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MODELING MERCURY IN STREAM ECOSYSTEMS
Citation:
AMBROSE, R. B. MODELING MERCURY IN STREAM ECOSYSTEMS. Presented at 5th National Monitoring Conference, San Jose, CA, May 07 - 11, 2006.
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of this task is to develop, support and transfer a wide variety of tools and mathematical models that can be used to support watershed and water quality protection programs in support of OW, OSWER, and the Regions.
Description:
Mercury is a classic multimedia pollutant. Natural and anthropogenic emissions are driven by a complicated set of transport and transformation reactions operating on a variety of scales in the atmosphere, landscape, surface water, and biota. In the past 15 years, surface water mercury model development has focused on lake ecosystems. Given our present understanding of environmental mercury transport, this presentation summarizes important components of a robust riverine mercury modeling system, from the upland watershed through the flood plains, riparian wetlands, the drainage network, and the underlying sediments. The important hydrological, transport, and transformation processes that should be included in riverine mercury models are highlighted, along with the key solids and mercury variables.