Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 104, Issue 1-2, Pages 162-170Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.01.042
Keywords
Methylmercury; Pore waters; Sediments; Seasonal variation; Tagus Estuary
Funding
- Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) [PIDC/MAR/102748/2008, PTDC/AAC-AMB/115798/2009]
- FCT [SFRH/BD/86441/2012]
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/86441/2012, PTDC/AAC-AMB/115798/2009] Funding Source: FCT
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Seasonal and spatial variations of dissolved and particulate methylmercury were evaluated for the first time in sediment cores from the Tagus Estuary. Results showed the highest MeHg concentrations in summer months indicating that the seasonally methylation process occurs not only at the topmost layers of the sediments but also in the deeper layers of the sediment column. The proportion of MeHg (up to 92%) in some of our pore water samples was higher than values reported in the literature for other estuaries suggesting that the sedimentary environment in the Tagus tends to favour Hg methylation. This work points to the importance of seasonal variation of the MeHg production in sediment cores. In physically dominated estuaries this enhances seasonal MeHg production in deeper sediments that can have serious ecological impacts due to resuspension or advection processes under extreme events by the increase of MeHg transported to the water column. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available