Mercury concentrations in amphipods and fish of the Saint Lawrence River (Canada) are unrelated to concentrations of legacy mercury in sediments

Abstract

Past industrial activity at Cornwall, Ontario, Canada has contaminated Lake Saint Francis, a fluvial lake on the Saint Lawrence River, with mercury (Hg). A spatial survey of Hg concentrations in sediments, amphipods, and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in 2008 inferred current sources of Hg to the lake and spatial variations in risks to human consumers. Patterns of total and methyl Hg concentrations in sediment reflected upstream inputs, declining concentrations downstream, and highest concentrations at north shore sites near industrial sources; concentrations were lowest on the south shore because river currents limit north–south advective exchange. Surprisingly, concentrations of total or methyl Hg in sediments and pore water were unrelated to concentrations in amphipods and yellow perch. Concentrations in biota, and risks to consumers of fish, were highest at north shore sites near tributaries, and not at the most contaminated industrial sites. These results suggest that ‘legacy’ Hg in surficial sediments is not bioavailable to aquatic biota; tributaries and atmospheric deposition are possible sources of bioavailable Hg; and that sediment remediation would not resolve issues of Hg in fish. Fish consumption advisories for the entire lake based on single samples of fish could over- or under-protect consumers, depending on sampling location. To understand the actual risk to fish consumers for a large and complex lake system with multiple sources of Hg, more intensive sampling is needed to assess the spatial distribution of risk.