Bioaccumulation of contaminants in amphibians in historical gold mining areas of Nova Scotia

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dc.contributor.advisor Campbell, Linda M., 1970-
dc.contributor.advisor McAlpine, Donald F.
dc.coverage.spatial Nova Scotia
dc.creator Gaudet, Lauren Elizabeth
dc.date.accessioned 2022-05-11T16:52:31Z
dc.date.available 2022-05-11T16:52:31Z
dc.date.issued 2022-04-25
dc.identifier.uri http://library2.smu.ca/xmlui/handle/01/30915
dc.description 1 online resource (vii, 43 pages) : colour illustrations, colour maps, charts, graphs
dc.description Includes abstract.
dc.description Includes bibliographical references (pages 40-43).
dc.description.abstract Nova Scotia has a long history of gold mining dating back to the mid-1800’s. Early mining techniques depended on the use of liquid mercury (Hg). As there were little or no environmental regulations at the time, over 3,000,000 tonnes of mine waste (tailings) were released into the environment. These tailings can contain high concentrations of toxic chemicals including Hg and arsenic (As). Such chemicals have negative effects on the environment and on wildlife. Frogs are often used as indicators of environmental conditions. Their thin, permeable skin and semi-aquatic lifestyle can lead to the bioaccumulation of toxins in frog tissues. This study compares bioaccumulation of Hg in frogs collected from six research sites and one reference site from within historical gold mining districts in Nova Scotia, Canada. Dried, ground frog-leg tissues were analyzed for Hg content using a Milestone DMA 80 direct mercury analyzer. This project tests the hypothesis that if concentrations of Hg are high at research sites identified as legacy tailing areas in Nova Scotia, then the concentrations of total mercury content (THg) in the tissues of amphibians collected at the respective sites will also be high. Adult amphibians sampled from contaminated sites had concentrations of THg ranging from 0.1324 - 2.1329 mg/kg. Tadpoles sampled from contaminated sites had concentrations of THg ranging from 0.1384 -15.9412 mg/kg. The THg concentrations in adult amphibians at a reference site ranged from 1.664 – 2.3959 mg/kg. The THg concentrations in tadpoles at the reference site ranged from 0.0494 – 3.3312 mg/kg. These ranges indicate elevated Hg levels in both adult amphibians and tadpoles. This project, as part of the legacy gold mine contaminants research led by the Dynamic Environment and Ecosystems Health Research (DEEHR) team at Saint Mary’s University will enhance the understanding of impacts of historical human activity on aquatic ecosystems. en_CA
dc.description.provenance Submitted by Greg Hilliard (greg.hilliard@smu.ca) on 2022-05-11T16:52:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Gaudet_Lauren_Honours_2022.pdf: 14143473 bytes, checksum: 2a57ddc5da07b3907a770cf3f1fb7037 (MD5) en
dc.description.provenance Made available in DSpace on 2022-05-11T16:52:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gaudet_Lauren_Honours_2022.pdf: 14143473 bytes, checksum: 2a57ddc5da07b3907a770cf3f1fb7037 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2022-04-25 en
dc.language.iso en en_CA
dc.publisher Halifax, N.S. : Saint Mary's University
dc.title Bioaccumulation of contaminants in amphibians in historical gold mining areas of Nova Scotia en_CA
dc.type Text en_CA
thesis.degree.name Bachelor of Science (Honours Biology)
thesis.degree.level Undergraduate
thesis.degree.discipline Biology
thesis.degree.grantor Saint Mary's University (Halifax, N.S.)
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