Mercury concentrations in marine sediments near a former mercury cell chlor-alkali plant in eastern Canada

Concentrations of total mercury (THg) were measured in coastal marine sediments near a former chlor-alkali plant in Chaleur Bay, New Brunswick. The chlor-alkali plant has been a local point source of THg since operation began in 1963. Historical THg contamination of marine sediments and biota has been widely reported. No baseline assessment has been conducted following plant closure in 2008. Surface (0-2cm) oxidized marine sediments were sampled along a single 5.2km transect radiating from the former plant and analysed for THg. THg concentrations ranged from 0.04-0.28μgg(-1). Some localised THg concentrations exceeded Canadian marine sediment quality guidelines (n=4), but all samples (n=14) were significantly lower than previous studies conducted during plant operation. Plant closure (source control) and natural sediment recovery likely responsible for attenuating THg concentrations, but burial in deeper anoxic sediments may increase bioavilability of Hg that could pose ecological risks to marine biota.