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CONTAMINATED SITE
IDENTIFICATION, HOTSPOT
MAPPING, AND MERCURY
MONITORING ACTIVITIES: GLOBAL LINKAGES FOR BELIZE
David Evers
Biodiversity Research Institute
Portland, Maine, USA
January 23, 2019
• Mercury exposure in Belize can be determined through:
✓ Biological Hg Hotspot Mapping
✓ Seafood Hg Exposure
✓ Human exposure through dietary MeHg uptake
✓ Human exposure through cosmetic Hg (presented by
Molly Taylor)
✓ Wildlife Hg Exposure
✓ Air Hg deposition
What are some potential mercury monitoring
pilot projects in Belize?
Where are the biological mercury hotspots of concern?
• 7 predictor variables used to analyze mercury sensitivity by watershed
• Many variables are related to wetland and aquatic habitats
• Contaminated sites are included, but their presence may not necessarily mean there is a biological Hg hotspot
KEY VARIABLES USED FOR DEVELOPING A MODEL: EXAMPLE FOR BELIZE
• Watershed sensitivity to Hg input and
subsequent methylation is key
• Highest ranking of Hg sensitivity are
the places of greatest concern
Next Steps for understanding
contaminated sites: Belize
What is Needed:
Location of informal
dumping sites
Location of wastewater
releases
Therefore, programs to monitor the Treaty’s effectiveness require sampling of Hg in the tissues of organisms, namely fish, birds and mammals (including people).
MONITORING HG IN BIOTA IS A NECESSITY
FISH
SAMPLING
FISH SAMPLING: DESIGN
TO BE DETERMINED IN
BELIZE
40 to 80 samples
Market sampling of fish commonly
consumed and/or of concern
Used small sample of muscle
tissue (fillet)
Samples are submitted to BRI lab
HAIR
SAMPLING
HAIR SAMPLING: DESIGN
TO BE DETERMINED FOR
BELIZE
40 samples
Samples provide a way to raise awareness that could lead to studies that can be coordinated with WHO
Health Ministry approved and Ethics Committee protocols need to be met
Multiple communities/fish markets chosen
Samples sent to BRI lab
REGIONAL EXPOSURE OF HG IN HUMANS: GRENADA EXAMPLE
17.8%
22.2%
39.4%
41.3%
41.8%
50.7%
53.6%
78.9%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Latin America (n=247)
Europe (n=352)
Caribbean (n=371)
Africa (n=288)
Grenada (n=55)
Asia (n=548)
North America (n=97)
Oceania (n=308)
Above 1ppm
Below 1ppm
>1 ppm - 42%
>2 ppm - 24%
>3 ppm - 9%
>4 ppm - 5%
AIR HG
SAMPLING
AIR SAMPLING: USING THE LATIN
AMERICAN PASSIVE AIR SAMPLING
NETWORK (LAPAN) EXAMPLE
Distribute 4 samplers at once in one location:
1. One for Hg
2. One as a duplicate
3. One for Hg isotopes
4. One blank to be "deployed" unopened/not
collecting at the location and removed at the end
Place close to meteorological measurements (e.g.,
temperature and wind, precip)
Place in two types of areas
1. Urban/landfill measurements;
2. Remote measurements (i.e., relatively far from
obvious sources)
❖ Analyses conducted by Sandy Steffan at Environment Canada and/or Colin Thackray at Harvard University
❖ Samplers and study by Frank Wania, University of Toronto
WILDLIFE HG
SAMPLING
http://runawaycreekbz.com/
MONITOR MERCURY IN BIRDS – FIRST STEPS IN BELIZE
Based on hotspot maps, measure key
bioindicator species
• Select species that are at the greatest risk
to Hg
• Consider foraging habitat and trophic level
Use Feather & Blood samples
Work in established locations such as at the
Tropical Education Center/Runaway Creek
Preserve and BFREEBrown Pelican
CARIBBEAN
REGION
MERCURY
MONITORING
NETWORK
Basel Convention Regional Centre – Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
CARIBBEAN HG
MONITORING TO DATE (OR
PLANS)
Hg Monitoring in:
• Air deposition (now being initiated)
• Seafood (need to now build on the present db)
• Birds (new and needs to be developed)
• Human – dietary (need to now build on the present data for a more directed study)
• Cosmetic - skin-lightening creams (need to participate in the pending GEF project)
MINAMATA CONVENTION ON MERCURY –
KEY ARTICLES FOR THE FUTURE
Article 22: Effectiveness
Evaluation
“To facilitate the evaluation, the Conference of Parties shall, at its first
meeting, initiate the establishment
of arrangements for providing itself
with comparable monitoring data
on the presence and movement of
mercury and mercury compounds
in the environment as well as trends
in levels of mercury and mercury
compounds observed in biotic media and vulnerable populations”
Article 19: Research,
Development and Monitoring
“Modeling and geographically representative monitoring of levels
of mercury and mercury
compounds in vulnerable
populations and in environmental
media such as fish, marine mammals, sea turtles and birds, as
well as collaboration in the
collection and exchange of
relevant and appropriate samples”
EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE
CONVENTION HAS TWO MAJOR COMPONENTS
Metrics for Direct Release
and Use of Mercury
Emphasize Hg sources of emissions
and releases for Convention Articles that are obligated (e.g., Articles 3,
4, 5, 7 and 8);
Identify short, medium and long
term metrics;
MIAs will identify Hg source priorities
Metrics for Measuring
Environmental Response Measure Hg in air
Measure MeHg availability in biota
Conduct measurements in areas
that are:
Near point sources
Sensitive to methylation
Important food sources for people
HOW CAN CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES
PARTICIPATE IN NEXT STEPS OF THE
MINAMATA CONVENTION?
1. Serve as a regional leader for evaluating the
effectiveness of the Treaty
2. Engage with GEF7-funded projects for reducing the
use and waste of Hg added products
3. Conduct biomonitoring through GEF7 to evaluate
effectiveness and identify areas of concern
UNEP MERCURY AIR TRANSPORT
AND FATE RESEARCH AREA (F&T)
PARTNERSHIP GROUP CAN HELP
Overall goal is to create a global monitoring program to
evaluate the effectiveness of the Treaty
Co-leads:
Nicola Pirrone (Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research of the National Research Council of Italy)
– Global monitoring of Hg in air
David Evers (Biodiversity Research Institute, United States)
– Global monitoring of Hg in biota
TO PROPERLY EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE CONVENTION,
A STANDARDIZED AND COST-EFFICIENT GLOBAL MERCURY
MONITORING EFFORT IS NEEDED (ARTICLE 22)
Four Goals:
1. Develop an overarching biotic Hg database: (Article 14)
2. Enhance sharing and exchange of information: (Article 17 & 18)
3. Identify spatial and temporal patterns: (Article 19)
4. Monitor environmental Hg levels in key biota over time: (Article 19)
DEVELOP AN OVERARCHING BIOTIC HG DATABASE
BRI’S GBMS DATABASE INCLUDES HG CONCENTRATIONS ON SHELLFISH, TELEOST FISH, SHARKS, AND MARINE MAMMALS.
- >275,000 INDIVIDUAL ORGANISMS
- 1,095 REFERENCES
- 119 COUNTRIES
- >2,700 UNIQUE LOCATIONS.
2. ENHANCE SHARING AND
EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION
UNEP – STAP is helping to expand the GBMS database and is initiating the use of a universally
available data access portal – the existing UN Environment Live platform. This will enhance
information exchange among scientists, decision-makers, and consumers.
Collaboration among:
• UNEP-STAP-GEF
• SETAC
• BRI
COMMUNICATION PIECES GENERATED FOR THE
MINAMATA CONVENTION EE PROCESS
• Information assists with providing informal guidance
that could be used formally by the COP through the
F&T Partnership
• Available at www.briloon.org/Hgpubs http://www.briloon.org/hgcenter/minamata
3. DEVELOP PATTERNS: MATRIX OF TRADE-OFFS FOR MERCURY
AND OMEGA-3 IN VARIOUS SHELLFISH AND FISH
Consumers should be aware of ‘healthier’ versus ‘riskier’ choices when selecting seafood
4. MONITOR ENVIRONMENTAL HG LEVELS IN KEY BIOTA OVER TIME
(Capture data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); mercury data from GBMS)
CARIBBEAN REGION MERCURY MONITORING NETWORK:
INITIATED EFFORTS
Human Health
1. Measure Hg in fish
2. Measure Hg in skin-
lightening creams
3. Measure Hg in people
– using hair
Ecological Health
1. Measure Hg in fish
2. Measure Hg in air
3. Measure Hg in birds
LEVEL OF STANDARDIZED GLOBAL BIOMONITORING WILL
BE BASED ON DECISIONS BY THE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES
1. To help, the Effectiveness
Evaluation (EE) ad hoc group is
meeting again to generate
guidance
2. The F&T GMP will develop
proposals with UN Environment for
GEF7 funding once monitoring
guidelines are set by the COP
3. The UN Environment Global
Mercury Assessment – 2018 will help
establish best approaches
4. Will include 3 monitoring
compartments: air, biota and
humans.
Contact Jewel Batchasingh
at:
Basal Convention Research
Center – Caribbean
Contact David Evers at:
Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, Maine, USA