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Mercury in the surface water of Swedish forest lakes —concentrations, speciation and controlling factors

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Abstract

Concentrations of total Hg and five operationally defined Hg species were determined in the surface water of 25 Swedish forest lakes of different type. Regional and seasonal variations were studied during the ice-free season of 1986. The concentration of total Hg was usually in the range of 2 to 10 μg m-3. Hg concentrations were highly correlated to the concentration of humic matter measured as water color. Hg concentrations were about twice as high in acidic lakes (pH 5) than in circumneutral lakes, which is attributed basically to the acidity of humic compounds acting as Hg carriers in boreal waters. Significant seasonal variations were caused by hydrological processes. During periods of high water flow, Hg concentrations increased dramatically, especially in humic lakes. Between spring and autumn, chemically reactive Hg compounds were gradually replaced by more inert species. Hg/C ratios were higher than in surface runoff from forest watersheds, indicating a significant impact of direct deposition of Hg on lake surfaces during summer. Regional differences were small despite differences in Hg contamination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Limnology, Uppsala University, Box 557, 75122, Uppsala, Sweden

    Markus Meili

  2. Swedish Environmental Research Institute, Box 47086, 402 58, Göteborg, Sweden

    Ake Iverfeldt

  3. Department of Hydrology, Uppsala University, V. Ågatan 24, 752 20, Uppsala, Sweden

    Lars Håkanson

Authors
  1. Markus Meili
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  2. Ake Iverfeldt
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  3. Lars Håkanson
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Meili, M., Iverfeldt, A. & Håkanson, L. Mercury in the surface water of Swedish forest lakes —concentrations, speciation and controlling factors. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 56, 439–453 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00342290

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