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Karamzadeh L, Salahi E, Mobasherpour I, Rajabi A, Javaheri M. Improved rare mercury recovery from fluorescent lamp wastes through simultaneous leaching and heating. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2024; 22:305-312. [PMID: 38887761 PMCID: PMC11180064 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-024-00901-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Mercury is one of the main components of fluorescent lamps. Considering the adverse effects of mercury on human health and the environment, recovery of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps is very important in developed countries. The glass parts of used fluorescent lamps are among the dangerous wastes whose mercury content should be reduced to the lowest possible level according to international standards. The aim of this research is to achieve a systematic approach to minimize the amount of mercury present in fluorescent lamp glass residues according to the European Commission EC95/2002 regulations. In order to extract mercury from glasses, glass pieces were washed with deionized water, using stirring to increase washing efficiency. In order to achieve the maximum amount of extraction, parameters such as ratio of glass to deionized water (S/L), stirring time, temperature and pH were changed. The results showed that, the highest mercury extraction rate is about 98% and in the conditions S/L = 0.1, stirring time of 12 h, temperature of 60 °C and pH 1, which is using a combination of HCl and H3PO4 acid 5% with a ratio of 1:4 has been obtained. The success of this method not only increases environmental sustainability, but also classifies the resulting glass waste as non-hazardous. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40201-024-00901-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyla Karamzadeh
- Department of Ceramic, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Alborz, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Salahi
- Department of Ceramic, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Alborz, Iran
| | - Iman Mobasherpour
- Department of Ceramic, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Alborz, Iran
| | - Armin Rajabi
- Institute of Sustainable Energy (ISE), Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Masomeh Javaheri
- Department of Ceramic, Materials and Energy Research Center, Karaj, Alborz, Iran
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2
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Spanu D, Butti L, Recchia S, Dossi C, Monticelli D. A high-throughput, straightforward procedure for biomonitoring organomercury species in human hair. Talanta 2024; 270:125612. [PMID: 38169277 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Mercury is a pervasive and concerning pollutant due to its toxicity, mobility, and tendency to biomagnify in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Speciation analysis is crucial to assess exposure and risks associated with mercury, as different mercury species exhibit varying properties and toxicities. This study aimed at developing a selective detection method for organic mercury species in a non-invasive biomonitoring matrix like human hair. The method is based on frontal chromatography (FC) in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), using a low pressure, homemade, anion exchange column inserted in a standard ICP-MS introduction system, without requiring high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) hyphenation. In addition to the extreme simplification and cost reduction of the chromatographic equipment, the proposed protocol involves a fast, streamlined and fully integrated sample preparation process (in contrast to existing methods): the optimized procedure features a 15-min ultrasonic assisted extraction procedure and 5 min analysis time. Consequently, up to 100 samples could be analyzed daily, making the method highly productive and suitable for large-scale screening programs in public and environmental health. Moreover, the optimized procedure enables a limit of detection (LOD) of 5.5 μg/kg for a 10 mg hair microsample. All these features undeniably demonstrate a significant advancement in routine biomonitoring practices. To provide additional evidence, the method was applied to forty-nine human hair samples from individuals with varying dietary habits successfully finding a clear correlation between methylmercury levels (ranging from 0.02 to 3.2 mg/kg) in hair and fish consumption, in line with previous literature data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Spanu
- Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, 22100, Italy
| | - Laura Butti
- Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, 22100, Italy
| | - Sandro Recchia
- Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, 22100, Italy
| | - Carlo Dossi
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Science, University of Insubria, Via J.H. Dunant 3, Varese, 21100, Italy
| | - Damiano Monticelli
- Department of Science and High Technology, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, 22100, Italy.
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3
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Aliu M, Šajn R, Stafilov T. Mercury distribution and contamination in the soils of the Mitrovica region, Republic of Kosovo. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND HEALTH. PART A, TOXIC/HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 2024; 59:76-86. [PMID: 38519879 DOI: 10.1080/10934529.2024.2331944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
The study was carried out to define the distribution of mercury in surface soils in the Mitrovica region, Republic of Kosovo and to assess the level and extent of contamination. A total of 156 soil samples were collected from a depth of 5 cm at each grid point of 1.4 × 1.4 km in an area of 301.5 km2. The mercury content was found to be between 0.02 mg/kg and 11.16 mg/kg. The average Hg content (0.49 mg/kg) exceeded the mean content in European (0.037 mg/kg) and world (0.06 mg/kg) soils by 13.2 and 8.2 times, respectively. From the calculated enrichment factors (EF) and the geo-accumulation index (I-geo), as well as from the distribution map of Hg content, it is evident that the soils of the study area are highly contaminated with mercury, with extremely high enrichment of Hg in the soils of Zone I, which was classified as the most contaminated zone with Hg and other potentially toxic elements in the study area as well as in the towns of Zveçan and Mitrovica. The higher Hg content is of anthropogenic origin, mainly due to lead and zinc mining and metallurgical activities in the study area. The mercury levels were also found to exceed the New Dutch List target value (0.3 mg/kg) in 90 km2 of the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milihate Aliu
- Faculty of Engineering and Informatics, University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj, Ferizaj, Republic of Kosovo
| | - Robert Šajn
- Geological Survey of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Trajče Stafilov
- Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, North Macedonia
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4
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Jurowski K. The toxicological assessment of hazardous elements (Pb, Cd and Hg) in low-cost jewelry for adults from Chinese E-commerce platforms: In situ analysis by portable X-ray fluorescence measurement. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 460:132167. [PMID: 37619281 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
This article focusses on the environmental implications of low-cost jewelry for adults from Chinese e-commerce platforms ((n = 8) with heavy metal impurities (Pb, Cd and Hg) and their potential impact on human health and the environment. The study highlights the advantages of using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis for rapid, non-destructive, and in situ analysis of heavy metals in jewelry. The results reveal that all products (n = 106) contained heavy metals at varying levels, Hg being the most commonly detected heavy metal. The fact that 71% of the samples exceeded the EU limit for Pb and 51% exceeded the EU limit for Cd is alarming and highlights the need for stricter regulations and monitoring of the jewelry industry to mitigate the risks posed by heavy metals in the environment. The study emphasizes the importance of using pXRF analysis to identify heavy metals in jewelry and address the literature gap in environmental risk assessments of Pb, Cd, and Hg in low-cost jewelry for adults from China. In general, the findings call for urgent action to ensure the safety of consumers and prevent environmental pollution by strengthening regulations and monitoring the jewelry industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Jurowski
- Laboratory of Innovative Toxicological Research and Analyzes, Institute of Medical Studies, Medical College, Rzeszów University, Al. mjr. W. Kopisto 2a, 35-959 Rzeszów, Poland; Department of Regulatory and Forensic Toxicology, Institute of Medical Expertises, ul. Aleksandrowska 67/93, 91-205 Łódź, Poland.
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5
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Adams EM, Gulka JE, Yang Y, Burton MEH, Burns DA, Buxton V, Cleckner L, DeSorbo CR, Driscoll CT, Evers DC, Fisher N, Lane O, Mao H, Riva-Murray K, Millard G, Razavi NR, Richter W, Sauer AK, Schoch N. Distribution and trends of mercury in aquatic and terrestrial biota of New York, USA: a synthesis of 50 years of research and monitoring. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:959-976. [PMID: 37861861 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02704-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) inputs have particularly impacted the northeastern United States due to its proximity to anthropogenic emissions sources and abundant habitats that efficiently convert inorganic Hg into methylmercury. Intensive research and monitoring efforts over the past 50 years in New York State, USA, have informed the assessment of the extent and impacts of Hg exposure on fishes and wildlife. By synthesizing Hg data statewide, this study quantified temporal trends of Hg exposure, spatiotemporal patterns of risk, the role that habitat and Hg deposition play in producing spatial patterns of Hg exposure in fish and other wildlife, and the effectiveness of current monitoring approaches in describing Hg trends. Most temporal trends were stable, but we found significant declines in Hg exposure over time in some long-sampled fish. The Adirondack Mountains and Long Island showed the greatest number of aquatic and terrestrial species with elevated Hg concentrations, reflecting an unequal distribution of exposure risk to fauna across the state. Persistent hotspots were detected for aquatic species in central New York and the Adirondack Mountains. Elevated Hg concentrations were associated with open water, forests, and rural, developed habitats for aquatic species, and open water and forested habitats for terrestrial species. Areas of consistently elevated Hg were found in areas driven by atmospheric and local Hg inputs, and habitat played a significant role in translating those inputs into biotic exposure. Continued long-term monitoring will be important in evaluating how these patterns continue to change in the face of changing land cover, climate, and Hg emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Julia E Gulka
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Western Carolina University, 1 University Way, Cullowhee, NC, 28723, USA
| | - Mark E H Burton
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Douglas A Burns
- USGS New York Water Science Center, 425 Jordan Road, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Valerie Buxton
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2125 Derring Hall, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, PO Box 195, Ray Brook, NY, 12977, USA
| | - Lisa Cleckner
- Finger Lakes Institute, 601 South Maine Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 300 Pulteney St., Geneva, NY, 14456, USA
| | | | - Charles T Driscoll
- Syracuse University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Nicholas Fisher
- Stony Brook University, School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Oksana Lane
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Huiting Mao
- SUNY-ESF Chemistry Department, 1 Forestry Derive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Karen Riva-Murray
- USGS New York Water Science Center, 425 Jordan Road, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - Geoffrey Millard
- Syracuse University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 151 Link Hall, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
- U.S.A. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 26 W Martin Luther King Dr, Cincinnati, OH, 45220, USA
| | - N Roxanna Razavi
- SUNY-ESF Department of Environmental Biology, 1 Forestry Derive, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Wayne Richter
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4756, USA
| | - Amy K Sauer
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Nina Schoch
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation, PO Box 195, Ray Brook, NY, 12977, USA
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Sun R, Zhao T, Fan L, Zhang Y, Wang J, Yang Y, Jiang T, Tong Y. The transformation of soil Hg oxidation states controls elemental Hg release in the greenhouse with applying organic fertilizer. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 454:131520. [PMID: 37146329 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The foliage vegetables cultivated in greenhouse of Hg-contaminated regions suffer from severe Hg contamination issues because of soil elemental Hg (Hg(0)) release. Application of organic fertilizer (OF) is the indispensable part of farming, but its influences on soil Hg(0) release are unclear. A new method of thermal desorption coupled with cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry was developed to measure transformations of Hg oxidation states to elucidate the impact mechanism of OF on Hg(0) release process. Our results showed that the soil Hg(0) concentrations can directly determine its release fluxes. The application of OF causes that oxidizing reactions of Hg(0)/Hg(I) and Hg(I)/Hg(II) are excited; then soil Hg(0) concentrations decreases. Besides, the elevated soil organic matter by amending OF can complex with Hg(II), resulting in that the reductions of Hg(II) to Hg(I) and Hg(0) are inhibited. Additionally, the OF can directly adsorb soil Hg(0), decreasing the removability of Hg(0). Subsequently, the application of OF can significantly inhibit soil Hg(0) release, resulting in a pronounced decrease in interior atmospheric Hg(0) concentrations. Our results provide a novel perspective for enriching the fate of soil Hg that transformation of soil Hg oxidation states plays a crucial role in affecting soil Hg(0) release process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongguo Sun
- School of Chemistry and Material, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Tao Zhao
- School of Chemistry and Material, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Li Fan
- School of Chemistry and Material, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China.
| | - Yutao Zhang
- Engineering Technology Center for Control and Remediation of Soil Contamination, Anshun University, Anshun 561000, China
| | - Jun Wang
- School of Chemistry and Material, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Yang Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.
| | - Yindong Tong
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China.
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7
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Zhao B, Zhu W, Hao S, Hua M, Liao Q, Jing Y, Liu L, Gu X. Prediction heavy metals accumulation risk in rice using machine learning and mapping pollution risk. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 448:130879. [PMID: 36746084 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Rapid and accurate prediction of metal bioaccumulation in crops are important for assessing metal environmental risks. We aimed to incorporate machine learning modeling methods to predict heavy metal contents in rice crops and identify influencing factors. We conducted a field study in Jiangsu province, China, collecting 2123 pairs of soil-rice samples in a uniform measurement and using 10 machine learning algorithms to predict the uptake of Cd, Hg, As, and Pb in rice grain. The Extremely Randomized Tree model exhibited the best performance for rice-Cd and rice-Hg (Cd: R2 = 0.824; Hg: R2 = 0.626), while the Random Forest model performed best for As and Pb (As: R2 = 0.389; Pb: R2 = 0.325). The feature importance analysis showed that soil-Cd and pH had the highest impact on rice-Cd risk, which is in line with previous studies; while temperature and soil organic carbon were more important to rice-Hg than soil-Hg. Then, based on another set of 1867 uniformly distributed paddy soil samples in Jiangsu province, the Cd and Hg risks of soil and rice were visualized using the established models. Mapping result revealed an inconsistent pattern of hotspot distribution between soil-Hg and rice-Hg, i.e., a higher rice-Hg risk in the northern area, while higher soil-Hg in south. Our findings highlight the importance of temperature on Hg bioaccumulation risk to crops, which has often been overlooked in previous risk assessment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Shefeng Hao
- Technical Innovation Center of Ecological Monitoring & Restoration Project on Land (arable), Geological Survey of Jiangsu, Nanjing, China; School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ming Hua
- Technical Innovation Center of Ecological Monitoring & Restoration Project on Land (arable), Geological Survey of Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiling Liao
- Technical Innovation Center of Ecological Monitoring & Restoration Project on Land (arable), Geological Survey of Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Jing
- Technical Innovation Center of Ecological Monitoring & Restoration Project on Land (arable), Geological Survey of Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Technical Innovation Center of Ecological Monitoring & Restoration Project on Land (arable), Geological Survey of Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueyuan Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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Li X, Zhou M, Shi F, Meng B, Liu J, Mi Y, Dong C, Su H, Liu X, Wang F, Wei Y. Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on mercury accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.): From enriched isotope tracing perspective. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 255:114776. [PMID: 36931088 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The microorganisms that co-exist between soil and rice systems in heavy metal-contaminated soil environments play important roles in the heavy metal pollution states of rice, as well as in the growth of the rice itself. In this study, in order to further examine the effects of soil microorganisms on the mercury (Hg) uptake of rice plants and determine potential soil phytoremediation agents, an enriched 199Hg isotope was spiked in a series of pot experiments to trace the absorption and migration of Hg and rice growth in the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). It was observed that the AMF inoculations significantly reduced the Hg concentration in the rice. The Hg concentration in rice in the AMF inoculation group was between 52.82% and 96.42% lower than that in the AMF non-inoculation group. It was also interesting to note that the presence of AMF tended to cause Hg (especially methyl-Hg (Me199Hg)) to migrate and accumulate in the non-edible parts of the rice, such as the stems and leaves. Under the experimental conditions selected in this study, the proportion of Me199Hg in rice grains decreased from 9.91% to 27.88%. For example, when the exogenous Hg concentration was 0.1 mg/kg, the accumulated methyl-Hg content in the grains of the rice in the AMF inoculation group accounted for only 20.19% of the Me199Hg content in the rice plants, which was significantly lower than that observed in the AMF non-inoculated group (48.07%). AMF also inhibited the absorption of Hg by rice plants, and the decrease in the Hg concentration levels in rice resulted in significant improvements in growth indices, including biomass and micro-indexes, such as antioxidant enzyme activities. The improvements occurred mainly because the AMF formed symbiotic structures with the roots of rice plants, which fixed Hg in the soil. AMF also reduce the bioavailability of Hg by secreting a series of substances and changing the physicochemical properties of the rhizosphere soil. These findings suggest the possibility of using typical co-existing microorganisms for the remediation of soil heavy metal contamination and provide valuable insights into reducing human Hg exposure through rice consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinru Li
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Min Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Feng Shi
- National Center for Science & Technology Evaluation, Beijing 100081, PR China
| | - Bo Meng
- Institute of Geochemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China
| | - Jiang Liu
- Institute of Geochemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China
| | - Yidong Mi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, PR China
| | - Cuimin Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Hailei Su
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Xuesong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Fanfan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China.
| | - Yuan Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China.
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Protano G, Bianchi S, De Santis M, Di Lella LA, Nannoni F, Salleolini M. New geochemical data for defining origin and distribution of mercury in groundwater of a coastal area in southern Tuscany (Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:50920-50937. [PMID: 36807864 PMCID: PMC10104938 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25897-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
A geochemical study was conducted in a coastal plain in the Orbetello Lagoon area in southern Tuscany (Italy), acquiring new data on groundwater, lagoon water, and stream sediment for insights into the origin, distribution, and behaviour of mercury in a Hg-enriched carbonate aquifer. The main hydrochemical features of the groundwater are ruled by the mixing of Ca-SO4 and Ca-Cl continental fresh waters of the carbonate aquifer and Na-Cl saline waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea and Lagoon of Orbetello. Groundwater had highly variable Hg concentrations (< 0.1-11 μg/L) that were not correlated with the percentage of saline water, depth in the aquifer, or distance from the lagoon. This excluded the possibility that saline water could be the direct source of Hg in groundwater and responsible for release of the element through interaction with the carbonate lithologies of the aquifer. The origin of Hg in groundwater could be ascribed to the Quaternary continental sediments overlying the carbonate aquifer because i) high Hg concentrations were found in the continental sediments of the coastal plain and in the contiguous lagoon sediments; ii) waters from the upper part of aquifer had the highest Hg concentrations; iii) Hg levels in groundwater increased with increasing thickness of the continental deposits. The high Hg content in the continental and lagoon sediments is geogenic due to regional and local Hg anomalies and to sedimentary and pedogenetic processes. It can be assumed that i) water circulating in these sediments dissolves the solid Hg-bearing constituents and mobilises this element mainly as chloride complexes; ii) Hg-enriched water moves from the upper part of the carbonate aquifer due to the cone of depression generated by intense pumping of groundwater by fish farms in the study area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Protano
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy.
| | | | - Matteo De Santis
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Luigi Antonello Di Lella
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Francesco Nannoni
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Massimo Salleolini
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, Via del Laterino 8, 53100, Siena, Italy
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10
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Floreani F, Zappella V, Faganeli J, Covelli S. Gaseous mercury evasion from bare and grass-covered soils contaminated by mining and ore roasting (Isonzo River alluvial plain, Northeastern Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 318:120921. [PMID: 36565908 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
High amounts of mercury (Hg) can be released into the atmosphere from soil surfaces of legacy contaminated areas as gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0). The alluvial plain of the Isonzo River (NE Italy) suffered widespread Hg contamination due to the re-distribution of Hg-enriched material discharged by historical cinnabar mining at the Idrija mine (Slovenia), but an assessment of Hg0 releases from the soils of this area is still lacking. In this work, Hg0 fluxes at the soil-air interface were evaluated using a non-steady state flux chamber coupled with a real-time Hg0 analyser at 6 sites within the Isonzo River plain. Measurements were performed in summer, autumn, and winter both on bare and grass-covered soil plots at regular time intervals during the diurnal period. Moreover, topsoils were analysed for organic matter content and Hg total concentration and speciation. Overall, Hg0 fluxes tracked the incident UV radiation during the sampling periods with daily averages significantly higher in summer (62.4 ± 14.5-800.2 ± 178.8 ng m-2 h-1) than autumn (15.2 ± 4.7-280.8 ± 75.6 ng m-2 h-1) and winter (16.9 ± 7.9-187.8 ± 62.7 ng m-2 h-1) due to higher irradiation and temperature, which favoured Hg reduction reactions. In summer and autumn significant correlations were observed between Hg0 fluxes and soil Hg content (78-95% cinnabar), whereas this relationship was not observed in winter likely due to relatively low emissions found in morning measurements in all sites coupled with low temperatures. Finally, vegetation cover effectively reduced Hg0 releases in summer (∼9-68%) and autumn (∼41-78%), whereas the difference between fluxes from vegetated and bare soils was not evident during winter dormancy due to scarce soil shading. These results suggest the opportunity of more extended spatial monitoring of Hg0 fluxes particularly in the croplands covering most of the Isonzo River alluvial plain and where bare soils are frequently disturbed by agricultural practices and directly exposed to radiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Floreani
- Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, Trieste, Italy; Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 5, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Valeria Zappella
- Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, Trieste, Italy
| | - Jadran Faganeli
- Marine Biology Station, National Institute of Biology, Fornace 41, Piran, Slovenia
| | - Stefano Covelli
- Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, Trieste, Italy
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11
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Méndez-López M, Parente-Sendín A, Calvo-Portela N, Gómez-Armesto A, Eimil-Fraga C, Alonso-Vega F, Arias-Estévez M, Nóvoa-Muñoz JC. Mercury in a birch forest in SW Europe: Deposition flux by litterfall and pools in aboveground tree biomass and soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 856:158937. [PMID: 36167130 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury (Hg) is largely assimilated by vegetation and subsequently transferred to the soil by litterfall, which highlights the role of forests as one of the largest global Hg sinks within terrestrial ecosystems. We assessed the pool of Hg in the aboveground biomass (leaves, wood, bark, branches and twigs), the Hg deposition flux through litterfall over two years (by sorting fallen biomass in leaves, twigs, reproductive structures and miscellaneous) and its accumulation in the soil profile in a deciduous forest dominated by Betula alba from SW Europe. The total Hg pool in the aboveground birch biomass was in the range 532-683 mg ha-1, showing the following distribution by plant tissues: well-developed leaves (171 mg ha-1) > twigs (160 mg ha-1) > bark (159 mg ha-1) > bole wood (145 mg ha-1) > fine branches (25 mg ha-1) > thick branches (24 mg ha-1) > newly sprouted leaves (20 mg ha-1). The total Hg deposition fluxes through litterfall were 15.4 and 11.7 μg m-2 yr-1 for the two years studied, with the greatest contribution coming from birch leaves (73 %). In the soil profile, the pool of Hg in the mineral soil (37.0 mg m-2) was an order of magnitude higher than in the organic horizons (1.0 mg m-2), mostly conditioned by parameters such as soil bulk density and thickness, total C and N contents and the presence of certain Al compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Méndez-López
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain.
| | - Andrea Parente-Sendín
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Noemi Calvo-Portela
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Antía Gómez-Armesto
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Cristina Eimil-Fraga
- Unidad de Gestión Ambiental y Forestal Sostenible, Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Rúa Benigno Ledo s/n, 27002 Lugo, Spain
| | - Flora Alonso-Vega
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Manuel Arias-Estévez
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Nóvoa-Muñoz
- Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Ciencias, As Lagoas s/n, 32004 Ourense, Spain; Campus da Auga, Universidade de Vigo, Laboratorio de Tecnoloxía e Diagnose Ambiental, Rúa Canella da Costa da Vela 12, 32004 Ourense, Spain
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12
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Álvarez-Fernández N, Martínez Cortizas A, López-Costas O. Structural equation modelling of mercury intra-skeletal variability on archaeological human remains. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 851:158015. [PMID: 35970463 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Archaeological burial environments are useful archives to investigate the long-term trends and the behaviour of mercury. In order to understand the relationship between mercury, skeletons and soil, we applied Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to a detailed, multisampling (n = 73 bone samples +37 soil samples) design of two archaeological graves dating to the 6th to 7th centuries CE (A Lanzada site, NW Spain). Mercury content was assessed using a DMA-80, and data about bone structure and the grave soil/sediments were obtained using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The theoretical model is supported by proxies of bone structure, grave soil/sediments, and location of the bone within the skeleton. The general model explained 61 % of mercury variance. Additionally, Partial Least Square - Prediction Oriented Segmentation (PLS-POS) was also used to check for segmentation in the dataset. POS revealed two group of samples depending on the bone phase (hydroxyapatite or collagen) controlling the Hg content, and the corresponding models explained 86 % and 76 % of Hg variance, respectively. The results suggest that mercury behaviour in the graves is complex, and that mercury concentrations were influenced by i) the ante-mortem status of the bone matrix, related to the weight of each bone phase; ii) post-mortem evolution of bone crystallinity, where bone loses mercury with increasing alteration; and iii) the proximity of the skeletal pieces to mercury target organs, as decomposition and collapse of the thoracic and abdominal soft tissues causes a secondary mercury enrichment in bones from the body trunk during early post-mortem. Skeletons provide a source of mercury to the soil whereas soil/sediments contribute little to skeletal mercury content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Álvarez-Fernández
- CRETUS, EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 16782, Spain; Boscalia Technologies S.L., Spain.
| | - Antonio Martínez Cortizas
- CRETUS, EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 16782, Spain; Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-10691, Sweden
| | - Olalla López-Costas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), CRETUS, Area of Archaeology, Department of History, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain; Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, SE-10691, Sweden; Laboratorio de Antropología Física, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, 18012, Spain
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13
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Richardson JB. Shale weathering profiles show Hg sequestration along a New York-Tennessee transect. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2022; 44:3515-3526. [PMID: 34622414 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-01110-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Shale-derived soils have higher clay, organic matter, and secondary Fe oxide content than other bedrock types, all of which can sequester Hg. However, shales also can be Hg-rich due to their marine formation. The objectives of this study were to determine the concentration and phase partitioning of Hg in seven upland weathering profiles from New York to Tennessee USA and use geochemical normalization techniques to estimate the extent of Hg inheritance from weathering of shale bedrock or sequestration of atmospheric Hg. Total Hg concentrations in unweathered shale ranged from 3 to 94 ng/g. Total Hg concentrations decreased with depth in the Ultisols and Alfisols, with total Hg concentrations ranging from 18 to 265 ng/g. Across all shale soils and rocks, the oxidizable fraction of Hg (15% H2O2 extraction) comprised a large portion of the total Hg at 68% ± 8%. This fraction was dominated by organic matter as confirmed with positive correlations between Hg and %LOI, but could also be impacted by Hg sulfides. Across all sites, the reducible fraction of Hg (citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite extraction) was only 10% ± 4% of the total Hg on average. Thus, secondary Fe oxides did not contain a significant portion of Hg, as commonly observed in tropical soils. Although colder sites had a higher organic matter and sequestered more Hg, τ values for Hg indexed to Ti suggest that atmospheric deposition, such as pollution sources in Ohio River Valley, drove the highest enrichment of Hg along the transect. These results demonstrate that shale-derived soils have a net accumulation and retention of atmospheric Hg, primarily through stabilization by organic matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Richardson
- Department of Geoscience, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 233 Morrill Science Center, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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14
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Vieira AMD, Vaňková M, Campos I, Trubač J, Baieta R, Mihaljevič M. Estimation of mercury emissions from the forest floor of a pine plantation during a wildfire in central Portugal. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:755. [PMID: 36083387 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10436-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentrations in soils and Hg releases from soils during wildfires are not well characterised in Portugal, even though wildfire activity continues to increase around the Mediterranean. This study focused on the low to moderate severity wildfire in Pombal (Portugal) in 2019, which consumed 12.5 ha of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.). We evaluated Hg concentrations in soil profiles and Hg pools in organic horizons to assess the fire-induced Hg emissions. Moreover, impacts of the fire on forest floor properties were estimated. Four soil profiles were sampled, two at the burned area and two at a nearby unburned area. The soil profiles displayed a typical Hg distribution, with higher Hg concentrations (156 µg kg-1) in the organic horizons with a sharp decrease in the mineral layers. The bond between organic matter and Hg was evident along the profiles, with a strong correlation between TOC and Hg. Ratios of Hg/TOC in the surface layers of the soil were similar in all profiles. The mean organic Hg pool at the studied site was calculated at 10.6 g ha-1. The fire did not seem to affect the topsoil properties based on visual indicators and the lack of statistical differences (p > 0.05) among measured fire-sensitive chemical soil properties (pH, CEC, TOC, TS) between the topsoils of the burned and unburned areas. If we consider a hypothetical complete combustion of the organic layer (743 Mg) and unaffected topsoil, we estimated a release of 133 g of Hg from the burned area. The study emphasised the importance of the forest floor for Hg retention and its crucial role in Hg emissions during wildfires in a country increasingly affected by climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alda Maria Domingues Vieira
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Maria Vaňková
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Isabel Campos
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Environment and Planning, CESAM, University of Aveiro, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Jakub Trubač
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Rafael Baieta
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Mihaljevič
- Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 00, Prague, Czech Republic
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15
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Chen C, Huang JH, Meusburger K, Li K, Fu X, Rinklebe J, Alewell C, Feng X. The interplay between atmospheric deposition and soil dynamics of mercury in Swiss and Chinese boreal forests: A comparison study. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 307:119483. [PMID: 35595001 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Taking advantage of the different histories of Hg deposition in Davos Seehornwald in E-Switzerland and Changbai Mountain in NE-China, the influence of atmospheric deposition on Hg soil dynamics in forest soil profiles was investigated. Today, Hg fluxes in bulk precipitation were similar, and soil profiles were generally sinks for atmospherically deposited Hg at both sites. Noticeably, a net release of 2.07 μg Hg m-2 yr-1 from the Bs horizon (Podzol) in Seehornwald was highlighted, where Hg concentration (up to 73.9 μg kg-1) and soil storage (100 mg m-3) peaked. Sequential extraction revealed that organic matter and crystalline Fe and Al hydr (oxide)-associated Hg decreased in the E horizon but increased in the Bs horizon as compared to the Ah horizon, demonstrating the coupling of Hg dynamics with the podzolisation process and accumulation of legacy Hg deposited last century in the Bs horizon. The mor humus in Seehornwald allowed Hg enrichment in the forest floor (182-269 μg kg-1). In Changbai Mountain, the Hg concentrations in the Cambisol surface layer with mull humus were markedly lower (<148 μg kg-1), but with much higher Hg soil storage (54-120 mg m-3) than in the Seehornwald forest floor (18-27 mg m-3). Thus, the vertical distribution pattern of Hg was influenced by humus form and soil type. The concentrations of Hg in soil porewater in Seehornwald (3.4-101 ng L-1) and in runoff of Changbai Mountain (1.26-5.62 ng L-1) were all low. Moreover, the pools of readily extractable Hg in the soils at both sites were all <2% of total Hg. Therefore, the potential of Hg release from the forest soil profile to the adjacent aquatic environment is currently low at both sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jen-How Huang
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Meusburger
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Kai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xuewu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xian, 710061, China
| | - Jörg Rinklebe
- University of Wuppertal, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Institute of Foundation Engineering, Water and Waste Management, Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Management, Pauluskirchstraße 7, 42285, Wuppertal, Germany; International Research Centre of Nanotechnology for Himalayan Sustainability (IRCNHS), Shoolini University, Solan, 173212, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Christine Alewell
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xian, 710061, China.
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16
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Swinton MW, Myer PK, Schaller MF, Pettitt EA, Farrell JL, Nierzwicki-Bauer SA. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes explain methylmercury concentrations in stream food webs of Lake George, New York (USA). ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:808-821. [PMID: 35482143 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-022-02548-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury has been studied extensively in lakes due to health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated fish, while stream ecosystems have received less attention. To better understand mercury bioavailability in the lower food web of streams, we collected macroinvertebrates (predators and detritivore) along with autochthonous (epilithic algae) and allochthonous (leaf litter) basal resources in eight streams entering Lake George. Samples were analyzed for methylmercury (MeHg), total mercury, and carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C & δ15N) to determine how mercury concentrations in basal resources, biomagnification rates, and environmental factors (watershed characteristics and water chemistry) effected MeHg concentrations in predatory macroinvertebrates. While biomagnification rates, calculated as trophic magnification slope, explained between 68% and 98% of MeHg variability within a stream food web, the range was small (0.310-0.387) resulting in the biotic components following a consistent pattern of increasing MeHg among streams. The stream order was negatively related to basin slope for all biotic components and explained 70% of MeHg variability in predatory macroinvertebrates. Methylmercury concentrations were significantly and negatively related to δ13C in predators, epilithic algae, and leaf litter. We believe the biofilms on leaf litter utilized bacterial-respired carbon dioxide decreasing δ13C (<-28‰) and increasing MeHg while epilithic algal δ13C increased due to enhanced primary production resulting in biodilution of MeHg. Methylmercury in basal resources responded to δ13C similarly but through different processes. Our findings show shallow slopes elevate MeHg in basal resources and explain most of the predator MeHg variation among streams with little influence of biomagnification rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W Swinton
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA.
| | - P K Myer
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - M F Schaller
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - E A Pettitt
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - J L Farrell
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
| | - S A Nierzwicki-Bauer
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
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17
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Hussain S, Yang J, Hussain J, Hussain I, Kumar M, Ullah S, Zhang L, Xia X, Jia Y, Ma Y, Gao Y. Phytoavailability and transfer of mercury in soil-pepper system: Influencing factors, fate, and predictive approach for effective management of metal-impacted spiked soils. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 207:112190. [PMID: 34624269 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) contamination and accumulation in food crops is a global threat posing potential health risk to humans. However, Hg phytoavailability in soil-pepper system and its influencing factors largely remain unknown. In this study, a greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to grow peppers using 21 Chinese agricultural soils with varied soil properties and aged Hg levels. Mercury concentration in pepper leaves and fruits ranged from 0.021 to 0.057 mg kg-1 and 0.005-0.022 mg kg-1 respectively, while fruit Hg content in three soils (Anhui, Hubei, Beijing) exceeded the safety limit. Fruit Hg concentration was better positively correlated with soil Mg(NO3)2-extractable Hg content (r = 0.7, P < 0.0001) than soil total Hg content (r = 0.45, P < 0.0001). Highest bioconcentration factor (BCF, ratio of Hg plant to Hg soil) yielded in acidic soils, while the lowest BCF occurred in alkaline soils. Path analysis indicated available-Hg (R2 = 0.40) and total-Hg (R2 = 0.40) had direct positive effects on the pepper fruit Hg concentration, while direct negative effects including pH (R2 = -0.86), organic matter (R2 = -0.7), crystalline-Fe (R2 = -0.68). Those agreed with the stepwise multiple linear regression analysis which yielded a regression predictive model (R2 = 0.73, P < 0.0001). Soil available-Hg, total-Hg, pH, organic matter and crystalline-Fe & Mn were the most influencing factors of Hg phytoavailability. These results provide new insights into the phytoavailability of Hg in soil-pepper system, thus facilitating the management of pepper cultivation in Hg-enriched soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Hussain
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China; School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jianjun Yang
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China.
| | | | - Imran Hussain
- Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology University of Sialkot, Punjab Pakistan
| | - Mahendar Kumar
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Subhan Ullah
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Liandong Zhang
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Xing Xia
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yuehui Jia
- College of Bioscience and Resource Environment, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yibing Ma
- Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Collaborative Innovation for Environmental Quality, Macao Environmental Research Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, 999078, Macao, China
| | - Yuxi Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, and Laboratory of Metallomics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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18
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Rodrigues YOS, Dórea JG, Landim PMB, Bernardi JVE, Monteiro LC, de Souza JPR, Pinto LDCM, Fernandes IO, de Souza JVV, Sousa AR, Sousa JDP, Maciel BLO, Delvico FMDS, de Souza JR. Mercury spatiality and mobilization in roadside soils adjacent to a savannah ecological reserve. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 205:112513. [PMID: 34902382 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a persistent environmental pollutant of global concern. Recognized anthropic contributions to environmental Hg pollution include fuel fossil emissions, soil erosion, and industrial and mining activities. Environmental Hg that enters water bodies can be methylated before entering the food chain and contaminating man and wildlife. We used a kriging approach for sampling and X-ray crystallography to study the pressure of road-traffic Hg emissions on soil Hg concentrations in an ecological reserve (ESECAE) in Central Brazil' savannah. We took samples of organic (n = 144) and mineral (n = 144) layers from the road-side and from the undisturbed soils at 0.1, 1, and 2 km from traffic, inside the ESECAE. Overall, total mercury (THg) concentrations determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry were significantly higher in the organic layer than in the mineral layer. The mean soil THg in the organic and mineral layers was highest at the roadside (respectively 19.77 ± 12.01 and 16.18 ± 11.54 μg g-1), gradually decreasing with the distance from the road. At 2 km, the mean soil THg was 0.09 ± 0.30 and 0.029 ± 0.03 μg g-1, respectively, for the organic and mineral layers. X-ray crystallography showed mineralogical similarity of the sampled soils, indicating Hg externality, i.e, it did not originate from existing soil minerals. Co-kriging analysis (n = 288) confirmed Hg hotspots on the roadsides and a faster mobilization occurring up to a distance of 1 km for both layers. The soil reception and retention of traffic Hg emissions are mainly in the organic layer and can impact subsoil and adjacent areas. Thus, traffic soil-Hg pollution is limited to the road proximities; THg concentrations are high up to 100 m with an inflection point at 1 km.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ygor O S Rodrigues
- Geostatistics and Geodesy Laboratory, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | - José G Dórea
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70919-970, Brazil
| | - P M B Landim
- Geomathematics Laboratory, São Paulo State University/UNESP, Rio Claro, São Paulo, 13506-700, Brazil
| | - José Vicente Elias Bernardi
- Geostatistics and Geodesy Laboratory, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Cabrera Monteiro
- Graduate Program in Ecology, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - João Pedro Rudrigues de Souza
- Laboratory of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Lilian de Castro Moraes Pinto
- Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | - Iara Oliveira Fernandes
- Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | - João Victor Villela de Souza
- Geostatistics and Geodesy Laboratory, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | - Antônia Roberto Sousa
- Geostatistics and Geodesy Laboratory, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | - Juruna de Paula Sousa
- Geostatistics and Geodesy Laboratory, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | - Bruno Leandro Oliveira Maciel
- Geostatistics and Geodesy Laboratory, Faculty UnB Planaltina, University of Brasília, Planaltina, Distrito Federal, 73345-010, Brazil
| | | | - Jurandir Rodrigues de Souza
- Laboratory of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Brasília, Asa Norte, Brasília, Distrito Federal, 70910-900, Brazil
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19
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Liu Y, Wang J, Guo J, Wang L, Wu Q. Vertical distribution characteristics of soil mercury and its formation mechanism in permafrost regions: A case study of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. J Environ Sci (China) 2022; 113:311-321. [PMID: 34963540 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2021.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Continuing permafrost degradation is increasing the risk of mercury (Hg) exposure in the permafrost regions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), but related studies are still limited, especially the ones on the detailed Hg migration processes in permafrost. The vertical distribution characteristics of soil Hg were investigated in three ecosystems in the Beiluhe area on the QTP, and its influencing factors and formation mechanism were investigated. The results indicate that the total soil mercury (THg) concentration in the Beiluhe area remains at an extremely low level (6.33 ± 2.45 ng/g). In the vertical profile, the THg concentration of the shallow soil layer (0-50 cm) (5.96 ± 2.22 ng/g) is significantly lower than that of the deep layer (50-400 cm) (7.44 ± 2.71 ng/g) (p < 0.05). Within the upper 50 cm, the THg concentration decreases with soil depth, and the peak THg concentration occurs at 100-300 cm on the entire profile. Although the THg concentration is slightly affected by the organic matter in the shallow soil layer, in general, the soil parent material is the dominant factor affecting the THg concentration. Intense weathering results in a low THg concentration in the shallow soil layer because the soil Hg is carried downward with the soil moisture. To a certain depth, the impermeable frozen soil layer intercepts the flow of the soil Hg, and it forms a Hg enrichment layer. This paper presents the distinctive pattern of the soil Hg distribution in the permafrost regions of the QTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Junfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Luyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qingbai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
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20
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Li Y, Chen L, Liang S, Zhou H, Liu YR, Zhong H, Yang Z. Looping Mercury Cycle in Global Environmental-Economic System Modeling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:2861-2879. [PMID: 35129955 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Minamata Convention on Mercury calls for Hg control actions to protect the environment and human beings from the adverse impacts of Hg pollution. It aims at the entire life cycle of Hg. Existing studies on the Hg cycle in the global environmental-economic system have characterized the emission-to-impact pathway of Hg pollution. That is, Hg emissions/releases from the economic system can have adverse impacts on human health and ecosystems. However, current modeling of the Hg cycle is not fully looped. It ignores the feedback of Hg-related environmental impacts (including human health impacts and ecosystem impacts) to the economic system. This would impede the development of more comprehensive Hg control actions. By synthesizing recent information on Hg cycle modeling, this critical review found that Hg-related environmental impacts would have feedbacks to the economic system via the labor force and biodiversity loss. However, the interactions between Hg-related activities in the environmental and economic systems are not completely clear. The cascading effects of Hg-related environmental impacts to the economic system throughout global supply chains have not been revealed. Here, we emphasize the knowledge gaps and propose possible approaches for looping the Hg cycle in global environmental-economic system modeling. This progress is crucial for formulating more dynamic and flexible Hg control measures. It provides new perspectives for the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Li
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Long Chen
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, P. R. China
| | - Sai Liang
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Haifeng Zhou
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P. R. China
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Zhifeng Yang
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
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21
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Spanu D, Butti L, Boldrocchi G, Bettinetti R, Recchia S, Monticelli D. Selective organomercury determination by ICP-MS made easy. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1206:339553. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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22
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Hu H, Xi B, Tan W. Effects of sulfur-rich biochar amendment on microbial methylation of mercury in rhizosphere paddy soil and methylmercury accumulation in rice. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 286:117290. [PMID: 33984776 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biochar amendment has the potential to reduce methylmercury (MeHg) uptake by rice grains in soil-rice ecosystem. Considering that sulfur can strongly bind Hg and thus reduce its bioavailability, S-modified biochar has been used to immobilize Hg in soils. However, whether natural S-enriched biochar can further reduce Hg and MeHg phytoavailability remains unknown. Moreover, the rhizosphere is one of the most important microbial hotspots regulating the pollutant dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. Therefore, it is of greater practical significance to examine the impact of biochar amendment on MeHg production and phytoavailability in the rhizosphere versus nonrhizosphere. Here, by conducting a pot experiment, we evaluated the efficacy of biochar derived from sulfur-enriched oilseed rape straw to reduce MeHg accumulation in rice. The results demonstrated that: (1) biochar-induced enhancement of chloride ion and sulfate levels in the overlying water and pore water facilitate microbial methylation of Hg and thus MeHg production in rhizosphere soil. (2) biochar amendment increased rhizosphere soil sulfur content and humic acid-like substances, strengthening MeHg binding to soil, and thus reducing grain MeHg levels by 47%-75%. Our results highlight the necessity to applying natural sulfur-rich biochar accompanied with exogenous sulfur to further reduce MeHg phytoavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualing Hu
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
| | - Beidou Xi
- School of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
| | - Wenbing Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China
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23
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Morosini C, Terzaghi E, Raspa G, Zanardini E, Anelli S, Armiraglio S, Petranich E, Covelli S, Di Guardo A. Mercury vertical and horizontal concentrations in agricultural soils of a historically contaminated site: Role of soil properties, chemical loading, and cultivated plant species in driving its mobility. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 285:117467. [PMID: 34090075 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The long term vertical and horizontal mobility of mercury (Hg) in soils of agricultural areas of a historically contaminated Italian National Relevance Site (SIN Brescia-Caffaro) was investigated. The contamination resulted from the continuous discharge of Hg in irrigation waters by an industrial plant (Caffaro S.p.A), equipped with a mercury-cell chlor-alkali process. The contamination levels with depth ranged from about 20 mg/kg dry weight (d.w.) of soil in the top (plow) layer to less than 0.1 mg/kg d.w. at 1 m depth. The concentrations varied also spatially, up to one order of magnitude within the same field and showing a decreasing trend from the Hg source (i.e., irrigation ditches). The concentration profiles and gradients measured were explained considering Hg loading, soil properties, such as the texture, organic carbon content, pH and cation exchange capacity. A Selective Sequential Extraction (SSE) was also applied on soil samples from an ad hoc greenhouse experiment to investigate the role of different plant species in influencing Hg speciation in soils. Although most of the extracted Hg was included in scarcely mobile or immobile forms, some plant species (i.e., alfalfa) showed to importantly increase the soluble and exchangeable fractions with respect to the unplanted control soils, thus affecting mobility and potential bioavailability of Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elisa Terzaghi
- DiSAT, University of Insubria, Via Valleggio 11, Como, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Raspa
- DICMA, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Stefano Armiraglio
- Municipality of Brescia - Museum of Natural Sciences, Via Ozanam 4, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elisa Petranich
- Dept. of Mathematics & Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, 34128, Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Covelli
- Dept. of Mathematics & Geosciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss 2, 34128, Trieste, Italy
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24
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Couic E, Tribondeau A, Alphonse V, Livet A, Grimaldi M, Bousserrhine N. The Impact of Ecological Restoration on Biogeochemical Cycling and Mercury Mobilization in Anoxic Conditions on Former Mining Sites in French Guiana. Microorganisms 2021; 9:1702. [PMID: 34442781 PMCID: PMC8400979 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9081702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Successive years of gold mining in French Guiana has resulted in soil degradation and deforestation leading to the pollution and erosion of mining plots. Due to erosion and topography, gold panning sites are submitted to hydromorphy during rainfall and groundwater increases. This original study focused on characterizing the impact of hydromorphic anaerobic periods on bio-geochemical cycles. We sampled soil from five rehabilitated sites in French Guiana, including sites with herbaceous vegetation and sites restored with fabaceous plants, Clitoria racemosa (Cli) mon-oculture, Acacia mangium (Aca) monoculture, Clitoria racemosa and Acacia mangium (Mix) bi-culture. We conducted mesocosm experiments where soil samples were incubated in anaerobic conditions for 35 days. To evaluate the effect of anaerobic conditions on biogeochemical cycles, we measured the following parameters related to iron-reducing bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria metabolism throughout the experiment: CO2 release, carbon dissolution, sulphide production and sulphate mobilization. We also monitored the solubilization of iron oxyhydroxides, manganese oxides, aluminum oxides and mercury in the culture medium. Iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) are described as the major players in the dynamics of iron, sulfur and metal elements including mercury in tropical environments. The results revealed two trends in these rehabilitated sites. In the Aca and Mix sites, bacterial iron-reducing activity coupled with manganese solubilization was detected with no mercury solubilization. In herbaceous sites, a low anaerobic activity coupled with sulphide production and mercury solubilization were detected. These results are the first that report the presence and activity of iron- and sulfate-reductive communities at rehabilitated mining sites and their interactions with the dynamics of metallic elements and mercury. These results report, however, the positive impact of ecological restoration of mining sites in French Guiana by reducing IRB and SRB activities, the potential mobility of mercury and its risk of transfer and methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewan Couic
- Observatory of Sciences of the Universe, UMR 6118 Géosciences, 35000 Rennes, France
- Water, Environment and Urban Systems Laboratory (Leesu), University of Paris-Créteil, 94010 Créteil, France; (V.A.); (A.L.)
| | | | - Vanessa Alphonse
- Water, Environment and Urban Systems Laboratory (Leesu), University of Paris-Créteil, 94010 Créteil, France; (V.A.); (A.L.)
| | - Alexandre Livet
- Water, Environment and Urban Systems Laboratory (Leesu), University of Paris-Créteil, 94010 Créteil, France; (V.A.); (A.L.)
| | | | - Noureddine Bousserrhine
- Water, Environment and Urban Systems Laboratory (Leesu), University of Paris-Créteil, 94010 Créteil, France; (V.A.); (A.L.)
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25
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Ballabio C, Jiskra M, Osterwalder S, Borrelli P, Montanarella L, Panagos P. A spatial assessment of mercury content in the European Union topsoil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 769:144755. [PMID: 33736262 PMCID: PMC8024745 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Mapping of surface soil Hg concentrations, a priority pollutant, at continental scale is important in order to identify hotspots of soil Hg distribution (e.g. mining or industrial pollution) and identify factors that influence soil Hg concentrations (e.g. climate, soil properties, vegetation). Here we present soil Hg concentrations from the LUCAS topsoil (0-20 cm) survey including 21,591 samples from 26 European Union countries (one sample every ~200 km2). Deep Neural Network (DNN) learning models were used to map the European soil Hg distribution. DNN estimated a median Hg concentration of 38.3 μg kg-1 (2.6 to 84.7 μg kg-1) excluding contaminated sites. At continental scale, we found that soil Hg concentrations increased with latitude from south to north and with altitude. A GLMM revealed a correlation (R2 = 0.35) of soil Hg concentrations with vegetation activity, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and soil organic carbon content. This observation corroborates the importance of atmospheric Hg0 uptake by plants and the build-up of the soil Hg pool by litterfall over continental scales. The correlation of Hg concentrations with NDVI was amplified by higher soil organic matter content, known to stabilize Hg in soils through thiol bonds. We find a statistically significant relation between soil Hg levels and coal use in large power plants, proving that emissions from power plants are associated with higher mercury deposition in their proximity. In total 209 hotspots were identified, defined as the top percentile in Hg concentration (>422 μg kg-1). 87 sites (42% of all hotspots) were associated with known mining areas. The sources of the other hotspots could not be identified and may relate to unmined geogenic Hg or industrial pollution. The mapping effort in the framework of LUCAS can serve as a starting point to guide local and regional authorities in identifying Hg contamination hotspots in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Jiskra
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Stefan Osterwalder
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, Grenoble, France.
| | - Pasquale Borrelli
- Università degli Studi di Pavia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Pavia, Italy.
| | | | - Panos Panagos
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy.
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26
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Wang C, Wang Z, Gao Y, Zhang X. Planular-vertical distribution and pollution characteristics of cropland soil Hg and the estimated soil-air exchange fluxes of gaseous Hg over croplands in northern China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110810. [PMID: 33524331 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As an important reservoir of mercury (Hg), cropland play an important role in the Hg cycle, but it was poorly understood in northern China. The major objectives of this study are to ascertain the distribution characteristics of soil Hg and then assess its pollution level and potential risk, and further evaluate the role of cropland in northern China in the global soil-air exchange of Hg based on the simulation experiments and regional survey. The average Hg concentration in surface soils of the 30 sites in northern China was 116.1 ± 135.8 ng g-1, which was significantly higher than background values. The surface soils show a significant spatial heterogeneity in Hg concentration, and the Hg levels near provincial capitals were higher than those at corresponding prefecture-level cities, revealing that the soil Hg levels were closely associated with the local industrial and economic development. Profile data shows that topsoil Hg concentration was significantly higher than those in deeper layers at most of sites, indicating the more serious pollution situation in recent years. Generally, the higher the surface soil Hg concentration, the more obvious this top-bottom decreasing trend. The planular-vertical distribution patterns of TOM share similar trends as those of soil Hg concentration, indicating Hg concentration was closely associated with TOM content. Statistical results show that the mean CF, Eri, and Igeo values were 4.0 ± 5.0, 161 ± 198, 0.76 ± 1.34, respectively, and more than two thirds of sampling sites were moderately and considerably polluted. The mean annual accumulative flux of Hg in the northern China was 20.9 ± 43.8 μg m-2 yr-1, and the total net emission fluxes of Hg from the croplands in six provinces were 8.37 ton yr-1. This indicates that although the cropland occasionally acts as a sink, it represents an important natural source of atmospheric Hg as a whole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunjie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Zhangwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yu Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 18 Shuangqing Road, Beijing, 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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27
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Bai Y, Hong J. Preparation of a Novel Millet Straw Biochar-Bentonite Composite and Its Adsorption Property of Hg 2+ in Aqueous Solution. MATERIALS 2021; 14:ma14051117. [PMID: 33673689 PMCID: PMC7957562 DOI: 10.3390/ma14051117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The remediation of mercury (Hg) contaminated soil and water requires the continuous development of efficient pollutant removal technologies. To solve this problem, a biochar–bentonite composite (CB) was prepared from local millet straw and bentonite using the solution intercalation-composite heating method, and its physical and chemical properties and micromorphology were then studied. The prepared CB and MB (modified biochar) had a maximum adsorption capacity for Hg2+ of 11.722 and 9.152 mg·g−1, respectively, far exceeding the corresponding adsorption value of biochar and bentonite (6.541 and 2.013 mg·g−1, respectively).The adsorption of Hg2+ on the CB was characterized using a kinetic model and an isothermal adsorption line, which revealed that the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isothermal model well represented the adsorption of Hg2+ on the CB, indicating that the adsorption was mainly chemical adsorption of the monolayer. Thermodynamic experiments confirmed that the adsorption process of Hg2+ by the CB was spontaneous and endothermic. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that after Hg2+ was adsorbed by CB, functional groups, such as the –OH group (or C=O, COO–, C=C) on the CB, induced complexation between Hg and –O–, and part of Hg (ii) was reduced Hg (i), resulting in the formation of single or double tooth complexes of Hg–O– (or Hg–O–Hg). Therefore, the prepared composite (CB) showed potential application as an excellent adsorbent for removing heavy metal Hg2+ from polluted water compared with using any one material alone.
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28
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Frutos-Puerto S, Miró C, Pinilla-Gil E. Screen-Printed Gold Electrodes as Passive Samplers and Voltammetric Platforms for the Determination of Gaseous Elemental Mercury. Anal Chem 2021; 93:3122-3129. [PMID: 33523632 PMCID: PMC8562869 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c04347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
We present a methodology for the
determination of gaseous elemental
mercury (GEM). It is based on passive sampling of Hg on screen-printed
gold electrodes (SPGEs), followed by the measurement of amalgamated
mercury by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. We have explored
in detail the behavior of the SPGE electrode surface during the sampling
process (by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry), the stability
of the voltammetric signals, and the inter-electrode reproducibility,
and obtained acceptable results. Adsorption of mercury onto the SPGE
follows a nearly linear behavior until the sorbent becomes saturated
(equilibrium phase) for different mercury concentrations, allowing
to select a sampling time of 30 min for calibration. The theoretical
behavior of the sampling system was modeled, considering the changes
in the diffusive path length between the porous diffusive barrier
and the adsorbed surface, L. Finally, we have tested
two GEM calibration protocols. The first one is based on the measurement
of the mercury stripping peak area, AHg, and the second one is based on the measurement of the mass of mercury, mHg, by standard additions. We found good correlation
coefficients between the GEM concentration for both AHg (R2 = 0.9591) and mHg (R2 = 9615) in
the range of 5.82 to 59.29 ng dm–3 GEM. Detection
limits were 5.32 and 5.22 ng dm–3 for AHg and mHg, respectively.
Our results open a new line of electroanalytical strategies for the
determination of GEM in atmospheric samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Frutos-Puerto
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Extremadura, Av. de Elvas, s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Conrado Miró
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Extremadura, Av. de la Universidad, s/n, 10005 Cáceres, Spain
| | - Eduardo Pinilla-Gil
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Extremadura, Av. de Elvas, s/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
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29
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Swinton MW, Nierzwicki-Bauer SA. Mercury increase in Lake Champlain fish: links to fishery dynamics and extreme climatic events. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1750-1761. [PMID: 31893335 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02148-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury concentrations in Lake Champlain fish increased (2011-2017) for the first time in more than two decades. The increase, however, was not consistent among species or throughout the lake. Mercury concentrations in smallmouth bass and yellow perch from the three Main Lake segments increased significantly while concentrations in the eastern portions of the lake (Northeast Arm and Malletts Bay) remained unchanged or decreased; mercury concentrations in white perch remained unchanged. Factors examined to explain the increase included: atmospheric deposition, lake temperature, chlorophyll-a, fishery dynamics, lake flooding and loading of total suspended solids (TSS). This paper examines how each factor has changed between study periods and the spatial variability associated with the change. We hypothesize fishery dynamics, flooding and TSS loading may be partially responsible for the increase in fish mercury. Both growth efficiency and biomass of fish suggest mercury concentrations would increase in the Main Lake segments and decrease in the eastern portion of the lake. Additionally, two extreme climate events in 2011 resulted in extensive flooding and a four-fold increase in annual TSS loading, both potentially increasing biotic mercury with the impact varying spatially throughout the lake. Changes to the fishery and disturbance caused by extreme climatic events have increased biotic mercury and the processes responsible need further study to identify possible future scenarios in order to better protect human and wildlife health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark W Swinton
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA.
| | - Sandra A Nierzwicki-Bauer
- Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 5060 Lake Shore Drive, Bolton Landing, NY, 12814, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY, 12180, USA
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30
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Zhao Q, Zhang H, Fu H, Wei Y, Cai W. Raman reporter-assisted Au nanorod arrays SERS nanoprobe for ultrasensitive detection of mercuric ion (Hg 2+) with superior anti-interference performances. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 398:122890. [PMID: 32497859 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ultra sensitive detection of mercuric ion (Hg2+) with superior anti-interference capability from natural water is of great significance for food safety, environmental protection, and human health. We herein develop Au ordered nanorod arrays (Au NRAs) as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates to construct SERS-active and signal-reproducible sensing platforms modified with 4-mercaptophenylboronic acid (4-MBA) as multifunctional SERS reporters. The aqueous Hg2+ can be efficiently trapped by 4-MBA through electrophilic substitution reactions and precisely appraise its concentration based on the collective spectral changes of reporters including peak disappearance, emergence, and Raman shift. Based on this, the optical nanoprobe shows an ultrahigh detection sensitivity of 0.1 nM for Hg2+, which is two orders of magnitude lower than the U.S.A. environmental protection agency (EPA)-required maximum level of drinkable water. It also offers both an exceptional Hg2+ discrimination against other metal ions as well as organic ligands and perfect feasibilities of detecting solutions with ultra-wide pH ranges from 1.0-14.0 at varying temperatures. Moreover, the nanoprobe demonstrates an ability to identify different chemical forms of mercury and has a high repeatability, accuracy and reliability to meet the practical detection requirements in natural environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhao
- Key Lab of Materials Physics, Anhui Key Lab of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, PR China
| | - Hongwen Zhang
- Key Lab of Materials Physics, Anhui Key Lab of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, PR China.
| | - Hao Fu
- Key Lab of Materials Physics, Anhui Key Lab of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, PR China
| | - Yi Wei
- Key Lab of Materials Physics, Anhui Key Lab of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, PR China
| | - Weiping Cai
- Key Lab of Materials Physics, Anhui Key Lab of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, PR China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, PR China.
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Vasques ICF, Lima FRD, Oliveira JR, de Morais EG, Pereira P, Guilherme LRG, Marques JJ. Comparison of bioaccessibility methods in spiked and field Hg-contaminated soils. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 254:126904. [PMID: 32957297 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Estimating bioaccessible content of mercury in soils is essential in evaluating risks that contaminated soils pose. In this study, soil samples spiked with HgCl2 through adsorption were used to test the effects of liming, soil organic matter, soil depth, and Hg concentration on the following bioaccessibility tests: dilute nitric acid at room temperature, dilute nitric acid at body temperature, Simplified Bioaccessibility Extraction Test (SBET) method, and gastric phase of the In vitro Gastrointestinal (IVG) protocol. Soil and sediment samples from Descoberto, Minas Gerais (Brazil), a city with a well-known record of Hg contamination from artisanal mining, were subjected to these bioaccessibility tests for the first time, and the different methods of estimating bioaccessible content were compared. Bioaccessible fractions in spiked samples ranged from 10% to 60%, and this high bioaccessibility was due to the highly soluble species of Hg and the short time under adsorption. In general, clay and organic matter decreased bioaccessible content. Although the soil in Descoberto is undoubtedly polluted, mercury bioaccessibility in that area is low. In general, dilute nitric acid estimated higher bioaccessible content in soil samples, whereas the SBET method estimated higher bioaccessible content in sediment samples. In multivariate analysis, two groups of bioaccessibility tests arise: one with the two nitric acid tests, and the other with SBET and the gastric phase of the IVG protocol. The addition of pepsin and glycine in the last two tests suggests a more reliable test for assessing mercury bioaccessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabela C F Vasques
- Departamento de Solos, Avenida PH Rolfs, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Francielle R D Lima
- Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Avenida Dr Sylvio Menecucci, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jakeline R Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Avenida Dr Sylvio Menecucci, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Everton G de Morais
- Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Avenida Dr Sylvio Menecucci, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Polyana Pereira
- Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Avenida Dr Sylvio Menecucci, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Luiz Roberto G Guilherme
- Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Avenida Dr Sylvio Menecucci, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João José Marques
- Departamento de Ciência do Solo, Avenida Dr Sylvio Menecucci, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, 37200-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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32
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Huang JH, Shetaya WH, Osterwalder S. Determination of (Bio)-available mercury in soils: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 263:114323. [PMID: 32311621 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite the mercury (Hg) control measures adopted by the international community, Hg still poses a significant risk to ecosystem and human health. This is primarily due to the ability of atmospheric Hg to travel intercontinentally and contaminating terrestrial and aquatic environments far from its natural and anthropogenic point sources. The issue of Hg pollution is further complicated by its unique physicochemical characteristics, most noticeably its multiple chemical forms that vary in their toxicity and environmental mobility. This meant that most of the risk evaluation protocols developed for other metal(loid)s are not suitable for Hg. Soil is a major reservoir of Hg and a key player in its global cycle. To fully assess the risks of soil Hg it is essential to estimate its bioavailability and/or availability which are closely linked to its toxicity. However, the accurate determination of the (bio)-available pools of Hg in soils is problematic, because the terms 'bioavailable' and 'available' are ill-defined. In particular, the term 'bioavailable pool', representing the fraction of Hg that is accessible to living organisms, has been consistently misused by interchanging with other intrinsically different terms e.g. mobile, labile, reactive and soluble pools. A wide array of physical, chemical, biological and isotopic exchange methods were developed to estimate the (bio)-available pools of Hg in soil in an attempt to offer a plausible assessment of its risks. Unfortunately, many of these methods do not mirror the (bio)-available pools of soil Hg and suffer from technical drawbacks. In this review, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of methods that are currently applied to quantify the (bio)-availability of Hg in soils. We recommended the most feasible methods and give suggestions how to improve the determination of (bio)-available Hg in soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-How Huang
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Waleed H Shetaya
- Air Pollution Research Department, National Research Centre, 33 El-Bohouth St., Dokki, Giza, 12622, Egypt
| | - Stefan Osterwalder
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
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Han YS, Kim SH, Chon CM, Kwon S, Kim JG, Choi HW, Ahn JS. Effect of FeS on mercury behavior in mercury-contaminated stream sediment: A case study of Pohang Gumu Creek in South Korea. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 393:122373. [PMID: 32126425 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated mercury contamination with respect to the sediment characteristics in Gumu Creek near the Pohang Industrial Complex, South Korea. The contaminated sediment had high levels of Hg, exceeding 250 mg Hg/kg sediment at the sampling position, and high concentrations of iron, sulfur, and organic carbon under extreme anaerobic conditions. The anoxic condition of the sediment produced large amounts of FeS. Hg L3-edge EXAFS analysis revealed that FeS controlled the Hg species in the sediment mainly as β-HgS like precipitation or Hg-S complexation. We also speculated that the presence of FeS induced the abiotic reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0) and consequently suppressed the formation of highly toxic methylated mercury species. The results obtained in this study are mostly consistent with those reported in previous studies of geochemical reactions of FeS in controlling Hg(II) under pure FeS mineral systems under laboratory scenarios. This study demonstrates that the laboratory controlled reaction scenarios can explain the field behavior of Hg in the contaminated anoxic sediment of the Gumu Creek site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Soo Han
- Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
| | - Seol-Hee Kim
- Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea; Division of Environmental Science & Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Chul-Min Chon
- Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
| | - Soyeon Kwon
- Department of Earth System Sciences, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Gon Kim
- Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Woo Choi
- Geology Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
| | - Joo Sung Ahn
- Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea.
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Brányiková I, Lucáková S, Kuncová G, Trögl J, Synek V, Rohovec J, Navrátil T. Estimation of Hg(II) in Soil Samples by Bioluminescent Bacterial Bioreporter E. coli ARL1, and the Effect of Humic Acids and Metal Ions on the Biosensor Performance. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20113138. [PMID: 32498220 PMCID: PMC7308967 DOI: 10.3390/s20113138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mercury is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant of dominantly anthropogenic origin. A critical concern for human health is the introduction of mercury to the food chain; therefore, monitoring of mercury levels in agricultural soil is essential. Unfortunately, the total mercury content is not sufficiently informative as mercury can be present in different forms with variable bioavailability. Since 1990, the use of bioreporters has been investigated for assessment of the bioavailability of pollutants; however, real contaminated soils have rarely been used in these studies. In this work, a bioassay with whole-cell bacterial bioreporter Escherichia coli ARL1 was used for estimation of bioavailable concentration of mercury in 11 soil samples. The bioreporter emits bioluminescence in the presence of Hg(II). Four different pretreatments of soil samples prior to the bioassay were tested. Among them, laccase mediated extraction was found to be the most suitable over water extraction, alkaline extraction, and direct use of water-soil suspensions. Nevertheless, effect of the matrix on bioreporter signal was found to be severe and not possible to be completely eliminated by the method of standard addition. In order to elucidate the matrix role, influences of humic acid and selected metal ions present in soil on the bioreporter signal were tested separately in laboratory solutions. Humic acids were found to have a positive effect on the bioreporter growth, but a negative effect on the measured bioluminescence, likely due to shading and Hg binding resulting in decreased bioavailability. Each of the tested metal ions solutions affected the bioluminescence signal differently; cobalt (II) positively, iron (III) negatively, and the effects of iron (II) and nickel (II) were dependent on their concentrations. In conclusion, the information on bioavailable mercury estimated by bioreporter E. coli ARL1 is valuable, but the results must be interpreted with caution. The route to functional bioavailability bioassay remains long.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irena Brányiková
- Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 135, CZ-16502 Prague 6, Czech Republic; (I.B.); (S.L.); (G.K.)
| | - Simona Lucáková
- Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 135, CZ-16502 Prague 6, Czech Republic; (I.B.); (S.L.); (G.K.)
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Chemistry & Technology, Prague, Technická 5, CZ-16628 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Gabriela Kuncová
- Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 135, CZ-16502 Prague 6, Czech Republic; (I.B.); (S.L.); (G.K.)
- Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústi nad Labem, Králova Výšina 3132/7, CZ-40096 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic;
| | - Josef Trögl
- Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústi nad Labem, Králova Výšina 3132/7, CZ-40096 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +42-04-7528-4153
| | - Václav Synek
- Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústi nad Labem, Králova Výšina 3132/7, CZ-40096 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic;
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, CZ-16500 Prague 6, Czech Republic; (J.R.); (T.N.)
| | - Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, CZ-16500 Prague 6, Czech Republic; (J.R.); (T.N.)
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Gómez-Armesto A, Martínez-Cortizas A, Ferro-Vázquez C, Méndez-López M, Arias-Estévez M, Nóvoa-Muñoz JC. Modelling Hg mobility in podzols: Role of soil components and environmental implications. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 260:114040. [PMID: 32004966 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A high-resolution soil sampling has been applied to two forest podzols (ACB-I and ACB-II) from SW Europe in order to investigate the soil components and processes influencing the content, accumulation and vertical distribution of Hg. Total Hg contents (THg) were 28.0 and 23.6 μg kg-1 in A horizons of ACB-I and ACB-II, then they strongly decreased in the E horizons and peaked in the Bhs horizons of both soils (55.3 and 63.0 μg kg-1). THg decreased again in BwC horizons to 17.0 and 39.8 μg kg-1. The Bhs horizons accounted for 46 and 38% of the total Hg stored (ACB-I and ACB-II, respectively). Principal component analysis (PCA) and principal components regression (PCR), i.e. using the extracted components as predictors, allowed to distinguish the soil components that accounted for Hg accumulation in each horizon. The obtained model accurately predicted accumulated Hg (R2 = 0.845) through four principal components (PCs). In A horizons, Hg distribution was controlled by fresh soil organic matter (PC4), whereas in E horizons the negative values of all PCs were consistent with the absence of components able to retain Hg and the corresponding very low THg concentrations. Maximum THg contents in Bhs horizons coincided with the highest peaks of reactive Fe and Al compounds (PC1 and PC2) and secondary crystalline minerals (PC3) in both soils. The THg distribution in the deepest horizons (Bw and BwC) seemed to be influenced by other pedogenetic processes than those operating in the upper part of the profile (A, E and Bhs horizons). Our findings confirm the importance of soils in the global Hg cycling, as they exhibit significant Hg pools in horizons below the uppermost O and A horizons, preventing its mobilization to other environmental compartments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antía Gómez-Armesto
- Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain; Environmental Technology and Assessment Laboratory, Campus da Auga- Campus of Ourense, University of Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain.
| | - Antonio Martínez-Cortizas
- Eco-Past (GI-1553), Faculty of Biology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Santiago, Spain
| | - Cruz Ferro-Vázquez
- ICArEHB-Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology of Human Behaviour, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, University of Algarve, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal
| | - Melissa Méndez-López
- Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain; Environmental Technology and Assessment Laboratory, Campus da Auga- Campus of Ourense, University of Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain
| | - Manuel Arias-Estévez
- Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Nóvoa-Muñoz
- Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia do Solo, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain; Environmental Technology and Assessment Laboratory, Campus da Auga- Campus of Ourense, University of Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain
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Debure M, Grangeon S, Robinet JC, Madé B, Fernández AM, Lerouge C. Influence of soil redox state on mercury sorption and reduction capacity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 707:136069. [PMID: 31865071 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the mechanisms of interactions between divalent aqueous Hg and rock samples originating from an outcropping rock formation, the Albian Tégulines Clay (France, Aube). Two solid samples collected at two different depths (7.7 and 21.2 m depth) in the rock formation were selected since, in situ, they had and were still experiencing contrasting redox conditions, and thus had different mineralogy with regards to the minerals containing redox-sensitive elements, in particular iron. The sample that was the closer to the surface was under oxidizing conditions and contained goethite and siderite, while the deeper one was under reducing conditions and had more siderite, together with pyrite and magnetite. The redox state of the samples was preserved throughout the present study by careful conditioning, preparation, and use them under O2-free conditions. The two samples had similar affinity for Hg, with a retention coefficient (RD) ranging between 102 and 106 mol·kg-1 when the aqueous Hg concentration ranged between 4.4 and 107 ng·L-1 with the lowest concentration for the highest RD. However, the mechanisms of interaction differed. In the oxidized sample, no change in Hg redox state was observed, and the retention was due to reversible adsorption on the mineral phases (including organic matter). In contrast, upon interaction with the deeper and reduced sample, Hg was not only adsorbed on the mineral phases, but part of it was also reduced to dissolve elemental Hg. This reduction was attributed to magnetite and siderite and highlights the influence of mineralogy on the geochemical cycle of Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Benoît Madé
- Andra, R&D Division, Transfer Migration Group, 92298 Châtenay-Malabry, France
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Diringer SE, Berky AJ, Marani M, Ortiz EJ, Karatum O, Plata DL, Pan WK, Hsu-Kim H. Deforestation Due to Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Exacerbates Soil and Mercury Mobilization in Madre de Dios, Peru. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:286-296. [PMID: 31825606 PMCID: PMC7244384 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b06620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a significant contributor of mercury (Hg) contamination and deforestation across the globe. In the Colorado River watershed in Madre de Dios, Peru, mining and deforestation have increased exponentially since the 1980s, resulting in major socioeconomic shifts in the region and two national state of emergency (2016 and 2019) in response to concerns for wide-scale mercury poisoning by these activities. This research employed a watershed-scale soil particle detachment model and environmental field sampling to estimate the role of land cover change and soil erosion on river transport of Hg in a heavily ASGM-impacted watershed. The model estimated that observed decreases in forest cover increased soil mobilization by a factor of two in the Colorado River watershed during the 18 year period and by 4-fold in the Puquiri subwatershed (the area of most concentrated ASGM activity). If deforestation continues to increase at its current exponential rate through 2030, the annual mobilization of soil and Hg may increase by an additional 20-25% relative to 2014 levels. While, the estimated total mass of Hg transported by rivers is substantially less than the estimated tons of Hg used with ASGM in Peru, this research shows that deforestation associated with ASGM is an additional mechanism for mobilizing naturally occurring and anthropogenic Hg from terrestrial landscapes to aquatic environments in the region, potentially leading to bioaccumulation in fish and exposure to communities downstream.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Diringer
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Axel J. Berky
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Marco Marani
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Ernesto J. Ortiz
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Osman Karatum
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Desiree L. Plata
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - William K. Pan
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710 USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- co-corresponding authors: W.K. Pan: , (919) 684-4108; H. Hsu-Kim: , (919) 660-5109
| | - Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- co-corresponding authors: W.K. Pan: , (919) 684-4108; H. Hsu-Kim: , (919) 660-5109
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38
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Pérez PA, Hintelmann H, Lobos G, Bravo MA. Mercury and methylmercury levels in soils associated with coal-fired power plants in central-northern Chile. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 237:124535. [PMID: 31549652 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury pollution is a worldwide problem, and is associated with a number of natural and anthropogenic processes. The present work, conducted in Chile, a country that has traditionally depended heavily on fossil fuels for power generation, examines total mercury (THg) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations in soils across different sites exposed to coal fired power plant emissions. Samples from four selected (Renca, Laguna Verde, Las Ventanas, Huasco) and 1 control (Quintay) sites were analyzed using cold vapour and fluorescence spectroscopy (CV-AFS) for THg determination and chromatographic separation with atomic fluorescence detection (DI-GC-AFS) was followed for speciation analysis. From the sites analyzed, Renca and Las Ventanas showed high concentrations of total mercury, exhibiting ranges between 135 - 568 and 94-464 ng g-1 respectively, while Laguna Verde and Huasco exhibited lower values ranged 5-27 and 9-44 ng g-1 respectively. Conversely, analysis of MMHg concentrations showed that only Renca site possessed high values, ranging between 0.1 and 3.0 ng g-1, resulting in this site being considered contaminated. Conversely, other sites showed minimal values comparable to the control site (0.024 ± 0.003 ng g-1) in terms of MMHg concentrations. An analysis of the differences between MMHg and THg concentrations in contaminated sites, suggests an overall absence of methylation in soils of Las Ventanas, probably related to the very high levels of soil heavy metals, especially copper. Moreover, the influence of the composition and physicochemical properties of the different soils on the mobility of the species was assessed. Results obtained (as Log Kd) were 3.5 and 4.1 for Renca and Las Ventanas respectively, suggesting low mobility of mercury species in the environment for both sites. Finally, the data obtained allowed us to establish a first approximation of the differences in concentration and mobility of total and MMHg associated with coal fired power plants emission in central-northern Chile, an area previously understudied in a country heavily dependent on fossil-fuels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Pérez
- Instituto de Ciencias Naturales Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida. Universidad de Antofagasta S/N, Antofagasta, Chile; Universidad de Antofagasta Stable Isotope Facility, Instituto de Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avenida. Universidad de Antofagasta S/N, Antofagasta, Chile.
| | - Holger Hintelmann
- Department of Chemistry, Trent University, Water Quality Centre, 1600, West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gabriela Lobos
- Laboratorio de Química Analítica y Ambiental, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Manuel A Bravo
- Laboratorio de Química Analítica y Ambiental, Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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Diouf M, Sillam-Dussès D, Alphonse V, Frechault S, Miambi E, Mora P. Mercury species in the nests and bodies of soil-feeding termites, Silvestritermes spp. (Termitidae, Syntermitinae), in French Guiana. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 254:113064. [PMID: 31479810 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury pollution is currently a major public health concern, given the adverse effects of mercury on wildlife and humans. Soil plays an essential role in speciation of mercury and its global cycling, while being a habitat for a wide range of terrestrial fauna. Soil fauna, primarily soil-feeding taxa that are in intimate contact with soil pollutants are key contributors in the cycling of soil mercury and might provide relevant indications about soil pollution. We studied the enrichment of various mercury species in the nests and bodies of soil-feeding termites Silvestritermes spp. in French Guiana. Soil-feeding termites are the only social insects using soil as both shelter and food and are major decomposers of organic matter in neotropical forests. Nests of S. minutus were depleted in total and mobile mercury compared to nearby soil. In contrast, they were enriched 17 times in methylmercury. The highest concentrations of methylmercury were found in body of both studied termite species, with mean bioconcentration factors of 58 for S. minutus and 179 for S. holmgreni relative to the soil. The assessment of the body distribution of methylmercury in S. minutus showed concentrations of 221 ng g-1 for the guts and even higher for the gut-free carcasses (683 ng g-1), suggesting that methylmercury is not confined to the gut where it was likely produced, but rather stored in various tissues. This enrichment in the most toxic form of Hg in termites may be of concern on termite predators and the higher levels in the food chain that may be endangered through prey-to-predator transfers and bioaccumulation. Soil-feeding termites appear to be promising candidates as bio-indicators of mercury pollution in soils of neotropical rainforest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Diouf
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES, Paris), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France.
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- Université Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, 99 avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, 93430 Villetaneuse, France
| | - Vanessa Alphonse
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Laboratoire Eau, Environnement, Systèmes Urbains (LEESU), UMR-MA 102, 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Frechault
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES, Paris), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Edouard Miambi
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES, Paris), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
| | - Philippe Mora
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologie, Université Paris Est Créteil, Département ECOEVO, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES, Paris), 61 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France
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40
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Vacca AJ, Cottingham KL. No detectable changes in crayfish behavior due to sublethal dietary mercury exposure. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2019; 182:109440. [PMID: 31336228 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury, and particularly its organic form, methylmercury (MeHg), is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant with documented dosage-dependent adverse effects on endpoints spanning many levels of biological organization. However, relatively little is known about the sublethal impacts of environmentally-relevant exposures on behavioral characteristics that may impact predator-prey relationships, and thus the potential for Hg bioaccumulation within food webs due to behavioral impairments. This study investigated the potential for dietary mercury exposure to impair two behavioral outcomes in the highly invasive rusty crayfish, Faxonius rusticus, which are expected to influence interactions with their fish predators: the tail-flip escape response and chelae pinch strength. Field-caught animals were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with mean (±1 SE) dry-weight total Hg (THg) concentrations of 3.52 ± 0.57, 114.01 ± 4.05, 274.10 ± 0.38, and 565.79 ± 1.33 ng/g in the control, low, moderate and high exposure treatments, respectively, for 16 weeks. After initial observations, exposures began and mass and behavior were measured every two weeks. At the end of the experiment, THg concentrations in tail muscle tissue were significantly higher in the high exposure treatment than in the control and low exposure treatments (Tukey's HSD, family-wise α = 0.05). Exposure-dependent declines in survival, mass, pinch strength, or tail-flip escape response velocity were not detected within the 12- to 16-week experimental exposure period, which represents one season of the crayfish's 3-4 year lifespan. This suggests that crayfish may be relatively tolerant of dietary exposure to sublethal concentrations of mercury within a single season. Further investigation of the physiological underpinnings of this tolerance is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Vacca
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.
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41
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Omara T, Karungi S, Kalukusu R, Nakabuye B, Kagoya S, Musau B. Mercuric pollution of surface water, superficial sediments, Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis nilotica Linnaeus 1758 [Cichlidae]) and yams ( Dioscorea alata) in auriferous areas of Namukombe stream, Syanyonja, Busia, Uganda. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7919. [PMID: 31656704 PMCID: PMC6812675 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The mercury content and the contamination characteristics of water, sediments, edible muscles of a non-piscivorous fish (Oreochromis nilotica Linnaeus 1758 [Cichlidae]) and yams (Dioscorea alata) from Namukombe stream in Busia gold district of Uganda were evaluated. Human health risk assessment from consumption of contaminated fish and yams as well as contact with contaminated sediments from the stream were performed. Forty-eight (48) samples of water (n = 12), sediments (n = 12), fish (n = 12) and yams (n = 12) were taken at intervals of 10 m from three gold recovery sites located at up, middle and down sluices of the stream and analyzed for total mercury (THg) using US EPA method 1631. Results (presented as means ± standard deviations) showed that water in the stream is polluted with mercury in the range of < detection limit to 1.21 ± 0.040 mg/L while sediments contain mean THg from < detection limit to 0.14 ± 0.040 ugg-1. Mean THg content of the edible muscles of O. nilotica ranged from < detection limit to 0.11 ± 0.014 ugg-1while D. alata contained from < detection limit to 0.30 ± 0.173 ugg-1mean THg. The estimated daily intake ranged from 0.0049 ugg-1day-1 to 0.0183 ugg-1day-1 and 0.0200 ugg-1day-1 to 0.0730 ugg-1day-1 for fish consumed by adults and children respectively. The corresponding health risk indices ranged from 0.0123 to 0.0458 and 0.0500 to 0.1830. Estimated daily intake was from 0.0042 ugg-1day-1 to 0.1279 ugg-1day-1 and 0.0130 ugg-1day-1 to 0.3940 ugg-1day-1 for D. alata consumed by adults and children respectively. The health risk indices recorded were from 0.011 to 0.320 and 0.033 to 0.985 for adults and children respectively. The mean THg content of the sediments, edible muscles of O. nilotica and D. alata were within acceptable WHO/US EPA limits. About 91.7% of the water samples had mean THg above US EPA maximum permissible limit for mercury in drinking water. Consumption of D. alata grown within 5 m radius up sluice of Namukombe stream may pose deleterious health risks as reflected by the health risk index of 0.985 being very close to one. From the pollution and risk assessments, mercury use should be delimited in Syanyonja artisanal gold mining areas. A solution to abolish mercury-based gold mining in the area needs to be sought as soon as possible to avert the accentuating health, economic and ecological disaster arising from the continuous discharge of mercury into the surrounding areas. Other mercury-free gold recovering methods such as use of borax, sluice boxes and direct panning should be encouraged. Waste management system for contaminated wastewater, used mercury bottles and tailings should be centralized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Omara
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Moi University, Uasin Gishu County, Kesses, Eldoret, Kenya.,Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Product Development Directory, AgroWays Uganda Limited, Kyabazinga way, Jinja, Uganda
| | - Shakilah Karungi
- Department of Mining and Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Busitema University, Busitema, Tororo, Uganda
| | - Raymond Kalukusu
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Leading Distillers Uganda Limited, Kampala, Uganda
| | - BrendaVictoria Nakabuye
- Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Leading Distillers Uganda Limited, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Food Processing Technology, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sarah Kagoya
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Product Development Directory, Sweets and Confectionaries Section, Kakira Sugar Limited, Jinja, Uganda
| | - Bashir Musau
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda.,Department of Quality Control and Quality Assurance, Leading Distillers Uganda Limited, Kampala, Uganda
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42
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Kumar A, Wu S. Mercury Pollution in the Arctic from Wildfires: Source Attribution for the 2000s. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:11269-11275. [PMID: 31479246 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury (Hg) is a global environmental pollutant, with wildfire emissions being an important source. There have been growing concerns on Hg contamination in the Arctic region, which is largely attributed to long-range transport from lower latitude regions. In this work, we estimate the contributions of wildfire emissions from various source regions to Hg pollution in the Arctic (66° N to 90° N) using a newly developed global Hg wildfire emissions inventory and an atmospheric chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem). Our results show that global wildfires contribute to about 10% (15 Mg year-1) of the total annual Hg deposition to the Arctic, with the most important source region being Eurasia, which contribute to 5.3% of the total annual Hg deposition followed by Africa (2.5%) and North America (1%). The substantial contributions from the Eurasia region are driven by the strong wildfire activity in the boreal forests. The total wildfire-induced Hg deposition to the Arctic amounts to about one-third of the deposition caused by present-day anthropogenic emissions. We also find that wildfires result in significant Hg deposition to the Arctic across all seasons (winter: 8.3%, spring: 7%, summer: 11%, and fall: 14.6%) with the largest deposition occurring during the boreal fire season. These findings indicate that wildfire is a significant source for Arctic Hg contamination and also demonstrate the importance of boreal forest in the global and regional Hg cycle through the mobilization of sequestered Hg reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Kumar
- Now at Space Science and Engineering Center , University of Wisconsin , Madison , Wisconsin 53706 , United States
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Xie H, Liu M, He Y, Lin H, Yu C, Deng C, Wang X. An experimental study of the impacts of solar radiation and temperature on mercury emission from different natural soils across China. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:545. [PMID: 31392424 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7717-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) emission from natural soil is one of the most important contributors to global Hg cycles. Research on Hg emission from soil to air has been carried out in China. Currently, most of the research focuses on contaminated sites in China, while research in other regions is rare. To provide more accurate information on Hg emissions from soil to air in China and obtain additional laboratory data to verify the role of solar radiation and temperature in this process, we sampled and measured Hg emission fluxes from various natural soils (range, 48-240 ng/g) across mainland China under different solar radiation (0-900 W·m-2) and temperature (15-45 °C) conditions in a laboratory. We found that in different places in China, Hg emissions from natural soils occurred more easily when the soil Hg concentration, temperature, and solar radiation were high, but the impacts were different among the regions due to different soil types. Hg emissions from natural soils (0.071-24 ng·m2·h-1) were typically lower than those from contaminated sites, suggesting that additional measurements in natural soils are desirable. The results of this study could provide more accurate information on Hg emission from natural soil to air and help establish a nationwide natural soil Hg emission inventory in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xie
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Maodian Liu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
| | - Yipeng He
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Huiming Lin
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Chenghao Yu
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Chunyan Deng
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xuejun Wang
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Thomas SC, Tamadonfar KO, Seymour CO, Lai D, Dodsworth JA, Murugapiran SK, Eloe-Fadrosh EA, Dijkstra P, Hedlund BP. Position-Specific Metabolic Probing and Metagenomics of Microbial Communities Reveal Conserved Central Carbon Metabolic Network Activities at High Temperatures. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1427. [PMID: 31333598 PMCID: PMC6624737 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Temperature is a primary driver of microbial community composition and taxonomic diversity; however, it is unclear to what extent temperature affects characteristics of central carbon metabolic pathways (CCMPs) at the community level. In this study, 16S rRNA gene amplicon and metagenome sequencing were combined with 13C-labeled metabolite probing of the CCMPs to assess community carbon metabolism along a temperature gradient (60–95°C) in Great Boiling Spring, NV. 16S rRNA gene amplicon diversity was inversely proportional to temperature, and Archaea were dominant at higher temperatures. KO richness and diversity were also inversely proportional to temperature, yet CCMP genes were similarly represented across the temperature gradient and many individual metagenome-assembled genomes had complete pathways. In contrast, genes encoding cellulosomes and many genes involved in plant matter degradation and photosynthesis were absent at higher temperatures. In situ13C-CO2 production from labeled isotopomer pairs of glucose, pyruvate, and acetate suggested lower relative oxidative pentose phosphate pathway activity and/or fermentation at 60°C, and a stable or decreased maintenance energy demand at higher temperatures. Catabolism of 13C-labeled citrate, succinate, L-alanine, L-serine, and L-cysteine was observed at 85°C, demonstrating broad heterotrophic activity and confirming functioning of the TCA cycle. Together, these results suggest that temperature-driven losses in biodiversity and gene content in geothermal systems may not alter CCMP function or maintenance energy demands at a community level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Thomas
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Kevin O Tamadonfar
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Cale O Seymour
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Dengxun Lai
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Jeremy A Dodsworth
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, CA, United States
| | | | - Emiley A Eloe-Fadrosh
- Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA, United States
| | - Paul Dijkstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center of Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States.,Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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45
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Ding LY, Zhang YY, Zhang LJ, Fang F, He NN, Liang P, Wu SC, Wong MH, Tao HC. Mercury methylation by Geobacter metallireducens GS-15 in the presence of Skeletonema costatum. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 671:208-214. [PMID: 30928750 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this study, bacterial mercury (Hg) methylation was investigated under the influence of red-tide algae of Skeletonema costatum (S. costatum). The distribution and speciation of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were profiled by employing Geobacter metallireducens (G. metallireducens GS-15) as the methylating bacteria. G. metallireducens GS-15 showed different capabilities in methylating different inorganic forms of Hg(II) (HgCl2) and Hg(II)-Algae (HgCl2 captured by S. costatum) to MeHg. In the absence of S. costatum, a maximum methylation efficiency of 4.31 ± 0.47% was achieved with Hg(II) of 1-100 μg L-1, while accelerated MeHg formation rate was detected at a higher initial Hg(II) concentration. In the presence of S. costatum, there were distinct changes in the distribution of THg and MeHg by altering the bioavailability of Hg(II) and Hg(II)-Algae. A larger proportion of THg tended to be retained by a higher algal biomass, resulting in decreased methylation efficiencies. The methylation efficiency of Hg(II) decreased from 3.01 ± 0.10% to 1.01 ± 0.01% with 10-mL and 250-mL algal media, and that of Hg(II)-Algae decreased from 0.83 ± 0.13% to 0.22 ± 0.01% with 10-mL and 250-mL Hg(II)-Algae media. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, surface charge properties and elemental compositions of S. costatum were used to infer that amine, carboxyl and sulfonate functional groups were most likely to interact with Hg(II) through complexation and/or electrostatic attraction. These results suggest that red-tide algae may be an influencing factor on bacterial Hg methylation in eutrophic water bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Yun Ding
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yao-Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Li-Juan Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Fang Fang
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Ning-Ning He
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Peng Liang
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Linan 311300, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Sheng Chun Wu
- School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Linan 311300, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Ming Hung Wong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Groundwater Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Integrated Water-Groundwater Pollution Control, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China; Consortium on Health, Environment, Education and Research (CHEER), Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hu-Chun Tao
- Key Laboratory for Heavy Metal Pollution Control and Reutilization, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China.
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46
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Padalkar PP, Chakraborty P, Chennuri K, Jayachandran S, Sitlhou L, Nanajkar M, Tilvi S, Singh K. Molecular characteristics of sedimentary organic matter in controlling mercury (Hg) and elemental mercury (Hg 0) distribution in tropical estuarine sediments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 668:592-601. [PMID: 30856569 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in hosting and reducing HgII in marine/estuarine sediment. This study provides a better understanding on the influence of nature of SOM, in regulating sedimentary mercury (Hg) and elemental mercury (Hg0) distribution, and speciation in the Zuari and Mandovi Estuaries that are representative of monsoon fed tropical estuaries, located in the central west coast of India. Salinity of the overlying water column controlled the physical and chemical characteristics of SOM in the estuarine systems. The high molecular weight (MW) SOM dominated at the mid and upstream (low salinity region) of the estuaries, whereas, the low MW SOM prevailed at the downstream (high salinity region). Sediment Hg showed more affinity towards the SOM of high MW. Increasing MW of SOM increased total sedimentary HgT in both the estuaries. SOM with low MW in the estuarine sediment displayed a negative relationship with the sediment Hg concentration. Distribution of Hg0 concentration in the estuarine sediment suggests that reduction of HgII in presence low MW SOM was a dominant process. It was also found that distribution and speciation of Hg0 in the estuarine sediment depends on the quantity, quality of the SOM, and the total sediment Hg loading. This study demonstrated that the competition between Hg-SOM complexation and HgII reduction by SOM controls HgII/Hg0 distribution in tropical estuarine sediment systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prasad P Padalkar
- Geological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Parthasarathi Chakraborty
- Geological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India; Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
| | - Kartheek Chennuri
- Geological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Saranya Jayachandran
- Geological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Lamjahao Sitlhou
- Geological Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Mandar Nanajkar
- Business Development Group, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Supriya Tilvi
- Chemical Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
| | - Keisham Singh
- Chemical Oceanography Division, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa 403004, India
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Rodenhouse NL, Lowe WH, Gebauer RLE, McFarland KP, Bank MS. Mercury bioaccumulation in temperate forest food webs associated with headwater streams. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 665:1125-1134. [PMID: 30893744 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The soils and food webs associated with mid to high elevation, forested, headwater streams in northeastern North America are potential hotspots for mercury (Hg) methylation and bioaccumulation, but are not well studied. Our goals were to quantify total Hg (THg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) concentrations in soils and terrestrial food webs associated with headwater streams of northern hardwood forests to identify predictors of small-scale spatial variation in Hg bioaccumulation. We sampled soil characteristics that promote Hg methylation including pH, sulfur and calcium content, and organic matter. To assess spatial variation, we sampled at high (~700 m asl) and mid elevations (~500 m asl), both adjacent to (<1 m) and away from (>75 m) three replicate headwater streams in each of two watersheds of the White Mountains region, New Hampshire, USA. Soils of these forested watersheds differed significantly in pH and the content of calcium, sulfur, organic matter and THg. Conditions for methylation were more favorable in the upland forest sites compared to streamside sites. Significant bioaccumulation of THg occurred in all measured components of the food web, including insects, spiders, salamanders, and birds. Trophic position, as determined by δ15N, was the best predictor of both THg and MeHg bioaccumulation across the sampled taxa and was also a better predictor than spatial location. However, the degree of bioaccumulation at which MeHg significantly affects animal behavior, reproduction or survival is unknown for most taxa in terrestrial habitats, particularly for invertebrates. These findings show that Hg methylation and bioaccumulation is not limited to areas traditionally classified as wetlands or to areas with exceptionally high THg inputs, but that it is a widespread and important phenomenon in the moist deciduous forests of eastern North America.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Winsor H Lowe
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | | | | | - Michael S Bank
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA; Institute of Marine Research, Postboks 1870, Nordnes 5817, Bergen, Norway
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48
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Liu T, Wang J, Feng X, Zhang H, Zhu Z, Cheng S. Spectral insight into thiosulfate-induced mercury speciation transformation in a historically polluted soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 657:938-944. [PMID: 30677959 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We studied the effect of different doses (0.5%, 2% and 5% (w/w)) of ammonium thiosulfate on mercury (Hg) speciation fractionation following its addition to the soil, as well as its accumulation by oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), corn (Zea mays L.), and sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), and compared them to a non-treated control in a historically polluted soil. The oilseed rape, corn, and sweet potato were planted consecutively in the same soils on days 30, 191, and 276, respectively after the addition of thiosulfate to the soil. The key results showed that bioavailable Hg contents in the rhizosphere soils ranged from 0.18 to 2.54 μg kg-1, 0.28 to 2.77 μg kg-1, and 0.24 to 2.22 μg kg-1, respectively, for the 0.5%, 2% and 5% thiosulfate treatments, which were close to the control soil (0.25 to 1.98 μg kg-1). The Hg L3-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) results showed a tendency of the Hg speciation to transform from the Hg(SR)2 (initial soil, 56%; day-191 soil, 43%; day-276 soil, 46%, and day-356 soil, 16%) to nano particulated HgS (initial soil, 26%; day-191 soil, 42%; day-276 soil, 42%, and day-356 soil, 73%) with time in the soil treated with a 5% dose of thiosulfate. The Hg contents in the tissues of the crops, except for oilseed rape, were slightly affected by the addition of thiosulfate to the soil at all dosages, compared to the control. The addition of thiosulfate did not induce the movement of bioavailable Hg to the lower layer of the soil profile. We conclude a promotion of Hg immobilization by thiosulfate in the soil for over one year, offering a promising method for in-situ Hg remediation at Hg mining regions in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jianxu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China.
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China.
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China
| | - Zongqiang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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49
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Mbanga O, Ncube S, Tutu H, Chimuka L, Cukrowska E. Mercury accumulation and biotransportation in wetland biota affected by gold mining. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2019; 191:186. [PMID: 30806796 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7329-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Phytoremediation is a cost-effective, eco-friendly technology for the removal of metals from polluted areas. In this study, six different plant species (Datura stramonium, Phragmites australis, Persicaria lapathifolia, Melilotus alba, Panicum coloratum, and Cyperus eragrostis) growing in a gold mine contaminated wetland were investigated as potential phytoremediators of mercury. The accumulation of total mercury and methylmercury in plant tissues was determined during the wet and dry seasons to establish the plants' variability in accumulation. The highest accumulation of total mercury was in the tissues of Phragmites australis with recorded concentrations of 806, 495, and 833 μg kg-1 in the roots, stem, and leaves, respectively, during the dry season. The lowest accumulation levels were recorded for Melilotus alba during both seasons. The highest amount of the methylmercury was found in Phragmites australis during the dry season with a value of 618 μg kg-1. The accumulation and biotransportation were not significantly different between the seasons for some plants. The results of this study indicated that plants growing in wetlands can be used for phytoremediation of mercury and suggest the choice of species for constructed wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odwa Mbanga
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Somandla Ncube
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Hlanganani Tutu
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Luke Chimuka
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa
| | - Ewa Cukrowska
- Molecular Sciences Institute, School of Chemistry, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag X3, Johannesburg, 2050, South Africa.
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Lee S, Roh Y, Kim KW. Influence of chloride ions on the reduction of mercury species in the presence of dissolved organic matter. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2019; 41:71-79. [PMID: 29761243 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-018-0121-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercuric species, Hg(II), interacts strongly with dissolved organic matter (DOM) through the oxidation, reduction, and complexation that affect the fate, bioavailability, and cycling of mercury, Hg, in aquatic environments. Despite its importance, the reactions between Hg(II) and DOM have rarely been studied in the presence of different concentrations of chloride ions (Cl-) under anoxic conditions. Here, we report that the extent of Hg(II) reduction in the presence of the reduced DOM decreases with increasing Cl- concentrations. The rate constants of Hg(II) reduction ranged from 0.14 to 1.73 h-1 in the presence of Cl- and were lower than the rate constant (2.41 h-1) in the absence of Cl-. Using a thermodynamic model, we showed that stable Hg(II)-chloride complexes were formed in the presence of Cl-. We further examined that H(0) was oxidized to Hg(II) in the presence of the reduced DOM and Cl- under anoxic conditions, indicating that Hg(II) reduction is inhibited by the Hg(0) oxidation. Therefore, the Hg(II) reduction by the reduced DOM can be offset due to the Hg(II)-chloride complexation and Hg(0) oxidation in chloride-rich environments. These processes can significantly influence the speciation of Hg and have an important implication for the behavior of Hg under environmentally relevant concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyong Lee
- Environmental Assessment Group, Korea Environment Institute (KEI), 370 Sicheong-daero, Sejong, 30147, Republic of Korea
- Geologic Environment Division, Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM), Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34132, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghee Roh
- Institute for Korean Regional Studies, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung-Woong Kim
- Faculty of Environmental Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea.
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