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BEHAVIOR OF MERCURY, CHROMIUM, AND CADMIUM IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS
Citation:
Schindler, J. AND J. Alberts. BEHAVIOR OF MERCURY, CHROMIUM, AND CADMIUM IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-77/023.
Description:
This report is concerned with determining the fate and possible transformations of mercury, cadmium, and chromium in freshwater sediment-water environments. Mercury and cadmium show a high affinity for natural organic (humic and fulvic) material. Organic material may also cause or catalyze the reduction of ionic mercury to elemental mercury. The rate of release of elemental mercury from lake sediments depends on both the amount and form of the organic material present, the Eh and pH of the environment. Under continuous exposure, elemental mercury is readily accumulated by fish (Gambusia) at a rate comparable with ionic mercury. However, uptake is five times greater than ionic mercury under periodic exposure conditions. The excretion rates of elemental mercury approximately equal ionic mercury.