Are mercury levels elevated across US conservation lands?
Wiley
A study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management found varying risks to species due to mercury pollution across the United States’ National Wildlife Refuge System, the world’s largest network of lands and waters conserved specifically for fish, wildlife, and their habitats.
For the study, investigators analyzed mercury concentrations in 1,356 dragonfly larvae collected from 30 refuges located throughout the United States between 2021 and 2023. Dragonfly mercury concentrations at different refuges spanned the entire range observed in other protected lands (<3 to >2,200 ng/g dry weight). Also, 80% of the refuges sampled had sites classified as moderate or higher risk.
The study pinpoints waterbodies where mercury may threaten fish, wildlife, and human health, provides baseline measurements for tracking change, and informs future research on how management actions can reduce mercury bioaccumulation.
“Our results provide one of the first refuge-wide assessments of mercury exposure using dragonfly larvae as indicators,” said corresponding author Jennifer Wilkening, PhD, of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. “These data contribute to broader efforts to assess mercury risk across public lands and underscore the importance of understanding the environmental factors driving exposure, helping managers more effectively reduce risks to wildlife and people.”
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jwmg.70189
Additional Information
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About the Journal
The Journal of Wildlife Management publishes original research contributing to fundamental wildlife science. Topics encompass biology and ecology of wildlife and their habitats with implications for conservation or management.
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Journal
The Journal of Wildlife Management
Article Title
Monitoring mercury across the National Wildlife Refuge System using a biosentinel approach
Article Publication Date
25-Mar-2026
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