Abstract
Five species of fishes, two species of aquatic macrophytes, zooplankton, migratory goose feces, water and sediments from a eutrophic lake were analyzed for mercury, cadmium, lead and thallium. Mercury was detected in fishes and sediments only while cadmium and lead were detected in all components. Thallium was detected only in sediments. Sediments in the lake act as a ‘sink’ for the four metals.
Mercury in axial musculature of largemouth bass was highly correlated with length and weight. A high degree of correlation between other metals and weight and length of other species was not evident.
The feces of migratory waterfowl had high concentrations of both cadmium and lead. In view of the large quantity of waterfowl feces deposited within the drainage basin, it is suggested that this avenue is one of the major sources of contamination for the two metals and that fallout from airborne particulate matter is secondary. Fallout of airborne particulate matter may be the primary method by which mercury and thallium enter the lake although residual concentrations of the four metals in soil of the drainage basin were not determined.
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Mathis, B.J., Kevern, N.R. Distribution of mercury, cadmium, lead and thallium in a eutrophic lake. Hydrobiologia 46, 207–222 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043141
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00043141