The Chemistry and Transformations of Mercury and Arsenic in Anaerobic Sediments

Abstract

Mercury and Arsenic are important pollutants released from a variety of sources (ships, buoy batteries, etc.) into harbors and coastal waters. Both these elements can have important ecological effects and bioaccumulation of mercury in fish is a concern for human health. We thus need to understand the factors that control the fate of arsenic and mercury in harbors and coastal waters. This project focuses on the transformations of arsenic and mercury in the anoxic sediments that are characteristic of such environs. More specifically, the long term goals of this project are to elucidate the chemical and biological mechanisms that control the precipitation and dissolution of arsenic and mercury in anaerobic coastal sediments and to quantify the consequences of these processes in determining the potential release of these toxic elements to the water column and their accumulation in marine organisms.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1997
Accession Number
ADA628040

Entities

People

  • Francois M. Morel

Organizations

  • Princeton University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Arsenates
  • Arsenites
  • Bacteria
  • Chemical Precipitation
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Earth Sciences
  • Electronic Mail
  • Environment
  • Information Operations
  • Methylation
  • Oxidation
  • Precipitation
  • Sediments

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Acoustical Oceanography.
  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Aquatic Ecology