A 1955-2004 record of Hg contamination in Dianshan Lake sediments, Shanghai

Measuring Hg levels of water sediments is one of the primary routes to assess the trend of the contamination. Little work has been carried out in the Yangtze Delta to track the trend of mercury contamination caused by Shanghai, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today. The mercury concentration in the sedimentary cores from Dianshan Lake, Shanghai is studied here. Results show that mercury transported to Dianshan Lake from emissions of coal combustion and non-coal sources in the Yangtze Delta was greater after 1979. We found also that before 1979 mercury levels changed less with time than after 1979. Before 1967 Hg levels were more variable than in the 1970s. Moreover, the mercury dissolved in river water and bound to particles of water that flow past downtown Shanghai is different from that observed in Dianshan Lake, which is located in upper Shanghai. This indicates that atmospheric Hg deposition is probably the main source of mercury in Dianshan Lake. These results are important for the establishment of environmental protections and pollution treatment proposals for mercury in similar areas of the world, as well as in Shanghai.