U.S. Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center, Troy, NY, 12180, USA.
Division of Fish and Wildlife, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY, 12233, USA.
Ecotoxicology. 2020 Dec;29(10):1686-1708. doi: 10.1007/s10646-020-02225-0. Epub 2020 May 21.
Mercury (Hg) concentrations in freshwater fish across the state of New York frequently exceed guidelines considered harmful to humans and wildlife, but statewide distribution and temporal changes are not well known for the state's streams and rivers. We analyzed existing data to describe recent spatial patterns, identify key environmental drivers, and assess temporal changes. Size classes within sportfishes and prey fishes formed 'functional taxa' (FT), and standardized scores were generated from 2007-2016 data for 218 sites. Muscle Hg in ≥1 sportfish FT exceeded human-health guidelines of 50 ng/g (sensitive populations) and 300 ng/g (general population, GP) at 93 and 56% of sites, respectively, but exceeded 1000 ng/g (a state threshold) at only 10% of sites. Whole-body Hg in ≥1 prey fish FT exceeded wildlife thresholds of 40 ng/g and 100 ng/g at 91 and 51% of sites, respectively. Environmental drivers of recent spatial patterns include extent of forest cover and storage, the latter an indicator of wetlands. Standardized Hg scores increased with increasing atmospheric Hg deposition and storage across rural 'upland' regions of New York. However, scores were not related to atmospheric deposition in more-developed 'lowland' regions due to the limited methylation potential of urban landscapes. Comparisons of 2010-2015 sportfish Hg concentrations with those of 1998 and 2000-2005 showed inconsistent temporal changes both among and within eight sites examined. Some recent stream and river fish Hg spatial patterns differed from those of lake-based studies, highlighting the importance of New York's flowing waters to future Hg monitoring and risk assessment.
纽约州的淡水鱼中汞（Hg）浓度经常超过被认为对人类和野生动物有害的指导值，但该州的溪流和河流的汞浓度的全州分布和时间变化情况并不为人所知。我们分析了现有的数据，以描述最近的空间模式，确定关键的环境驱动因素，并评估时间变化。运动鱼类和猎物鱼类的大小类群形成了“功能类群”（FT），并根据 2007-2016 年 218 个地点的数据生成了标准化分数。≥1 种运动鱼类 FT 的肌肉汞含量超过了 50ng/g（敏感人群）和 300ng/g（一般人群，GP）的人类健康指导值，分别在 93%和 56%的地点达到了这一标准，但在 10%的地点达到了 1000ng/g（州阈值）。≥1 种猎物鱼类 FT 的全鱼汞含量超过了 40ng/g 和 100ng/g 的野生动物阈值，分别在 91%和 51%的地点达到了这一标准。最近的空间模式的环境驱动因素包括森林覆盖范围和储存程度，后者是湿地的一个指标。随着大气汞沉积和农村“高地”地区储存量的增加，标准化的 Hg 分数也在增加。然而，由于城市景观的甲基化潜力有限，在更为发达的“低地”地区，Hg 分数与大气沉积无关。与 1998 年和 2000-2005 年相比，2010-2015 年运动鱼类 Hg 浓度的比较显示，在八个被检查的地点中，时间变化既有差异也有相似之处。一些最近的溪流和河流鱼类 Hg 的空间模式与基于湖泊的研究不同，这突显了纽约流动水域对未来 Hg 监测和风险评估的重要性。
