Mercury and methylmercury distribution in the intertidal surface sediment of a heavily anthrophogenically impacted saltwater-mangrove-sediment interplay zone

Haris H 1 , Aris AZ 2 , Mokhtar MB 3

Affiliations 

  • 1 School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia; Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: ha33eman@yahoo.co.uk
  • 2 Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. Electronic address: zaharin@upm.edu.my
  • 3 Deputy Vice-Chancellor's Office, Chancellery Building, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Chemosphere, 2017 Jan;166:323-333.
PMID: 27710880 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.045

Abstract

Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were determined from sediment samples collected from thirty sampling stations in Port Klang, Malaysia. Three stations had THg concentrations exceeding the threshold effect level of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Canadian interim sediment quality guidelines. THg and MeHg concentrations were found to be concentrated in the Lumut Strait where inputs from the two most urbanized rivers in the state converged (i.e. Klang River and Langat River). This suggests that Hg in the study area likely originated from the catchments of these rivers. MeHg made up 0.06-94.96% of the sediment's THg. There is significant positive correlation (p 

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