-wetland complex. Overall, this work provides an example of a legacy source of mercury that should be considered in urban watershed models and watershed management.
AB - In the United States, aquatic mercury contamination originates from point and non-point sources to watersheds. Here, we studied the contribution of mercury in urban runoff derived from historically contaminated soils and the subsequent production of methylmercury in a stream-wetland complex (Durham, North Carolina), the receiving water of this runoff. Our results demonstrated that the mercury originated from the leachate of grass-covered athletic fields. A fraction of mercury in this soil existed as phenylmercury, suggesting that mercurial anti-fungal compounds were historically applied to this soil. Further downstream in the anaerobic sediments of the stream-wetland complex, a fraction (up to 9%) of mercury was converted to methylmercury, the bioaccumulative form of the metal. Importantly, the concentrations of total mercury and methylmercury were reduced to background levels within the stream-wetland complex. Overall, this work provides an example of a legacy source of mercury that should be considered in urban watershed models and watershed management.
KW - Fungicide
KW - Mercury
KW - Methylmercury
KW - Phenylmercury
KW - Urban runoff
KW - Wetland
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84940954755&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.12.038
DO - 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.12.038
M3 - Article
C2 - 25577695
AN - SCOPUS:84940954755
VL - 138
SP - 960
EP - 965
JO - Chemosphere
JF - Chemosphere
SN - 0045-6535
M1 - 16430
ER -