Determining Fish Mercury Levels: An Alaska Native/Napaskiak Subsistence Food Source

Alaska Natives living in rural areas rely on subsistence fishing throughout the year as their primary source of food. The purpose of this project is to determine the levels of mercury (Hg) in fish commonly consumed by Alaska Natives. Mercury naturally cycles throughout the environment between air, water, and land. Because it is a heavy metal, when it enters an ocean, lake, or river it sinks to the bottom where plankton, bottom feeder fish, and organisms consume it. Mercury becomes dangerously concentrated as it passes through the food chain through a process called biomagnification. Biomagnification occurs when a small fish with low levels of mercury is consumed by a bigger fish that is then consumed by a bigger fish. Each time a fish is consumed higher up on the food chain the concentration of mercury biomagnifies. The primary route of exposure to Hg for humans is through fish consumption. Studies show that consuming fish with high levels of mercury can lead to adverse health effects. Our project will examine the levels of mercury in three types of fish using an atomic absorption Hg analyzer: king salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), chum salmon (Onocorhynchus keta), and pike (Esox Lucius). Results are pending on completion of analysis. We hypothesize that pike fish will contain the highest level of mercury due to its nature of feeding at the bottom of the river

Correlation of length and weight with mercury concentration in different tissues of Kutum Roach (Rutilus frisii kutum) in central south of Caspian Sea

We used Mercury Analyzer to assess possible correlation between length and weight of the Kutum Roach (Rutilus frisii kutum) and mercury accumulation in different tissues of the fish. We collected fish specimens from central south Caspian Sea from October to December 2005. After biometrical measurement of samples and sex determination, mercury concentration was assessed in muscle, liver and skin tissues of the specimens. The mean concentration of mercury in muscle, liver and skin tissues was 849.9, 670.9 and 493.7ng/g respectively. Statistical analysis of the results showed a significant difference between mercury amounts in different tissues (P0.05). The mercury amount in muscle of Kutum Roach was lower than permissible limits proposed by FDA (1004ngig)

Mercury content in soils on the territory of Mezhdurechensk

The geochemical features of mercury content and distribution in the zone of coal producers have been studied (Mezhdurechensk town). Mercury content in soil (30 samples) was determined by atomic absorption method using mercury analyzer PA-915+ with pyrolytic device. Mercury content in soil samples changed from 0.12 to 0.17 mg/kg, the average value being 0.057 mg/kg. Within the town territory five zones with mercury elevated concentrations in soil were distinguished. 25-year observation period showed a 2.8 time decrease in average mercury content in soil. The major contribution to soil pollution in the urban territory was made by the two factors: local and regional. The mercury content in soil is affected by the emissions from boilers operating on coal as well as coal dust from the open pits near the town

Rapid Monitoring of Mercury in Air from an Organic Chemical Factory in China Using a Portable Mercury Analyzer

A chemical factory, using a production technology of acetaldehyde with mercury catalysis, was located southeast of Qingzhen City in Guizhou Province, China. Previous research showed heavy mercury pollution through an extensive downstream area. A current investigation of the mercury distribution in ambient air, soils, and plants suggests that mobile mercury species in soils created elevated mercury concentrations in ambient air and vegetation. Mercury concentrations of up to 600 ng/m3 in air over the contaminated area provided evidence of the mercury transformation to volatile Hg(0). Mercury analysis of soil and plant samples demonstrated that the mercury concentrations in soil with vaporized and plant-absorbable forms were higher in the southern area, which was closer to the factory. Our results suggest that air monitoring using a portable mercury analyzer can be a convenient and useful method for the rapid detection and mapping of mercury pollution in advanced field surveys

Total Mercury Content of Skin Toning Creams and the Potential Risk to the Health of Women In Ghana

The use of mercury containing skin toning creams is becoming increasingly popular among darkskinned women. The prolonged use of them over the years may cause serious health effects. In the study sixty nine (69) samples of skin toning creams were analysed for total mercury by cold vapour atomic absorption spectrophotometry using an automatic mercury analyzer. The concentration of mercury in the creams ranged from below 0.001 to 0.311 μg g-1. All the creams sampled had concentrations less than the US Food and Drug Administration's acceptable limit of 1 μg g-1. The low concentrations of mercury detected in the cream samples analysed therefore do not pose any potential mercury related health risk to the population particularly women Keywords: mercury, skin toning cream, women, health Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 28 (1) 2008 pp. 88-9

Input of terrestrial organic matter linked to deglaciation increased mercury transport to the Svalbard fjords

Deglaciation has accelerated the transport of minerals as well as modern and ancient organic matter from land to fjord sediments in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in the European Arctic Ocean. Consequently, such sediments may contain significant levels of total mercury (THg) bound to terrestrial organic matter. The present study compared THg contents in surface sediments from three fjord settings in Spitsbergen: Hornsund in the southern Spitsbergen, which has high annual volume of loss glacier and receives sediment from multiple tidewater glaciers, Dicksonfjorden in the central Spitsbergen, which receives sediment from glacifluvial rivers, and Wijdefjorden in the northern Spitsbergen, which receive sediments from a mixture of tidewater glaciers and glacifluvial rivers. Our results showed that the THg (52 +/- 15 ng g(-1)) bound to organic matter (OM) was the highest in the Hornsund surface sediments, where the glacier loss (0.44 km(3) yr(-1)) and organic carbon accumulation rates (9.3 similar to 49.4 g m(-2) yr(-1)) were elevated compared to other fjords. Furthermore, the delta C-13 (-27 similar to -24 parts per thousand) and delta S-34 values (-10 similar to 15 parts per thousand) of OM indicated that most of OM were originated from terrestrial sources. Thus, the temperature-driven glacial melting could release more OM originating from the meltwater or terrestrial materials, which are available for THg binding in the European Arctic fjord ecosystems.11Ysciescopu

Pilot project of measuring and computing system for mesoscale monitoring of atmospheric boundary layer

Conception of design of measuring and computing system for monitoring atmospheric boundary layer is proposed. The system includes: stationary measuring complex consisting of four multiple-elevation ultrasonic weather stations and mobile measuring complex consisting of transportable weather station, touch probing system of weather data profile based on unmanned aerial vehicle and also Raman scattering gas analyzer, and new modification mercury gas analyzer. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Leaching behaviour of mercury from hazardous solid waste generated by chlor-alkali industry

Through the conventional chlor-alkali production process, highly mercury (Hg) contaminated waste sludge is produced. Improper handling and disposal of this sludge may cause an environmental hazard. The leaching behaviour of Hg of land disposed mercurial sludge, originating from a chlor-alkali plant that still is in operation, was investigated using the German DIN 38414-S4 test. The total mercury content of the samples was above 1500 mg/kg, allowing the material to be classified as hazardous and high mercury waste. Concentrations of Hg in the leachates were higher than 0.02 mg/l stipulated by the 1991 EEC Landfill Directive Draft as a maximum limit for a waste that is to be landfilled. Total Hg contents and leachability differed markedly between the samples, pointing to a heterogeneity in the production of the sludge. The more limited release of Hg from one of the samples might reflect an ageing effect, or might reflect a better quality of the stabilization process at the time of production. Results indicate that the approach used to stabilize the sludge has not been sufficiently effective, and warrant caution about existing disposal sites and future management of these mercury containing waste materials

Mass spectrometric determination of the composition of the Venus clouds

The instrumentation is analyzed for determining the composition of the clouds on Venus. Direct analysis of the gas phase atmosphere, and the detection of ferrous chloride with a mass spectrometer are dicussed along with the mass analyzer, and the pre-separation of cloud particles from the ambient atmosphere