Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Bioaccumulation And Concentration Of Mercury In Rivers And Streams Of The Hudson Bay Lowland, Ashley Warnock Jun 2015

Bioaccumulation And Concentration Of Mercury In Rivers And Streams Of The Hudson Bay Lowland, Ashley Warnock

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxin that biomagnifies in northern aquatic food webs to high enough concentrations to cause concern for human consumption. The Hudson Bay Lowland of Canada is projected to experience climate and land-use impact in the immediate future, and these environmental stressors may affect the exposure to and subsequent bioaccumulation of MeHg in subarctic fish populations. The focus of this research is to evaluate the spatial variability in total and MeHg in water, sediment, and biota within and across a range of subarctic streams and river reaches of the Hudson Bay Lowland. This data was then used to …


Biogeochemical Analysis Of Ancient Pacific Cod Bone Suggests Hg Bioaccumulation Was Linked To Paleo Sea Level Rise And Climate Change, Maribeth S. Murray, C. Peter Mcroy, L. K. Duffy, Amy Hirons, J. M. Schaaf, Robert P. Trocine, John Trefry Feb 2015

Biogeochemical Analysis Of Ancient Pacific Cod Bone Suggests Hg Bioaccumulation Was Linked To Paleo Sea Level Rise And Climate Change, Maribeth S. Murray, C. Peter Mcroy, L. K. Duffy, Amy Hirons, J. M. Schaaf, Robert P. Trocine, John Trefry

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Deglaciation at the end of the Pleistocene initiated major changes in ocean circulation and distribution. Within a brief geological time, large areas of land were inundated by sea-level rise and today global sea level is 120 m above its minimum stand during the last glacial maximum. This was the era of modern sea shelf formation; climate change caused coastal plain flooding and created broad continental shelves with innumerable consequences to marine and terrestrial ecosystems and human populations. In Alaska, the Bering Sea nearly doubled in size and stretches of coastline to the south were flooded, with regional variability in the …


Riverine Source Of Arctic Ocean Mercury Inferred From Atmospheric Observations, Jenny A. Fisher, Daniel J. Jacob, Anne L. Soerensen, Helen M. Amos, Alexandra Steffen, Elsie M. Sunderland Feb 2015

Riverine Source Of Arctic Ocean Mercury Inferred From Atmospheric Observations, Jenny A. Fisher, Daniel J. Jacob, Anne L. Soerensen, Helen M. Amos, Alexandra Steffen, Elsie M. Sunderland

Jenny A Fisher

Methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in aquatic food webs. Human activities, including industry and mining, have increased inorganic mercury inputs to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Methylation of this mercury generates methylmercury, and is thus a public health concern. Marine methylmercury is a particular concern in the Arctic, where indigenous peoples rely heavily on marine-based diets. In the summer, atmospheric inorganic mercury concentrations peak in the Arctic, whereas they reach a minimum in the northern mid-latitudes. Here, we use a global three-dimensional ocean–atmosphere model to examine the cause of this Arctic summertime maximum. According to our simulations, circumpolar rivers …


Gas-Particle Partitioning Of Atmospheric Hg(Ii) And Its Effect On Global Mercury Deposition, H M. Amos, D J. Jacob, C D. Holmes, Jenny A. Fisher, Q Wang, R M. Yantosca, E S. Corbitt, E Galarneau, A P. Rutter, M S. Gustin, A Steffen, J J. Schauer, J A. Graydon, V L. St Louis, R W. Talbot, E S. Edgerton, Y Zhang, E N. Sunderland Feb 2015

Gas-Particle Partitioning Of Atmospheric Hg(Ii) And Its Effect On Global Mercury Deposition, H M. Amos, D J. Jacob, C D. Holmes, Jenny A. Fisher, Q Wang, R M. Yantosca, E S. Corbitt, E Galarneau, A P. Rutter, M S. Gustin, A Steffen, J J. Schauer, J A. Graydon, V L. St Louis, R W. Talbot, E S. Edgerton, Y Zhang, E N. Sunderland

Jenny A Fisher

Atmospheric deposition represents a major input of mercury to surface environments. The phase of mercury (gas or particle) has important implications for its removal from the atmosphere. We use long-term observations of reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), particle-bound mercury (PBM), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and temperature at five sites in North America to derive an empirical gas-particle partitioning relationship log10(K-1) = (10 ± 1) − (2500 ± 300)/T where K = (PBM/PM2.5)/RGM with PBM and RGM in common mixing ratio units, PM2.5 in μg m−3, and T in Kelvin. This relationship is in the range of previous work but is based …