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Cynthia C. Gilmour Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater, MD 21032 Robert P. Mason

An Examination of the Factors that Control Methylmercury Production and Bioaccumulation in Maryland Reservoirs Draft Final Report June, 2006. Cynthia C. Gilmour Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater, MD 21032 Robert P. Mason Dept. Marine Sciences University of Connecticut

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Cynthia C. Gilmour Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater, MD 21032 Robert P. Mason

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  1. An Examination of the Factors that Control Methylmercury Production and Bioaccumulation in Maryland ReservoirsDraft Final ReportJune, 2006 Cynthia C. Gilmour Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Edgewater, MD 21032 Robert P. Mason Dept. Marine Sciences University of Connecticut Groton, CT 06340 Andrew Heyes Chesapeake Biological Laboratory University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science Solomons, MD, 20688 Mark Castro Appalachian Laboratory University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science Frostburg, MD 21532

  2. What drives the differences in MeHg in fish among Maryland reservoirs? What can be done to limit MeHg bioaccumulation in Maryland? EPA’s Ambient Water Quality Criterion (AWQC) for Hg in fish tissue is 235 ug/kg Mercury concentrations in largemouth bass in Maryland reservoirs, size-normalized to a 370 mm fish (data from Gilmour et al. “An Examination of the Factors that Control Methylmercury Production and Bioaccumulation in Maryland Reservoirs” MD DNR in review).

  3. Parameters used to examine controls on Hg in Maryland fish Factors that influence MeHg bioaccumulation: Water chemistry MeHg, pH, DOC, TSS, nutrients Deposition Transport Deposition Watershed retention Bioaccumulation Factors that affect Hg deposition and transport: Watershed size Watershed:lake area Landuse Physiographic province Reservoir capacity Hydraulic residence time Water chemistry Sediment Methylation Factors that affect net methylation: Water chemistry Hg, pH, sulfate, DOC, conductivity, DO, TSS, nutrients Sediment chemistry Pore waters: Hg, pH, sulfate, sulfide, Fe, Mn, DOC Bulk phase: Hg, density, organic matter, reduced sulfur (AVS/CRS) Sediment water partitioning

  4. Statistical Analysis Three separate models: • Factors that affect Hg deposition and transport: • Dependant variable: Hg in water and sediments • Factors that affect net methylation: • Dependant variable: MeHg in water and sediments • Factors that influence MeHg bioaccumulation: • Dependant variable: BAF (MeHg in Largemouth bass: MeHg in water) Stepwise multiple regression

  5. Significant parameters in each model component Factors that influence MeHg bioaccumulation: Dependant variable: BAF DO (-), pH (+), surface:volume ratio (+) Deposition Transport Deposition Watershed retention Bioaccumulation Methylation Factors that affect Hg deposition and transport: Dependant variable: Hg in water and sediments Hg deposition (+) Landuse: % developed (+) Water chemistry: Cl, DOC (+) Sediment: organic content (+) Reservoir flow (-), water depth (-) Factors that affect net methylation: Dependant variable: MeHg in water and sediments Water chemistry Hg (+), pH (-), sulfate (+), DO (-) Sediment chemistry Hg (+), sulfide (-), organic matter (+)

  6. Watershed factors: Hg deposition

  7. Watershed factors: Hg deposition From MD DNR (Sherwell) 2006

  8. Watershed factors: Landuse

  9. Methylation: %MeHg as the dependant variable Varies strongly among reservoirs

  10. Controls on methylation: bottom water anoxia

  11. Controls on methylation: pH Sulfate

  12. Significant parameters in each model component Factors that influence MeHg bioaccumulation: Dependant variable: BAF DO (-), pH (+), surface:volume ratio (+) Deposition Transport Deposition Watershed retention Bioaccumulation Methylation Factors that affect Hg deposition and transport: Dependant variable: Hg in water and sediments Hg deposition (+) Landuse: % developed (+) Water chemistry: Cl, DOC (+) Sediment: organic content (+) Reservoir flow (-), water depth (-) Factors that affect net methylation: Dependant variable: MeHg in water and sediments Water chemistry Hg (+), pH (-), sulfate (+), DO (-) Sediment chemistry Hg (+), sulfide (-), organic matter (+)

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