GIS Layer of Standardized Fish Mercury Concentrations Across Canada Now Available

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry North America Conference 2014 (Vancouver, Canada) Poster presentation. Poster Abstract: GIS Layer of Standardized Fish Mercury Concentrations Across Canada Now Available A national GIS layer of standardized fish mercury (Hg) data would be useful to the scientific community for many types of spatial analyses and modeling. To produce this national GIS layer for Canada, we first assembled all available fish Hg data across the country and did quality-assurance checks, which resulted in 387,872 fish Hg records. We removed all records from sites with known point-source Hg inputs or from hydroelectric reservoirs. The resulting dataset contained 231,063 records from 3547 locations across Canada from 1967-2010. We used this data and the USGS National Descriptive Model for Mercury in Fish (NDMMF) to estimate Hg concentrations in a standard-length (12-cm) whole yellow perch for each sampling location. The resulting geocoded dataset of standardized fish Hg concentrations is called the Fish Mercury Datalayer for Canada, or FIMDAC, and is now available to the scientific community. FIMDAC can be used for Hg eco-risk assessment, modeling of Hg dynamics and bioaccumulation in aquatic ecosystems, spatial analysis of Hg biogeochemistry, and as baseline for modeling future Hg management scenarios and their environmental consequences. FIMDAC is not appropriate for human health risk assessment, temporal trend analysis or for setting human consumption guidelines. Relevant links: Data request form: http://www.smu.ca/research/fish-mercury-datalayer.html Metadata: http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.1210773