1. Linking landscape development intensity within watersheds to methyl-mercury accumulation in river sediments.
- Author
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Bonzongo JC, Donkor AK, Attibayeba A, and Gao J
- Subjects
- Alabama, Environmental Monitoring, Georgia, Mississippi, Fresh Water analysis, Geologic Sediments analysis, Methylmercury Compounds analysis, Water Pollutants, Chemical analysis
- Abstract
An indicator of the disturbance of natural systems, the landscape development intensity (LDI) index, was used to assess the potential for land-use within watersheds to influence the production/accumulation of methyl-mercury (MeHg) in river sediments. Sediment samples were collected from locations impacted by well-identified land-use types within the Mobile-Alabama River Basin in Southeastern USA. The samples were analyzed for total-Hg (THg) and MeHg concentrations and the obtained values correlated to the calculated LDI indexes of the sampled watersheds to assess the impact of prevalent land use/land cover on MeHg accumulation in sediments. The results show that unlike THg, levels of MeHg found in sediments are impacted by the LDI indexes. Overall, certain combinations of land-use types within a given watershed appear to be more conducive to MeHg accumulation than others, therefore, pointing to the possibility of targeting land-use practices as potential means for reducing MeHg accumulation in sediments, and ultimately, fish contamination.
- Published
- 2016
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