Sediment Mercury Dynamics at Two Estuarine Mudflats in Great Bay, New Hampshire

摘要

Estuaries act as repositories for river-borne particulate contaminants such as mercury (Hg) and have a high degree of spatial variability in geochemical characteristics and infaunal density. Porewater and sediment chemical and molecular analyses were performed at two mudflats to study Hg dynamics in the Great Bay, New Hampshire, estuary. Squamscott mudflat was situated at the mouth of the Squamscott River and was both tidally and fluvially influenced with a wide range in salinity. Portsmouth mudflat was located closer to the mouth of the estuary in a cove and was tidally dominated with higher salinity and greater infaunal density than Squamscott.