Mercury in Sediment and Fish Communities of Lake Vänern, Sweden: Recovery from Contamination

Abstract

The past effluents of mercury (Hg) into Lake Vänern were considerable. The consequences of, and recovery from these have been monitored through continuous measurements of mercury in sediment and fish. Mercury levels in lake sediments in the vicinity of the main source of mercury, a chloralkali plant on the northern shore, have only decreased by slightly more than a half since the mid-1970s, despite a radical decrease in effluents from the source, already during the 1960s. The mercury levels in pike (Esox lucius) have decreased to a similar extent during this time period. They are now about 30% higher in the worst affected parts of the lake compared to the least affected parts. Lower levels have been measured in perch (Perca fluviatilis) and salmonoid fish in the lake. Despite the increased presence of mercury in the sediment of Lake Vänern, the mercury levels in the fish of the lake are relatively low compared to fish in lakes situated in the same region, but not affected by any local mercury effluents. As calculated, the total fish biomass of L. Vänern holds less than 1000th of the amount of mercury contained in the upper, biologically active layers of the bottom sediment of the lake. This demonstrates the potential influence of various environmental factors and motivates continued monitoring of mercury levels in the lake in the future.