247 - Mercury in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, United States: Storage, Transformation, and Transfer

Although mercury (Hg) emissions have declined within the U.S., western mountain ecosystems are receiving increasing rates of Hg deposition due to an augmenting global pool of Hg. Studies show mountain regions act as a sink for up to 80% of atmospherically deposited Hg, however, the ecosystem fates of Hg are largely unknown, including the degree to which it transforms into the bioaccumulating neurotoxin, methylmercury (MeHg). This study investigated patterns of Hg cycling in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, U.S. Field collection included surface soils, overlying water and stream runoff, vegetation from functional groups, and organisms from local food webs. Along a ~2000m elevation gradient, soil THg was not correlated to elevation but was positively correlated with soil OM (R2=0.18, p-value

Authors: Hannah Miller, Clifford Adamchak, Eve-Lyn Hinckley