BIOACCUMULATION OF MERCURY IN A TERRESTRIAL CARNIVORE, AMERICAN MARTEN ().

Studies that assess mercury bioaccumulation in small carnivores in terrestrial habitats are limited. We quantified total mercury (THg) in American marten () that were harvested for fur in Michigan, US, during 2013 and 2014. We quantified THg (dry weight) in hair, kidney, and liver samples and further analyzed hair for potential demographic and ecological factors that influence THg bioaccumulation.

Mercury and dissolved organic matter dynamics during snowmelt runoff in a montane watershed, Provo River, Utah, USA.

The mechanisms of Hg and dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport from watersheds to streams remain unclear, especially in snowmelt dominated montane systems. We characterized total Hg concentrations and DOM characteristics during snowmelt by weekly and/or monthly sampling at three locations in the upper Provo River, northern Utah, over two water years (2016 and 2017). Total Hg concentrations increased from <1 ng/L during baseflow to >7 ng/L during the snowmelt period (April-June), with decreasing concentrations from upstream to downstream.

Spatiotemporal patterns of mercury accumulation in lake sediments of western North America.

For the Western North America Mercury Synthesis, we compiled mercury records from 165 dated sediment cores from 138 natural lakes across western North America. Lake sediments are accepted as faithful recorders of historical mercury accumulation rates, and regional and sub-regional temporal and spatial trends were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Mercury accumulation rates in sediments have increased, on average, four times (4×) from 1850 to 2000 and continue to increase by approximately 0.