Insights into the factors influencing mercury concentrations in tropical reservoir sediments.

ABSTRACT: Thousands of dams are currently under construction or planned worldwide to meet the growing need for electricity. The creation of reservoirs could, however, lead to conditions that promote the accumulation of mercury (Hg) in surface sediments and the subsequent production of methylmercury (MeHg). Once produced, MeHg can bioaccumulate to harmful levels in organisms. It is unclear to what extent variations in physical features and biogeochemical factors of the reservoir impact Hg accumulation. The objective of this study was to identify key drivers of the accumulation of total Hg (THg) in tropical reservoir sediments. The concentration of THg in all analyzed depth intervals of 22 sediment cores from the five contrasting reservoirs investigated ranged from 16 to 310 ng g^-1 (n

SUBMITTER: Baptista-Salazar C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8528188 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature