Regional Conference on Permafrost 2021 and the 19th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering
Mercury, Methylmercury, and Microbial Communities in a Degrading Palsa of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, Far North Ontario
Publication: Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
ABSTRACT
The Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) may be one of the largest mercury (Hg) pools in the permafrost zone according to recent estimates. However, little is known about the abundance and distribution of organic methylmercury (MeHg), and it is unclear how permafrost degradation relates to the release and potential methylation of Hg. This research characterized total Hg and MeHg distributions in a degrading palsa of the HBL and investigated relations between thawing permafrost, MeHg concentrations, and microbial community structure. Near the study site, palsas lost ~1.0% of their area per year to thermokarst encroachment between 1955 and 2019. The abundance of microbes in families with taxa capable of Hg methylation was not related to MeHg concentrations, which were low (0.13–0.49 ng/g), and strongly related to THg concentrations. Hg concentrations in the top 100 cm of the peat profile were lower in this study than previously estimated for the area, with a storage of approximately 9 mg THg m-2.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) funded strategic network PermafrostNet, and the Northern Scientific Training Program. This work is a contribution to ArcticNet, a network of Centres of Excellence Canada. Special thanks to Sam Hunter of Peawanuck for assistance in the field, and thanks to all community members of Peawanuck for being supportive and allowing us to work in their traditional territory.
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Permafrost 2021: Merging Permafrost Science and Cold Regions Engineering
Pages: 49 - 59
Editor: Jon Zufelt, Ph.D., HDR Alaska
ISBN (Online): 978-0-7844-8358-9
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Published online: Oct 21, 2021
Published in print: Oct 21, 2021
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