Preliminary assessment of total mercury concentrations in fishes from rivers, lakes and reservoirs in New Jersey

• Main Author: No Name Supplied
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: No Publisher Supplied 1994
• Subjects: Arctic; Human health
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7282/t3-4xx4-bv60; https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/59696/

Bioaccumulation of mercury in fish is of concern because of potential human health effects from fish consumption, as well as potential effects on fish-eating wildlife. Human-caused inputs of mercury to the environment have occurred from industrial point source discharges, various nonpoint sources (e.g., mercury in pesticides), release of trace quantities of mercury in coal (e.g., by power plants), and processing of mercury-contaminated waste (e.g., by incineration). Atmospheric transport can contribute significant quantities of mercury to waterbodies without point sources. For example, mercury is found in fish from remote Arctic lakes, and mercury concentrations in fish from Midwestern and Canadian lakes (e.g., Minnesota, Michigan, Ontario) have led to consumption advisories. Contaminated soil and sediment can lead to continued inputs after cessation of direct discharge. In New Jersey, atmospheric inputs may come from both local and distant sources, while aquatic inputs may have come from industrial use of mercury within the state.