A 700-year record of mercury in avian eggshells of Guangjin Island, South China Sea.
Ancient eggshells over the past 700 years were extracted from an ornithogenic sediment profile on Guangjin Island, South China Sea. Based on SEM and nitrogen isotope analyses, we determined that neither post-depositional processes nor seabirds' dietary changes had a large influence on eggshell Hg levels. The historical change of Hg in these eggshells was reconstructed. Eggshell Hg was a marker for past Hg deposition in marine environment. The eggshell Hg showed three small peaks at around 1300AD, 1600 AD and 1700-1750AD and rapid increase since 1800 AD. Before 1970 AD the Hg deposition in the Xisha area had global distribution characteristics, with increased Hg emissions due to global anthropogenic activities in industrial times. However, after 1970 AD, a further sharp increase up to present day occurred, implying that the Hg production center had gradually shifted from Europe and America to Asia.
Institute of Polar Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Li-Qiang
LQ
Xu
Xiao-Dong
XD
Liu
Li-guang
LG
Sun
Qian-Qian
QQ
Chen
Hong
H
Yan
Yi
Y
Liu
Yu-Han
YH
Luo
Jing
J
Huang
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D002681:China; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000266:history*; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury