Amazon forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining
Creators
- 1. Duke University
- 2. University of Toronto
- 3. Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica*
- 4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Description
Mercury emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining throughout the Global South exceed coal combustion as the largest global source of mercury. We examined mercury deposition and storage in an area of the Peruvian Amazon heavily impacted by artisanal gold mining. Intact forests in the Peruvian Amazon near gold mining receive extremely high inputs of mercury and experience elevated total mercury and methylmercury in the atmosphere, canopy foliage, and soils. Here we show for the first time that an intact forest canopy near artisanal gold mining intercepts large amounts of particulate and gaseous mercury, at a rate proportional with total leaf area. We document substantial mercury accumulation in soils, biomass, and resident songbirds in some of the Amazon's most protected and biodiverse areas, raising important questions about how mercury pollution may constrain modern and future conservation efforts in these tropical ecosystems.
Notes
Note that values of <DL imply that the value is below detection limit.
Table 1: Dataset identities
|
Data file name |
Description |
Size (not including headers) |
|
Aquatic.data.csv |
Contains data for all surface water and sediment samples collected |
136 kb 4 columns 4079 rows |
|
Aquatic.data.coordinates.csv |
Contains information on site type, latitude, and longitude for all surface water and sediment samples collected |
2 kb 4 columns 54 rows |
|
Deposition.csv |
Contains data for all deposition samples collected |
51 kb 6 columns 979 rows |
|
Litter.and.foliage.csv |
Contains data for all leaf samples collected |
4 kb 5 columns 88 rows |
|
Soil.csv |
Contains data for all soil samples collected |
22 kb 8 columns 365 rows |
|
GEM. csv |
Contains data for all atmospheric samples collected |
0.5 kb 4 columns 15 rows |
|
Terrestrial.coordinates. csv |
Contains information on site type, latitude, and longitude for all terrestrial (deposition, leaf, soil, and atmospheric) samples collected |
0.6 kb 4 columns 13 rows |
Table 2: Aquatic.data.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site.ID |
Identification used across aquatic data |
|
|
Collection.date |
Date sample was collected |
|
|
Value |
Measured value of given parameter |
|
|
Parameter |
Parameter analyzed in surface water or sediment |
|
|
|
Value |
|
|
|
Aluminum |
|
|
|
Antimony |
|
|
|
Arsenic |
|
|
|
Barium |
|
|
|
Beryllium |
|
|
|
Boron |
|
|
|
Bromide |
|
|
|
Cadmium |
|
|
|
Calcium |
|
|
|
Chloride |
|
|
|
Chlorophyll |
|
|
|
Chromium |
|
|
|
Cobalt |
|
|
|
Conductivity |
|
|
|
Copper |
|
|
|
Dissolved.organic.carbon |
|
|
|
Gold |
|
|
|
Iron |
|
|
|
Lead |
|
|
|
Lithium |
|
|
|
Magnesium |
|
|
|
Manganese |
|
|
|
Methylmercury |
|
|
|
Molybdenum |
|
|
|
Nickel |
|
|
|
Nitrate |
|
|
|
pH |
|
|
|
Phosphate |
|
|
|
Potassium |
|
|
|
Rubidium |
|
|
|
Sediment.carbon |
|
|
|
Sediment.manganese |
|
|
|
Sediment.nitrogen |
|
|
|
Sediment.pH |
|
|
|
Sediment.selenium |
|
|
|
Sediment.sulfur |
|
|
|
Sediment.total.mercury |
|
|
|
Selenium |
|
|
|
Silver |
|
|
|
Sodium |
|
|
|
Strontium |
|
|
|
Sulfate |
|
|
|
SUVA |
|
|
|
Temperature |
|
|
|
Thallium |
|
|
|
Thorium |
|
|
|
Total.dissolved.nitrogen |
|
|
|
Total.mercury |
|
|
|
Total.suspended.solids |
|
|
|
Uranium |
|
|
|
Vanadium |
|
|
|
Zinc |
|
|
Unit |
Units parameter were measured in |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
ug.L |
Micrograms per liter |
|
|
mg.L |
Millgrams per liter |
|
|
mgN.L |
Milligrams nitrogen per liter |
|
|
mgS.L |
Milligrams sulfur per liter |
|
|
uS.cm |
Microsiemens per centimeter |
|
|
NA |
Unitless |
|
|
percent |
Percent |
|
|
ug.g |
Micrograms per gram |
|
|
L.mg.m |
Liters per milligram per meter |
|
|
Degrees.C |
Degrees Celsius |
|
|
ng.L |
Nanograms per liter |
Table 3: Aquatic.data.coordinates.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site.ID |
Identification used across aquatic data |
|
|
Site.type |
Classification of water body |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
river.downstream |
Sample taken from a river downstream of artisanal and small-scale gold mining activity |
|
|
river.upstream |
Sample taken from a river upstream of artisanal and small-scale gold mining activity |
|
|
mining.pond |
Sample taken from a mining pond near artisanal and small-scale gold mining |
|
|
oxbow.lake.downstream |
Sample taken from an oxbow lake downstream of artisanal and small-scale gold mining activity |
|
|
oxbow.lake.upstream |
Sample taken from an oxbow lake upstream of artisanal and small-scale gold mining activity |
|
Latitude |
Latitude in decimal degrees |
|
|
Longitude |
Longitude in decimal degrees |
Table 4: Deposition.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site |
Location where sampling occurred |
|
|
Type |
Type of sample collected |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
Bulk.precipitation |
Precipitation collected in a clearing |
|
|
Throughfall |
Precipitation collected under forest canopy |
|
Date.collected |
Date sample was collected |
|
|
Concentration |
Measured concentration of given parameter |
|
|
Parameter |
Parameter analyzed |
|
|
|
Value |
|
|
|
Aluminum |
|
|
|
Antimony |
|
|
|
Arsenic |
|
|
|
Barium |
|
|
|
Beryllium |
|
|
|
Boron |
|
|
|
Bromide |
|
|
|
Cadmium |
|
|
|
Calcium |
|
|
|
Chloride |
|
|
|
Chromium |
|
|
|
Cobalt |
|
|
|
Copper |
|
|
|
Iron |
|
|
|
Lead |
|
|
|
Lithium |
|
|
|
Magnesium |
|
|
|
Manganese |
|
|
|
Methylmercury |
|
|
|
Molybdenum |
|
|
|
Nickel |
|
|
|
Nitrate |
|
|
|
Potassium |
|
|
|
Rubidium |
|
|
|
Selenium |
|
|
|
Silver |
|
|
|
Sodium |
|
|
|
Strontium |
|
|
|
Sulfate |
|
|
|
Thallium |
|
|
|
Thorium |
|
|
|
Total.mercury |
|
|
|
Uranium |
|
|
|
Vanadium |
|
|
|
Zinc |
|
|
Units |
Units parameter was measured in |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
ug.L |
Micrograms per liter |
|
|
mg.L |
Millgrams per liter |
|
|
mgN.L |
Milligrams nitrogen per liter |
|
|
mgS.L |
Milligrams sulfur per liter |
|
|
ng.L |
Nanograms per liter |
Table 5: Litter.and.foliage.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site |
Location where sampling occurred |
|
|
Year |
Year that the sample was collected in |
|
|
Season |
Season that the sample was collected in |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
wet.season |
Sample collected during the wet season (December and January) |
|
|
dry.season |
Sample collected during the dry season (July and August) |
|
Type |
Type of sample collected |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
bulk.litter |
Sample collected by gathering litter from the forest floor in the plot |
|
|
Ficus.insipida |
Leaves collected from the canopy of ficus insipida using a slingshot |
|
|
Inga.feuillei |
Leaves collected from the canopy of inga feuillei using a slingshot |
|
|
litter.basket |
Sample collected from litter baskets suspended above the forest floor in the plot |
|
|
leafgrab |
Sample collected by gathering leaves within arms' reach from trees within the plot |
|
Total.mercury.ug.g |
Concentration of total mercury in the sample in mg/g |
Table 6: Soil.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site |
Location where sampling occurred |
|
|
Type |
Type of sample collected |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
forested |
Site was located under a tree canopy |
|
|
deforested |
Site was located in a clearing |
|
Depth.cm |
Depth range that the soil sample was taken from in cm, with the soil surface representing 0 cm |
|
|
Season |
Season that the sample was collected in |
|
|
|
wet.season |
Sample collected during the wet season (December and January) |
|
|
dry.season |
Sample collected during the dry season (July and August) |
|
Year |
Year that the sample was collected in |
|
|
Concentration |
Measured concentration of given parameter |
|
|
Parameter |
Parameter analyzed |
|
|
|
Value |
|
|
|
Carbon |
|
|
|
Manganese |
|
|
|
Methylmercury |
|
|
|
Nitrogen |
|
|
|
pH |
|
|
|
Selenium |
|
|
|
Sulfur |
|
|
|
Total.mercury |
|
|
Units |
Units analyte was measured in |
|
|
|
Value |
Definition |
|
|
percent |
Percent |
|
|
ug.g |
Micrograms per gram |
|
|
ng.g |
Nanograms per gram |
|
|
NA |
Unitless |
Table 7: GEM.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site |
Location where sampling occurred |
|
|
GEM.ng.m3 |
Gaseous elemental mercury concentration in the sample in ng/m3 |
|
|
Season |
Season that the sample was collected in |
|
|
|
wet.season |
Sample collected during the wet season (December and January) |
|
|
dry.season |
Sample collected during the dry season (July and August) |
|
Year |
Year that the sample was collected in |
Table 8: Terrestrial.coordinates.csv
|
Attribute |
Definition |
|
|
Site.Number |
Location where sampling occurred |
|
|
Type |
Classification of site type |
|
|
|
forested |
Site was located under a tree canopy |
|
|
deforested |
Site was located in a clearing |
|
Latitude |
Latitude in decimal degrees |
|
|
Longitude |
Longitude in decimal degrees |
Funding provided by: Duke University
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100006510
Award Number:
Funding provided by: Duke University Bass Connections*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:
Funding provided by: Geological Society of America
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005720
Award Number:
Funding provided by: Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:
Funding provided by: Lewis and Clark Fund*
Crossref Funder Registry ID:
Award Number:
Funding provided by: National Science Foundation
Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001
Award Number:
Files
Aquatic.data.coordinates.csv
Files
(219.8 kB)
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:08f51436d6de3be441e5e039405f3ede
|
2.3 kB | Preview Download |
|
md5:7a9d1f4aa74587bbbde7b1ca649e5de6
|
138.2 kB | Preview Download |
|
md5:da8848ea6a6685dfaa250bbda93bdb39
|
51.4 kB | Preview Download |
|
md5:f71357a46b86da7630726c07a6379bd8
|
498 Bytes | Preview Download |
|
md5:bd421c2be3fe524c28ad562f9404268a
|
4.1 kB | Preview Download |
|
md5:31434ffc99cd7efa48df7cc0514b2b00
|
22.7 kB | Preview Download |
|
md5:5dbb4b58a2bf9658ca75c7d8aa35f2c0
|
603 Bytes | Preview Download |
Additional details
Related works
- Is cited by
- 10.1038/s41467-022-27997-3 (DOI)