Hg-Contaminated Industrial and Mining Sites in N. America
103
2.9
South River, Waynesboro, Virginia
Mercury contamination in the South River, downstream from Waynesboro,
Virginia, has been evident since 1977, but the contamination originated during
1929-1950 when an industrial facility in Waynesboro used mercuric sulfate as a
catalyst in producing acetate fiber (Carter 1977; VWRRC 1979). Metallic mercury
spills contaminated storm drains at the facility, with an estimated 500-1000 kg
released to the South River in the 1930S and 1940S (Carter 1977). Mercury
contamination in sediments was evident in the South River, the South Fork of the
Shenandoah River, and the Shenandoah River, a distance of 160 miles from the
source of contamination. In 1983, mercury concentrations in filets of adult
redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) from the South River averaged 0.7 ~lg g -I wet
weight 17 km downstream from Waynesboro (Crimora), and about 0.4 pg g-I in
the South Fork Shenandoah River, 125 km downstream (Nicoletto and Hendricks
1987). Higher mercury concentrations were found in rock bass (Ambloplites
rupestris), which averaged 0.84 ~lg g - I at the Crimora site in 1986 and 1.37 pg g-I
in 1987 (Bidwell and Heath 1993). Fillets of adult redbreast sunfish collected and
analyzed by us in 1996 and 1997 at Crimora and Waynesboro averaged 1.1 and
1.4 ~lg g -I mercury, respectively.
Aqueous total mercury and methylmercury (unfiltered samples) concentrations were measured by us in the South River in 1996 and 1997 under dry weather
summertime conditions. Total mercury at Crimora averaged (± SD)
97 ± 58 ng I-Ion three sampling dates, and methylmercury was 2.7 and
0.4 ng I-Ion two sampling dates.
Continuing contamination of fish and water with mercury decades after
discontinuing the use of mercury at industrial facilities on the South River and
NFHR highlights the potential for mercury contamination of pathways leading to
surface waters to cause long-term contamination of those streams. Remedial
efforts at many sites are unlikely to reduce mercury inputs to levels at which
contamination of fish and invertebrates approaches background concentrations.
2.10
Marine and Estuarine Sites
Several marine or estuarine sites in North America are known to have
experienced significant historic mercury inputs from industrial sources of
mercury. These include Chaleur Bay, New Brunswick, Berry Creek near
Woodridge New Jersey, Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina,
Turtle Creek near Brunswick, Georgia, Mobile Bay in Alabama, Houston Ship
Channel and Lavaca Bay in Texas, Bellingham Bay in Washington, and Howe
Sound in British Columbia. Little or no easily accessible information was
available for most of these sites.
A "mercury-processing" plant operated adjacent to Berry Creek between 1930
and 1974, apparently releasing as much as 300 Mg of mercury into soils (on-site
concentration> 10 000 pg g-I, off-site> 1000 pg g-I) surrounding the site and
103
2.9
South River, Waynesboro, Virginia
Mercury contamination in the South River, downstream from Waynesboro,
Virginia, has been evident since 1977, but the contamination originated during
1929-1950 when an industrial facility in Waynesboro used mercuric sulfate as a
catalyst in producing acetate fiber (Carter 1977; VWRRC 1979). Metallic mercury
spills contaminated storm drains at the facility, with an estimated 500-1000 kg
released to the South River in the 1930S and 1940S (Carter 1977). Mercury
contamination in sediments was evident in the South River, the South Fork of the
Shenandoah River, and the Shenandoah River, a distance of 160 miles from the
source of contamination. In 1983, mercury concentrations in filets of adult
redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) from the South River averaged 0.7 ~lg g -I wet
weight 17 km downstream from Waynesboro (Crimora), and about 0.4 pg g-I in
the South Fork Shenandoah River, 125 km downstream (Nicoletto and Hendricks
1987). Higher mercury concentrations were found in rock bass (Ambloplites
rupestris), which averaged 0.84 ~lg g - I at the Crimora site in 1986 and 1.37 pg g-I
in 1987 (Bidwell and Heath 1993). Fillets of adult redbreast sunfish collected and
analyzed by us in 1996 and 1997 at Crimora and Waynesboro averaged 1.1 and
1.4 ~lg g -I mercury, respectively.
Aqueous total mercury and methylmercury (unfiltered samples) concentrations were measured by us in the South River in 1996 and 1997 under dry weather
summertime conditions. Total mercury at Crimora averaged (± SD)
97 ± 58 ng I-Ion three sampling dates, and methylmercury was 2.7 and
0.4 ng I-Ion two sampling dates.
Continuing contamination of fish and water with mercury decades after
discontinuing the use of mercury at industrial facilities on the South River and
NFHR highlights the potential for mercury contamination of pathways leading to
surface waters to cause long-term contamination of those streams. Remedial
efforts at many sites are unlikely to reduce mercury inputs to levels at which
contamination of fish and invertebrates approaches background concentrations.
2.10
Marine and Estuarine Sites
Several marine or estuarine sites in North America are known to have
experienced significant historic mercury inputs from industrial sources of
mercury. These include Chaleur Bay, New Brunswick, Berry Creek near
Woodridge New Jersey, Cape Fear River near Wilmington, North Carolina,
Turtle Creek near Brunswick, Georgia, Mobile Bay in Alabama, Houston Ship
Channel and Lavaca Bay in Texas, Bellingham Bay in Washington, and Howe
Sound in British Columbia. Little or no easily accessible information was
available for most of these sites.
A "mercury-processing" plant operated adjacent to Berry Creek between 1930
and 1974, apparently releasing as much as 300 Mg of mercury into soils (on-site
concentration> 10 000 pg g-I, off-site> 1000 pg g-I) surrounding the site and