Am. Scheuhammer et Je. Graham, The bioaccumulation of mercury in aquatic organisms from two similar lakeswith differing pH, ECOTOXICOL, 8(1), 1999, pp. 49-56
Two small drainage lakes of similar surface area (0.4-0.6 km(2)) and depth,
and situated in close proximity to one another (about 9 km apart) in the M
uskoka-Haliburton district of rural Ontario, Canada were chosen to investig
ate the effects of differing pH on Hg accumulation in fish and other biota.
Blue Chalk Lake is circumneutral (pH = 6.3-6.9) with an average dissolved
organic carbon (DOC) concentration of 2.69 mg/L; Plastic Lake is acidic (pH
= 5.2-5.6) with a similar DOC level (2.72 mg/L). Neither lake is an impoun
dment, and neither receives inputs from point-source urban or industrial wa
ste emissions. Surficial (top 4 cm) sediments and various aquatic biota, in
cluding crayfish (Orconectes virilis)], and 5 species of fish [brown bullhe
ad (Ictalurus nebulosus), creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus), pumpkinseed
sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus), yellow perch (Perca flavenscens) and rock bass
(Ambloplites rupestris)] were sampled for Hg analysis. Only creek chub and
pumpkinseed occurred in both lakes. Significant size (length) vs. Hg-conce
ntration relationships were observed for brown bullhead, pumpkinseed, yello
w perch and rock bass, but not for crayfish nor for creek chub in either la
ke. Rock bass had the highest mean Hg concentration (1.02 +/- 0.98 mu g/g d
ry wt.). Pumpkinseed from Plastic Lake had the highest overall rate of accu
mulation with increasing size. Several individual pumpkinseed and rock bass
sampled from the acidic Plastic Lake had Hg concentrations equal to or gre
ater than levels reported to be hazardous to breeding piscivorous birds, su
ch as common loons (Gavia immer), whereas no fish from Blue Chalk approache
d this threshold (0.3 mu g/g wet wt). This study illustrates the importance
of within-lake parameters, particularly pH, and species trophic level, in
determining Hg accumulation in fish in lakes of similar size that receive s
imilar atmospheric Hg inputs.