HR: 0800h
AN: B51B-0376    [Abstracts]
TI: Laboratory Protocol for Measuring the Bioaccumulation of Mercury by Earthworms
AU: * Steffy, D
EM: dsteffy@jsu.edu
AF: Jacksonville State University Dept. of Physical & Earth Sciences, 700 Pelham Rd. N, Jacksonville, AL 36265,
AU: Nichols, A
EM: anichols@jsu.edu
AU: McLaughlin, A
EM: amclaughli@jsu.edu
AB: Protocol was developed for a series of laboratory tests to determine if Canadian earthworms ( Lumbricus terrestris) can hyperaccumulate mercury from the soil in which they live. Two batches of 300 hundred worms each were measured for mercury uptake by establishing 3 populations (one control and two of known contamination). Populations were sampled every two weeks. Worm lengths were measured as an indicator of worm age and health. Worm tissue was processed by a modified EPA Method 7470 consisting of freeze drying, vacuum extraction, oxidation and acid extraction of the mercury. Each sample needed 2.000 g dry weight of worm tissue required 5 to 6 worms to be homogenized. Mercury concentration in the extraction fluid was measured by a CETAC M-6100 cold vapor mercury analyzer with an ASX-400 Autosampler having a method detection limit of 0.05 ppb. QA/QC activities such as calibration of instrumentation, spike samples, blank samples, reagent control samples, triplicate samples, and standard samples ensure acurate and precise measurements of mercury levels in tissue samples.
DE: 0400 BIOGEOSCIENCES
DE: 0460 Marine systems (4800)
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting