Effects of urbanization on mercury deposition and accumulation in New England

Ann T. Chalmers; David P. Krabbenhoft; Peter C. Van Metre; Mark A. Nilles

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2014.05.003

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70192432

Effects of urbanization on mercury deposition and accumulation in New England

Ann T. Chalmers·David P. Krabbenhoft·Peter C. Van Metre·Mark A. Nilles

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We compare total mercury (HgT) loading and methylmercury (MeHg) accumulation in streams and lakes from an urbanized area (Boston, Massachusetts) to rural regions of southern New Hampshire and Maine. The maximum HgT loading, as indicated by HgT atmospheric deposition, HgT emissions, and sediment HgT concentrations, did not coincide with maximum MeHg concentrations in fish. Urbanized ecosystems were areas of high HgT loading but had low MeHg concentrations in fish. Controls on MeHg production and accumulation appeared to be related primarily to HgT loading in undeveloped areas, while ecosystem sensitivity to MeHg formation appeared to be more important in regulating accumulation of MeHg in the urban area.

Explore related subjects

Environmental Pollution Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 41.269549502842565° to 45.85941212790755° latitude; -72.25708007812501° to -68.69750976562501° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Ann T. Chalmers, David P. Krabbenhoft, Peter C. Van Metre, Mark A. Nilles. 2014. Effects of urbanization on mercury deposition and accumulation in New England. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.05.003

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

Performance evaluation and methods comparison of transcriptomic-based approaches for the characterization of wastewater treatment effluent

Wastewater treatment effluents (WWTE) present complex risks to aquatic ecosystems that are difficult to characterize using traditional methods. This study systematically evaluated the consistency and performance of transcriptomic-based approaches over time with repeated sampling and with differing experimental approaches (selection of reference condition, grab vs. composite sampling, deployed vs. laboratory exposed). RNA-seq was performed on larval fathead minnow (FHM) exposed in the laboratory to moderately hard reconstituted water (MRHW) or individual grab samples collected from an upstream site and a WWTE in the morning and afternoon over two successive days, as well as FHM deployed concurrently with grab sampling at the same sites. Composite transcriptional profiles were generated by pooling count data from grab sample exposures. The choice of comparator significantly affected results. The use of the upstream site as the reference consistently yielded fewer differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and minimal overlap compared to DEG sets from the other comparisons. Using MRHW as a comparator, DEG sets showed high consistency across grab samples, with morning samples demonstrating larger, highly consistent gene expression sets (96 % overlap) compared to afternoon samples, revealing clear and consistent within-day expression patterns. With the MHRW comparator, DEG sets from grab sample composites and deployments also overlapped substantially, indicating that transcriptional profiles accurately reflect WWTE composition regardless of exposure method. Comparisons with non-targeted (NTA) and targeted analytical datasets confirmed that gene expression interpretations aligned with effluent composition while highlighting limitations of relying solely on targeted analyte sets for connecting expression to specific chemicals. Though highly dependent on experimental design, these results demonstrate that transcriptomic-based methods provide significant utility for characterizing the bioactivity of complex environmental mixtures, and when paired with NTA datasets, have the potential to deliver a comprehensive assessment of their environmental risk.

Environmental Pollution↗

USGS2026

Selenium and mercury tissue partitioning and trophodynamics in the Lake Koocanusa (USA–Canada) fish community

Mining-related contaminants such as selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) accumulate in aquatic organisms and transfer through aquatic food webs, where they can exert toxic effect undermining the ecological health of aquatic resources. Yet, how Se and Hg co-distribute within food webs and within individual organisms remains poorly understood. We compiled muscle and ovary Se and Hg concentration data from fishes captured in Lake Koocanusa—a North American reservoir receiving elevated Se and Hg inputs from coal mining operations in the Elk River Valley, Canada—to provide insights into the co-processing of Se and Hg within fish and among fish species, including how ecological or seasonal factors shift these distribution patterns. Se and Hg concentrations (ranges: 0.21–38.7 μg Se g −1 dry weight and 0.01–0.84 μg Hg g −1 wet weight), as well as Se:Hg molar ratios, varied substantially between tissues and among species, reflecting biological and ecological differences. Our results suggest that the decoupling of Se or Hg deposition in fish muscle versus ovary may reflect different pathways of impairment, at the individual and population levels, and that interspecific and tissue-specific variability makes it challenging to set a universal Se:Hg threshold for the protection of aquatic organisms.

British Columbia, Montana↗

USGS2026

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and pesticides in black bears (Ursus americanus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) from Montana's Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem: A baseline assessment of emerging and legacy contaminants

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and pesticides are globally distributed contaminants that persist in terrestrial food webs, yet baseline data for large omnivores in the continental U.S. remain limited. This study quantified PFAS and pesticides in whole blood from free-ranging black bears ( Ursus americanus , n = 15) and grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos horribilis , n = 9) in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem of northwestern Montana. Using high-resolution mass spectrometry-based methods (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS), 52 PFAS and 186 pesticides were analyzed. PFAS were detected in all bears, with total PFAS concentrations ranging from 79.5 to 317 pg/mL. PFAS profiles were dominated by long-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids, particularly PFOA, PFDA, and PFUnDA, with minimal contribution from short-chain compounds. Species was the strongest ecological predictor of PFAS concentrations, although variability across age, sex, and capture location were observed. Only two pesticides, piperonyl butoxide and permethrin, were detected at quantifiable concentrations (2070–12,600 pg/mL), and no correlations were observed between pesticide and PFAS concentrations, indicating independent exposure pathways. The predominance of long-chain PFAS suggests diffuse environmental sources and bioaccumulation within terrestrial food webs. Although measured concentrations were generally low relative to other wildlife toxicological studies, the persistence and protein-binding properties of long-chain PFAS warrant continued monitoring, particularly for long-lived omnivores. These results establish baseline contaminant concentrations for two apex omnivores in a remote ecosystem and highlight the utility of large mammals as integrative sentinels of environmental contaminant exposure for regional monitoring and wildlife conservation. Continued monitoring in the Cabinet-Yaak and across western North America will be critical for assessing temporal trends, identifying new contaminant sources, and evaluating ecological health in bear populations.

Montana↗