Mercury in the Water of Small Rivers of the Onega Bay Basin of the White Sea

Abstract

The results of expeditionary studies of the behavior of mercury in the water of small rivers in the basin of Onega Bay of the White Sea are presented. The priority forms of mercury migration are determined, and the forms of its occurrence along the main stem of the Kyanda River are estimated. The interrelations between the contents of various forms of mercury on the one hand and the salinity, pH, and Eh of waters on the other hand are analyzed. The influence of the hydrological phases on the transformation of inorganic forms of mercury is revealed. The differences in the levels of contents of dissolved mercury and its relation to salinity in the estuarine areas of marginal filters of the subarctic rivers under natural and anthropogenic conditions are established.