mercury bioaccumulationinthe food webof two northeastern（水星bioaccumulationinthe webof两个东北的食物）（21页）.docVIP

DRAFT – For Intra-Agency Policy Deliberations Only Mercury Bioaccumulation in the Food Webs of Two Northeastern Massachusetts Freshwater Ponds April 2003 Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Office of Research and Standards 1 Winter Street Boston, MA 02018 Mercury Bioaccumulation in the Food Webs of Two Northeastern Massachusetts Freshwater Ponds Abstract Mercury partitioning in the food webs and sediments of two similar, close proximity ponds in northeastern Massachusetts (Stevens Pond in North Andover and Pomps Pond in Andover) was investigated. In spite of their similarities, an earlier work on these ponds in 2000 (MADEP 2002) showed that mercury levels in largemouth bass, the top predator, were much higher in Pomps Pond. The ponds’ proximity suggests atmospheric deposition of mercury to the ponds would be equivalent. Sediment and biological samples from lowest to highest trophic levels were collected in the summer of 2001 and analyzed for total mercury. Methylmercury concentrations and acid volatile sulfide concentrations were also determined in sediments. Mercury bioaccumulates in some groups of organisms in the ponds. A number of measured attributes were similar between ponds, and considered to be insignificant to the process of mercury transfer, whereas other attributes differed, and may be associated with mercury bioaccumulation. Additional measurements of the amount of wetlands surrounding the ponds and the size of the watersheds were made and compared. The area of adjacent wetlands, in particular, was markedly different between the ponds and corresponded to high levels of tissue mercury in predatory fish. I. Introduction. The recent documentation of high levels of mercury in fish from northeastern Massachusetts freshwater lakes and ponds calls attention to the need for additional study of mercury bioaccumulation in these en