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Peng X, Yang Y, Yang S, Li L, Song L. Recent advance of microbial mercury methylation in the environment. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:235. [PMID: 38407657 PMCID: PMC10896945 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12967-6] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Methylmercury formation is mainly driven by microbial-mediated process. The mechanism of microbial mercury methylation has become a crucial research topic for understanding methylation in the environment. Pioneering studies of microbial mercury methylation are focusing on functional strain isolation, microbial community composition characterization, and mechanism elucidation in various environments. Therefore, the functional genes of microbial mercury methylation, global isolations of Hg methylation strains, and their methylation potential were systematically analyzed, and methylators in typical environments were extensively reviewed. The main drivers (key physicochemical factors and microbiota) of microbial mercury methylation were summarized and discussed. Though significant progress on the mechanism of the Hg microbial methylation has been explored in recent decade, it is still limited in several aspects, including (1) molecular biology techniques for identifying methylators; (2) characterization methods for mercury methylation potential; and (3) complex environmental properties (environmental factors, complex communities, etc.). Accordingly, strategies for studying the Hg microbial methylation mechanism were proposed. These strategies include the following: (1) the development of new molecular biology methods to characterize methylation potential; (2) treating the environment as a micro-ecosystem and studying them from a holistic perspective to clearly understand mercury methylation; (3) a more reasonable and sensitive inhibition test needs to be considered. KEY POINTS: • Global Hg microbial methylation is phylogenetically and functionally discussed. • The main drivers of microbial methylation are compared in various condition. • Future study of Hg microbial methylation is proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuya Peng
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Street, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Street, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Shu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Street, Chongqing, 400045, China.
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Lei Li
- Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, No. 174, Shapingba Street, Chongqing, 400045, China
| | - Liyan Song
- School of resources and environmental engineering, Anhui University, No 111 Jiulong Road, Economic and Technology Development Zone, Hefei, 230601, People's Republic of China.
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Diverse Methylmercury (MeHg) Producers and Degraders Inhabit Acid Mine Drainage Sediments, but Few Taxa Correlate with MeHg Accumulation. mSystems 2023; 8:e0073622. [PMID: 36507660 PMCID: PMC9948709 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00736-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a notorious neurotoxin, and its production and degradation in the environment are mainly driven by microorganisms. A variety of microbial MeHg producers carrying the gene pair hgcAB and degraders carrying the merB gene have been separately reported in recent studies. However, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat, and no studies have been performed to explore to what extent these two contrasting microbial groups correlate with MeHg accumulation in the habitat of interest. Here, we collected 86 acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments from an area spanning approximately 500,000 km2 in southern China and profiled the sediment-borne putative MeHg producers and degraders using genome-resolved metagenomics. 46 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) containing hgcAB and 93 MAGs containing merB were obtained, including those from various taxa without previously known MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms. These diverse MeHg-metabolizing MAGs were formed largely via multiple independent horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. The putative MeHg producers from Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes as well as MeHg degraders from Acidithiobacillia were closely correlated with MeHg accumulation in the sediments. Furthermore, these three taxa, in combination with two abiotic factors, explained over 60% of the variance in MeHg accumulation. Most of the members of these taxa were characterized by their metabolic potential for nitrogen fixation and copper tolerance. Overall, these findings improve our understanding of the ecology of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms and likely have implications for the development of management strategies for the reduction of MeHg accumulation in the AMD sediments. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms are the main drivers of MeHg production and degradation in the environment. However, little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat. We used genome-resolved metagenomics to reveal the vast phylogenetic and metabolic diversities of putative MeHg producers and degraders in AMD sediments. Our results show that the diversity of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms (particularly MeHg degraders) in AMD sediments is much higher than was previously recognized. Via multiple linear regression analysis, we identified both microbial and abiotic factors affecting MeHg accumulation in AMD sediments. Despite their great diversity, only a few taxa of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms were closely correlated with MeHg accumulation. This work underscores the importance of using genome-resolved metagenomics to survey MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms and provides a framework for the illumination of the microbial basis of MeHg accumulation via the characterization of physicochemical properties, MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms, and the correlations between them.
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Korejwo E, Saniewska D, Bełdowski J, Balazy P, Saniewski M. Mercury concentration and speciation in benthic organisms from Isfjorden, Svalbard. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 184:114115. [PMID: 36137440 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Polar regions are an important part of the global mercury cycle and interesting study sites due to different possible mercury sources. The full understanding of mercury transformations in the Arctic is difficult because this region is the systems in transition -where the effects of the global climate change are the most prominent. Benthic organisms can be valuable bioindicators of heavy metal contamination. In July 2018, selected benthic organisms: macroalgae, brittle stars, sea urchins, gastropods, and starfish were collected in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen. Two of the sampling stations were located inside the fjord system and one at the entrance to the fjord. The results showed that the starfish were the most contaminated with mercury. Total mercury concentrations in these organisms were at least 10 times higher than in other organisms. However, they effectively deal with mercury by transporting it to hard tissue. The dominant form of mercury was the labile form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Korejwo
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-412 Sopot. Poland.
| | - Dominika Saniewska
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Al. Marszałka Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378 Gdynia, Poland
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-412 Sopot. Poland
| | - Piotr Balazy
- Institute of Oceanology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-412 Sopot. Poland
| | - Michał Saniewski
- Institute of Meteorology and Water Management - National Research Institute, Waszyngtona 42, 81-342 Gdynia, Poland
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Mija A, Jules M B, Alexandre J P. Arsenate decreases production of methylmercury across increasing sulfate concentration amendments in freshwater lake sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1508-1516. [PMID: 35671194 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00543j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) and sulfate pollution are often found co-occurring as a result of smelting metal ores. Previous studies showed that sulfate reducing microbes (SRMs) can use As(V) as a terminal electron acceptor, while others reported that SRMs are the main mercury (Hg) methylators in freshwater systems. However, we have yet to fully explore how As(V) can affect methylmercury (MeHg) production. In this study, we examined whether additions of As(V) and sulfate in freshwater sediments collected near a major gold mine with a history of S and As emissions affect Hg methylation. First, we show that Hg methylation in lake sediments was primarily limited by carbon substrate availability rather than by that of sulfate as terminal electron acceptors. Then, under conditions where carbon is not limiting, sulfate addition to the system significantly increased Hg methylation rate constants. Finally, we show that MeHg production rates in sediments significantly decreased with increasing As(V) concentrations, regardless of the sulfate concentration amended to sediments. This work underscores the apparent antagonistic effects of As(V) on the one hand, and carbon and sulfate on the other hand on the kinetics of Hg methylation. Arsenic controls on Hg methylation are complex and a combination of direct impact on the methylators' fitness, the formation of As-bearing mineral phases affecting Hg bioavailability, or changes in the microbial community structures over increasing As concentrations should be the focus of additional investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aždajić Mija
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Blais Jules M
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - Poulain Alexandre J
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Schwartz GE, Muller KA, Rathore SS, Wilpiszeski RL, Carrell AA, Cregger MA, Elias DA, Podar M, Painter SL, Brooks SC. Incorporating concentration-dependent sediment microbial activity into methylmercury production kinetics modeling. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1392-1405. [PMID: 34727150 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00287b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In anoxic environments, anaerobic microorganisms carrying the hgcAB gene cluster can mediate the transformation of inorganic mercury (Hg(II)) to monomethylmercury (MMHg). The kinetics of Hg(II) transformation to MMHg in periphyton from East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) in Oak Ridge, TN have previously been modeled using a transient availability model (TAM). The TAM for Hg(II) methylation combines methylation/demethylation kinetics with kinetic expressions for processes that decrease Hg(II) and MMHg availability for methylation and demethylation (multisite sorption of Hg(II) and MMHg, Hg(II) reduction/Hg(0) oxidation). In this study, the TAM is used for the first time to describe MMHg production in sediment. We assessed MMHg production in sediment microcosms using two different sediment types from EFPC: a relatively anoxic, carbon-rich sediment with higher microbial activity (higher CO2 production from sediment) and a relatively oxic, sandy, carbon-poor sediment with lower microbial activity (lower CO2 production from sediment). Based on 16s rRNA sequencing, the overall microbial community structure in the two sediments was retained during the incubations. However, the hgcA containing methanogenic Euryarchaeota communities differed between sediment types and their growth followed different trajectories over the course of incubations, potentially contributing to the distinct patterns of MMHg production observed. The general TAM paradigm performed well in describing MMHg production in the sediments. However, the MMHg production and ancillary data suggested the need to revise the model structure to incorporate terms for concentration-dependent microbial activity over the course of the incubations. We modified the TAM to include Monod-type kinetics for methylation and demethylation and observed an improved fit for the carbon-rich, microbially active sediment. Overall our work shows that the TAM can be applied to describe Hg(II) methylation in sediments and that including expressions accounting for concentration-dependent microbial activity can improve the accuracy of the model description of the data in some cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Schwartz
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA.
| | - Katherine A Muller
- Earth Systems Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Saubhagya S Rathore
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA.
| | - Regina L Wilpiszeski
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA
| | - Alyssa A Carrell
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA
| | - Melissa A Cregger
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA
| | - Dwayne A Elias
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA
| | - Mircea Podar
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA
| | - Scott L Painter
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA.
| | - Scott C Brooks
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P. O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6038, USA.
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Fioramonti NE, Ribeiro Guevara S, Becker YA, Riccialdelli L. Mercury transfer in coastal and oceanic food webs from the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 175:113365. [PMID: 35114547 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113365] [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: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), in marine trophic webs is a critical topic in the scientific community due to the high concentrations encountered in organisms. In this study we attempted to provide information on total Hg accumulation patterns and possible pathways of trophic transfers assessed in combination with δ13C and δ15N to understand how this contaminant permeates three sub-Antarctic food webs: the Beagle Channel (BC), the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego (AC-TDF) and Burdwood Bank (BB). We found a site-specific pattern of Hg transfer and biomagnification processes, while the oceanic BB showed major Hg transfer through the pelagic domain, coastal sectors (BC and AC-TDF) indicate a general biodilution process but with Hg concentrations incrementing with the benthivory grade. This represents a dissimilar Hg bioavailability for marine consumers that rely on different diet and forage in different habitats, and may become an issue of important conservation concern for these southern areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- N E Fioramonti
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bernardo Houssay 200, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
| | - S Ribeiro Guevara
- Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, Av E. Bustillo Km 9.500, Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Y A Becker
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bernardo Houssay 200, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
| | - L Riccialdelli
- Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Bernardo Houssay 200, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
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7
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Lei P, Zhang J, Zhu J, Tan Q, Kwong RWM, Pan K, Jiang T, Naderi M, Zhong H. Algal Organic Matter Drives Methanogen-Mediated Methylmercury Production in Water from Eutrophic Shallow Lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:10811-10820. [PMID: 34236181 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Algal blooms bring massive amounts of algal organic matter (AOM) into eutrophic lakes, which influences microbial methylmercury (MeHg) production. However, because of the complexity of AOM and its dynamic changes during algal decomposition, the relationship between AOM and microbial Hg methylators remains poorly understood, which hinders predicting MeHg production and its bioaccumulation in eutrophic shallow lakes. To address that, we explored the impacts of AOM on microbial Hg methylators and MeHg production by characterizing dissolved organic matter with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy and quantifying the microbial Hg methylation gene hgcA. We first reveal that the predominance of methanogens, facilitated by eutrophication-induced carbon input, could drive MeHg production in lake water. Specifically, bioavailable components of AOM (i.e., CHONs such as aromatic proteins and soluble microbial byproduct-like materials) increased the abundances (Archaea-hgcA gene: 438-2240% higher) and activities (net CH4 production: 16.0-44.4% higher) of Archaea (e.g., methanogens). These in turn led to enhanced dissolved MeHg levels (24.3-15,918% higher) for three major eutrophic shallow lakes in China. Nevertheless, our model results indicate that AOM-facilitated MeHg production could be offset by AOM-induced MeHg biodilution under eutrophication. Our study would help reduce uncertainties in predicting MeHg production, providing a basis for mitigating the MeHg risk in eutrophic lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Jinjie Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
| | - Qiaoguo Tan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Coastal Ecology and Environmental Studies, College of the Environment and Ecology and Center for Marine Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, P. R. China
| | - Raymond W M Kwong
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Ke Pan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Naderi
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Huan Zhong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, P. R. China
- Environmental and Life Science Program (EnLS), Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario K9L 0G2, Canada
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AŽdajić M, Yumvihoze E, Blais JM, Poulain AJ. The effect of legacy gold mining on methylmercury cycling and microbial community structure in northern freshwater lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2021; 23:1220-1230. [PMID: 34318847 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00129a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Smelting activities at Giant Mine (Yellowknife, NWT, Canada) have resulted in high sulfate and arsenic concentrations in nearby lakes. Here we tested whether historic smelting affects current mercury (Hg) cycling in 35 freshwater lakes over a 2800 km2 area around the former gold mine. We sampled lake water and sediment over three consecutive years (2015-2017) using a factorial sampling design that accounted for different environmental variables known to affect the net methylmercury (MeHg) levels in water. Stable Hg(ii) and MeHg isotope tracers were used to quantify Hg methylation and demethylation rate constants in sediments, and 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to characterize microbial community structure. This study reveals that the fraction of methylated total Hg (% MeHg) found in surface water is positively correlated to the sulfate gradient, while the rate at which Hg is methylated (Km) in sediments is negatively correlated with total arsenic, and positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon, total phosphorous, and % MeHg in the water. Furthermore, 6 of the 28 lakes that had detectable demethylation rate constants (Kd) also had significantly lower DOC concentrations than lakes with non-detectable Kd. Our results also show that legacy pollution from smelting activities is affecting the structure of microbial communities in lake sediments. This study reveals the complex dynamics of Hg cycling in this northern environment, highlighting the importance of large-scale studies in which the effect of multiple pollution gradients (e.g. arsenic and sulfate) must be taken into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mija AŽdajić
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie-Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Guo P, Du H, Wang D, Ma M. Effects of mercury stress on methylmercury production in rice rhizosphere, methylmercury uptake in rice and physiological changes of leaves. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 765:142682. [PMID: 33572042 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) in rice is presumed to be derived from MeHg formed in the soil, although it is still controversial. Moderate soil mercury (Hg) concentration can affect the diversity of soil microorganisms and may also impact the physiological changes and MeHg absorption of rice. In this study, the pot experiment was conducted to explore the effects of Hg concentration gradients (0, 0.3, 3, and 30 mg kg-1) stress on Hg transformation in the rhizosphere, Hg translocation in rice, and physiological changes in rice leaves during the whole rice growing season. Moderate soil Hg concentration (3 mg kg-1) greatly increased the MeHg/THg (1.69%) of rhizosphere, while 30 mg kg-1 soil Hg concentration sharply reduced the MeHg/THg (0.29%) of rhizosphere. Highest MeHg/THg of the four groups all appeared at the blooming or filling stage. There was a significant positive correlation between Fe2+ in rhizosphere and MeHg/THg, but no significant correlation between SO42- and MeHg/THg was observed. Although the 3 mg kg-1 soil Hg concentration significantly enhanced MeHg concentrations in seeds, it considerably reduced the bioaccumulation factors of MeHg in roots, stalks, old leaves and young leaves. Soil Hg concentration of 30 mg kg-1, to a certain extent, curtailed MeHg concentrations in seeds, while MeHg concentrations in the husk were significantly increased. Consistent with the result that there was no significant difference for THg concentrations in old and young leaves among the four Hg treatment groups, the content of chlorophyll, H2O2, malondialdehyde and antioxidant substances, and the activities of antioxidant enzyme in old and young leaves varied indistinctly among groups. MAIN FINDING: Moderate soil mercury concentration (3 mg kg-1) could extremely enhance MeHg production in the rhizosphere soil and its accumulation in rice; MeHg production in the rhizosphere soil increased greatly at the blooming or filling stage, whereas little effect on antioxidant systems in leaves was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Guo
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Center of Molecular Ecophysiology (CMEP), College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Hongxia Du
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Dingyong Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ming Ma
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; Center of Molecular Ecophysiology (CMEP), College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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10
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Ferreira-Rodríguez N, Castro AJ, Tweedy BN, Quintas-Soriano C, Vaughn CC. Mercury consumption and human health: Linking pollution and social risk perception in the southeastern United States. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 282:111528. [PMID: 33172704 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The study of the relationships between freshwater organisms, pollution and public awareness has been little researched. The public's perception of risk from pollution is a fundamental component in determining consumer behavior and promoting healthy habits. For instance, understanding how consumers perceive the risks associated with pollution can help with adoption of safe behaviors to reduce the health hazard associated with pollutant exposure. This study focused on the southeastern United States, a region predicted to be exposed to high mercury stress by increasing mercury deposition and methylation. First, we placed our study region in the world map of regions more prone to suffer from increasing mercury stress in a climate change scenario. Second, mercury levels in fish tissues was quantified by direct mercury analyzer (DMA). Third, we explored human fish consumption habits and risk social perception, including willingness to adapt fish consumption based on two future hypothetical scenarios of mercury stress. From a global perspective, our analysis demonstrates that the southern US is one of five world areas of greatest conservation concern for mercury stress. In this region, the average mono-methyl mercury concentration in fish tissues exceeded the limits considered safe for human consumption. Even though many in the local population were aware of the health hazards associated with fish consumption, only women of reproductive age were willing to adopt safe consumption habits. Altogether, these results show how bringing together field data, social perceptions, and consumption habits can help in designing an adaptive strategy to confront mercury pollution. Although our results are for the United States, other world regions prone to suffer increasing mercury stress have been identified and should be the focus of future studies and prescriptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noé Ferreira-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Bioloxía, Campus As Lagoas - Marcosende, Universidade de Vigo, Vigo, 36310, Spain.
| | - Antonio J Castro
- Departmento de Biología y Geología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento del Cambio Global, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain; Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, 921 South 8th Avenue, Pocatello, ID, 83209, USA; Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 111 E Chesapeake Street, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Beth N Tweedy
- Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 111 E Chesapeake Street, Norman, OK, 73019, USA; Bizzell Memorial Library, University of Oklahoma, 401 W. Brooks St, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
| | - Cristina Quintas-Soriano
- Departmento de Biología y Geología, Centro Andaluz para la Evaluación y Seguimiento del Cambio Global, University of Almeria, 04120, Almería, Spain; Social-Ecological Interactions in Agricultural Systems Lab, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Steinstraße 19, 37213, Witzenhausen, Germany
| | - Caryn C Vaughn
- Oklahoma Biological Survey and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, 111 E Chesapeake Street, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
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Fuhrmann BC, Beutel MW, O'Day PA, Tran C, Funk A, Brower S, Pasek J, Seelos M. Effects of mercury, organic carbon, and microbial inhibition on methylmercury cycling at the profundal sediment-water interface of a sulfate-rich hypereutrophic reservoir. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 268:115853. [PMID: 33120160 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115853] [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: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) produced by anaerobic bacteria in lakes and reservoirs, poses a threat to ecosystem and human health due to its ability to bioaccumulate in aquatic food webs. This study used 48-hr microcosm incubations of profundal sediment and bottom water from a sulfate-rich, hypereutrophic reservoir to assess seasonal patterns of MeHg cycling under various treatments. Treatments included addition of air, Hg(II), organic carbon, and microbial inhibitors. Both aeration and sodium molybdate, a sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) inhibitor, generally decreased MeHg concentration in microcosm water, likely by inhibiting SRB activity. The methanogenic inhibitor bromoethanesulfonate increased MeHg concentration 2- to 4- fold, suggesting that methanogens were potent demethylators. Pyruvate increased MeHg concentration under moderately reduced conditions, likely by stimulating SRB, but decreased it under highly reduced conditions, likely by stimulating methanogens. Acetate increased MeHg concentration, likely due to the stimulation of acetotrophic SRB. Results suggest that iron-reducing bacteria (IRB) were not especially prominent methylators and MeHg production at the sediment-water interface is elevated under moderately reduced conditions corresponding with SRB activity. In contrast, it is suppressed under oxic conditions due to low SRB activity, and under highly reduced conditions (<-100 mV) due to enhanced demethylation by methanogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byran C Fuhrmann
- University of California, Environmental Systems Graduate Program, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95340, USA.
| | - Marc W Beutel
- University of California, Environmental Systems Graduate Program, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95340, USA
| | - Peggy A O'Day
- University of California, Environmental Systems Graduate Program, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95340, USA
| | - Christian Tran
- Environmental Analytical Laboratory, University of California, 5200 North Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95340, USA
| | - Andrew Funk
- City of San Diego, Public Utilities Department, 9192 Topaz Way, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA
| | - Sarah Brower
- City of San Diego, Public Utilities Department, 9192 Topaz Way, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA
| | - Jeffery Pasek
- City of San Diego, Public Utilities Department, 9192 Topaz Way, San Diego, CA, 92123, USA
| | - Mark Seelos
- University of California, Environmental Systems Graduate Program, 5200 North Lake Road, Merced, CA, 95340, USA
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12
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Wang Y, Roth S, Schaefer JK, Reinfelder JR, Yee N. Production of methylmercury by methanogens in mercury contaminated estuarine sediments. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2020; 367:6006876. [PMID: 33242089 DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnaa196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic bacteria are known to produce neurotoxic methylmercury [MeHg] when elemental mercury [Hg(0)] is provided as the sole mercury source. In this study, we examined the formation of MeHg in anaerobic incubations of sediment collected from the San Jacinto River estuary (Texas, USA) amended with aqueous Hg(0) to investigate the microbial communities involved in the conversion of Hg(0) to MeHg. The results show that the addition of the methanogen inhibitor 2-bromoethanesulfonate (BES) significantly decreased MeHg production. The mercury methylation gene, hgcA, was detected in these sediments using archaeal specific primers, and 16S rRNA sequencing showed that a member of the Methanosarcinaceae family of methanogens was active. These results suggest that methanogenic archaea play an underappreciated role in the production of MeHg in estuarine sediments contaminated with Hg(0).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Wang
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 14 College Farm Road, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Spencer Roth
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 14 College Farm Road, NJ 08901, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 76 Lipman Drive, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Jeffra K Schaefer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 14 College Farm Road, NJ 08901, USA
| | - John R Reinfelder
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 14 College Farm Road, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Nathan Yee
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, 14 College Farm Road, NJ 08901, USA
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13
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Siedlewicz G, Korejwo E, Szubska M, Grabowski M, Kwasigroch U, Bełdowski J. Presence of mercury and methylmercury in Baltic Sea sediments, collected in ammunition dumpsites. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 162:105158. [PMID: 33065518 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105158] [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: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most toxic and dangerous form of mercury occurring in the environment. MeHg is highly bioaccumulative in organisms and undergoes biomagnification via the food chain. In the Baltic Sea munition dumpsites, methylmercury can be formed from mercury fulminate contained in primary explosives, as environmental conditions there favour methylation. MeHg in analysed sediments ranged from 19 to 2362 pg g-1d.w., the concentration of mercury (HgTOT) ranged from 4 to 294 ng g-1 d.w., and the values of MeHg/Hg ratio ranged from 0.1 to 2.0%. The obtained results confirmed that munition dumpsites are a source of mercury. The concentration of MeHg is elevated in a wider area than immediately next to dumped munitions. Presented results suggest that physical processes responsible for sediment and near-bottom water movement are diffusing MeHg signal, making munition dumpsites rather a diffuse source of MeHg than a number of point sources associated with particular munitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Siedlewicz
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, Sopot, 81-712, Poland
| | - Ewa Korejwo
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, Sopot, 81-712, Poland
| | - Marta Szubska
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, Sopot, 81-712, Poland
| | - Miłosz Grabowski
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, Sopot, 81-712, Poland
| | - Urszula Kwasigroch
- Institute of Oceanography, University of Gdańsk, Ul. Piłsudskiego 46, 81-378, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Jacek Bełdowski
- Institute of Oceanology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, Sopot, 81-712, Poland.
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14
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Zaporski J, Jamison M, Zhang L, Gu B, Yang Z. Mercury methylation potential in a sand dune on Lake Michigan's eastern shoreline. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 729:138879. [PMID: 32371207 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lake Michigan hosts the largest freshwater sand dune system in the world and is economically important for the fishery industry and tourism. Due to industrial pollution and atmospheric mercury (Hg) deposition, toxic levels of methylmercury (MeHg) have been found in the Lake biota, but little information is known regarding MeHg sources and Hg methylation potential in the shoreline sand dunes. We conducted anaerobic incubation experiments with beach sands collected from Ludington, Michigan, and examined the effects of organic carbon substrate addition, inorganic nitrogen, and mineral magnetite on Hg methylation. Despite nutrient poor and low-organic carbon conditions, appreciable Hg methylation activity coupled with carbon degradation was observed in the sands. Addition of acetate as a carbon source substantially increased MeHg production from 2 to 380 ng/kg sediment while acetate was rapidly degraded in the first 19 days of incubation. Ammonium addition showed little influence on carbon degradation or Hg methylation, whereas iron oxide addition (~1% dry weight) significantly inhibited both carbon degradation and MeHg production (by up to 90%), highlighting strongly coupled interactions between microbes, carbon substrates, and minerals. This research demonstrates the potential of microbial Hg methylation in the sand dunes, which may play a role in MeHg input and bioaccumulation in the Lake Michigan ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared Zaporski
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
| | - Megan Jamison
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
| | - Lijie Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Ziming Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48309, USA.
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Genome-Resolved Metagenomics and Detailed Geochemical Speciation Analyses Yield New Insights into Microbial Mercury Cycling in Geothermal Springs. Appl Environ Microbiol 2020; 86:AEM.00176-20. [PMID: 32414793 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00176-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Geothermal systems emit substantial amounts of aqueous, gaseous, and methylated mercury, but little is known about microbial influences on mercury speciation. Here, we report results from genome-resolved metagenomics and mercury speciation analysis of acidic warm springs in the Ngawha Geothermal Field (<55°C, pH <4.5), Northland Region, Aotearoa New Zealand. Our aim was to identify the microorganisms genetically equipped for mercury methylation, demethylation, or Hg(II) reduction to volatile Hg(0) in these springs. Dissolved total and methylated mercury concentrations in two adjacent springs with different mercury speciation ranked among the highest reported from natural sources (250 to 16,000 ng liter-1 and 0.5 to 13.9 ng liter-1, respectively). Total solid mercury concentrations in spring sediments ranged from 1,274 to 7,000 μg g-1 In the context of such ultrahigh mercury levels, the geothermal microbiome was unexpectedly diverse and dominated by acidophilic and mesophilic sulfur- and iron-cycling bacteria, mercury- and arsenic-resistant bacteria, and thermophilic and acidophilic archaea. By integrating microbiome structure and metagenomic potential with geochemical constraints, we constructed a conceptual model for biogeochemical mercury cycling in geothermal springs. The model includes abiotic and biotic controls on mercury speciation and illustrates how geothermal mercury cycling may couple to microbial community dynamics and sulfur and iron biogeochemistry.IMPORTANCE Little is currently known about biogeochemical mercury cycling in geothermal systems. The manuscript presents a new conceptual model, supported by genome-resolved metagenomic analysis and detailed geochemical measurements. The model illustrates environmental factors that influence mercury cycling in acidic springs, including transitions between solid (mineral) and aqueous phases of mercury, as well as the interconnections among mercury, sulfur, and iron cycles. This work provides a framework for studying natural geothermal mercury emissions globally. Specifically, our findings have implications for mercury speciation in wastewaters from geothermal power plants and the potential environmental impacts of microbially and abiotically formed mercury species, particularly where they are mobilized in spring waters that mix with surface or groundwaters. Furthermore, in the context of thermophilic origins for microbial mercury volatilization, this report yields new insights into how such processes may have evolved alongside microbial mercury methylation/demethylation and the environmental constraints imposed by the geochemistry and mineralogy of geothermal systems.
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Xie M, Zhang C, Liao X, Huang C. The influence of wetting-drying alternation on methylmercury degradation in Guangzhou soil. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 259:113866. [PMID: 31891907 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In one of our previous studies, the mechanisms of radical-initiated methylmercury (MeHg) degradation in soil with coexisting Fe and Cu have been reported. In this work, various environmental factors, including water table fluctuation, pH and major ions, are discussed to clarify the behavior of MeHg in subsurface environments. Soil column experiments were set up to simulate the degradation of MeHg in the soil with an iron-bearing mineral (annite), which has often undergone repeating wetting-drying cycles, resulting from the local climate. The results indicate that wetting-drying alternation can initiate MeHg degradation in the soil with the annite mineral. Additionally, the majority of the major ions (K+, Na+, Mg2+, Fe3+, Cl-, SO42-, NO3-) in the interstitial soil had little effect in the degradation of MeHg with the exception of Cu, which improved the degradation depending on the pH. At acidic pHs Cu increased the production of hydroxyl radical while at more alkaline pHs there was oxidation to Cu(III). The products including Hg(II) and Hg(0) of MeHg degradation were also identified in this work. This study reveals that the geochemical cycle of MeHg is closely linked to local climate and pedosphere processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengying Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Caixiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, PR China.
| | - Xiaoping Liao
- School of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China
| | - Changsheng Huang
- Wuhan Center of China Geological Survey, Wuhan, 430205, Hubei, China
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Sharma Ghimire P, Tripathee L, Zhang Q, Guo J, Ram K, Huang J, Sharma CM, Kang S. Microbial mercury methylation in the cryosphere: Progress and prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 697:134150. [PMID: 32380618 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134150] [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: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic heavy metals, and its cycle is mainly controlled by oxidation-reduction reactions carried out by photochemical or microbial process under suitable conditions. The deposition and accumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) in various ecosystems, including the cryospheric components such as snow, meltwater, glaciers, and ice sheet, and subsequently in the food chain pose serious health concerns for living beings. Unlike the abundance of knowledge about the processes of MeHg production over land and oceans, little is known about the sources and production/degradation rate of MeHg in cryosphere systems. In addition, processes controlling the concentration of Hg and MeHg in the cryosphere remains poorly understood, and filling this scientific gap has been challenging. Therefore, it is essential to study and review the deposition and accumulation by biological, physical, and chemical mechanisms involved in Hg methylation in the cryosphere. This review attempts to address knowledge gaps in understanding processes, especially biotic and abiotic, applicable for Hg methylation in the cryosphere. First, we focus on the variability in Hg concentration and mechanisms of Hg methylation, including physical, chemical, microbial, and biological processes, and transportation in the cryosphere. Then, we elaborate on the mechanism of redox reactions and biotic and abiotic factors controlling Hg methylation and biogeochemistry of Hg in the cryosphere. We also present possible mechanisms of Hg methylation with an emphasis on microbial transformation and molecular function to understand variability in Hg concentration in the cryosphere. Recent advancements in the genetic and physicochemical mechanisms of Hg methylation are also presented. Finally, we summarize and propose a method to study the unsolved issues of Hg methylation in the cryosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakriti Sharma Ghimire
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal.
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Kirpa Ram
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Jie Huang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chhatra Mani Sharma
- Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal; Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
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18
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Azad AM, Frantzen S, Bank MS, Johnsen IA, Tessier E, Amouroux D, Madsen L, Maage A. Spatial distribution of mercury in seawater, sediment, and seafood from the Hardangerfjord ecosystem, Norway. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 667:622-637. [PMID: 30833261 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Hardangerfjord is one of the longest fjords in the world and has historical mercury (Hg) contamination from a zinc plant in its inner sector. In order to investigate the extent of Hg transferred to abiotic and biotic ecosystem compartments, Hg and monomethylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were measured in seawater, sediment, and seafood commonly consumed by humans. Although total mercury in seawater has been described previously, this investigation reports novel MeHg data for seawater from Norwegian fjords. Total Hg and MeHg concentrations in seawater, sediment, and biota increased towards the point source of pollution (PSP) and multiple lines of evidence show a clear PSP effect in seawater and sediment concentrations. In fish, however, similar high concentrations were found in the inner part of another branch adjacent to the PSP. We postulate that, in addition to PSP, atmospheric Hg, terrestrial run-off and hydroelectric power stations are also important sources of Hg in this fjord ecosystem. Hg contamination gradually increased towards the inner part of the fjord for most fish species and crustaceans. Since the PSP and the atmospheric Hg pools were greater towards the inner part of the fjord, it is not entirely possible to discriminate the full extent of the PSP and the atmospheric Hg contribution to the fjord food web. The European Union (EU) Hg maximum level for consumption was exceeded in demersal fish species including tusk (Brosme brosme), blue ling (Molva dypterygia) and common ling (Molva molva) from the inner fjord (1.08 to 1.89 mg kg-1 ww) and from the outer fjord (0.49 to 1.07 mg kg-1 ww). Crustaceans were less contaminated and only European lobster (Homarus gammarus) from inner fjord exceeded the EU limit (0.62 mg kg-1 ww). Selenium (Se) concentrations were also measured in seafood species and Se-Hg co-exposure dynamics are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atabak M Azad
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | | | - Michael S Bank
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
| | | | - Emmanuel Tessier
- CNRS/ Univ Pau & Pays Adour/ E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR5254, 64000 Pau, France
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/ Univ Pau & Pays Adour/ E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR5254, 64000 Pau, France
| | - Lise Madsen
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Amund Maage
- Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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Li H, Zheng D, Yang J, Wu C, Zhang S, Li H, Ma H. Salinity and redox conditions affect the methyl mercury formation in sediment of Suaeda heteroptera wetlands of Liaoning province, Northeast China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 142:537-543. [PMID: 31232335 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.066] [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: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Using a laboratory simulation experiment, we studied the trend of change in methylmercury (MeHg) content of sediments in response to the changing salinity of flooding water (deionized water, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) content for both the surface layer (0-10 cm) and the bottom layer (10-20 cm) of Suaeda heteroptera wetland sediments in the Liaohe estuary under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, respectively. The results showed that under AAC (anaerobic conditions), the MeHg content in the surface and bottom sediment layers increased first and then decreased over time and was highest at the 14th day. In contrast, under AC (aerobic conditions), the MeHg content in sediments of both layers increased slowly with increasing test time. The MeHg content in sediments increased first and then decreased with rising salinity and was highest at a salinity of 1.0%. Among the samples collected at different experimental stages, the SRB content in the sediments showed a decreasing trend with rising flooding salinity under AAC and AC. The MeHg and SRB contents were higher under anaerobic conditions than under aerobic conditions. Linear fitting results showed that there was no linear correlation between MeHg contents and SRB quantities in surface and bottom sediments under AAC and AC (R2 < 0.1). Collectively, these results suggest an important role for flooding salinity and anaerobic-aerobic conditions in the production of MeHg in S. heteroptera wetlands of the Liaohe estuary, and may predict the ecological risk of methylmercury according to the change of salinity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Li
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
| | - Dongmei Zheng
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China.
| | - Jisong Yang
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
| | - Chenghao Wu
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
| | - Shiwei Zhang
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
| | - Huiying Li
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
| | - Huanchi Ma
- Environmental College, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China; Key Laboratory of Eco-restoration of Regional Contaminated Environment, Ministry of Education, Shenyang University, Shenyang 110044, China
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20
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Xie M, Zhang C, Liao X, Fan Z, Xie X, Huang C. Mechanisms of radical-initiated methylmercury degradation in soil with coexisting Fe and Cu. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 652:52-58. [PMID: 30359801 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a toxic compound. It forms mainly in reducing environments, and then degrades through biogeochemical processes. Photodegradation and microorganism degradation of MeHg are among the processes that have been reported. However, little attention has been focused on the abiotic degradation of MeHg in soil/sediment without light. In our study, the percent MeHg of total Hg in Guangzhou soil in southern China was found to be variable and exhibited a significant negative correlation with the content of Fe or Cu where annite (KFe2+3(AlSi3O10)(OH)2), a Fe-bearing mineral, was identified. To understand the mechanisms of radical-initiated MeHg degradation by Fe/Cu-containing components, batch experiments were done. Results showed that annite in the soils could activate O2 to generate OH and O2- and facilitate MeHg degradation under oxic conditions. Meanwhile, Cu components in the soil further enhanced the production of O2-, and was oxidized to Cu(III) promoting degradation of MeHg directly. These findings help us understand that the distribution of MeHg in soil depends on not only external pollution sources, but also on biogeochemical processes in subsurface environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengying Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Caixiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China.
| | - Xiaoping Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Zenghui Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Xinmo Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China
| | - Changsheng Huang
- Wuhan Center of China Geological Survey, Wuhan 430205, Hubei, PR China
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21
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Wang Y, Yu Q, Mishra B, Schaefer JK, Fein JB, Yee N. Adsorption of Methylmercury onto Geobacter bemidijensis Bem. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:11564-11572. [PMID: 30207459 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The anaerobic bacterium Geobacter bemidijensis Bem has the unique ability to both produce and degrade methylmercury (MeHg). While the adsorption of MeHg onto bacterial surfaces can affect the release of MeHg into aquatic environments as well as the uptake of MeHg for demethylation, the binding of MeHg to the bacterial envelope remains poorly understood. In this study, we quantified the adsorption of MeHg onto G. bemidijensis and applied X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to elucidate the mechanism of MeHg binding. The results showed MeHg adsorption onto G. bemidijensis cell surfaces was rapid and occurred via complexation to sulfhydryl functional groups. Titration experiments yielded cell surface sulfhydryl concentrations of 3.8 ± 0.2 μmol/g (wet cells). A one-site adsorption model with MeHg binding onto sulfhydryl sites provided excellent fits to adsorption isotherms conducted at different cell densities. The log K binding constant of MeHg onto the sulfhydryl sites was determined to be 10.5 ± 0.4. These findings provide a quantitative framework to describe MeHg binding onto bacterial cell surfaces and elucidate the importance of bacterial cells as possible carriers of adsorbed MeHg in natural aquatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Wang
- Department of Environmental Sciences , Rutgers University , New Brunswick , New Jersey 08901 , United States
| | - Qiang Yu
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences , University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame , Indiana 46556 , United States
| | - Bhoopesh Mishra
- School of Chemical and Process Engineering , University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT , United Kingdom
| | - Jeffra K Schaefer
- Department of Environmental Sciences , Rutgers University , New Brunswick , New Jersey 08901 , United States
| | - Jeremy B Fein
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences , University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame , Indiana 46556 , United States
| | - Nathan Yee
- Department of Environmental Sciences , Rutgers University , New Brunswick , New Jersey 08901 , United States
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22
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Wang Z, Sun T, Driscoll CT, Yin Y, Zhang X. Mechanism of Accumulation of Methylmercury in Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) in a Mercury Mining Area. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:9749-9757. [PMID: 30129363 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Rice consumption is the primary pathway for methylmercury (MeHg) exposure at inland mercury (Hg) mining areas of China. The sources and processes of formation and translocation for MeHg in rice plant are complex and remain largely unknown. In this study, rice ( Oryza sativa L.) was exposed to isotopically labeled dimethylmercury (DMe199Hg) in field experiments using open top chambers to explore the response of MeHg accumulation in rice tissues to different levels of DMe199Hg in air. Rice leaves assimilated DMeHg from air, which was subsequently largely stored in aboveground tissues, including the rice grain, with only a small amount reaching the root. Combining these experimental results with field investigations of DMeHg concentrations in air beneath the rice canopy in a Hg mining area, we estimate that 15.5%, 10.8%, and 8.50% MeHg in the brown rice, the leaf, and the upper stalk, respectively, could be derived from atmospheric sources of DMeHg, while 99.5% of MeHg in rice root originated from the rice soil-water system. These findings help refine the mechanism of MeHg accumulation in rice that, in addition to soil, a fraction of MeHg in rice plants can be derived from DMeHg emissions from flooded rice paddies in Hg mining areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangwei Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Ting Sun
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Charles T Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Syracuse University , 151 Link Hall , Syracuse , New York 13244 , United States
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , No. 18 Shuangqing Road , Beijing 100085 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
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23
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Gilmour CC, Bullock AL, McBurney A, Podar M, Elias DA. Robust Mercury Methylation across Diverse Methanogenic Archaea. mBio 2018; 9:e02403-17. [PMID: 29636434 PMCID: PMC5893877 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02403-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) production was compared among nine cultured methanogenic archaea that contain hgcAB, a gene pair that codes for mercury (Hg) methylation. The methanogens tested produced MeHg at inherently different rates, even when normalized to growth rate and Hg availability. Eight of the nine tested were capable of MeHg production greater than that of spent- and uninoculated-medium controls during batch culture growth. Methanococcoides methylutens, an hgcAB+ strain with a fused gene pair, was unable to produce more MeHg than controls. Maximal conversion of Hg to MeHg through a full batch culture growth cycle for each species (except M. methylutens) ranged from 2 to >50% of the added Hg(II) or between 0.2 and 17 pmol of MeHg/mg of protein. Three of the species produced >10% MeHg. The ability to produce MeHg was confirmed in several hgcAB+ methanogens that had not previously been tested (Methanocella paludicola SANAE, Methanocorpusculum bavaricum, Methanofollis liminatans GKZPZ, and Methanosphaerula palustris E1-9c). Maximal methylation was observed at low sulfide concentrations (<100 μM) and in the presence of 0.5 to 5 mM cysteine. For M. hollandica, the addition of up to 5 mM cysteine enhanced MeHg production and cell growth in a concentration-dependent manner. As observed for bacterial Hg methylators, sulfide inhibited MeHg production. An initial evaluation of sulfide and thiol impacts on bioavailability showed methanogens responding to Hg complexation in the same way as do Deltaproteobacteria The mercury methylation rates of several methanogens rival those of the better-studied Hg-methylating sulfate- and iron-reducing DeltaproteobacteriaIMPORTANCEArchaea, specifically methanogenic organisms, play a role in mercury methylation in nature, but their global importance to MeHg production and the subsequent risk to ecosystems are not known. Methanogenesis has been linked to Hg methylation in several natural habitats where methylmercury production incurs risk to people and ecosystems, including rice paddies and permafrost. In this study, we confirm that most methanogens carrying the hgcAB gene pair are capable of Hg methylation. We found that methylation rates vary inherently among hgcAB+ methanogens but that several species are capable of MeHg production at rates that rival those of the better-know Hg-methylating sulfate- and iron-reducing bacteria. Methanogens may need to be considered equally with sulfate and iron reducers in evaluations of MeHg production in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alyssa McBurney
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
| | - Mircea Podar
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Dwayne A Elias
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
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24
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Chen MM, Lopez L, Bhavsar SP, Sharma S. What's hot about mercury? Examining the influence of climate on mercury levels in Ontario top predator fishes. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 162:63-73. [PMID: 29287181 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Revised: 11/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) levels in Ontario top predator fishes have been increasing in recent decades. These increases may be a result of many additive factors, including global climate change. Only recently has research been conducted on how climate change may impact Hg levels in freshwater fishes at large-scales. We examined the relationship between Hg trends and (1) local weather, (2) large-scale climate drivers, and (3) anthropogenic Hg emissions, in native cool water (walleye and northern pike) and warm water (smallmouth bass and largemouth bass) predatory fishes in Ontario, Canada, for historical (1970-1992) and recent (1993-2014) time periods. For each fish species studied, > 25% of Ontario's secondary watersheds shifted from historically declining to recently increasing fish Hg trends, and ≥ 50% of watersheds experienced increasing trends between 1993 and 2014. Recent fish Hg increased at up to 0.20µg/g/decade; which were significant (p < 0.05) for walleye, northern pike and smallmouth bass. Multiple linear regressions revealed a complex interplay of local weather, large-scale climate drivers, and anthropogenic Hg emissions influencing fish Hg levels. Recent Hg levels for walleye and largemouth bass increased with changes in global climate drivers, while higher precipitation influenced smallmouth bass Hg levels the most. Walleye Hg levels increased during the positive phases of global climate drivers, reflecting the local influence of local temperatures and precipitation indirectly. Differentiating the effects of climate-related parameters and emissions is increasingly crucial to assess how changing multiple environmental stressors may impact health of wildlife and humans consuming fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda M Chen
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Lianna Lopez
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3
| | - Satyendra P Bhavsar
- Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, 125 Resources Road, Toronto, ON, Canada M9P 3V6
| | - Sapna Sharma
- Department of Biology, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, ON, Canada M3J 1P3.
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25
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Hsu-Kim H, Eckley CS, Achá D, Feng X, Gilmour CC, Jonsson S, Mitchell CPJ. Challenges and opportunities for managing aquatic mercury pollution in altered landscapes. AMBIO 2018; 47:141-169. [PMID: 29388127 PMCID: PMC5794684 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-017-1006-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The environmental cycling of mercury (Hg) can be affected by natural and anthropogenic perturbations. Of particular concern is how these disruptions increase mobilization of Hg from sites and alter the formation of monomethylmercury (MeHg), a bioaccumulative form of Hg for humans and wildlife. The scientific community has made significant advances in recent years in understanding the processes contributing to the risk of MeHg in the environment. The objective of this paper is to synthesize the scientific understanding of how Hg cycling in the aquatic environment is influenced by landscape perturbations at the local scale, perturbations that include watershed loadings, deforestation, reservoir and wetland creation, rice production, urbanization, mining and industrial point source pollution, and remediation. We focus on the major challenges associated with each type of alteration, as well as management opportunities that could lessen both MeHg levels in biota and exposure to humans. For example, our understanding of approximate response times to changes in Hg inputs from various sources or landscape alterations could lead to policies that prioritize the avoidance of certain activities in the most vulnerable systems and sequestration of Hg in deep soil and sediment pools. The remediation of Hg pollution from historical mining and other industries is shifting towards in situ technologies that could be less disruptive and less costly than conventional approaches. Contemporary artisanal gold mining has well-documented impacts with respect to Hg; however, significant social and political challenges remain in implementing effective policies to minimize Hg use. Much remains to be learned as we strive towards the meaningful application of our understanding for stakeholders, including communities living near Hg-polluted sites, environmental policy makers, and scientists and engineers tasked with developing watershed management solutions. Site-specific assessments of MeHg exposure risk will require new methods to predict the impacts of anthropogenic perturbations and an understanding of the complexity of Hg cycling at the local scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, 121 Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC 27708 USA
| | - Chris S. Eckley
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region-10, 1200 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 USA
| | - Dario Achá
- Unidad de Calidad Ambiental, Instituto de Ecología, Carrera de Biología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, P.O. Box 10077, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002 China
| | - Cynthia C. Gilmour
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd, Edgewater, MD 21037-0028 USA
| | - Sofi Jonsson
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 11418 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl P. J. Mitchell
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4 Canada
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26
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Bravo AG, Zopfi J, Buck M, Xu J, Bertilsson S, Schaefer JK, Poté J, Cosio C. Geobacteraceae are important members of mercury-methylating microbial communities of sediments impacted by waste water releases. ISME JOURNAL 2018; 12:802-812. [PMID: 29321692 PMCID: PMC5864163 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-017-0007-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microbial mercury (Hg) methylation in sediments can result in bioaccumulation of the neurotoxin methylmercury (MMHg) in aquatic food webs. Recently, the discovery of the gene hgcA, required for Hg methylation, revealed that the diversity of Hg methylators is much broader than previously thought. However, little is known about the identity of Hg-methylating microbial organisms and the environmental factors controlling their activity and distribution in lakes. Here, we combined high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and hgcA genes with the chemical characterization of sediments impacted by a waste water treatment plant that releases significant amounts of organic matter and iron. Our results highlight that the ferruginous geochemical conditions prevailing at 1–2 cm depth are conducive to MMHg formation and that the Hg-methylating guild is composed of iron and sulfur-transforming bacteria, syntrophs, and methanogens. Deltaproteobacteria, notably Geobacteraceae, dominated the hgcA carrying communities, while sulfate reducers constituted only a minor component, despite being considered the main Hg methylators in many anoxic aquatic environments. Because iron is widely applied in waste water treatment, the importance of Geobacteraceae for Hg methylation and the complexity of Hg-methylating communities reported here are likely to occur worldwide in sediments impacted by waste water treatment plant discharges and in iron-rich sediments in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Jakob Zopfi
- Aquatic and Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Buck
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Jingying Xu
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Jeffra K Schaefer
- Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - John Poté
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland. .,Unité Stress Environnementaux et BIOSurveillance des Milieux Aquatiques UMR-I 02 (SEBIO), Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, F-51687, France.
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27
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Li C, Xu W, Chu S, Zheng Z, Xiao Y, Li L, Bi H, Wei L. The chemical speciation, spatial distribution and toxicity of mercury from Tibetan medicine Zuotai,β-HgS and HgCl 2 in mouse kidney. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2018; 45:104-113. [PMID: 29173465 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Zuotai, a famous Tibetan medicinal mixture containing β-HgS, has been used to combine with herbal remedies for treating diseases for more than 1 300 years. The target organ for inorganic mercury toxicity is generally considered to be the kidney. Therefore, it is crucial to reveal the chemical speciation, spatial distribution and potential nephrotoxicity of mercury from Zuotai in kidney. To date, this remains poorly understood. We used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) imaging based on synchrotron radiation to study mercury chemical forms and mercury special distribution in kidney after mice were treated orally with Zuotai, β-HgS or HgCl2. Meanwhile, the histopathology of kidney was observed. Mice exposed with Zuotai showed kidney with significant proportion of mercury ions bound to sulfydryl biomolecules (e.g. Cys-S-Hg-S-Cys) plus some of unknown species, but without methylmercury cysteine, which is the same as β-HgS and HgCl2. The mercury is mainly deposited in renal cortex in mouse treated with Zuotai, β-HgS or HgCl2, but with a low level of mercury in medulla. The total mercury in kidney of mice treated with HgCl2 was much higher than that of β-HgS, and the later was higher than that of Zuotai. And, HgCl2 cause severe impairments in mouse kidney, but that was not observed in the Zuotai and β-HgS groups. Meanwhile, the bio-metals (Ca, Zn, Fe and Cu) micro-distributions in kidney were also revealed. These findings elucidated the chemical nature, spatial distribution and toxicity difference of mercury from Zuotai, β-HgS and HgCl2 in mouse kidney, and provide new insights into the appropriate methods for biological monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cen Li
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shengqi Chu
- Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhiyuan Zheng
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China
| | - Yuancan Xiao
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China
| | - Linshuai Li
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China
| | - Hongtai Bi
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China
| | - Lixin Wei
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810008, China.
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28
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Dranguet P, Le Faucheur S, Slaveykova VI. Mercury bioavailability, transformations, and effects on freshwater biofilms. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:3194-3205. [PMID: 28771825 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Revised: 10/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) compounds represent an important risk to aquatic ecosystems because of their persistence, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification potential. In the present review, we critically examine state-of-the-art studies on the interactions of Hg compounds with freshwater biofilms, with an emphasis on Hg accumulation, transformations, and effects. Freshwater biofilms contain both primary producers (e.g., algae) and decomposers (e.g., bacteria and fungi), which contribute to both aquatic food webs and the microbial loop. Hence they play a central role in shallow water and streams, and also contribute to Hg trophic transfer through their consumption. Both inorganic and methylated mercury compounds accumulate in biofilms, which could transform them mainly by methylation, demethylation, and reduction. Accumulated Hg compounds could induce diverse metabolic and physiological perturbations in the microorganisms embedded in the biofilm matrix and affect their community composition. The bioavailability of Hg compounds, their transformations, and their effects depend on their concentrations and speciation, ambient water characteristics, biofilm matrix composition, and microorganism-specific characteristics. The basic processes governing the interactions of Hg compounds with biofilm constituents are understudied. The development of novel conceptual and methodological approaches allowing an understanding of the chemo- and biodynamic aspects is necessary to improve the knowledge on Hg cycling in shallow water as well as to enable improved use of freshwater biofilms as potential indicators of water quality and to support better informed risk assessment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3194-3205. © 2017 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrine Dranguet
- Faculty of Sciences, School of Earth and Environment Sciences, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Séverine Le Faucheur
- Faculty of Sciences, School of Earth and Environment Sciences, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vera I Slaveykova
- Faculty of Sciences, School of Earth and Environment Sciences, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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29
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Wang P, Yao Y, Wang C, Hou J, Qian J, Miao L. Impact of macrozoobenthic bioturbation and wind fluctuation interactions on net methylmercury in freshwater lakes. WATER RESEARCH 2017; 124:320-330. [PMID: 28780357 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2017.07.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The methylmercury (MeHg) as the toxic fractions has presented significant threats to biota in freshwater ecosystems. Hg methylation process is demonstrated to be manipulated by biota process (benthic disturbance and algae bloom existence) as well as the abiotic influence (wind fluctuation and illumination intensity) in freshwater ecosystems. However, the mechanisms influencing Hg methylation are still unclear, and the coupled influences of the biotic and abiotic process with the shifts in variation on methylmercury remain unexplored. Accordingly, an annular flume experiment which simulated the freshwater ecosystem, was conducted for 108 days to examine the influences of typical disturbance by chironomid larvae and wind fluctuations on MeHg variation in sediment profiles. The in-situ, passive sampler technique of revealing diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) encompassed the special resin, based on referenced extraction and coloration-computer imaging densitometry, were employed to obtain labile MeHg, Fe, and S concentrations at high resolution. The results indicate that larval bioturbation during the initial period of the experiment could diminish bioavailable MeHg concentrations and change the diffusion direction of MeHg fluxes. However, this inhibitive effect on MeHg concentrations ceased with larvae eclosion. Compared to bioturbation, wind fluctuation exerted slow but sustained inhibition on MeHg release. Furthermore, the eight parameters (dissolved organic carbon (DOC), DO, labile Fe and S concentrations, pH, sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) abundance in sediment, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and EC) could explain more of variation in MeHg concentrations which indicated by the canonical correspondence analysis. And these eight parameters manifest higher explanatory power for MeHg distributed in newly formed sediment. More notably, the comparison results of the multiple and simple regression directly demonstrated the DOC was the fundamental and robust factor to control the MeHg variation in the freshwater ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peifang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China.
| | - Yu Yao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China.
| | - Chao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Jun Hou
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Jin Qian
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
| | - Lingzhan Miao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development of Shallow Lakes, Ministry of Education, College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China
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30
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Zhou C, Cohen MD, Crimmins BA, Zhou H, Johnson TA, Hopke PK, Holsen TM. Mercury Temporal Trends in Top Predator Fish of the Laurentian Great Lakes from 2004 to 2015: Are Concentrations Still Decreasing? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:7386-7394. [PMID: 28578575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentration trends in top predator fish (lake trout and walleye) of the Great Lakes (GL) from 2004 to 2015 were determined by Kendall-Theil robust regression with a cluster-based age normalization method to control for the effect of changes in lake trophic status. When data from the GLs (except Lake Erie) are combined, a significant decreasing trend in the lake trout Hg concentrations was found between 2004 and 2015 with an annual decrease of 4.1% per year, consistent with the decline in regional atmospheric Hg emissions and water Hg concentrations. However, a breakpoint was detected with a significant decreasing slope (-8.1% per year) before the breakpoint (2010), and no trend after the breakpoint. When the lakes are examined individually, Lakes Superior and Huron, which are dominated by atmospheric Hg inputs and are more likely than the lower lakes to respond to declining emissions from areas surrounding the GL, have significant decreasing trends with rates between 5.2 and 7.8% per year from 2004 to 2015. These declining trends appear to be driven by decreasing regional atmospheric Hg emissions although they may be partly counterbalanced by other factors, including increasing local emissions, food web changes, eutrophication, and responses to global climate change. Lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario may have been more impacted by these other factors and their trends changed from decreasing to non-decreasing or increasing in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanlong Zhou
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Mark D Cohen
- Air Resources Laboratory, United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , College Park, Maryland 20740, United States
| | - Bernard A Crimmins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Hao Zhou
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Timothy A Johnson
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Philip K Hopke
- Institute for a Sustainable Environment, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
| | - Thomas M Holsen
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University , Potsdam, New York 13676, United States
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31
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Cesário R, Hintelmann H, Mendes R, Eckey K, Dimock B, Araújo B, Mota AM, Canário J. Evaluation of mercury methylation and methylmercury demethylation rates in vegetated and non-vegetated saltmarsh sediments from two Portuguese estuaries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 226:297-307. [PMID: 28390703 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.03.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Revised: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Neurotoxic methylmercury (MMHg) is formed from inorganic divalent mercury (Hg2+). However, it is poorly understood to what extent different mercury (Hg) pools contribute to existent MMHg levels. In this study, ambient concentrations of total Hg (THg) and MMHg as well as rates of methylation and demethylation were measured simultaneously in sediments with and without salt-marsh plant vegetation, which were collected in Guadiana and Tagus estuaries, Portugal. Concurrent processes of Hg methylation and MMHg demethylation were directly monitored and compared by spiking sediments cores with stable isotope tracers of 199Hg2+ and CH3201Hg+ followed by gas chromatographic separation and isotope-specific detection using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Compared to the Guadiana estuary, where concentrations were comparatively low, THg and MMHg levels varied between vegetated and non-vegetated sediments collected at the Rosário site (ROS) of the Tagus estuary. Methylation (KM) and demethylation rates (KD) were also different between estuaries being dependent on the presence of vegetation. In addition, the type of macrophyte species influenced KM and KD values. In fact, the highest KM value was found in Sarcocornia fruticosa vegetated sediments at the Castro Marim site in Guadiana (CM, 0.160 day-1) and the lowest KM was observed in non-vegetated sediments at the Alcochete site in Tagus (ALC, 0.009 day-1). KD varied by a factor of three among sites with highest rates of demethylation observed in non-vegetated sediments in Guadiana (12 ± 1.3 day-1, corresponding to a half-life of 1.4 ± 0.2 h). This study clearly shows that the presence of vegetation in sediments favors the formation of MMHg. Moreover, this effect might be site specific and further studies are needed to confirm the findings reported here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rute Cesário
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal; IPMA-Instituto Português do Mar e Atmosfera, Av. Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Holger Hintelmann
- Water Quality Centre, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 0G2, Canada
| | - Ricardo Mendes
- IPMA-Instituto Português do Mar e Atmosfera, Av. Brasília, 1449-006 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Kevin Eckey
- Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Muenster, Schlossplatz 2, 48149 Munster, Germany
| | - Brian Dimock
- Water Quality Centre, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 0G2, Canada
| | - Beatriz Araújo
- Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Horto, Campus dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Mota
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Canário
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Paranjape AR, Hall BD. Recent advances in the study of mercury methylation in aquatic systems. Facets (Ott) 2017. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2016-0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
With increasing input of neurotoxic mercury to environments as a result of anthropogenic activity, it has become imperative to examine how mercury may enter biotic systems through its methylation to bioavailable forms in aquatic environments. Recent development of stable isotope-based methods in methylation studies has enabled a better understanding of the factors controlling methylation in aquatic systems. In addition, the identification and tracking of the hgcAB gene cluster, which is necessary for methylation, has broadened the range of known methylators and methylation-conducive environments. Study of abiotic factors in methylation with new molecular methods (the use of stable isotopes and genomic methods) has helped elucidate the confounding influences of many environmental factors, as these methods enable the examination of their direct effects instead of merely correlative observations. Such developments will be helpful in the finer characterization of mercury biogeochemical cycles, which will enable better predictions of the potential effects of climate change on mercury methylation in aquatic systems and, by extension, the threat this may pose to biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avnee R. Paranjape
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
| | - Britt D. Hall
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
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Correia RRS, Guimarães JRD. Mercury methylation and sulfate reduction rates in mangrove sediments, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: The role of different microorganism consortia. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 167:438-443. [PMID: 27750167 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 09/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown Hg methylation in mangrove sediments, however, little is known about the different microorganism consortia involved. We investigated the participation of prokaryotes in general, iron-reducing bacteria-IRB, sulfate-reducing bacteria-SRB, methanogens and fungi in Hg methylation and sulfate reduction rates (SRR) in mangrove sediments using iron amendments for IRB and specific inhibitors for the other microorganisms. Sediment samples were collected from two mangrove zones, tidal flat and mangrove forest (named root sediments). Samples were incubated with 203Hg or 35SO42- and Me203Hg/35Sulfur were measured by liquid scintillation. Methylmercury (MeHg) formation was significantly reduced when SRB (87.7%), prokaryotes (76%) and methanogens (36.5%) were inhibited in root sediments, but only SRB (51.6%) and prokaryotes (57.3%) in tidal flat. However, in the tidal flat, inhibition of methanogens doubled Hg methylation (104.5%). All inhibitors (except fungicide) significantly reduced SRR in both zones. In iron amended tidal flat samples, Hg methylation increased 56.5% at 100 μg g-1 and decreased at 500 and 1000 μg g-1 (57.8 and 82%). In the roots region, however, MeHg formation gradually decreased in response to Fe amendments from 100 μg g-1 (37.7%) to 1000 μg g-1 (93%). SRR decreased in all iron amendments. This first simultaneous evaluation of Hg methylation and sulfate-reduction and of the effect of iron and inhibitors on both processes suggest that SRB are important Hg methylators in mangrove sediments. However, it also suggests that SRB activity could not explain all MeHg formation. This implies the direct or indirect participation of other microorganisms such as IRB and methanogens and a complex relationship among these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Rose Silva Correia
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Jean Remy Davée Guimarães
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
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Lázaro WL, Díez S, da Silva CJ, Ignácio ÁRA, Guimarães JRD. Waterscape determinants of net mercury methylation in a tropical wetland. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 150:438-445. [PMID: 27376931 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The periphyton associated with freshwater macrophyte roots is the main site of Hg methylation in different wetland environments in the world. The aim of this study was to test the use of connectivity metrics of water bodies, in the context of patches, in a tropical waterscape wetland (Guapore River, Amazonia, Brazil) as a predictor of potential net methylmercury (MeHg) production by periphyton communities. We sampled 15 lakes with different patterns of lateral connectivity with the main river channel, performing net mercury methylation potential tests in incubations with local water and Eichhornia crassipes root-periphyton samples, using (203)HgCl2 as a tracer. Physico-chemical variables, landscape data (morphological characteristics, land use, and lateral connection type of water bodies) using GIS resources and field data were analyzed with Generalized Additive Models (GAM). The net Me(203)Hg production (as % of total added (203)Hg) was expressive (6.2-25.6%) showing that periphyton is an important matrix in MeHg production. The model that best explained the variation in the net Me(203)Hg production (76%) was built by the variables: connection type, total phosphorus and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in water (AICc=48.324, p=0.001). Connection type factor was the best factor to model fit (r(2)=0.32; p=0.008) and temporarily connected lakes had higher rates of net mercury methylation. Both DOC and total phosphorus showed positive significant covariation with the net methylation rates (r(2)=0.26; p=0.008 and r(2)=0.21; p=0.012 respectively). Our study suggests a strong relationship between rates of net MeHg production in this tropical area and the type of water body and its hydrological connectivity within the waterscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilkinson L Lázaro
- Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil; Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brasil.
| | - Sergi Díez
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carolina J da Silva
- Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil; Rede Bionorte, Doutorado em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal, Brasil
| | - Áurea R A Ignácio
- Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil
| | - Jean R D Guimarães
- Laboratório de Traçadores. Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brasil
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Correia RRS, Guimarães JRD. Impacts of crab bioturbation and local pollution on sulfate reduction, Hg distribution and methylation in mangrove sediments, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2016; 109:453-460. [PMID: 27269386 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.05.028] [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: 01/07/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) are highly toxic and poorly studied in mangroves. Burrowing Uca crabs change sediment topography and biogeochemistry and thus may affect Hg distribution and MeHg formation. We studied added (203)Hg distribution, Me(203)Hg formation and sulfate reduction rates (SRR) in sediment aquariums containing Uca leptodactyla; and analyzed profiles of Me(203)Hg formation and SRR in sediment cores from two mangroves with distinct environmental impacts. MeHg formation and SRR were higher in the top (≤6cm) sediment and there was no significant difference in Hg methylation in more or less impacted mangroves. In aquariums, crab bioturbation favored Hg retention in the sediment. In the treatment without crabs, Hg volatilization and water Hg concentrations were higher. Hg methylation was higher in bioturbated aquariums but SRR were similar in both treatments. These findings suggest that bioturbating activity favors Hg retention in sediment but also promotes MeHg formation near the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Rose Silva Correia
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Jean Remy Davée Guimarães
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
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36
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Zeng L, Luo G, He T, Guo Y, Qian X. Effects of sulfate-reducing bacteria on methylmercury at the sediment-water interface. J Environ Sci (China) 2016; 46:214-219. [PMID: 27521953 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sediment cores (containing sediment and overlying water) from Baihua Reservoir (SW China) were cultured under different redox conditions with different microbial activities, to understand the effects of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) on mercury (Hg) methylation at sediment-water interfaces. Concentrations of dissolved methyl mercury (DMeHg) in the overlying water of the control cores with bioactivity maintained (BAC) and cores with only sulfate-reducing bacteria inhibited (SRBI) and bacteria fully inhibited (BACI) were measured at the anaerobic stage followed by the aerobic stage. For the BAC and SRBI cores, DMeHg concentrations in waters were much higher at the anaerobic stage than those at the aerobic stage, and they were negatively correlated to the dissolved oxygen concentrations (r=-0.5311 and r=-0.4977 for BAC and SRBI, respectively). The water DMeHg concentrations of the SRBI cores were 50% lower than those of the BAC cores, indicating that the SRB is of great importance in Hg methylation in sediment-water systems, but there should be other microbes such as iron-reducing bacteria and those containing specific gene cluster (hgcAB), besides SRB, causing Hg methylation in the sediment-water system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxia Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Karst Environment and Geohazard Prevention, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550003, China.
| | - Guangjun Luo
- Key Laboratory of Karst Environment and Geohazard Prevention, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550003, China
| | - Tianrong He
- Key Laboratory of Karst Environment and Geohazard Prevention, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550003, China.
| | - Yanna Guo
- Power China Guiyang Engineering Corporation Limited, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Xiaoli Qian
- The School of Resources and Environment Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550003, China
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37
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Houben AJ, D’Onofrio R, Kokelj SV, Blais JM. Factors Affecting Elevated Arsenic and Methyl Mercury Concentrations in Small Shield Lakes Surrounding Gold Mines near the Yellowknife, NT, (Canada) Region. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150960. [PMID: 27050658 PMCID: PMC4822959 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Gold mines in the Yellowknife, NT, region--in particular, the Giant Mine--operated from 1949-99, releasing 237,000 tonnes of waste arsenic trioxide (As2O3) dust, among other compounds, from gold ore extraction and roasting processes. For the first time, we show the geospatial distribution of roaster-derived emissions of several chemical species beyond the mine property on otherwise undisturbed taiga shield lakes within a 25 km radius of the mine, 11 years after its closing. Additionally, we demonstrate that underlying bedrock is not a significant source for the elevated concentrations in overlying surface waters. Aquatic arsenic (As) concentrations are well above guidelines for drinking water (10 μg/L) and protection for aquatic life (5 μg/L), ranging up to 136 μg/L in lakes within 4 km from the mine, to 2.0 μg/L in lakes 24 km away. High conversion ratios of methyl mercury were shown in lakes near the roaster stack as well, with MeHg concentrations reaching 44% of total mercury. The risk of elevated exposures by these metals is significant, as many lakes used for recreation and fishing near the City of Yellowknife are within this radius of elevated As and methyl Hg concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam James Houben
- University of Ottawa—Program for Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5
| | - Rebecca D’Onofrio
- University of Ottawa—Program for Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5
| | - Steven V Kokelj
- NWT Geoscience Office, Government of the Northwest Territories, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, X1A 2R3
| | - Jules M Blais
- University of Ottawa—Program for Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1N 6N5
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Webster TM, Smith AL, Reddy RR, Pinto AJ, Hayes KF, Raskin L. Anaerobic microbial community response to methanogenic inhibitors 2-bromoethanesulfonate and propynoic acid. Microbiologyopen 2016; 5:537-50. [PMID: 26987552 PMCID: PMC4985588 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanogenic inhibitors are often used to study methanogenesis in complex microbial communities or inhibit methanogens in the gastrointestinal tract of livestock. However, the resulting structural and functional changes in archaeal and bacterial communities are poorly understood. We characterized microbial community structure and activity in mesocosms seeded with cow dung and municipal wastewater treatment plant anaerobic digester sludge after exposure to two methanogenic inhibitors, 2‐bromoethanesulfonate (BES) and propynoic acid (PA). Methane production was reduced by 89% (0.5 mmol/L BES), 100% (10 mmol/LBES), 24% (0.1 mmol/LPA), and 95% (10 mmol/LPA). Using modified primers targeting the methyl‐coenzyme M reductase (mcrA) gene, changes in mcrA gene expression were found to correspond with changes in methane production and the relative activity of methanogens. Methanogenic activity was determined by the relative abundance of methanogen 16S rRNA cDNA as a percentage of the total community 16S rRNA cDNA. Overall, methanogenic activity was lower when mesocosms were exposed to higher concentrations of both inhibitors, and aceticlastic methanogens were inhibited to a greater extent than hydrogenotrophic methanogens. Syntrophic bacterial activity, measured by 16S rRNA cDNA, was also reduced following exposure to both inhibitors, but the overall structure of the active bacterial community was not significantly affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Webster
- Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Adam L Smith
- Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Raghav R Reddy
- Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Ameet J Pinto
- Infrastructure and Environment Research Division, School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Kim F Hayes
- Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Lutgarde Raskin
- Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Donald DB, Wissel B, Anas MUM. Species-specific mercury bioaccumulation in a diverse fish community. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2015; 34:2846-2855. [PMID: 26113505 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury bioaccumulation models developed for fish provide insight into the sources and transfer of Hg within ecosystems. Mercury concentrations were assessed for 16 fish species of the western reach of Lake Diefenbaker, Saskatchewan, Canada. For top predators (northern pike, Esox Lucius; walleye, Sander vitreum), Hg concentrations were positively correlated to δ(15)N, and δ(15)N to fish age, suggesting that throughout life these fish fed on organisms with increasingly higher trophic values and Hg concentrations. However, fish mass and/or age were the principal parameters related to Hg concentrations for most species. For 9 common species combined, individual variation in Hg concentration was explained in declining order of importance by fish mass, trophic position (δ(15)N), and fish age. Delta (15)N value was not the leading variable related to Hg concentration for the assemblage, probably because of the longevity of lower--trophic-level species (3 species ≥ 20 yr), substantial overlap in Hg concentration and δ(15)N values for large-bodied fish up to 3000 g, and complex relationships between Hg concentration and δ(15)N among species. These results suggest that the quantity of food (and Hg) consumed each year and converted to fish mass, the quantity of Hg bioaccumulated over years and decades, and trophic position were significant determinants of Hg concentration in Lake Diefenbaker fish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Björn Wissel
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - M U Mohamed Anas
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
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Bravo AG, Bouchet S, Guédron S, Amouroux D, Dominik J, Zopfi J. High methylmercury production under ferruginous conditions in sediments impacted by sewage treatment plant discharges. WATER RESEARCH 2015; 80:245-55. [PMID: 26005785 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sewage treatment plants (STPs) are important point sources of mercury (Hg) to the environment. STPs are also significant sources of iron when hydrated ferric oxide (HFO) is used as a dephosphatation agent during water purification. In this study, we combined geochemical and microbiological characterization with Hg speciation and sediment amendments to evaluate the impact of STP's effluents on monomethylmercury (MMHg) production. The highest in-situ Hg methylation was found close to the discharge pipe in subsurface sediments enriched with Hg, organic matter, and iron. There, ferruginous conditions were prevailing with high concentrations of dissolved Fe(2+) and virtually no free sulfide in the porewater. Sediment incubations demonstrated that the high MMHg production close to the discharge was controlled by low demethylation yields. Inhibition of dissimilatory sulfate reduction with molybdate led to increased iron reduction rates and Hg-methylation, suggesting that sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) may not have been the main Hg methylators under these conditions. However, Hg methylation in sediments amended with amorphous Fe(III)-oxides was only slightly higher than control conditions. Thus, in addition to iron-reducing bacteria, other non-SRB most likely contributed to Hg methylation. Overall, this study highlights that sediments impacted by STP discharges can become local hot-spots for Hg methylation due to the combined inputs of i) Hg, ii) organic matter, which fuels bacterial activities and iii) iron, which keeps porewater sulfide concentration low and hence Hg bioavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Route de Suisse 10, CH-1290 Versoix, Genève, Switzerland.
| | - Sylvain Bouchet
- LCABIE-IPREM, UMR 5254 CNRS - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Stéphane Guédron
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Route de Suisse 10, CH-1290 Versoix, Genève, Switzerland; ISTerre, University Grenoble 1, IRD - UMR 5559 (IRD/UJF/CNRS) - BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - David Amouroux
- LCABIE-IPREM, UMR 5254 CNRS - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Janusz Dominik
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Route de Suisse 10, CH-1290 Versoix, Genève, Switzerland; Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricercha, Castello 2737/F, I-30122 Venezia, Italy
| | - Jakob Zopfi
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Bełdowski J, Miotk M, Pempkowiak J. Methylation index as means of quantification of the compliance of sedimentary mercury to be methylated. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2015; 187:498. [PMID: 26160740 PMCID: PMC4498312 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4716-y] [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: 01/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is the most bioavailable and toxic mercury species in the marine environment. MeHg concentration levels, methylation rates leading to MeHg formation, and methylation index (MI) are all used to assess the compliance of mercury to be methylated in the marine sedimentary environment. This paper reports on the works conducted on the MI upgrade. This paper proposes a new formula for calculating MI. Apart from labile mercury(II) and organic matter, it includes redox potential and abundance of sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB), both essential factors for MeHg generation. The obtained MI is validated against actual sedimentary MeHg concentrations proving the potential usefulness of MI as a factor characterizing status of sedimentary environment regarding possible occurrence of MeHg. Moreover, values of the methylation index in particular regions show that MI values correspond well to environmental conditions in those areas. The values calculated correlate well with MeHg concentrations; however, the correlation coefficients vary between different regions. This has been attributed to the lack of empirical coefficients. Thus, MI could be used as a characteristic of the sedimentary environment indicating the potential presence of MeHg. It could also be used in methylation rate modeling, provided that empirical constants are applied to improve model performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Bełdowski
- Institute of Oceanology PAN, ul. Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712, Sopot, Poland,
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Velez C, Galvão P, Longo R, Malm O, Soares AMVM, Figueira E, Freitas R. Ruditapes philippinarum and Ruditapes decussatus under Hg environmental contamination. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:11890-11904. [PMID: 25869429 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4397-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The native species Ruditapes decussatus and the invasive species Ruditapes philippinarum have an important ecological role and socio-economic value, from the Atlantic and Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific region. In the aquatic environment, they are subjected to the presence of different contaminants, such as mercury (Hg) and its methylated form, methylmercury (MeHg). However, few studies have assessed the impacts of Hg on bivalves under environmental conditions, and little is known on bivalve oxidative stress patterns due to Hg contamination. Therefore, this study aims to assess the Hg contamination in sediments as well as the concentration of Hg and MeHg in R. decussatus and R. philippinarum, and to identify the detoxification strategies of both species living in sympatry, in an aquatic system with historical Hg contamination. The risk to human health due to the consumption of clams was also evaluated. The results obtained demonstrated that total Hg concentration found in sediments from the most contaminated area was higher than the maximum levels established by Sediment Quality Guidelines. This study further revealed that the total Hg and MeHg accumulation in both species was strongly correlated with the total Hg contamination of the sediments. Nonetheless, the THg concentration in both species was lower than maximum permissible limits (MPLs) of THg defined by international organizations. R. decussatus and R. philippinarum showed an increase in lipid peroxidation levels along with the increase of THg accumulation by clams. Nevertheless, for both species, no clear trend was obtained regarding the activity of antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase) and biotransformation (glutathione S-transferase) enzymes and metallothioneins with the increase of THg in clams. Overall, the present work demonstrated that both species can be used as sentinel species of contamination and that the consumption of these clams does not constitute a risk for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia Velez
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
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He F, Gao J, Pierce E, Strong PJ, Wang H, Liang L. In situ remediation technologies for mercury-contaminated soil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:8124-8147. [PMID: 25850737 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4316-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury from anthropogenic activities is a pollutant that poses significant risks to humans and the environment. In soils, mercury remediation can be technically challenging and costly, depending on the subsurface mercury distribution, the types of mercury species, and the regulatory requirements. This paper introduces the chemistry of mercury and its implications for in situ mercury remediation, which is followed by a detailed discussion of several in situ Hg remediation technologies in terms of applicability, cost, advantages, and disadvantages. The effect of Hg speciation on remediation performance, as well as Hg transformation during different remediation processes, was detailed. Thermal desorption, electrokinetic, and soil flushing/washing treatments are removal technologies that mobilize and capture insoluble Hg species, while containment, solidification/stabilization, and vitrification immobilize Hg by converting it to less soluble forms. Two emerging technologies, phytoremediation and nanotechnology, are also discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng He
- College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China,
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Contribution of Shellfish Consumption to Lower Mercury Health Risk for Residents in Northern Jiaozhou Bay, China. Bioinorg Chem Appl 2015; 2015:159521. [PMID: 26101470 PMCID: PMC4458521 DOI: 10.1155/2015/159521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fish and marine mammal consumption are an important pathway for human exposure to mercury. The low mercury content in shellfish poses a low mercury health risk to people who consume shellfish. The objectives of this study are to detect mercury concentrations in different species of shellfish and to calculate the mercury health risk from shellfish consumption among traditional residents near northern Jiaozhou Bay. A total of 356 shellfish samples, which comprised 7 species from 5 different places in northern Jiaozhou Bay, were collected from April to June in 2012. The average mercury content in the collected shellfish ranged from 0.024 mg·kg−1 to 0.452 mg·kg−1. A total of 44 shellfish samples (12.36%) had mercury levels exceeding the national pollution-free aquatic products limit (0.3 mg·kg−1). Generally, the viscus had the highest mercury content among all parts of the shellfish. A positive correlation between mercury content and total weight/edible part weight was found in most species of the collected shellfish. The results showed that shellfish consumption resulted in the lower risk of mercury exposure to residents based on the calculation of daily intake (DI) and target hazard quotient (THQ).
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de Oliveira DCM, Correia RRS, Marinho CC, Guimarães JRD. Mercury methylation in sediments of a Brazilian mangrove under different vegetation covers and salinities. CHEMOSPHERE 2015; 127:214-221. [PMID: 25732633 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The presence and formation of methylmercury (MMHg), a highly toxic form of Hg, in mangrove ecosystems is poorly studied. Therefore the aim of this study was to evaluate mercury methylation potentials in sediment, litter and root samples (Avicennia shaueriana and Spartina alterniflora) from different regions of a mangrove ecosystem, as well as the influence of salinity on methylation. Sediment was sampled under different depths and in mangrove regions with different plant covers and salinities. All samples were incubated with (203)Hg and MM(203)Hg was extracted and measured by liquid scintillation. MMHg was formed in all samples and sites tested including plant roots and litter. Higher Hg methylation was found in the superficial fraction of sediments (0.47-7.82%). Infralittoral sandy sediment had low MMHg formation (0.44-1.61%). Sediment under Rhizophora mangle had lower MMHg formation (0.018-2.23%) than under A. shaueriana (0.2-4.63%) and Laguncularia racemosa (0.08-7.82). MMHg formation in sediment tended to increase with salinity but the differences were not significant. Therefore, MMHg formation occurs in different sites of mangrove ecosystems and may be an important threat that requires further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Ciannella Martins de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Raquel Rose Silva Correia
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Claudio Cardoso Marinho
- Laboratório de Limnologia, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco A/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
| | - Jean Remy Davée Guimarães
- Laboratório de Traçadores Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Bloco G/CCS/Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro (RJ) CEP: 21941-902, Brazil.
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Hamelin S, Planas D, Amyot M. Mercury methylation and demethylation by periphyton biofilms and their host in a fluvial wetland of the St. Lawrence River (QC, Canada). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 512-513:464-471. [PMID: 25644842 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Wetlands in large rivers are important sites of production of the neurotoxin methylmercury (MeHg), and the periphyton growing on wetland macrophytes are increasingly recognized as key players in this production and transfer in food webs. Information is lacking about mercury methylation (Km) and demethylation (Kd) rates in periphytic biofilms from the Northern Hemisphere, as well as about the drivers of net MeHg production, hampering ecosystem modeling of Hg cycling. Mercury methylation and demethylation rates were measured in periphytic biofilms growing on submerged plants in a shallow fluvial lake located in a temperate cold region (St. Lawrence River, Quebec, Canada). Incubations were performed in situ within macrophyte beds using low-level spikes of (199)HgO and Me(200)Hg stable isotopes as tracers. A direct relationship was observed between Km (0.002 to 0.137 d(-1)) and [MeHg] in periphyton. A similar relationship was found between Kd (0.096 to 0.334 d(-1)) and [inorganic Hg]. Periphyton of Lake St. Pierre reached high levels of net MeHg production that were two orders of magnitude higher than those found in local sediment. This production varied through the plant growing season and was mainly driven by environmental variables such as depth of growth, available light, dissolved oxygen, temperature, plant community structure, and productivity of the habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Hamelin
- GRIL, Département de sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Dolors Planas
- GRIL, Département de sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Marc Amyot
- GRIL, Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
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Johnson WP, Swanson N, Black B, Rudd A, Carling G, Fernandez DP, Luft J, Van Leeuwen J, Marvin-DiPasquale M. Total- and methyl-mercury concentrations and methylation rates across the freshwater to hypersaline continuum of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 511:489-500. [PMID: 25576792 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Revised: 12/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/27/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We examined mercury (Hg) speciation in water and sediment of the Great Salt Lake and surrounding wetlands, a locale spanning fresh to hypersaline and oxic to anoxic conditions, in order to test the hypothesis that spatial and temporal variations in Hg concentration and methylation rates correspond to observed spatial and temporal trends in Hg burdens previously reported in biota. Water column, sediment, and pore water concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg), as well as related aquatic chemical parameters were examined. Inorganic Hg(II)-methylation rates were determined in selected water column and sediment subsamples spiked with inorganic divalent mercury (204Hg(II)). Net production of Me204Hg was expressed as apparent first-order rate constants for methylation (kmeth), which were also expanded to MeHg production potential (MPP) rates via combination with tin reducible 'reactive' Hg(II) (Hg(II)R) as a proxy for bioavailable Hg(II). Notable findings include: 1) elevated Hg concentrations previously reported in birds and brine flies were spatially proximal to the measured highest MeHg concentrations, the latter occurring in the anoxic deep brine layer (DBL) of the Great Salt Lake; 2) timing of reduced Hg(II)-methylation rates in the DBL (according to both kmeth and MPP) coincides with reduced Hg burdens among aquatic invertebrates (brine shrimp and brine flies) that act as potential vectors of Hg propagation to the terrestrial ecosystem; 3) values of kmeth were found to fall within the range reported by other studies; and 4) MPP rates were on the lower end of the range reported in methodologically comparable studies, suggesting the possibility that elevated MeHg in the anoxic deep brine layer results from its accumulation and persistence in this quasi-isolated environment, due to the absence of light (restricting abiotic photo demethylation) and/or minimal microbiological demethylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P Johnson
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States.
| | - Neil Swanson
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Brooks Black
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - Abigail Rudd
- Brooks-Rand LLC, 4415 6th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107, United States
| | - Greg Carling
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, United States
| | - Diego P Fernandez
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States
| | - John Luft
- State of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594W North Temple, Suite 2110, Box 146301 Salt Lake City, UT 84114, United States
| | - Jim Van Leeuwen
- State of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 1594W North Temple, Suite 2110, Box 146301 Salt Lake City, UT 84114, United States
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He T, Zhu Y, Yin D, Luo G, An Y, Yan H, Qian X. The impact of acid mine drainage on the methylmercury cycling at the sediment-water interface in Aha Reservoir, Guizhou, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:5124-5138. [PMID: 25483970 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-014-3864-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The methylmercury (MeHg) cycling at water-sediment interface in an acid mine drainage (AMD)-polluted reservoir (Aha Reservoir) and a reference site (Hongfeng Reservoir) were investigated and compared. Both reservoirs are seasonal anoxic and alkaline. The concentrations of sulfate, sulfide, iron, and manganese in Aha Reservoir were enriched compared to the reference levels in Hongfeng reservoir due to the AMD input. It was found that the MeHg accumulation layer in Aha Reservoir transitioned from the top sediment layer in winter to the water-sediment interface in spring and then to the overlying water above sediment in summer. It supported the assumption that spring methylation activity may start in sediments and migrate into the water column with seasonal variation. The weaker methylation in sediment during spring and summer was caused by the excessive sulfide (∼15-20 μM) that reduced the bioavailability of mercury, while sulfate reduction potential was in the optimal range for the methylation in the overlying water. This led to a transport flux of MeHg from water to sediment in spring and summer. In contrast, such inversion of MeHg accumulation layer did not occur in Hongfeng Reservoir. The sulfate reduction potential was in the optimal range for the methylation in top sediment, and dissolved MeHg was positively related to sulfide in pore water of Hongfeng Reservoir (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). This result suggested that accumulation of MeHg in lake water and cycling of MeHg at sediment-water interface associate with some sensitive environmental factors, such as sulfur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianrong He
- Key Laboratory of Karst Environment and Geohazard Prevention, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550003, China,
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Lessard CR, Poulain AJ, Ridal JJ, Blais JM. Dynamic mass balance model for mercury in the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 500-501:131-138. [PMID: 25217751 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.08.080] [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: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
A dynamic mass balance model was developed for the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario that predicts and hindcasts mercury concentrations and fluxes in three forms, elemental Hg (Hg(0)), divalent mercury (Hg(2+)), and methyl mercury (MeHg), in a six compartment environment (air, water, porewater, sediment, periphyton, and benthic invertebrates). Our objective was to construct a dynamic mass balance model for mercury in the St. Lawrence River near Cornwall, Ontario based on the framework and results of a steady-state mass balance model developed previously for this site. The second objective was to estimate industrial mercury emissions based on mercury residues deposited in sediments prior to 1970, the year when regulations were implemented to reduce mercury pollution in the environment. We compiled mercury concentrations, fluxes, and transformation rates from previous studies completed in this section of the river (area of approximately 100km(2)) to develop the model. Estimated mercury concentrations in all media were similar to measured data (R(2)=0.99), with only minor exceptions, providing a satisfactory overall description of the mercury loadings and transformation rates of the different mercury species. The estimated historical emissions prior to 1970 from local industries along the Cornwall waterfront were approximately 400kgyear(-1). A storm sewer discharge of 5000m(3)/day resulted in a significant increase in mercury concentrations, particularly in sediment (617ngg(-1) to 624ngg(-1); p=0.004). Model results suggest that discharges of mercury from sources such as local industries and storm sewers have an impact on mercury in media such as sediment and water. This model should provide a basis for predicting and hindcasting mercury concentrations in other river environments as well, because it considers three distinct forms of mercury, and contains environmental media common to all rivers, including some (e.g. periphyton) not typically included in previous mercury models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte R Lessard
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Alexandre J Poulain
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jeffrey J Ridal
- St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, Cornwall, Ontario K6H 4Z1, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Hodson PV, Norris K, Berquist M, Campbell LM, Ridal JJ. Mercury concentrations in amphipods and fish of the Saint Lawrence River (Canada) are unrelated to concentrations of legacy mercury in sediments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 494-495:218-228. [PMID: 25051324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 06/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Past industrial activity at Cornwall, Ontario, Canada has contaminated Lake Saint Francis, a fluvial lake on the Saint Lawrence River, with mercury (Hg). A spatial survey of Hg concentrations in sediments, amphipods, and yellow perch (Perca flavescens) in 2008 inferred current sources of Hg to the lake and spatial variations in risks to human consumers. Patterns of total and methyl Hg concentrations in sediment reflected upstream inputs, declining concentrations downstream, and highest concentrations at north shore sites near industrial sources; concentrations were lowest on the south shore because river currents limit north-south advective exchange. Surprisingly, concentrations of total or methyl Hg in sediments and pore water were unrelated to concentrations in amphipods and yellow perch. Concentrations in biota, and risks to consumers of fish, were highest at north shore sites near tributaries, and not at the most contaminated industrial sites. These results suggest that 'legacy' Hg in surficial sediments is not bioavailable to aquatic biota; tributaries and atmospheric deposition are possible sources of bioavailable Hg; and that sediment remediation would not resolve issues of Hg in fish. Fish consumption advisories for the entire lake based on single samples of fish could over- or under-protect consumers, depending on sampling location. To understand the actual risk to fish consumers for a large and complex lake system with multiple sources of Hg, more intensive sampling is needed to assess the spatial distribution of risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V Hodson
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Kristin Norris
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michelle Berquist
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda M Campbell
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey J Ridal
- Saint Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences, Cornwall, Ontario, Canada
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