title: An assessment of mercury in estuarine sediment and tissue in Southern New Jersey using public domain data.
abstract: Mercury (Hg) is considered a contaminant of global concern for coastal environments due to its toxicity, widespread occurrence in sediment, and bioaccumulation in tissue. Coastal New Jersey, USA, is characterized by shallow bays and wetlands that provide critical habitat for wildlife but share space with expanding urban landscapes. This study was designed as an assessment of the magnitude and distribution of Hg in coastal New Jersey sediments and critical species using publicly available data to highlight potential data gaps. Mercury concentrations in estuary sediments can exceed 2μg/g and correlate with concentrations of other metals. Based on existing data, the concentrations of Hg in mussels in southern New Jersey are comparable to those observed in other urbanized Atlantic Coast estuaries. Lack of methylmercury data for sediments, other media, and tissues are data gaps needing to be filled for a clearer understanding of the impacts of Hg inputs to the ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States; The City College of New York, The Graduate Center, Ph.D. Program in Chemistry, New York, NY 10016, United States; The City College of New York, Division of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, New York, NY 10031, United States.
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States. Electronic address: zszabo@usgs.gov.
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Szabo
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States.
authors.forename: Pamela A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States.
authors.forename: Julia L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Barringer
authors.affiliation: U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, United States.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Smalling
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D063366:Estuaries; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D009515:New Jersey; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Estuary; Mercury; Mussel; New Jersey; Sediment; Tissue