Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Distribution of Mercury in Flint Creek Watershed: Implications for Mercury Bioaccumulation

Version 1 : Received: 15 August 2018 / Approved: 15 August 2018 / Online: 15 August 2018 (11:49:50 CEST)

How to cite: Okweye, P.; Garner, K.; Moss, E. Distribution of Mercury in Flint Creek Watershed: Implications for Mercury Bioaccumulation. Preprints 2018, 2018080270. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201808.0270.v1 Okweye, P.; Garner, K.; Moss, E. Distribution of Mercury in Flint Creek Watershed: Implications for Mercury Bioaccumulation. Preprints 2018, 2018080270. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints201808.0270.v1

Abstract

Water, soil/sediment, and 36 fish samples were collected at three major sites along Flint Creek in 2015-2016 and analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), total mercury (tHg), and other water quality indicators. This study was a follow-up to a 2012 study that revealed elevated tHg levels in fish, resulting in a public health advisory. This study revealed tHg concentrations in water below the detection limit (0.0002 ppm); while, tHG in soil/sediment ranged from < 0.0133 ppm to 0.0682 ppm dry weight. No temporal trends existed, but tHG tended to increase with TOC. Mercury levels in sediment were below the threshold effects level suggested as a preliminary screening level by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (acute = 1.4, chronic = 0.77 ppb). In summary, tHg levels were low; posing little risk to drinking water. Soil/sediment levels were generally higher and could pose risk to aquatic species.

Keywords

Flint Creek; mercury; water quality; fish; soil; sediment; organic carbon; methylmercury

Subject

Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science

Comments (1)

Comment 1
Received: 24 August 2018
Commenter: (Click to see Publons profile: )
The commenter has declared there is no conflict of interests.
Comment: You may want to expand on your discussion so that it covers all the results you presented, that is critically engage with the distribution patterns, concentrations, and factors influencing distribution of tHg results. Furthermore, considering different forms of Hg have different toxicities and bioavailability, discuss the limitations of your study since you focused on tHg.
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