Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2010PA125B

Predicting Total Mercury in Pennsylvania Soils in Order to Predict Pennsylvania Watersheds with the Highest Total Mercury Contents

Institute: Pennsylvania
Year Established: 2010 Start Date: 2010-03-01 End Date: 2011-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $17,373 Total Non-Federal Funds: $34,767

Principal Investigators: Pat Drohan

Abstract: Regional, mercury (Hg) emitting, coal-fired power plants, manufacturing and waste incineration, along with high amounts of annual precipitation, result in Pennsylvania receiving some of the heaviest loads of atmospheric Hg deposition in the United States. While much research has examined Hg accumulation in water bodies, there has been limited assessment of Hg accumulation in soils, especially over a great aerial extent and with depth. This proposal addresses the identified gap in knowledge by examining atmospheric deposition loads and soil Hg contents across Pennsylvania, in order to identify watersheds at greatest risk to Hg pollution.