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| Title | Quality Assurance Project Plan: Mercury in Sediments from Lake Whatcom and Surrounding Lakes: Determination of Spatial and Temporal Patterns and Characterization of Tributary Inputs | |||
| Month-Year Published | September 2002 | |||
| Online Availability |
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| Short Description |
To determine current and historical mercury levels, as well as potential sources of mercury, to Lake Whatcom, the Washington State Department of Ecology will conduct a joint study with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Whatcom County Health Department. During the late summer of 2002, Ecology will collect approximately 30 surface sediments and three deep cores from Lake Whatcom to evaluate the spatial distribution and historical trends in mercury levels. (Also see abstract below) | |||
| Publication Number | 02-03-079 | |||
| Author(s) | Norton, D. | |||
| Print Availability | ||||
| Number of pages | 32 pp. | |||
| Keywords | characterization, county, health, lake, mercury, plan, quality, quality assurance, quality assurance project plan, sediment, study, survey, Total Maximum Daily Load, trend, water, Whatcom | |||
| Subject Waterbodies |
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| Related Publications | Title | Relationship | ||
| Mercury in Lake Whatcom Sediments: Spatial Distribution, Depositional History, and Tributary Inputs | similar topic | |||
| Abstract | Long Description |
To determine current and historical mercury levels, as well as potential sources of mercury, to Lake Whatcom, the Washington State Department of Ecology will conduct a joint study with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Whatcom County Health Department (WCHD). During the late summer of 2002, Ecology will collect approximately 30 surface sediments and three deep cores from Lake Whatcom to evaluate the spatial distribution and historical trends in mercury levels. All sediment samples will be analyzed for total mercury. In addition, methyl-mercury levels will be determined in approximately 15 of the surface sediment samples. USGS, in cooperation with WCHD, will collect and evaluate all existing information on potential mercury sources to the lake. Supplemental funding will be provided by WCHD and USGS to Ecology for collection and analysis of five additional sediment cores from other nearby lakes in Whatcom County to determine if mercury accumulation rates differ from Lake Whatcom. Finally, to estimate mercury loadings from tributaries, surface water samples will be collected every other month from ten tributaries to the lake and analyzed for total mercury. The information being collected will provide a better understanding of current and historical mercury inputs to Lake Whatcom. In addition, it should be possible to determine the need or feasibility of developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for mercury in Lake Whatcom. |
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