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Sediments at Loon Lake near Spokane have received low mercury inputs over the past 50 years, and recent flux rates indicate a decline.
Mercury flux rates peaked in the mid-1990s at 22 micrograms per meter square per year (ug/m2/yr) and are currently at 15 ug/m2/yr. Concentrations have remained nearly constant since the 1950s, ranging from 82 – 93 ppb. The flux-rate decline experienced at Loon Lake is attributed to reduced sedimentation. Loon Lake is currently receiving low mercury fluxes and has a similar flux rate to other remote locations in North America.
See also:
History of Mercury in Selected Washington Lakes Determined from Age-Dated Sediment Cores
Quality Assurance Project Plan: Depositional History of Mercury in Selected Washington Lakes Determined from Sediment Cores
Mercury in Lake Whatcom Sediments: Spatial Distribution, Depositional History, and Tributary Inputs
Mercury in Edible Fish Tissue and Sediments from Selected Lakes and Rivers of Washington State, 2003
Washington State Toxics Monitoring Program: Contaminants in Fish Tissue from Freshwater Environments in 2006
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