Transformations of mercury species in the presence of Elbe river bacteria

Abiotic methylation of mercury in the aquatic environment

Methylation of inorganic mercury in the aquatic environment has been considered to be largely the result of biological processes, primarily involving sulfate-reducing bacteria. However, these processes cannot account for all of the methylmercury that is formed naturally. A growing body of evidence suggests that chemical reactions represent another possible pathway for mercury methylation in the aquatic environment. In order to assess the abiotic contribution to mercury methylation in the water column, and specifically the conditions under which this contribution may be significant, the current state of knowledge about environmentally significant methylation reactions is reviewed. Results of our laboratory-based investigations of aqueous mercury reactions with some potential methyl donors, including MeCo(dmg)(2)(H2O), a simple model for methylcobalamin, various methyltin compounds and methyl iodide, are presented. In each reaction, the yield of methylmercury and the rate of methylation depend strongly on environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and the presence of complexing agents, especially chloride.

Kinetics and Mechanism of the Mercury(II)-Assisted Hydrolysis of Methyl Iodide

The kinetics and mechanism of the reaction of aqueous Hg(II) with methyl iodide have been investigated. The overall reaction is best described as Hg(II)-assisted hydrolysis, resulting in quantitative formation of methanol and, in the presence of excess methyl iodide, ultimately, HgI2 via the intermediate HgI+. The kinetics are biexponential when methyl iodide is in excess. At 25 degrees C, the acceleration provided by Hg2+ is 7.5 times greater than that caused by HgI+, while assistance of hydrolysis was not observed for HgI2. Thus, the reactions are not catalytic in Hg(II). The kinetics are consistent with an SN2-M+ mechanism involving electrophilic attack at iodide. As expected, methylation of mercury is not a reaction pathway; traces of methylmercury(II) are artifacts of the extraction/preconcentration procedure used for methylmercury analysis.