Distribution of total mercury and methyl mercury in water, sediment and fish from Swarze¸dzkie lake

Concentrations of total mercury and methyl mercury were determined in water, sediment and fish collected from Swarze¸dzkie lake in order to understand their distribution and partitioning which are not well known. Samples of water and sediments were collected at 11 locations. Water THg (total mercury) concentrations ranged from 155 to 342 ng l−1 and MeHg (methyl mercury) ranged from 21.7 to 36.5 ng l−1. Total mercury concentrations in sediments ranged from 76 to 880 μg kg−1 dry wt. Methyl mercury accounted for, on average, 1.32 % of total mercury in sediment. The concentrations of total mercury in fish muscle were between 0.25 and 2.95 μg kg−1 wet wt, with methyl mercury contributing 87.3 % of total mercury. Methyl mercury concentrations in fish muscle were directly proportional to total mercury concentrations and ranged between 0.18 and 2.63 μg kg−1 wet wt.