ARL News

Report to Congress on Great Lakes Mercury Contamination

May 2007

A report on Mercury Contamination in the Great Lakes was submitted to Congress on May 14, 2007, co-authored by Mark Cohen, Roland Draxler, and Richard Artz. The report was requested by the Conference Report accompanying the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (H. Rpt. 108-792). The report focuses on two areas: (1) the fate and transport of atmospheric mercury, including an analysis of the atmospheric transport and deposition of U.S. and Canadian anthropogenic mercury emissions to the Great Lakes using the NOAA HYSPLIT-Hg atmospheric mercury model; and (2) data regarding trends in Great Lakes mercury contamination, including trends in mercury air emissions and deposition, and in mercury concentrations in sediments, fish, and other biota. The report is available at:https://www.arl.noaa.gov/wp_arl/wp-content/uploads/documents/reports/cohen/NOAA_GL_Hg.pdf

Contact information:
Mark Cohen
Phone: (301) 713-0295
e-mail: mark.cohen@noaa.gov