Mercury (Hg) concentrations and speciation were measured in nine tributaries to Lake Ontario as part of two independent field-sampling programs. Among the study tributaries, mean total Hg (THg) concentrations ranged from 0.9 to 2.6 ng/L; mean dissolved Hg (THg_D) ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 ng/L; mean particulate Hg (THg_P) ranged from 0.3 to 2.0 ng/L; and mean methylmercury (MeHg) ranged from 0.06 to 0.14 ng/L. Watershed land cover, total suspended solids (TSS), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were evaluated as potential controls of tributary Hg. Significant relationships between THg_D and DOC were limited, whereas significant relationships between THg_P and TSS were common across watersheds. Total suspended solids was strongly correlated with the percentage of agricultural land in watersheds. Particle enrichment of Hg (mass Hg/mass TSS) was highly variable, but distinctly higher in US tributaries likely due to higher TSS in Canadian tributaries associated with higher urban and agricultural land cover. MeHg was largely associated with the aqueous phase, and MeHg as a fraction of THg was positively correlated to percent open water coverage in the watershed. Wetland cover was positively correlated to THg and MeHg concentrations, while urban land cover was only related to higher THg_P.

作为两个独立的野外采样计划的一部分，在安大略湖的九个支流中测量了汞的浓度和形态。在研究支流中，平均总Hg（THg）浓度范围为0.9至2.6 ng / L。平均溶解汞（THg _D）为0.5至1.5 ng / L；平均颗粒汞（THg _P）为0.3至2.0 ng / L；平均甲基汞（MeHg）为0.06至0.14 ng / L。评价了流域土地覆盖，总悬浮固体（TSS）和溶解有机碳（DOC）作为支流汞的潜在控制方法。THg _D和DOC之间的显着关系是有限的，而THg _P之间的显着关系是有限的TSS和TSS在流域之间很常见。总悬浮固体与流域中农业用地的百分比密切相关。汞的颗粒富集（质量Hg /质量TSS）变化很大，但美国支流中的汞富集度明显更高，这可能是由于加拿大支流中TSS的增加与城市和农业土地覆盖率的提高有关。MeHg在很大程度上与水相相关，而MeHg作为THg的一部分与分水岭的开放水覆盖百分比呈正相关。湿地覆盖与THg和MeHg浓度呈正相关，而城市土地覆盖仅与较高的THg _P相关。