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Spatial and temporal trends of mercury in freshwater fish in Fennoscandia (1965-2015)

Report
Year of publication
2017
External websites
Cristin
Arkiv
Contributors
Hans Fredrik Veiteberg Braaten, Staffan Åkerblom, Heleen de Wit, Gunnar Skotte, Martti Rask, Jussi Vuorenmaa, Kimmo K. Kahilainen, Tommi Malinen, Sigurd Rognerud, Espen Lydersen, Per-Arne Amundsen, Nicholas Kashulin, Tatiana Kashulina, Petr Terentyev, Guttorm Christensen, Leah Amber Jackson-Blake, Espen Lund, Bjørn Olav Rosseland

Summary

Mercury (Hg) emissions to the atmosphere cause elevated Hg levels in fish, even in many remote regions of the world. Here we present an extensive database of more than 50 000 measurements of Hg in fish, including 2 775 individual water bodies in Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russian part of Kola Peninsula) sampled between 1965 and 2015. The data have been analysed for spatial patterns and temporal trends, on raw and weight-adjusted data. The database presents a useful reference for assessment of impacts of environmental policy on Hg in freshwater fish (i.e. Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution and The Minamata Convention on Mercury).