Mercury in the Environment

USGS provides information on mercury sources, cycling, bioaccumulation and toxicity to assist land and resource managers reduce mercury hazards to people and the environment.
Background

USGS Fact Sheets on Mercury in the Environment

Information on worldwide supply & demand and flow of mercury

Mercury in U.S. Coal

Featured Activities

Mercury in fish, water, and bed sediment from streams in the United States (August 19, 2009)

Geomorphic controls on mercury accumulation in soils from a historically mined watershed, Central California Coast Range (July 14, 2009)

Spatial and seasonal variations in mercury methylation and microbial community structure in a historic mercury mining area, Yolo County, California (July 14, 2009)

A New Source of Methylmercury Entering the Pacific Ocean (May 1, 2009)

Role of plants examined (March 20, 2009): Experimental removal of wetland emergent vegetation leads to decreased methylmercury production in surface sediment

Mercury Sensitive Streams (March 11, 2009): Higher levels of mercury are found in fish and stream water where watersheds contain abundant wetlands (Summary) (Publications)

Featured Article (February 17, 2009):
Integrating Mercury Toxicity Risk in Bird Eggs and Chicks

Featured Article (January 30, 2009): Biogeochemical mercury methylation influenced by reservoir eutrophication, Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir, Idaho

Comparison of total mercury and methylmercury cycling at five sites using the small watershed approach

Influence of plankton mercury dynamics and trophic pathways on mercury concentrations of top predator fish of a mining-impacted reservoir

Mercury and organic carbon dynamics during runnoff episodes from a Northeastern USA watershed

USGS Science Activities

National Mercury Studies

Research on Mercury Cycling in Aquatic Ecosystems

Mercury Related to Mining and Natural Geologic Sources

Mercury Bioaccumulation

Mercury Atmospheric Deposition

Mercury Studies in Geographic Areas

Measuring Mercury in the Environment

Meetings and Discussion Groups

Mercury Cycling in a Changing Environment

9th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (2009)

American Chemical Society--August 16-20, 2009 Biogeochemical processes of mercury in natural and contaminated environments

< Archive of meetings and conferences >

Other Links

Mercury Deposition Network

USEPA: Mercury impaired waters and mercury-related TMDLs

USEPA Fish Advisories

USEPA Mercury Page

Air Toxics Monitoring Programs

Mercury ToxFAQs™: Chemical Agent Briefing Sheets (ATSDR)

NESCAUM Mercury Emission Control Studies

South Florida Mercury Science Program

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

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Page Last Modified: Thursday, August 20, 2009