Dinâmica espaço-temporal do mercúrio na água e no plâncton de um lago de várzea da bacia do rio Solimões, Amazonas, Brasil

Abstract

Floodplain lakes in the Amazon region are influenced by the seasonal dynamics of their associated major rivers. The increase in the water levels of rivers and lakes during seasonal floods results in thermal stratification and hypolimnetic anoxia which have a strong influence on natural mercury dynamics. The organic forms of mercury tend to accumulate under anoxic conditions and are preferentially transferred along the aquatic food chain. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the seasonal flood pulse on the dynamics of total Mercury (THg) and methyl Mercury (MeHg) in the water and MeHg in the plankton of a central Amazon floodplain lake. Water and plankton samples were collected in the lake, the river and the connecting channel during four hydrological periods: November 2013 (low water), February 2014 (rising water), May 2014 (high water) and November 2014 (low water). Relevant limnological parameters were measured at the same sampling points and times. MeHg in unfiltered water samples and plankton was determined by CVAFS, following EPA protocol 1630. THg in unfiltered water samples was determined by CVAFS, following EPA protocol 1631. MeHg concentrations in water varied between 0,07 and 0,17 ng L-1 and were higher in the anoxic hypolimnion than in surface waters. At high water, hypolimnetic MeHg levels increased with distance from the river. At low water, the lake was more isolated from the river and shallower (mean depth of 3m). MeHg was homogeneous with depth, indicating frequente vertical mixing. MeHg levels were higher in zooplankton than in phytoplankton and were negatively correlated with biomass (r= -0,541; p=0,009). Average surface concentrations of THg during rising water, high water and low water were 5,2±1,5 ng L-1; 4,3±0,2 ng L-1 and 2,2±1.6 ng L-1, respectively. THg was strongly associated with suspended sediments (SS) attaining its highest concentrations in environments with high levels of SS and during high water when large volumes of sediment were carried from the river to the lake. MeHg concentrations were influenced by seasonal variations in dissolved oxygen, conductivity and dissolved organic carbon. The MeHg levels in plankton varied seasonally in response to changes in dissolved MeHg and bio-dilution.