Review of Mercury Circulation Changes in the Coastal Zone of Southern Baltic Sea

Despite its undoubted usability, mercury (Hg) is the most toxic metal and one of the most toxic elements. The problem of mercury toxicity was only widely explored in the second half of the 20th century, following cases of fatal poisonings as a result of the consumption of contaminated fish and grains preserved with mercury compounds. According to HELCOM reports, Hg emission in the Baltic region at the beginning of the 21st century was lower than during the 1980s. In addition to mercury transformation, climate warming, particularly in the autumn-winter season, is another factor contributing to the changes in mercury circulation, especially in the area of land-sea contact. The increase in rainfall, particularly in the summer, is of particular importance for the marine environment. This is related to an increased inflow of Hg with wet precipitation, but the warm season is also favourable for intensive growth of sea organisms and, consequently, a faster accumulation of chemical substances, including toxic ones. As a result, the concentration of mercury in organism biomass increases

Zmienność udziału różnych form rtęci w zlewniach rzek południowego Bałtyku – case study

Mercury (Hg) is recognised as a global environmental pollutant. Despite numerous studies being conducted around the world, the transformation of mercury in natural environments is still not fully understood. In addition, increasing droughts and heavy rains are currently observed to contribute to changes in the circulation of Hg. The purpose of this study was to recognise the influence of extreme meteorological and hydrological conditions on the inflow of various forms of mercury to the coastal zone of the Bay of Puck. The studies were carried out at estuarial stations of four rivers belonging to the southern Baltic Sea catchment: Reda, Zagorska Struga, Gizdepka and Płutnica. The results showed that meteorological and hydrological parameters affect mercury speciation in river catchments, which translates into inflow of labile mercury to the southern Baltic Sea.Rtęć (Hg) uznawana jest za globalne zanieczyszczenie środowiska. Pomimo przeprowadzenia licznych badań na całym świecie transformacje rtęci w środowisku naturalnym nie są ciągle do końca poznane. Dodatkowo obecnie obserwowane są coraz częściej występujące susze oraz intensywne deszcze, ktore przyczyniają się do zmian w obiegu Hg. Tym samym celem przeprowadzonych badań było rozpoznanie wpływu skrajnych warunkow meteorologiczno-hydrologicznych na dopływ rożnych form rtęci do strefy brzegowej Zatoki Puckiej. Badania zostały przeprowadzone na stacjach ujściowych czterech rzek należących do zlewiska południowego Bałtyku: Reda, Zagorska Struga, Gizdepka i Płutnica. Uzyskane wyniki wykazały, że parametry meteorologiczno-hydrologiczne wpływają na specjację rtęci w zlewniach rzek, co przekłada się na dopływ labilnej rtęci do południowego Bałtyku

The Relationship between Total Mercury, Its Fractions and Species Diversity of Diatom Taphocoenoses Deposited in Surface Sediments (Southern Baltic Sea)

Mercury is a toxic metal that in excessive amounts negatively affects the human nervous system. It can biomagnify to enrich successive levels of the trophic web with higher and higher concentrations of Hg. Diatoms are cosmopolitan microalgae that represent the base of the trophic web. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of diatoms in the accumulation of Hg in surface sediments in the example of Puck Lagoon (southern Baltic Sea). The study verified the relationship of mercury forms with diatoms’ characteristic salinity groups and individual diatom species. The identified diatom flora permitted the distinguishment of three regions with different salinity preferences. The obtained results suggest that, together with organic matter and fine sediment fraction, diatoms are an important element of the marine environment in accumulating Hg. Area I, dominated by euhalobous and mesohalobous diatom species, was characterized by a high statistically significant correlation of mesohalobous with HgSO4, Hg in complexes with organic matter and HgS. In Area II, associated with the highest Hg concentrations (ca. 100 ng g−1), euhalobous showed a statistically significant linear correlation with HgSO4. In contrast, in Area III, the freshwater diatom community was associated with stable Hg forms. The identified species showed a connection with labile forms of Hg that can undergo biomagnification