Patterns and trends of fish mercury in New York State

Millard, G.; Driscoll, Charles T.; Montesdeoca, M.; Yang, Yang; Taylor, Mariah; Boucher, Stephen R.; Shaw, Amy; Richter, Wayne; Paul, Eric; Parker, Colleen; Yokota, Kiyoko

doi:10.1007/s10646-020-02163-x

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…There are marked spatial patterns of fish Hg concentrations across New York State (Figs 11, 12). In general fish Hg concentrations are highest in the Adirondack and Catskill regions and the Hudson Highlands of eastern New York State (Millard et al 2020b). Land cover is an important determinant of this spatial pattern of fish Hg concentrations, with higher concentrations under forest land cover and lower under agricultural land cover ( (Figs 12, 13).…”

Section: Fish Speciesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In the Finger Lakes region, fish Hg concentrations of most concern for human consumption are found in walleye and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) but were not correlated with aquatic invertebrate MeHg concentrations (Razavi et al 2020). In a survey of patterns of fish Hg across New York State, Millard et al (2020b) found the highest concentrations in the Adirondack and Catskill regions.…”

Section: Mercury Concentrations In Waters Of New York Statementioning

confidence: 99%

“…At high elevations, cloud deposition can dominate atmospheric Hg input (Gerson et al 2017). Soil and surface water Hg concentrations increase with elevation, likely reflecting increases in deposition (Blackwell and Driscoll 2015;Millard et al 2020b).…”

Section: Spatial and Temporal Patterns In Atmospheric Hg Concentratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fish are well-established bioindicators of environmental Hg loads and conditions that facilitate the transport, transformations and trophic transfer of Hg. Fish data are used to understand long-term temporal trends in Hg (Millard et al 2020b;Riva-Murray et al 2020a; Richter and Skinner 2020; Swinton and Nierzwicki-Bauer 2020), evaluate human health concerns (Grieb et al 2020), link to land management and water quality (Millard et al 2020b;Razavi et al 2020), and inform fisheries management (Taylor et al 2020). Fish Hg data are also used to inform policy and management in New York State.…”

Section: What Risks To Humans Does Mercury Pollution Pose In New Yorkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fish size class reflects different aspects of trophic transfer of Hg: (1) young fish (<1 year) reflect rapid changes in the availability of MeHg and local conditions; (2) mid-sized fish are important for assessing impacts to fish-eating wildlife such as common loons (Gavia immer), bald eagles (Haliaeettus leucocephalus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and North American river otter (Lontra canadensis); while (3) large fish that are at high trophic levels (i.e., game fish) are of particular concern for human health (Driscoll et al 1994;Millard et al 2020b).…”

Section: Fish Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A synthesis of patterns of environmental mercury inputs, exposure and effects in New York State

et al. 2020

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Mercury (Hg) pollution is an environmental problem that adversely affects human and ecosystem health at local, regional, and global scales—including within New York State. More than two-thirds of the Hg currently released to the environment originates, either directly or indirectly, from human activities. Since the early 1800s, global atmospheric Hg concentrations have increased by three- to eight-fold over natural levels. In the U.S., atmospheric emissions and point-source releases to waterways increased following industrialization into the mid-1980s. Since then, water discharges have largely been curtailed. As a result, Hg emissions, atmospheric concentrations, and deposition over the past few decades have declined across the eastern U.S. Despite these decreases, Hg pollution persists. To inform policy efforts and to advance public understanding, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) sponsored a scientific synthesis of information on Hg in New York State. This effort includes 23 papers focused on Hg in atmospheric deposition, water, fish, and wildlife published in Ecotoxicology. New York State experiences Hg contamination largely due to atmospheric deposition. Some landscapes are inherently sensitive to Hg inputs driven by the transport of inorganic Hg to zones of methylation, the conversion of inorganic Hg to methylmercury, and the bioaccumulation and biomagnification along food webs. Mercury concentrations exceed human and ecological risk thresholds in many areas of New York State, particularly the Adirondacks, Catskills, and parts of Long Island. Mercury concentrations in some biota have declined in the Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands and the Northeastern Highlands over the last four decades, concurrent with decreases in water releases and air emissions from regional and U.S. sources. However, widespread changes have not occurred in other ecoregions of New York State. While the timing and magnitude of the response of Hg levels in biota varies, policies expected to further diminish Hg emissions should continue to decrease Hg concentrations in food webs, yielding benefits to the fish, wildlife, and people of New York State. Anticipated improvements in the Hg status of aquatic ecosystems are likely to be greatest for inland surface waters and should be roughly proportional to declines in atmospheric Hg deposition. Efforts that advance recovery from Hg pollution in recent years have yielded significant progress, but Hg remains a pollutant of concern. Indeed, due to this extensive compilation of Hg observations in biota, it appears that the extent and intensity of the contamination on the New York landscape and waterscape is greater than previously recognized. Understanding the extent of Hg contamination and recovery following decreases in atmospheric Hg deposition will require further study, underscoring the need to continue existing monitoring efforts.

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Section: Fish Speciesmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Mercury Concentrations In Waters Of New York Statementioning

confidence: 99%