AI Article Synopsis
- A long-term study (1993-2020) in French Guiana examined the effects of the Petit Saut hydroelectric dam on mercury levels in fish and the surrounding environment.
- The findings revealed that the dam's construction resulted in significant methylmercury production, particularly in the low-oxygen areas of the reservoir and downstream.
- The research also highlighted that mercury concentrations in seven fish species varied based on factors like diet, water column position, and environmental conditions.
Article Abstract
The Petit Saut hydroelectric dam and the upstream and downstream areas of the Sinnamary River in French Guiana (Amazon basin) have been studied from 1993 to 2020. The nearly thirty-years-long study of the monitoring of total mercury concentration in fish and the physicochemical survey of the environment made it possible to demonstrate the impact of the flooding of the forest and the role of the hydroelectric dam on the methylation of mercury. Results show that the physicochemical modifications generated by the construction of the dam led to a significant production of methylmercury (MeHg) in the anoxic part of the reservoir and downstream of the river leading to a strong spatio-temporal impact of the dam. Seven species of fishes are studied and their mercury concentrations vary according to many parameters: fish diet, position in the water column, site, lake oxycline level and time.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115771 | DOI Listing |
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