TY - JOUR
T1 - Distribution and characteristics of methylmercury in surface sediment in Minamata Bay
AU - Matsuyama, Akito
AU - Yano, Shinichiro
AU - Hisano, Akihiro
AU - Kindaichi, Michiaki
AU - Sonoda, Ikuko
AU - Tada, Akihide
AU - Akagi, Hirokatsu
N1 - Funding Information:
We acknowledge the financial support received in the form of a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (No. 24350080 ) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science . We are not under any obligation to this financial supporter. This supporter belongs to the Japanese Ministry for Education, Culture, Sport, Science and Technology.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016
PY - 2016/8/15
Y1 - 2016/8/15
N2 - This study was carried out to evaluate the present-day chemical properties of methylmercury in surface sediment in Minamata Bay where a dredging project was completed 28 years ago. Present-day sediment from Minamata Bay consists of sandy silt, and the average loss-on-ignition in surface sediment was 7.0 ± 2.3%. The average methylmercury concentrations in the upper sediment layers were significantly higher than those in the lower sediment layers. Currently, the concentrations in sediments in Minamata Bay do not exceed the Japanese regulatory standard value for mercury. The average concentration of methylmercury in Minamata Bay surface sediment was 1.74 ± 1.0 ng/g on a dry weight basis (n = 107). The methylmercury concentration in Minamata Bay surface sediment was almost 16 times higher than that in surface sediment from Isahaya Bay surface sediment, which was 0.11 ± 0.045 ng/g on a dry weight basis (n = 5).
AB - This study was carried out to evaluate the present-day chemical properties of methylmercury in surface sediment in Minamata Bay where a dredging project was completed 28 years ago. Present-day sediment from Minamata Bay consists of sandy silt, and the average loss-on-ignition in surface sediment was 7.0 ± 2.3%. The average methylmercury concentrations in the upper sediment layers were significantly higher than those in the lower sediment layers. Currently, the concentrations in sediments in Minamata Bay do not exceed the Japanese regulatory standard value for mercury. The average concentration of methylmercury in Minamata Bay surface sediment was 1.74 ± 1.0 ng/g on a dry weight basis (n = 107). The methylmercury concentration in Minamata Bay surface sediment was almost 16 times higher than that in surface sediment from Isahaya Bay surface sediment, which was 0.11 ± 0.045 ng/g on a dry weight basis (n = 5).
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U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.047
DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.047
M3 - Article
C2 - 27237039
AN - SCOPUS:84969922497
SN - 0025-326X
VL - 109
SP - 378
EP - 385
JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin
JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin
IS - 1
ER -