Mercury Speciation and Distribution in Coastal Wetlands and Tidal Mudflats: Relationships with Sulphur Speciation and Organic Carbon

Sediment cores were analysed from four coastal wetland sites within the Minas Basin, Bay of Fundy to compare mercury speciation and sediment characteristics. The coastal wetland sediments were low in total mercury (mean = 17.4 ± 9.9 ng g −1 ); however, MeHg concentration was 92 times higher (mean of 249 pg g −1 ) than intertidal mudflat sediment (mean of 2.7 pg g −1 ). Total mercury concentrations in intertidal mudflat cores were also low (0.5–23.7 ng g −1 ) and correlated (Pearson correlation = 0.98; p