Mercury and Methylmercury in Southern Baltic Sea Sediments

Abstract

Surficial sediment samples were collected in several areas of the southern Baltic Sea during cruises of R/V Oceania in spring 2009 and 2010 for all stations and in autumn 2009 for Gdansk Deep and Gotland Deep. Samples were collected with a gravity corer. The top five centimeters of sediment were sampled by cutting it away with a plastic spatula, mixed and stored frozen (-20°C) in polyethylene bags until analyses in the laboratory. Sediment cores were analysed for total mercury [HgTOT]and methylmercury [MeHg]. Total Hg concentrations in sediments were between 5,81 ng·g-1 in Odra Eustary and 225 ng·g-1 in Gdansk Deep. Lowest concentration of methylmercury were recorded in Odra Estuary; 61,29 pg·g-1. Highest concentration of MeHg were found in Vistula Estuary, 940,07 pg·g-1.

Keywords

• mercury
• methylation
• methyl mercury
• sediment
• Baltic Sea