Estimating mercury concentrations and loads from four western Lake Superior watersheds using continuous in-stream turbidity monitoring

Elaine M Ruzycki; Richard P Axler; J. R. Henneck; N. R. Will; George E Host

doi:10.1080/14634988.2011.624863

Estimating mercury concentrations and loads from four western Lake Superior watersheds using continuous in-stream turbidity monitoring

Elaine M Ruzycki, Richard P Axler, J. R. Henneck, N. R. Will, George E Host

Natural Resources Research Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many streams along the Minnesota coast of Lake Superior have been listed as impaired from either high turbidity or high fish mercury concentrations or both. Both turbidity and total mercury have been shown to be strongly correlated to total suspended sediment in many disturbed watersheds. Turbidity and total mercury concentrations and loads were estimated in four western Lake Superior watersheds from 2005-2006 using automated in-stream turbidity measurements. Regression models were developed relating this near-continuous turbidity data to grab sample measures of mercury during differing flow regimes. Total mercury values ranged from 1 to 28 ng l ^-1 throughout the open water season and showed a close relationship to total suspended sediment (r ² = 0.85, n = 23; p < 0.001) and a less robust but still significant relationship with turbidity (r ² = 0.40, n = 34; p < 0.001) for all four streams. Mercury loads to Lake Superior were estimated to range from 8 to 97 g yr ^-1 with watershed yields ranging from 0.5 to 4.3 μg m ^-2 yr ^-1. Continuous turbidity monitoring appears to be a reasonable surrogate for both suspended sediment and total mercury concentration, providing information when manual sample collection is cost-prohibitive or logistically difficult, and across a wide range of flows.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	422-432
Number of pages	11
Journal	Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management
Volume	14
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/14634988.2011.624863
State	Published - Oct 2011

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work is the result of research sponsored by the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program, supported by the NOAA office of Sea Grant, United States Department of Commerce, under grant No. NA03OAR4170048. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes, not withstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. This paper is journal reprint No. JR 580 of the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program. The authors also thank Western Lake Superior Sanitary District for funding the mercury analyses; additional support provided under the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in cooperation with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program (Project No. 306-09-10 to RA), the Natural Resources Research Institute, and the city of Duluth, Minnesota Stormwater Utility. Jesse Anderson of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Tim Tuominen of the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, and Todd Carlson of city of Duluth’s Public Works and Utilities Department provided valuable technical assistance and advice, and the manuscript was improved by two anonymous reviewers. This is contribution No. 516 from the Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth.

Keywords

streams
surrogate
total suspended sediment
urban runoff

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access

10.1080/14634988.2011.624863

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

@article{7a7a05b6be0f4ec8b32352de984a22fe,

title = "Estimating mercury concentrations and loads from four western Lake Superior watersheds using continuous in-stream turbidity monitoring",

abstract = "Many streams along the Minnesota coast of Lake Superior have been listed as impaired from either high turbidity or high fish mercury concentrations or both. Both turbidity and total mercury have been shown to be strongly correlated to total suspended sediment in many disturbed watersheds. Turbidity and total mercury concentrations and loads were estimated in four western Lake Superior watersheds from 2005-2006 using automated in-stream turbidity measurements. Regression models were developed relating this near-continuous turbidity data to grab sample measures of mercury during differing flow regimes. Total mercury values ranged from 1 to 28 ng l -1 throughout the open water season and showed a close relationship to total suspended sediment (r 2 = 0.85, n = 23; p < 0.001) and a less robust but still significant relationship with turbidity (r 2 = 0.40, n = 34; p < 0.001) for all four streams. Mercury loads to Lake Superior were estimated to range from 8 to 97 g yr -1 with watershed yields ranging from 0.5 to 4.3 μg m -2 yr -1. Continuous turbidity monitoring appears to be a reasonable surrogate for both suspended sediment and total mercury concentration, providing information when manual sample collection is cost-prohibitive or logistically difficult, and across a wide range of flows.",

keywords = "streams, surrogate, total suspended sediment, urban runoff",

author = "Ruzycki, {Elaine M} and Axler, {Richard P} and Henneck, {J. R.} and Will, {N. R.} and Host, {George E}",

note = "Funding Information: This work is the result of research sponsored by the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program, supported by the NOAA office of Sea Grant, United States Department of Commerce, under grant No. NA03OAR4170048. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes, not withstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. This paper is journal reprint No. JR 580 of the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program. The authors also thank Western Lake Superior Sanitary District for funding the mercury analyses; additional support provided under the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA{\textquoteright}s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in cooperation with Minnesota{\textquoteright}s Lake Superior Coastal Program (Project No. 306-09-10 to RA), the Natural Resources Research Institute, and the city of Duluth, Minnesota Stormwater Utility. Jesse Anderson of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Tim Tuominen of the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, and Todd Carlson of city of Duluth{\textquoteright}s Public Works and Utilities Department provided valuable technical assistance and advice, and the manuscript was improved by two anonymous reviewers. This is contribution No. 516 from the Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth.",

year = "2011",

month = oct,

doi = "10.1080/14634988.2011.624863",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "14",

pages = "422--432",

journal = "Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management",

issn = "1463-4988",

publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Estimating mercury concentrations and loads from four western Lake Superior watersheds using continuous in-stream turbidity monitoring

AU - Ruzycki, Elaine M

AU - Axler, Richard P

AU - Henneck, J. R.

AU - Will, N. R.

AU - Host, George E

N1 - Funding Information: This work is the result of research sponsored by the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program, supported by the NOAA office of Sea Grant, United States Department of Commerce, under grant No. NA03OAR4170048. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for government purposes, not withstanding any copyright notation that may appear hereon. This paper is journal reprint No. JR 580 of the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program. The authors also thank Western Lake Superior Sanitary District for funding the mercury analyses; additional support provided under the Coastal Zone Management Act, by NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management in cooperation with Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program (Project No. 306-09-10 to RA), the Natural Resources Research Institute, and the city of Duluth, Minnesota Stormwater Utility. Jesse Anderson of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Tim Tuominen of the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District, and Todd Carlson of city of Duluth’s Public Works and Utilities Department provided valuable technical assistance and advice, and the manuscript was improved by two anonymous reviewers. This is contribution No. 516 from the Center for Water and the Environment, Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota Duluth.

PY - 2011/10

Y1 - 2011/10

N2 - Many streams along the Minnesota coast of Lake Superior have been listed as impaired from either high turbidity or high fish mercury concentrations or both. Both turbidity and total mercury have been shown to be strongly correlated to total suspended sediment in many disturbed watersheds. Turbidity and total mercury concentrations and loads were estimated in four western Lake Superior watersheds from 2005-2006 using automated in-stream turbidity measurements. Regression models were developed relating this near-continuous turbidity data to grab sample measures of mercury during differing flow regimes. Total mercury values ranged from 1 to 28 ng l -1 throughout the open water season and showed a close relationship to total suspended sediment (r 2 = 0.85, n = 23; p < 0.001) and a less robust but still significant relationship with turbidity (r 2 = 0.40, n = 34; p < 0.001) for all four streams. Mercury loads to Lake Superior were estimated to range from 8 to 97 g yr -1 with watershed yields ranging from 0.5 to 4.3 μg m -2 yr -1. Continuous turbidity monitoring appears to be a reasonable surrogate for both suspended sediment and total mercury concentration, providing information when manual sample collection is cost-prohibitive or logistically difficult, and across a wide range of flows.

AB - Many streams along the Minnesota coast of Lake Superior have been listed as impaired from either high turbidity or high fish mercury concentrations or both. Both turbidity and total mercury have been shown to be strongly correlated to total suspended sediment in many disturbed watersheds. Turbidity and total mercury concentrations and loads were estimated in four western Lake Superior watersheds from 2005-2006 using automated in-stream turbidity measurements. Regression models were developed relating this near-continuous turbidity data to grab sample measures of mercury during differing flow regimes. Total mercury values ranged from 1 to 28 ng l -1 throughout the open water season and showed a close relationship to total suspended sediment (r 2 = 0.85, n = 23; p < 0.001) and a less robust but still significant relationship with turbidity (r 2 = 0.40, n = 34; p < 0.001) for all four streams. Mercury loads to Lake Superior were estimated to range from 8 to 97 g yr -1 with watershed yields ranging from 0.5 to 4.3 μg m -2 yr -1. Continuous turbidity monitoring appears to be a reasonable surrogate for both suspended sediment and total mercury concentration, providing information when manual sample collection is cost-prohibitive or logistically difficult, and across a wide range of flows.

KW - streams

KW - surrogate

KW - total suspended sediment

KW - urban runoff

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859233229&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84859233229&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/14634988.2011.624863

DO - 10.1080/14634988.2011.624863

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84859233229

SN - 1463-4988

VL - 14

SP - 422

EP - 432

JO - Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management

JF - Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management

IS - 4

ER -

Estimating mercury concentrations and loads from four western Lake Superior watersheds using continuous in-stream turbidity monitoring

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access

OpenUrl availability

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this