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Koenigsmark F, Rivera NA, Pierce EM, Hsu-Kim H. Dissolution Potential of Elemental Mercury in the Presence of Bisulfide and Implications for Mobilization. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:12388-12397. [PMID: 37561589 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c00694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Liquid elemental mercury (Hg0L) pollution can remain in soils for decades and, over time, will undergo corrosion, a process in which the droplet surface oxidizes soil constituents to form more reactive phases, such as mercury oxide (HgO). While these reactive coatings may enhance Hg migration in the subsurface, little is known about the transformation potential of corroded Hg0L in the presence of reduced inorganic sulfur species to form sparingly soluble HgS particles, a process that enables the long-term sequestration of mercury in soils and generally reduces its mobility and bioavailability. In this study, we investigated the dissolution of corroded Hg0L in the presence of sulfide by quantifying rates of aqueous Hg release from corroded Hg0L droplets under different sulfide concentrations (expressed as the S:Hg molar ratio). For droplets corroded in ambient air, no differences in soluble Hg release were observed among all sulfide exposure levels (S:Hg mole ratios ranging from 10-4 to 10). However, for droplets oxidized in the presence of a more reactive oxidant (hydrogen peroxide, H2O2), we observed a 10- to 25-fold increase in dissolved Hg when the oxidized droplets were exposed to low sulfide concentrations (S:Hg ratios from 10-4 to 10-1) relative to droplets exposed to high sulfide concentrations. These results suggest two critical factors that dictate the release of soluble Hg from Hg0L in the presence of sulfide: the extent of surface corrosion of the Hg0L droplet and sufficient sulfide concentration for the formation of HgS solids. The mobilization of Hg0L in porous media, therefore, largely depends on aging conditions in the subsurface and chemical reactivity at the Hg0L droplet interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faye Koenigsmark
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University ,118A Hudson Hall, Box 90287,Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Nelson A Rivera
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University ,118A Hudson Hall, Box 90287,Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University ,118A Hudson Hall, Box 90287,Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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2
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Zhang L, Kang-Yun CS, Lu X, Chang J, Liang X, Pierce EM, Semrau JD, Gu B. Adsorption and intracellular uptake of mercuric mercury and methylmercury by methanotrophs and methylating bacteria. Environ Pollut 2023; 331:121790. [PMID: 37187279 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The cell surface adsorption and intracellular uptake of mercuric Hg(II) and methylmercury (MeHg) are important in determining the fate and transformation of Hg in the environment. However, current information is limited about their interactions with two important groups of microorganisms, i.e., methanotrophs and Hg(II)-methylating bacteria, in aquatic systems. This study investigated the adsorption and uptake dynamics of Hg(II) and MeHg by three strains of methanotrophs, Methylomonas sp. Strain EFPC3, Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, and Methylococcus capsulatus Bath, and two Hg(II)-methylating bacteria, Pseudodesulfovibrio mercurii ND132 and Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA. Distinctive behaviors of these microorganisms towards Hg(II) and MeHg adsorption and intracellular uptake were observed. The methanotrophs generally took up 60-80% of inorganic Hg(II) inside cells after 24 h incubation, lower than methylating bacteria (>90%). Approximately 80-95% of MeHg was rapidly taken up by all the tested methanotrophs within 24 h. In contrast, after the same time, G. sulfurreducens PCA adsorbed 70% but took up <20% of MeHg, while P. mercurii ND132 only adsorbed 20% but took up negligible amounts of MeHg. These results suggest that microbial surface adsorption and intracellular uptake of Hg(II) and MeHg depend on the specific types of microbes and appear to be related to microbial physiology that requires further detailed investigation. Despite being incapable of methylating Hg(II), methanotrophs play important roles in immobilizing both Hg(II) and MeHg, potentially influencing their bioavailability and trophic transfer. Therefore, methanotrophs are not only important sinks for methane but also for Hg(II) and MeHg and can influence the global cycling of C and Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ 07102, USA; Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Christina S Kang-Yun
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xia Lu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Jin Chang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Xujun Liang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Jeremy D Semrau
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA; Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennesee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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3
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Zhang L, Yin Y, Sun Y, Liang X, Graham DE, Pierce EM, Löffler FE, Gu B. Inhibition of Methylmercury and Methane Formation by Nitrous Oxide in Arctic Tundra Soil Microcosms. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:5655-5665. [PMID: 36976621 PMCID: PMC10100821 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming causes permafrost thaw predicted to increase toxic methylmercury (MeHg) and greenhouse gas [i.e., methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O)] formation. A microcosm incubation study with Arctic tundra soil over 145 days demonstrates that N2O at 0.1 and 1 mM markedly inhibited microbial MeHg formation, methanogenesis, and sulfate reduction, while it slightly promoted CO2 production. Microbial community analyses indicate that N2O decreased the relative abundances of methanogenic archaea and microbial clades implicated in sulfate reduction and MeHg formation. Following depletion of N2O, both MeHg formation and sulfate reduction rapidly resumed, whereas CH4 production remained low, suggesting that N2O affected susceptible microbial guilds differently. MeHg formation strongly coincided with sulfate reduction, supporting prior reports linking sulfate-reducing bacteria to MeHg formation in the Arctic soil. This research highlights complex biogeochemical interactions in governing MeHg and CH4 formation and lays the foundation for future mechanistic studies for improved predictive understanding of MeHg and greenhouse gas fluxes from thawing permafrost ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Zhang
- Environmental
Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department
of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Yongchao Yin
- Biosciences
Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Center
for Environmental Biotechnology, University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department
of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Yanchen Sun
- Center
for Environmental Biotechnology, University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Xujun Liang
- Environmental
Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - David E. Graham
- Biosciences
Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Eric M. Pierce
- Environmental
Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Frank E. Löffler
- Biosciences
Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Center
for Environmental Biotechnology, University
of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department
of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Department
of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental
Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Department
of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
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Koenigsmark F, Chiu M, Rivera N, Johs A, Eskelsen J, Leonard D, Robertson BK, Szynkiewicz A, Derolph C, Zhao L, Gu B, Hsu-Kim H, Pierce EM. Crystal lattice defects in nanocrystalline metacinnabar in contaminated streambank soils suggest a role for biogenic sulfides in the formation of mercury sulfide phases. Environ Sci Process Impacts 2023; 25:445-460. [PMID: 36692344 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00549a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
At mercury (Hg)-contaminated sites, streambank erosion can act as a main mobilizer of Hg into nearby waterbodies. Once deposited into the waters, mercury from these soils can be transformed to MeHg by microorganisms. It is therefore important to understand the solid-phase speciation of Hg in streambanks as differences in Hg speciation will have implications for Hg transport and bioavailability. In this study, we characterized Hg solid phases in Hg-contaminated soils (100-1100 mg per kg Hg) collected from the incised bank of the East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) in Oak Ridge, TN (USA). The analysis of the soil samples by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy indicated numerous microenvironments where Hg and sulfur (S) are co-located. According to bulk soil analyses by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS), the near-neighbor Hg molecular coordination in the soils closely resembled freshly precipitated Hg sulfide (metacinnabar, HgS); however, EXAFS fits indicated the Hg in the HgS structure was undercoordinated with respect to crystalline metacinnabar. This undercoordination of Hg-S observed by spectroscopy is consistent with transmission electron microspy images showing the presence of nanocrystallites with structural defects (twinning, stacking faults, dislocations) in individual HgS-bearing particles. Although the soils were collected from exposed parts of the stream bank (i.e., open to the atmosphere), the presence of reduced forms of S and sulfate-reducing microbes suggests that biogenic sulfides promote the formation of HgS nanoparticles in these soils. Altogether, these data demonstrate the predominance of nanoparticulate HgS with crystal lattice defects in the bank soils of an industrially impacted stream. Efforts to predict the mobilization and bioavailability of Hg associated with nano-HgS forms should consider the impact of nanocrystalline lattice defects on particle surface reactivity, including Hg dissolution rates and bioavailability on Hg fate and transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faye Koenigsmark
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Michelle Chiu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Nelson Rivera
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Jeremy Eskelsen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Donovan Leonard
- Manufacturing Demonstration Facility Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Boakai K Robertson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL 36104, USA
| | - Anna Szynkiewicz
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Christopher Derolph
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
| | - Linduo Zhao
- 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.
| | - Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
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5
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Du H, Gu X, Johs A, Yin X, Spano T, Wang D, Pierce EM, Gu B. Sonochemical oxidation and stabilization of liquid elemental mercury in water and soil. J Hazard Mater 2023; 445:130589. [PMID: 37055993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Over 3000 mercury (Hg)-contaminated sites worldwide contain liquid metallic Hg [Hg(0)l] representing a continuous source of elemental Hg(0) in the environment through volatilization and solubilization in water. Currently, there are few effective treatment technologies available to remove or sequester Hg(0)l in situ. We investigated sonochemical treatments coupled with complexing agents, polysulfide and sulfide, in oxidizing Hg(0)l and stabilizing Hg in water, soil and quartz sand. Results indicate that sonication is highly effective in breaking up and oxidizing liquid Hg(0)l beads via acoustic cavitation, particularly in the presence of polysulfide. Without complexing agents, sonication caused only minor oxidation of Hg(0)l but increased headspace gaseous Hg(0)g and dissolved Hg(0)aq in water. However, the presence of polysulfide essentially stopped Hg(0) volatilization and solubilization. As a charged polymer, polysulfide was more effective than sulfide in oxidizing Hg(0)l and subsequently stabilizing the precipitated metacinnabar (β-HgS) nanocrystals. Sonochemical treatments with sulfide yielded incomplete oxidation of Hg(0)l, likely resulting from the formation of HgS coatings on the dispersed µm-size Hg(0)l bead surfaces. Sonication with polysulfide also resulted in rapid oxidation of Hg(0)l and precipitation of HgS in quartz sand and in the Hg(0)l-contaminated soil. This research indicates that sonochemical treatment with polysulfide could be an effective means in rapidly converting Hg(0)l to insoluble HgS precipitates in water and sediments, thereby preventing its further emission and release to the environment. We suggest that future studies are performed to confirm its technical feasibility and treatment efficacy for remediation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxia Du
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China; Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Xin Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Xiangping Yin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Tyler Spano
- Nuclear Nonproliferation Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Dingyong Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States; Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
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6
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Zhang L, Philben M, Taş N, Johs A, Yang Z, Wullschleger SD, Graham DE, Pierce EM, Gu B. Unravelling biogeochemical drivers of methylmercury production in an Arctic fen soil and a bog soil. Environ Pollut 2022; 299:118878. [PMID: 35085651 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.118878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arctic tundra soils store a globally significant amount of mercury (Hg), which could be transformed to the neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) upon warming and thus poses serious threats to the Arctic ecosystem. However, our knowledge of the biogeochemical drivers of MeHg production is limited in these soils. Using substrate addition (acetate and sulfate) and selective microbial inhibition approaches, we investigated the geochemical drivers and dominant microbial methylators in 60-day microcosm incubations with two tundra soils: a circumneutral fen soil and an acidic bog soil, collected near Nome, Alaska, United States. Results showed that increasing acetate concentration had negligible influences on MeHg production in both soils. However, inhibition of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) completely stalled MeHg production in the fen soil in the first 15 days, whereas addition of sulfate in the low-sulfate bog soil increased MeHg production by 5-fold, suggesting prominent roles of SRB in Hg(II) methylation. Without the addition of sulfate in the bog soil or when sulfate was depleted in the fen soil (after 15 days), both SRB and methanogens contributed to MeHg production. Analysis of microbial community composition confirmed the presence of several phyla known to harbor microorganisms associated with Hg(II) methylation in the soils. The observations suggest that SRB and methanogens were mainly responsible for Hg(II) methylation in these tundra soils, although their relative contributions depended on the availability of sulfate and possibly syntrophic metabolisms between SRB and methanogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA; Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Michael Philben
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Neslihan Taş
- Climate and Ecosystem Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Ziming Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Stan D Wullschleger
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - David E Graham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- 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.
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7
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Zhang Y, Zhang L, Liang X, Wang Q, Yin X, Pierce EM, Gu B. Competitive exchange between divalent metal ions [Cu(II), Zn(II), Ca(II)] and Hg(II) bound to thiols and natural organic matter. J Hazard Mater 2022; 424:127388. [PMID: 34879578 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercuric Hg(II) ion forms exceptionally strong complexes with various organic ligands, particularly thiols and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural water. Few studies, however, have experimentally determined whether or not the presence of base cations and transition metal ions, such as Ca(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II), would compete with Hg(II) bound to these ligands, as concentrations of these metal ions are usually orders of magnitude higher than Hg(II) in aquatic systems. Different from previous model predictions, a significant fraction of Hg(II) bound to cysteine (CYS), glutathione (GSH), or DOM was found to be competitively exchanged by Cu(II), but not by Zn(II) or Ca(II). About 20-75% of CYS-bound-Hg(II) [at 2:1 CYS:Hg(II)] and 14-40% of GSH-bound-Hg(II) [at 1:1 GSH:Hg(II)] were exchanged by Cu(II) at concentrations 1-3 orders of magnitude greater than Hg(II). Competitive exchange was also observed between Cu(II) and Hg(II) bound to DOM, albeit to a lower extent, depending on relative abundances of thiol and carboxylate functional groups on DOM and their equilibrium time with Hg(II). When complexed with ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), most Hg(II) could be exchanged by Cu(II) and Zn(II), as well as Ca(II) at increasing concentrations. These results shed additional light on competitive exchange reactions between Hg(II) and coexisting metal ions and have important implications in Hg(II) chemical speciation and biogeochemical transformation, particularly in contaminated environments containing relatively high concentrations of Hg(II) and metal ions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaoling Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Comprehensive and Highly Efficient Utilization of Salt Lake Resources and Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Resources and Chemistry of Salt Lakes, Qinghai Institute of Salt Lakes, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China; Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Lijie Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Xujun Liang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Quanying Wang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Xiangping Yin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, United States; Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States.
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8
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Koenigsmark F, Weinhouse C, Berky AJ, Morales AM, Ortiz EJ, Pierce EM, Pan WK, Hsu-Kim H. Efficacy of Hair Total Mercury Content as a Biomarker of Methylmercury Exposure to Communities in the Area of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Madre de Dios, Peru. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:13350. [PMID: 34948962 PMCID: PMC8707462 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Total mercury content (THg) in hair is an accepted biomarker for chronic dietary methylmercury (MeHg) exposure. In artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities, the validity of this biomarker is questioned because of the potential for contamination from inorganic mercury. As mining communities may have both inorganic and organic mercury exposures, the efficacy of the hair-THg biomarker needs to be evaluated, particularly as nations begin population exposure assessments under their commitments to the Minamata Convention. We sought to validate the efficacy of hair THg for public health monitoring of MeHg exposures for populations living in ASGM communities. We quantified both THg and MeHg contents in hair from a representative subset of participants (N = 287) in a large, population-level mercury exposure assessment in the ASGM region in Madre de Dios (MDD), Peru. We compared population MeHg-THg correlations and %MeHg values with demographic variables including community location, sex, occupation, and nativity. We observed that hair MeHg-THg correlations were high (r > 0.7) for all communities, regardless of location or nativity. Specifically, for individuals within ASGM communities, 81% (121 of 150 total) had hair THg predominantly in the form of MeHg (i.e., >66% of THg) and reflective of dietary exposure to mercury. Furthermore, for individuals with hair THg exceeding the U.S. EPA threshold (1.0 μg/g), 88 out of 106 (83%) had MeHg as the predominant form. As a result, had urine THg solely been used for mercury exposure monitoring, approximately 59% of the ASGM population would have been misclassified as having low mercury exposure. Our results support the use of hair THg for monitoring of MeHg exposure of populations in ASGM settings where alternative biomarkers of MeHg exposure are not feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faye Koenigsmark
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
| | - Caren Weinhouse
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA;
| | - Axel J. Berky
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
| | - Ana Maria Morales
- Centro Nacional de Salud Intercultural, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Ministerio de Salud, Cápac Yupanqui 1400-Jesus María, Lima 15027, Peru;
| | - Ernesto J. Ortiz
- Duke Global Health Innovation Center, Duke University, 310 Blackwell Street, Durham, NC 27701, USA;
| | - Eric M. Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA;
| | - William K. Pan
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, 9 Circuit Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA;
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Drive, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Heileen Hsu-Kim
- Civil and Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA;
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9
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Eckert P, Johs A, Semrau JD, DiSpirito AA, Richardson J, Sarangi R, Herndon E, Gu B, Pierce EM. Spectroscopic and computational investigations of organometallic complexation of group 12 transition metals by methanobactins from Methylocystis sp. SB2. J Inorg Biochem 2021; 223:111496. [PMID: 34271330 PMCID: PMC10569158 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2021.111496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Methanotrophic bacteria catalyze the aerobic oxidation of methane to methanol using Cu-containing enzymes, thereby exerting a modulating influence on the global methane cycle. To facilitate the acquisition of Cu ions, some methanotrophic bacteria secrete small modified peptides known as "methanobactins," which strongly bind Cu and function as an extracellular Cu recruitment relay, analogous to siderophores and Fe. In addition to Cu, methanobactins form complexes with other late transition metals, including the Group 12 transition metals Zn, Cd, and Hg, although the interplay among solution-phase configurations, metal interactions, and the spectroscopic signatures of methanobactin-metal complexes remains ambiguous. In this study, the complexation of Zn, Cd, and Hg by methanobactin from Methylocystis sp. strain SB2 was studied using a combination of absorbance, fluorescence, extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy, and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. We report changes in sample absorbance and fluorescence spectral dynamics, which occur on a wide range of experimental timescales and characterize a clear stoichiometric complexation dependence. Mercury L3-edge EXAFS and TD-DFT calculations suggest a linear model for HgS coordination, and TD-DFT suggests a tetrahedral model for Zn2+ and Cd2+. We observed an enhancement in the fluorescence of methanobactin upon interaction with transition metals and propose a mechanism of complexation-hindered isomerization drawing inspiration from the wild-type Green Fluorescent Protein active site. Collectively, our results represent the first combined computational and experimental spectroscopy study of methanobactins and shed new light on molecular interactions and dynamics that characterize complexes of methanobactins with Group 12 transition metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Eckert
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA.
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Jeremy D Semrau
- Civil & Environmental Engineering, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alan A DiSpirito
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Jocelyn Richardson
- Structural Molecular Biology Division, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94306, USA
| | - Ritimukta Sarangi
- Structural Molecular Biology Division, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA 94306, USA
| | - Elizabeth Herndon
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA.
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10
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Stone-Weiss N, Smith NJ, Youngman RE, Pierce EM, Goel A. Dissolution kinetics of a sodium borosilicate glass in Tris buffer solutions: impact of Tris concentration and acid (HCl/HNO 3) identity. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:16165-16179. [PMID: 34297029 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp06425d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the corrosion behavior of glasses in near-neutral environments is crucial for many technologies including glasses for regenerative medicine and nuclear waste immobilization. To maintain consistent pH values throughout experiments in the pH = 7 to 9 regime, buffer solutions containing tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane ("Tris", or sometimes called THAM) are recommended in ISO standards 10993-14 and 23317 for evaluating biomaterial degradation and utilized throughout glass dissolution behavior literature-a key advantage being the absence of dissolved alkali/alkaline earth cations (i.e. Na+ or Ca2+) that can convolute experimental results due to solution feedback effects. Although Tris is effective at maintaining the solution pH, it has presented concerns due to the adverse artificial effects it produces while studying glass corrosion, especially in borosilicate glasses. Therefore, many open questions still remain on the topic of borosilicate glass interaction with Tris-based solutions. We have approached this topic by studying the dissolution behavior of a sodium borosilicate glass in a wide range of Tris-based solutions at 65 °C with varied acid identity (Tris-HCl vs. Tris-HNO3), buffer concentration (0.01 M to 0.5 M), and pH (7-9). The results have been discussed in reference to previous studies on this topic and the following conclusions have been made: (i) acid identity in Tris-based solutions does not exhibit a significant impact on the dissolution behavior of borosilicate glasses, (ii) ∼0.1 M Tris-based solutions are ideal for maintaining solution pH in the absence of obvious undesirable solution chemistry effects, and (iii) Tris-boron complexes can form in solution as a result of glass dissolution processes. The complex formation, however, exhibits a distinct temperature-dependence, and requires further study to uncover the precise mechanisms by which Tris-based solutions impact borosilicate glass dissolution behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Stone-Weiss
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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11
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Wang Q, Zhang L, Liang X, Yin X, Zhang Y, Zheng W, Pierce EM, Gu B. Rates and Dynamics of Mercury Isotope Exchange between Dissolved Elemental Hg(0) and Hg(II) Bound to Organic and Inorganic Ligands. Environ Sci Technol 2020; 54:15534-15545. [PMID: 33196184 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c06229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) isotope exchange is a common process in biogeochemical transformations of Hg in the environment, but it is unclear whether and at what rates dissolved elemental Hg(0)aq may exchange with divalent Hg(II) bound to various organic and inorganic ligands in water. Using enriched stable isotopes, we investigated the rates and dynamics of isotope exchange between 202Hg(0)aq and 201Hg(II) bound to organic and inorganic ligands with varying chemical structures and binding affinities. Time-dependent exchange reactions were followed by isotope compositional changes using both inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and Zeeman cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. Rapid, spontaneous isotope exchange (<1 h) was observed between 202Hg(0)aq and 201Hg(II) bound to chloride (Cl-), ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA), and thiols, such as cysteine (CYS), glutathione (GSH), and 2,3-dimercaptopropanesulfonic acid (DMPS) at a thiol ligand-to-Hg(II) molar ratio of 1:1. Without external reductants or oxidants, the exchange resulted in transfer of two electrons and redistribution of Hg isotopes bound to the ligand but no net changes of chemical species in the system. However, an increase in the ligand-to-Hg(II) ratio decreased the exchange rates due to the formation of 2:1 or higher thiol:Hg(II) chelated complexes, but had no effects on exchange rates with 201Hg(II) bound to EDTA or Cl-. The exchange between 202Hg(0)aq and 201Hg(II) bound to dissolved organic matter (DOM) showed an initially rapid followed by a slower exchange rate, likely resulting from Hg(II) complexation with both low- and high-affinity binding functional groups on DOM (e.g., carboxylates vs bidentate thiolates). These results demonstrate that Hg(0)aq readily exchanges with Hg(II) bound to various ligands and highlight the importance of considering exchange reactions in experimental enriched Hg isotope tracer studies or in natural abundance Hg isotope studies in environmental matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanying Wang
- Key Laboratory of Wet Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Lijie Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Xujun Liang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Xiangping Yin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Yaoling Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Wang Zheng
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, United States
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
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12
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Stone-Weiss N, Youngman RE, Thorpe R, Smith NJ, Pierce EM, Goel A. An insight into the corrosion of alkali aluminoborosilicate glasses in acidic environments. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:1881-1896. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp06064b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Sodium aluminoborosilicate glasses with wide-ranging compositions and structures corrode according to remarkably similar mechanisms in acidic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Stone-Weiss
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers
- The State University of New Jersey
- Piscataway
- USA
| | | | - Ryan Thorpe
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and Laboratory for Surface Modification, Rutgers
- The State University of New Jersey
- Piscataway
- USA
| | | | - Eric M. Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge
- USA
| | - Ashutosh Goel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rutgers
- The State University of New Jersey
- Piscataway
- USA
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13
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Johs A, Eller VA, Mehlhorn TL, Brooks SC, Harper DP, Mayes MA, Pierce EM, Peterson MJ. Dissolved organic matter reduces the effectiveness of sorbents for mercury removal. Sci Total Environ 2019; 690:410-416. [PMID: 31299573 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) contamination of soils and sediments impacts numerous environments worldwide and constitutes a challenging remediation problem. In this study, we evaluate the impact of dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the effectiveness of eight sorbent materials considered for Hg remediation in soils and sediments. The materials include both engineered and unmodified materials based on carbon, clays, mesoporous silica and a copper alloy. Initially, we investigated the kinetics of Hg(II) complexation with DOM for a series of Hg:DOM ratios. Steady-state Hg-DOM complexation occurred within 48 to 120 h, taking longer time at higher Hg:DOC (dissolved organic carbon) molar ratios. In subsequent equilibrium experiments, Hg(II) was equilibrated with DOM at a defined Hg:DOC molar ratio (2.4 · 10-6) for 170 h and used in batch experiments to determine the effect of DOM on Hg partition coefficients and sorption isotherms by comparing Hg(II) and Hg-DOM. Hg sorption capacities of all sorbents were severely limited in the presence of DOM as a competing ligand. Thiol-SAMMS®, SediMite™ and pine biochar were most effective in reducing Hg concentrations. While pine biochar and lignin-derived carbon processed at high temperatures released negligible amounts of anions into solution, leaching of sulfate and chloride was observed for most engineered sorbent materials. Sulfate may stimulate microbial communities harboring sulfate reducing bacteria, which are considered one of the primary drivers of microbial mercury methylation in the environment. The results highlight potential challenges arising from the application of sorbents for Hg remediation in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA.
| | - Virginia A Eller
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Tonia L Mehlhorn
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Scott C Brooks
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - David P Harper
- Center for Renewable Carbon, University of Tennessee, 2506 Jacob Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Melanie A Mayes
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Mark J Peterson
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 1 Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
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14
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An J, Zhang L, Lu X, Pelletier DA, Pierce EM, Johs A, Parks JM, Gu B. Mercury Uptake by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132: Passive or Active? Environ Sci Technol 2019; 53:6264-6272. [PMID: 31075193 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have identified HgcAB proteins as being responsible for mercury [Hg(II)] methylation by certain anaerobic microorganisms. However, it remains controversial whether microbes take up Hg(II) passively or actively. Here, we examine the dynamics of concurrent Hg(II) adsorption, uptake, and methylation by both viable and inactivated cells (heat-killed or starved) or spheroplasts of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 in laboratory incubations. We show that, without addition of thiols, >60% of the added Hg(II) (25 nM) was taken up passively in 48 h by live and inactivated cells and also by cells treated with the proton gradient uncoupler, carbonylcyanide-3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP). Inactivation abolished Hg(II) methylation, but the cells continued taking up Hg(II), likely through competitive binding or ligand exchange of Hg(II) by intracellular proteins or thiol-containing cellular components. Similarly, treatment with CCCP impaired the ability of spheroplasts to methylate Hg(II) but did not stop Hg(II) uptake. Spheroplasts showed a greater capacity to adsorb Hg(II) than whole cells, and the level of cytoplasmic membrane-bound Hg(II) correlated well with MeHg production, as Hg(II) methylation is associated with cytoplasmic HgcAB. Our results indicate that active metabolism is not required for cellular Hg(II) uptake, thereby providing an improved understanding of Hg(II) bioavailability for methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing An
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
- Key Laboratory of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Shenyang 110016 , China
| | - Lijie Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Xia Lu
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Dale A Pelletier
- Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Jerry M Parks
- Biosciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science , University of Tennessee , Knoxville , Tennessee 37996 , United States
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15
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Zhang L, Wu S, Zhao L, Lu X, Pierce EM, Gu B. Mercury Sorption and Desorption on Organo-Mineral Particulates as a Source for Microbial Methylation. Environ Sci Technol 2019; 53:2426-2433. [PMID: 30702880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In natural freshwater and sediments, mercuric mercury (Hg(II)) is largely associated with particulate minerals and organics, but it remains unclear under what conditions particulates may become a sink or a source for Hg(II) and whether the particulate-bound Hg(II) is bioavailable for microbial uptake and methylation. In this study, we investigated Hg(II) sorption-desorption characteristics on three organo-coated hematite particulates and a Hg-contaminated natural sediment and evaluated the potential of particulate-bound Hg(II) for microbial methylation. Mercury rapidly sorbed onto particulates, especially the cysteine-coated hematite and sediment, with little desorption observed (0.1-4%). However, the presence of Hg-binding ligands, such as low-molecular-weight thiols and humic acids, resulted in up to 60% of Hg(II) desorption from the Hg-laden hematite particulates but <6% from the sediment. Importantly, the particulate-bound Hg(II) was bioavailable for uptake and methylation by a sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 under anaerobic incubations, and the methylation rate was 4-10 times higher than the desorption rate of Hg(II). These observations suggest direct contacts and interactions between bacterial cells and the particulate-bound Hg(II), resulting in rapid exchange or uptake of Hg(II) by the bacteria. The results highlight the importance of Hg(II) partitioning at particulate-water interfaces and the role of particulates as a significant source of Hg(II) for methylation in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijie Zhang
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Shan Wu
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
- School of Resource, Environmental and Chemical Engineering , Nanchang University , Nanchang 330031 , China
| | - Linduo Zhao
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Xia Lu
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
- Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science , University of Tennessee , Knoxville , Tennessee 37996 , United States
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16
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Denmark IS, Begu E, Arslan Z, Han FX, Seiter-Moser JM, Pierce EM. Removal of inorganic mercury by selective extraction and coprecipitation for determination of methylmercury in mercury-contaminated soils by chemical vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CVG-ICP-MS). Anal Chim Acta 2018; 1041:68-77. [PMID: 30340692 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2018.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A procedure is developed for selective extraction of methylmercury (CH3Hg+) from heavily Hg-contaminated soils and sediments for determination by chemical vapor generation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CVG-ICP-MS). Soils artificially contaminated with 40 μg g-1 inorganic mercury (Hg2+) or methylmercury chloride (CH3HgCl) were agitated by shaking or exposing to ultrasounds in dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) or nitric acid (HNO3) solutions at room temperature. Extractions in HCl (5 or 10% v/v) resulted in substantial leaching of Hg2+ from soils, whereas 5% (v/v) HNO3 provided selectivity for quantitative extraction of CH3Hg+ with minimum Hg2+ leaching. Agitation with ultrasounds in 5% (v/v) HNO3 for about 3 min was sufficient for extraction of all CH3Hg+ from soils. Coprecipitations with Fe(OH)3, Bi(OH)3 and HgS were investigated for removal of residual Hg2+ in soil extracts. Hydroxide precipitations were not effective. Thiourea or l-cysteine added to soil extracts prior to hydroxide precipitation improved precipitation of Hg2+, but also resulted in removal of CH3Hg+. HgS precipitation was made with dilute ammonium sulfide solution, (NH4)2S. Adding 30 μL of 0.35 mol L-1 (NH4)2S to soil extracts in 5% (v/v) HNO3 resulted in removal of all residual Hg2+ without impacting CH3Hg+ levels. Vapor generation was carried out by reacting Hg2+-free soil extracts with 1% (m/v) NaBH4. No significant interferences were observed from (NH4)2S on the vapor generation from CH3Hg+. The slopes of the calibration curves for CH3HgCl standard solutions in 5% (v/v) HNO3 with and without (NH4)2S were similar. Limits of detection (LOD, 3s method) were around 0.08 μg L-1 for 5% (v/v) HNO3 blanks (n = 10) and 0.10 μg L-1 for 5% (v/v) HNO3 + 0.005 mol L-1 (NH4)2S blanks (n = 10). Percent relative standard deviation (%RSD) for five replicate measurements varied between 3.1% and 6.4% at 1.0 CH3HgCl level. The method is validated by analysis of two certified reference materials (CRM); purely Methylmercury sediment (SQC1238, 10.00 ± 0.291 ng g-1 CH3Hg+) and Hg-contaminated Estuarine sediment (ERM - CC580, 75 ± 4 ng g-1 CH3Hg+ and 132 ± 3 μg g-1 total Hg). CH3Hg+ values for SQC1238 were between 13.0 and 13.2 ng g-1, and 79 and 81 ng g-1 for ERM - CC580. Hg-contaminated soils (57-96 μg g-1 total Hg) collected from the floodplains of Oak Ridge, TN were analyzed for CH3Hg+ using the procedure by CVG-ICPMS. CH3Hg+ levels ranged from 30 to 51 ng g-1 and did not correlate with total Hg levels (R2 = 0.01).
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris S Denmark
- Jackson State University, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
| | - Ermira Begu
- Jackson State University, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
| | - Zikri Arslan
- Jackson State University, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA.
| | - Fengxiang X Han
- Jackson State University, Department of Chemistry, Physics and Atmospheric Sciences, Jackson, MS, 39217, USA
| | - Jennifer M Seiter-Moser
- Environmental Laboratory, Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Vicksburg, MS, 39180, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
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17
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Qian C, Chen H, Johs A, Lu X, An J, Pierce EM, Parks JM, Elias DA, Hettich RL, Gu B. Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Biological Processes and Responses of the Bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 upon Deletion of Its Mercury Methylation Genes. Proteomics 2018; 18:e1700479. [PMID: 30009483 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201700479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies of microbial mercury (Hg) methylation revealed a key gene pair, hgcAB, which is essential for methylmercury (MeHg) production in the environment. However, many aspects of the mechanism and biological processes underlying Hg methylation, as well as any additional physiological functions of the hgcAB genes, remain unknown. Here, quantitative proteomics are used to identify changes in potential functional processes related to hgcAB gene deletion in the Hg-methylating bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132. Global proteomics analyses indicate that the wild type and ΔhgcAB strains are similar with respect to the whole proteome and the identified number of proteins, but differ significantly in the abundance of specific proteins. The authors observe changes in the abundance of proteins related to the glycolysis pathway and one-carbon metabolism, suggesting that the hgcAB gene pair is linked to carbon metabolism. Unexpectedly, the authors find that the deletion of hgcAB significantly impacts a range of metal transport proteins, specifically membrane efflux pumps such as those associated with heavy metal copper (Cu) export, leading to decreased Cu uptake in the ΔhgcAB mutant. This observation indicates possible linkages between this set of proteins and metal homeostasis in the cell. However, hgcAB gene expression is not induced by Hg, as evidenced by similarly low abundance of HgcA and HgcB proteins in the absence or presence of Hg (500 nm). Taken together, these results suggest an apparent link between HgcAB, one-carbon metabolism, and metal homeostasis, thereby providing insights for further exploration of biochemical mechanisms and biological functions of microbial Hg methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qian
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, 37996 Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Hongmei Chen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Xia Lu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Jing An
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Jerry M Parks
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Dwayne A Elias
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Robert L Hettich
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, 37996 Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831 Oak Ridge, TN, USA
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18
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Jubb AM, Eskelsen JR, Yin X, Zheng J, Philben MJ, Pierce EM, Graham DE, Wullschleger SD, Gu B. Characterization of iron oxide nanoparticle films at the air-water interface in Arctic tundra waters. Sci Total Environ 2018; 633:1460-1468. [PMID: 29758898 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.03.332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Massive amounts of organic carbon have accumulated in Arctic permafrost and soils due to anoxic and low temperature conditions that limit aerobic microbial respiration. Alternative electron acceptors are thus required for microbes to degrade organic carbon in these soils. Iron or iron oxides have been recognized to play an important role in carbon cycle processes in Arctic soils, although the exact form and role as an electron acceptor or donor remain poorly understood. Here, Arctic biofilms collected during the summers of 2016 and 2017 from tundra surface waters on the Seward Peninsula of western Alaska were characterized with a suite of microscopic and spectroscopic methods. We hypothesized that these films contain redox-active minerals bound to biological polymers. The major components of the films were found to be iron oxide nanoparticle aggregates associated with extracellular polymeric substances. The observed mineral phases varied between films collected in different years with magnetite (Fe2+Fe23+O4) nanoparticles (<5nm) predominantly identified in the 2016 films, while for films collected in 2017 ferrihydrite-like amorphous iron oxyhydroxides were found. While the exact formation mechanism of these Artic iron oxide films remains to be explored, the presence of magnetite and other iron oxide/oxyhydroxide nanoparticles at the air-water interface may represent a previously unknown source of electron acceptors for continual anaerobic microbial respiration of organic carbon within poorly drained Arctic tundra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M Jubb
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
| | - Jeremy R Eskelsen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Xiangping Yin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Jianqiu Zheng
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Michael J Philben
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - David E Graham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Stan D Wullschleger
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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19
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Moon JW, Eskelsen JR, Ivanov IN, Jacobs CB, Jang GG, Kidder MK, Joshi PC, Armstrong BL, Pierce EM, Oremland RS, Phelps TJ, Graham DE. Improved ZnS nanoparticle properties through sequential NanoFermentation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 102:8329-8339. [PMID: 30078139 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9245-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Sequential NanoFermentation (SNF) is a novel process which entails sparging microbially produced gas containing H2S from a primary reactor through a concentrated metal-acetate solution contained in a secondary reactor, thereby precipitating metallic sulfide nanoparticles (e.g., ZnS, CuS, or SnS). SNF holds an advantage over single reactor nanoparticle synthesis strategies, because it avoids exposing the microorganisms to high concentrations of toxic metal and sulfide ions. Also, by segregating the nanoparticle products from biological materials, SNF avoids coating nanoparticles with bioproducts that alter their desired properties. Herein, we report the properties of ZnS nanoparticles formed from SNF as compared with ones produced directly in a primary reactor (i.e., conventional NanoFermentation, or "CNF"), commercially available ZnS, and ZnS chemically synthesized by bubbling H2S gas through a Zn-acetate solution. The ZnS nanoparticles produced by SNF provided improved optical properties due to their smaller crystallite size, smaller overall particle sizes, reduced biotic surface coatings, and reduced structural defects. SNF still maintained the advantages of NanoFermentation technology over chemical synthesis including scalability, reproducibility, and lower hazardous waste burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Won Moon
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA. .,National Minerals Information Center, United States Geological Survey, Reston, VA, 20192, USA.
| | | | - Ilia N Ivanov
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | | | - Gyoung Gug Jang
- Energy & Transportation Science Division, ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | | | - Pooran C Joshi
- Material Science and Technology Division, ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Beth L Armstrong
- Material Science and Technology Division, ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, ORNL, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | | | - Tommy J Phelps
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - David E Graham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
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20
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Eskelsen JR, Xu J, Chiu M, Moon JW, Wilkins B, Graham DE, Gu B, Pierce EM. Influence of Structural Defects on Biomineralized ZnS Nanoparticle Dissolution: An in-Situ Electron Microscopy Study. Environ Sci Technol 2018; 52:1139-1149. [PMID: 29258315 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The dissolution of metal sulfides, such as ZnS, is an important biogeochemical process affecting fate and transport of trace metals in the environment. However, current studies of in situ dissolution of metal sulfides and the effects of structural defects on dissolution are lacking. Here we have examined the dissolution behavior of ZnS nanoparticles synthesized via several abiotic and biological pathways. Specifically, we have examined biogenic ZnS nanoparticles produced by an anaerobic, metal-reducing bacterium Thermoanaerobacter sp. X513 in a Zn-amended, thiosulfate-containing growth medium in the presence or absence of silver (Ag), and abiogenic ZnS nanoparticles were produced by mixing an aqueous Zn solution with either H2S-rich gas or Na2S solution. The size distribution, crystal structure, aggregation behavior, and internal defects of the synthesized ZnS nanoparticles were examined using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. The characterization results show that both the biogenic and abiogenic samples were dominantly composed of sphalerite. In the absence of Ag, the biogenic ZnS nanoparticles were significantly larger (i.e., ∼10 nm) than the abiogenic ones (i.e., ∼3-5 nm) and contained structural defects (e.g., twins and stacking faults). The presence of trace Ag showed a restraining effect on the particle size of the biogenic ZnS, resulting in quantum-dot-sized nanoparticles (i.e., ∼3 nm). In situ dissolution experiments for the synthesized ZnS were conducted with a liquid-cell TEM (LCTEM), and the primary factors (i.e., the presence or absence structural defects) were evaluated for their effects on the dissolution behavior using the biogenic and abiogenic ZnS nanoparticle samples with the largest average particle size. Analysis of the dissolution results (i.e., change in particle radius with time) using the Kelvin equation shows that the defect-bearing biogenic ZnS nanoparticles (γ = 0.799 J/m2) have a significantly higher surface energy than the abiogenic ZnS nanoparticles (γ = 0.277 J/m2). Larger defect-bearing biogenic ZnS nanoparticles were thus more reactive than the smaller quantum-dot-sized ZnS nanoparticles. These findings provide new insight into the factors that affect the dissolution of metal sulfide nanoparticles in relevant natural and engineered scenarios, and have important implications for tracking the fate and transport of sulfide nanoparticles and associated metal ions in the environment. Moreover, our study exemplified the use of an in situ method (i.e., LCTEM) to investigate nanoparticle behavior (e.g., dissolution) in aqueous solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy R Eskelsen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Jie Xu
- Geological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso , 500 West University Ave, El Paso, Texas 79968, United States
| | - Michelle Chiu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Ji-Won Moon
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Branford Wilkins
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - David E Graham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , P.O. Box 2008, MS 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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Stone-Weiss N, Pierce EM, Youngman RE, Gulbiten O, Smith NJ, Du J, Goel A. Understanding the structural drivers governing glass-water interactions in borosilicate based model bioactive glasses. Acta Biomater 2018; 65:436-449. [PMID: 29127067 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a significant upsurge in the development of borate and borosilicate based resorbable bioactive glasses owing to their faster degradation rate in comparison to their silicate counterparts. However, due to our lack of understanding about the fundamental science governing the aqueous corrosion of these glasses, most of the borate/borosilicate based bioactive glasses reported in the literature have been designed by "trial-and-error" approach. With an ever-increasing demand for their application in treating a broad spectrum of non-skeletal health problems, it is becoming increasingly difficult to design advanced glass formulations using the same conventional approach. Therefore, a paradigm shift from the "trial-and-error" approach to "materials-by-design" approach is required to develop new-generations of bioactive glasses with controlled release of functional ions tailored for specific patients and disease states, whereby material functions and properties can be predicted from first principles. Realizing this goal, however, requires a thorough understanding of the complex sequence of reactions that control the dissolution kinetics of bioactive glasses and the structural drivers that govern them. While there is a considerable amount of literature published on chemical dissolution behavior and apatite-forming ability of potentially bioactive glasses, the majority of this literature has been produced on silicate glass chemistries using different experimental and measurement protocols. It follows that inter-comparison of different datasets reveals inconsistencies between experimental groups. There are also some major experimental challenges or choices that need to be carefully navigated to unearth the mechanisms governing the chemical degradation behavior and kinetics of boron-containing bioactive glasses, and to accurately determine the composition-structure-property relationships. In order to address these challenges, a simplified borosilicate based model melt-quenched bioactive glass system has been studied to depict the impact of thermal history on its molecular structure and dissolution behavior in water. It has been shown that the methodology of quenching of the glass melt impacts the dissolution rate of the studied glasses by 1.5×-3× depending on the changes induced in their molecular structure due to variation in thermal history. Further, a recommendation has been made to study dissolution behavior of bioactive glasses using surface area of the sample - to - volume of solution (SA/V) approach instead of the currently followed mass of sample - to - volume of solution approach. The structural and chemical dissolution data obtained from bioactive glasses following the approach presented in this paper can be used to develop the structural descriptors and potential energy functions over a broad range of bioactive glass compositions. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Realizing the goal of designing third generation bioactive glasses requires a thorough understanding of the complex sequence of reactions that control their rate of degradation (in physiological fluids) and the structural drivers that control them. In this article, we have highlighted some major experimental challenges and choices that need to be carefully navigated in order to unearth the mechanisms governing the chemical dissolution behavior of borosilicate based bioactive glasses. The proposed experimental approach allows us to gain a new level of conceptual understanding about the composition-structure-property relationships in these glass systems, which can be applied to attain a significant leap in designing borosilicate based bioactive glasses with controlled dissolution rates tailored for specific patient and disease states.
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Zhao L, Chen H, Lu X, Lin H, Christensen GA, Pierce EM, Gu B. Contrasting Effects of Dissolved Organic Matter on Mercury Methylation by Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:10468-10475. [PMID: 28806071 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b02518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) affects mercury (Hg) redox reactions and anaerobic microbial methylation in the environment. Several studies have shown that DOM can enhance Hg methylation, especially under sulfidic conditions, whereas others show that DOM inhibits Hg methylation due to strong Hg-DOM complexation. In this study, we investigated and compared the effects of DOM on Hg methylation by an iron-reducing bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA and a sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132 under nonsulfidic conditions. The methylation experiment was performed with washed cells either in the absence or presence of DOM or glutathione, both of which form strong complexes with Hg via thiol-functional groups. DOM was found to greatly inhibit Hg methylation by G. Sulfurreducens PCA but enhance Hg methylation by D. desulfuricans ND132 cells with increasing DOM concentration. These strain-dependent opposing effects of DOM were also observed with glutathione, suggesting that thiols in DOM likely played an essential role in affecting microbial Hg uptake and methylation. Additionally, DOM and glutathione greatly decreased Hg sorption by G. sulfurreducens PCA but showed little effect on D. desulfuricans ND132 cells, demonstrating that ND132 has a higher affinity to sorb or take up Hg than the PCA strain. These observations indicate that DOM effects on Hg methylation are bacterial strain specific, depend on the DOM:Hg ratio or site-specific conditions, and may thus offer new insights into the role of DOM in methylmercury production in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linduo Zhao
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Hongmei Chen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Xia Lu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Hui Lin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Geoff A Christensen
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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Pierce EM, Lilova K, Missimer DM, Lukens WW, Wu L, Fitts J, Rawn C, Huq A, Leonard DN, Eskelsen JR, F Woodfield B, Jantzen CM, Navrotsky A. Structure and Thermochemistry of Perrhenate Sodalite and Mixed Guest Perrhenate/Pertechnetate Sodalite. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:997-1006. [PMID: 28026187 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Treatment and immobilization of technetium-99 (99Tc) contained in reprocessed nuclear waste and present in contaminated subsurface systems represents a major environmental challenge. One potential approach to managing this highly mobile and long-lived radionuclide is immobilization into micro- and meso-porous crystalline solids, specifically sodalite. We synthesized and characterized the structure of perrhenate sodalite, Na8[AlSiO4]6(ReO4)2, and the structure of a mixed guest perrhenate/pertechnetate sodalite, Na8[AlSiO4]6(ReO4)2-x(TcO4)x. Perrhenate was used as a chemical analogue for pertechnetate. Bulk analyses of each solid confirm a cubic sodalite-type structure (P4̅3n, No. 218 space group) with rhenium and technetium in the 7+ oxidation state. High-resolution nanometer scale characterization measurements provide first-of-a-kind evidence that the ReO4- anions are distributed in a periodic array in the sample, nanoscale clustering is not observed, and the ReO4- anion occupies the center of the sodalite β-cage in Na8[AlSiO4]6(ReO4)2. We also demonstrate, for the first time, that the TcO4- anion can be incorporated into the sodalite structure. Lastly, thermochemistry measurements for the perrhenate sodalite were used to estimate the thermochemistry of pertechnetate sodalite based on a relationship between ionic potential and the enthalpy and Gibbs free energy of formation for previously measured oxyanion-bearing feldspathoid phases. The results collected in this study suggest that micro- and mesoporous crystalline solids maybe viable candidates for the treatment and immobilization of 99Tc present in reprocessed nuclear waste streams and contaminated subsurface environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, MS: 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Kristina Lilova
- Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory and NEAT ORU, University of California at Davis , Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - David M Missimer
- Analytical Development Center, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29808, United States
| | - Wayne W Lukens
- Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Lili Wu
- Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory and NEAT ORU, University of California at Davis , Davis, California 95616, United States
| | - Jeffrey Fitts
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Princeton University , Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Claudia Rawn
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Ashfia Huq
- Chemical & Engineering Materials Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Donovan N Leonard
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Tennessee , Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Jeremy R Eskelsen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, MS: 6038, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Brian F Woodfield
- Chemistry & Biochemistry, Brigham Young University , Provo, Utah 84602, United States
| | - Carol M Jantzen
- Environmental Technology Center, Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, South Carolina 29808, United States
| | - Alexandra Navrotsky
- Peter A. Rock Thermochemistry Laboratory and NEAT ORU, University of California at Davis , Davis, California 95616, United States
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Liu YR, Lu X, Zhao L, An J, He JZ, Pierce EM, Johs A, Gu B. Effects of Cellular Sorption on Mercury Bioavailability and Methylmercury Production by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:13335-13341. [PMID: 27993064 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Microbial conversion of inorganic mercury (IHg) to methylmercury (MeHg) is a significant environmental concern because of the bioaccumulation and biomagnification of toxic MeHg in the food web. Laboratory incubation studies have shown that, despite the presence of large quantities of IHg in cell cultures, MeHg biosynthesis often reaches a plateau or a maximum within hours or a day by an as yet unexplained mechanism. Here we report that mercuric Hg(II) can be taken up rapidly by cells of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132, but a large fraction of the Hg(II) is unavailable for methylation because of strong cellular sorption. Thiols, such as cysteine, glutathione, and penicillamine, added either simultaneously with Hg(II) or after cells have been exposed to Hg(II), effectively desorb or mobilize the bound Hg(II), leading to a substantial increase in MeHg production. The amount of thiol-desorbed Hg(II) is strongly correlated to the amount of MeHg produced (r = 0.98). However, cells do not preferentially take up Hg(II)-thiol complexes, but Hg(II)-ligand exchange between these complexes and the cell-associated proteins likely constrains Hg(II) uptake and methylation. We suggest that, aside from aqueous chemical speciation of Hg(II), binding and exchange of Hg(II) between cells and complexing ligands such as thiols and naturally dissolved organics in solution is an important controlling mechanism of Hg(II) bioavailability, which should be considered when predicting MeHg production in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085, China
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Xia Lu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Linduo Zhao
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Jing An
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Ji-Zheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085, China
- Department of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, the University of Melbourne , Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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25
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Frontalini F, Curzi D, Cesarini E, Canonico B, Giordano FM, De Matteis R, Bernhard JM, Pieretti N, Gu B, Eskelsen JR, Jubb AM, Zhao L, Pierce EM, Gobbi P, Papa S, Coccioni R. Mercury-Pollution Induction of Intracellular Lipid Accumulation and Lysosomal Compartment Amplification in the Benthic Foraminifer Ammonia parkinsoniana. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162401. [PMID: 27603511 PMCID: PMC5014445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals such as mercury (Hg) pose a significant health hazard through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. By penetrating cell membranes, heavy metal ions may lead to pathological conditions. Here we examined the responses of Ammonia parkinsoniana, a benthic foraminiferan, to different concentrations of Hg in the artificial sea water. Confocal images of untreated and treated specimens using fluorescent probes (Nile Red and Acridine Orange) provided an opportunity for visualizing the intracellular lipid accumulation and acidic compartment regulation. With increased Hg over time, we observed an increased number of lipid droplets, which may have acted as a detoxifying organelle where Hg is sequestered and biologically inactivated. Further, Hg seems to promote the proliferation of lysosomes both in terms of number and dimension that, at the highest level of Hg, resulted in cell death. We report, for the first time, the presence of Hg within the foraminiferal cell: at the basal part of pores, in the organic linings of the foramen/septa, and as cytoplasmic accumulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Davide Curzi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | - Erica Cesarini
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | - Barbara Canonico
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | | | - Rita De Matteis
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | - Joan M. Bernhard
- Geology and Geophysics Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America
| | - Nadia Pieretti
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Jeremy R. Eskelsen
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Aaron M. Jubb
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Linduo Zhao
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Eric M. Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America
| | - Pietro Gobbi
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | - Stefano Papa
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
| | - Rodolfo Coccioni
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Urbino University, Urbino, Italy
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26
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Lu X, Liu Y, Johs A, Zhao L, Wang T, Yang Z, Lin H, Elias DA, Pierce EM, Liang L, Barkay T, Gu B. Response to Comment on "Anaerobic Mercury Methylation and Demethylation by Geobacter Bemidjiensis Bem". Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:9800-9801. [PMID: 27518209 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xia Lu
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University , Lanzhou, China
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Yurong Liu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, China
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Linduo Zhao
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Tieshan Wang
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University , Lanzhou, China
| | - Ziming Yang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Hui Lin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Dwayne A Elias
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Liyuan Liang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University , New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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27
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Lu X, Liu Y, Johs A, Zhao L, Wang T, Yang Z, Lin H, Elias DA, Pierce EM, Liang L, Barkay T, Gu B. Anaerobic Mercury Methylation and Demethylation by Geobacter bemidjiensis Bem. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:4366-73. [PMID: 27019098 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Microbial methylation and demethylation are two competing processes controlling the net production and bioaccumulation of neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) in natural ecosystems. Although mercury (Hg) methylation by anaerobic microorganisms and demethylation by aerobic Hg-resistant bacteria have both been extensively studied, little attention has been given to MeHg degradation by anaerobic bacteria, particularly the iron-reducing bacterium Geobacter bemidjiensis Bem. Here we report, for the first time, that the strain G. bemidjiensis Bem can mediate a suite of Hg transformations, including Hg(II) reduction, Hg(0) oxidation, MeHg production and degradation under anoxic conditions. Results suggest that G. bemidjiensis utilizes a reductive demethylation pathway to degrade MeHg, with elemental Hg(0) as the major reaction product, possibly due to the presence of genes encoding homologues of an organomercurial lyase (MerB) and a mercuric reductase (MerA). In addition, the cells can strongly sorb Hg(II) and MeHg, reduce or oxidize Hg, resulting in both time and concentration-dependent Hg species transformations. Moderate concentrations (10-500 μM) of Hg-binding ligands such as cysteine enhance Hg(II) methylation but inhibit MeHg degradation. These findings indicate a cycle of Hg methylation and demethylation among anaerobic bacteria, thereby influencing net MeHg production in anoxic water and sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Lu
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University , Lanzhou, China
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Yurong Liu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing, China
| | - Alexander Johs
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Linduo Zhao
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Tieshan Wang
- School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University , Lanzhou, China
| | - Ziming Yang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Hui Lin
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Dwayne A Elias
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Liyuan Liang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Biology and Soft Matter Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University , New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Baohua Gu
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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28
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Miller CL, Watson DB, Lester BP, Howe JY, Phillips DH, He F, Liang L, Pierce EM. Formation of Soluble Mercury Oxide Coatings: Transformation of Elemental Mercury in Soils. Environ Sci Technol 2015; 49:12105-12111. [PMID: 26389816 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The impact of mercury (Hg) on human and ecological health has been known for decades. Although a treaty signed in 2013 by 147 nations regulates future large-scale mercury emissions, legacy Hg contamination exists worldwide and small-scale releases will continue. The fate of elemental mercury, Hg(0), lost to the subsurface and its potential chemical transformation that can lead to changes in speciation and mobility are poorly understood. Here, we show that Hg(0) beads interact with soil or manganese oxide solids and X-ray spectroscopic analysis indicates that the soluble mercury coatings are HgO. Dissolution studies show that, after reacting with a composite soil, >20 times more Hg is released into water from the coated beads than from a pure liquid mercury bead. An even larger, >700 times, release occurs from coated Hg(0) beads that have been reacted with manganese oxide, suggesting that manganese oxides are involved in the transformation of the Hg(0) beads and creation of the soluble mercury coatings. Although the coatings may inhibit Hg(0) evaporation, the high solubility of the coatings can enhance Hg(II) migration away from the Hg(0)-spill site and result in potential changes in mercury speciation in the soil and increased mercury mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie L Miller
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Troy University , Troy, Alabama 36082, United States
| | - David B Watson
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Brian P Lester
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Jane Y Howe
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- Hitachi High Technologies Canada, Incorporated , Toronto, Ontario M9W 6A4, Canada
| | | | - Feng He
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
- College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology , Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310032, People's Republic of China
| | - Liyuan Liang
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Eric M Pierce
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) , Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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29
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Dickson JO, Harsh JB, Flury M, Lukens WW, Pierce EM. Competitive incorporation of perrhenate and nitrate into sodalite. Environ Sci Technol 2014; 48:12851-12857. [PMID: 25280127 DOI: 10.1021/es503156v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear waste storage tanks at the Hanford site in southeastern Washington have released highly alkaline solutions, containing radioactive and other contaminants, into subsurface sediments. When this waste reacts with subsurface sediments, feldspathoid minerals (sodalite, cancrinite) can form, sequestering pertechnetate (99TcO4-) and other ions. This study investigates the potential for incorporation of perrhenate (ReO4-), a chemical surrogate for 99TcO4-, into mixed perrhenate/nitrate (ReO4-/NO3-) sodalite. Mixed-anion sodalites were hydrothermally synthesized in the laboratory from zeolite A in sodium hydroxide, nitrate, and perrhenate solutions at 90 °C for 24 h. The resulting solids were characterized by bulk chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy (XANES) to determine the products' chemical composition, structure, morphology, and Re oxidation state. The XANES data indicated that nearly all rhenium (Re) was incorporated as Re(VII)O4-. The nonlinear increase of the unit cell parameter with ReO4-/NO3- ratios suggests formation of two separate sodalite phases in lieu of a mixed-anion sodalite. The results reveal that the sodalite cage is highly selective toward NO3- over ReO4-. Calculated enthalpy and Gibbs free energy of formation at 298 K for NO3- and ReO4-sodalite suggest that NO3- incorporation into the cage is favored over the incorporation of the larger ReO4-, due to the smaller ionic radius of NO3-. Based on these results, it is expected that NO3-, which is present at significantly higher concentrations in alkaline waste solutions than 99TcO4-, will be strongly preferred for incorporation into the sodalite cage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnbull O Dickson
- Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University , P.O. Box 646420, Pullman, Washington 99164, United States
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Neeway JJ, Qafoku NP, Williams BD, Rod K, Bowden ME, Brown CF, Pierce EM. Performance of the Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming product under hydraulically unsaturated conditions. J Environ Radioact 2014; 131:119-128. [PMID: 24183758 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2013.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/08/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Several candidates for supplemental low-activity waste (LAW) immobilization at the Hanford site in Washington State, USA are being considered. One waste sequestering technology considered is Fluidized Bed Steam Reforming (FBSR). The granular product resulting from the FBSR process is composed primarily of an insoluble sodium aluminosilicate matrix with the dominant phases being feldspathoid minerals with a 1:1:1 molar ratio of Na, Al and Si. To demonstrate the durability of the product, which can be disposed of at the unsaturated Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) at Hanford, a series of tests has been performed using the Pressurized Unsaturated Flow (PUF) system, which allows for the accelerated weathering of the solid materials. The system maintains hydraulically unsaturated conditions, thus mimicking the open-flow and transport properties that will be present at the IDF. Two materials were tested using the system: 1) the FBSR granular product and 2) the FBSR granular product encapsulated in a geopolymer to form a monolith. Results of the experiments show a trend of relatively constant effluent concentration of Na, Si, Al, and Cs as a function of time from both materials. The elements I and Re show a steady release throughout the yearlong test from the granular material but their concentrations seem to be increasing at one year from the monolith material. This result suggests that these two elements may be present in the sodalite cage structure rather than in the predominant nepheline phase because their release occurs at a different rate compared to nepheline phase. Also, these elements to not seem to reprecipitate when released from the starting material. Calculated one-year release rates for Si are on the order of 10(-6) g/(m(2) d) for the granular material and 10(-5) g/(m(2) d) for the monolith material while Re release is seen to be two orders of magnitude higher than Si release rates. SEM imaging and XRD analysis show how the alteration of the two materials is dependent on their depth in the column. This phenomenom is a result of depth-dependent solution concentrations giving rise chemical environments that may be supersaturated with respect to a number of mineral phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Neeway
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA.
| | | | | | - Kenton Rod
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | - Mark E Bowden
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA 99352, USA
| | | | - Eric M Pierce
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
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Miller CL, Watson DB, Lester BP, Lowe KA, Pierce EM, Liang L. Characterization of soils from an industrial complex contaminated with elemental mercury. Environ Res 2013; 125:20-9. [PMID: 23809204 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2013.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2012] [Revised: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Historical use of liquid elemental mercury (Hg(0)l) at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, TN, USA, resulted in large deposits of Hg(0)l in the soils. The fate and distribution of the spilled Hg(0) are not well characterized. In this study we evaluated analytical tools for characterizing the speciation of Hg in the contaminated soils and then used the analytical techniques to examine the speciation of Hg in two soil cores collected at the site. These include x-ray fluorescence (XRF), soil Hg(0) headspace analysis, and total Hg determination by acid digestion coupled with cold vapor atomic absorption (HgT). XRF was not found to be suitable for evaluating Hg concentrations in heterogeneous soils containing low concentration of Hg or Hg(0) because Hg concentrations determined using this method were lower than those determined by HgT analysis and the XRF detection limit is 20 mg/kg. Hg(0)g headspace analysis coupled with HgT measurements yielded good results for examining the presence of Hg(0)l in soils and the speciation of Hg. The two soil cores are highly heterogeneous in both the depth and extent of Hg contamination, with Hg concentrations ranging from 0.05 to 8400mg/kg. In the first core, Hg(0)l was distributed throughout the 3.2m depth, whereas the second core, from a location 12m away, contained Hg(0)l in a 0.3m zone only. Sequential extractions showed organically associated Hg dominant at depths with low Hg concentration. Soil from the zone of groundwater saturation showed reducing conditions and the Hg is likely present as Hg-sulfide species. At this depth, lateral Hg transport in the groundwater may be a source of Hg detected in the soil at the deeper soil depths. Overall, characterization of soils containing Hg(0)l is difficult because of the heterogeneous distribution of Hg within the soils. This is exacerbated in industrial facilities where fill materials make up much of the soils and historical and continued reworking of the subsurface has remobilized the Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie L Miller
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, PO Box 2008, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA.
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Rod KA, Wellman DM, Flury M, Pierce EM, Harsh JB. Diffusive release of uranium from contaminated sediments into capillary fringe pore water. J Contam Hydrol 2012; 140-141:164-172. [PMID: 23041367 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2012.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/04/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite remediation efforts at the former nuclear weapons facility, leaching of uranium (U) from contaminated sediments to the ground water persists at the Hanford site 300 Area. Flooding of contaminated capillary fringe sediments due to seasonal changes in the Columbia River stage has been identified as a source for U supply to ground water. We investigated U release from Hanford capillary fringe sediments by packing sediments into reservoirs of centrifugal filter devices and saturating them with Columbia River water for 3 to 84days at varying solution-to-solid ratios. After specified times, samples were centrifuged. Within the first three days, there was an initial rapid release of 6-9% of total U, independent of the solution-to-solid ratio. After 14days of reaction, however, the experiments with the narrowest solution-to-solid ratios showed a decline in dissolved U concentrations. The removal of U from the solution phase was accompanied by removal of Ca and HCO(3)(-). Geochemical modeling indicated that calcite could precipitate in the narrowest solution-to-solid ratio experiment. After the rapid initial release in the first three days for the wide solution-to-solid ratio experiments, there was sustained release of U into the pore water. This sustained release of U from the sediments had diffusion-limited kinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenton A Rod
- Earth Systems Science Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, PO Box 999, Richland, WA 99354, United States.
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He F, Wang W, Moon JW, Howe J, Pierce EM, Liang L. Rapid removal of Hg(II) from aqueous solutions using thiol-functionalized Zn-doped biomagnetite particles. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2012; 4:4373-4379. [PMID: 22853320 DOI: 10.1021/am301031g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The surfaces of Zn-doped biomagnetite nanostructured particles were functionalized with (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS) and used as a high-capacity and collectable adsorbent for the removal of Hg(II) from water. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the attachment of MPTMS on the particle surface. The crystallite size of the Zn-doped biomagnetite was ∼17 nm, and the thickness of the MPTMS coating was ∼5 nm. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering analyses revealed that the particles formed aggregates in aqueous solution with an average hydrodynamic size of 826 ± 32 nm. Elemental analyses indicate that the chemical composition of the biomagnetite is Zn(0.46)Fe(2.54)O(4), and the loading of sulfur is 3.6 mmol/g. The MPTMS-modified biomagnetite has a calculated saturation magnetization of 37.9 emu/g and can be separated from water within a minute using a magnet. Sorption of Hg(II) to the nanostructured particles was much faster than other commercial sorbents, and the Hg(II) sorption isotherm in an industrial wastewater follows the Langmuir model with a maximum capacity of ∼416 mg/g, indicating two -SH groups bonded to one Hg. This new Hg(II) sorbent was stable in a range of solutions, from contaminated water to 0.5 M acid solutions, with low leaching of Fe, Zn, Si, and S (<10%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng He
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States.
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Pierce EM, Carpenter K, Jakubzick C, Kunkel SL, Evanoff H, Flaherty KR, Martinez FJ, Toews GB, Hogaboam CM. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis fibroblasts migrate and proliferate to CC chemokine ligand 21. Eur Respir J 2007; 29:1082-93. [PMID: 17331965 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00122806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)/usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is the severest form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia for which therapeutic targets are needed. Surgical lung biopsy specimens from IPF/UIP patients exhibit focal expression of CC chemokine receptor (CCR) 7, but the identity of these CCR7-positive cells is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to examine the functional and signalling significance of CCR7 expression of primary fibroblasts grown from IPF/UIP and normal surgical lung biopsy specimens. Primary fibroblasts were cultured from surgical lung biopsy specimens from IPF/UIP and normal patients. Fibroblasts treated with or without CC chemokine ligand (CCL) 21 were analysed for functional, transcriptional and proteomic differences using immunocytochemical analysis, gene arrays, Taqman real-time PCR, and migration, proliferation and Western blot assays. CCR7 was expressed by IPF/UIP fibroblasts, but not normal fibroblasts. IPF/UIP fibroblasts, but not normal fibroblasts, showed significant migratory and proliferative responses when exposed to CCL21, which were inhibited by pertussis toxin or neutralising antibodies to CCR7. Exposure of IPF/UIP fibroblasts to CCL21 altered the phosphorylation status of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and ribosomal S6 kinase (90 kDa) in these cells; this was abrogated by pertussis toxin or CCR7-specific small interfering RNA. Together, these data demonstrate that CC chemokine ligand 21 modulates the functional properties of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis/usual interstitial pneumonia fibroblasts, but not normal fibroblasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Pierce
- Immunology programme, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Room 4057, BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor MI 48109-0602, USA
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Choi ES, Pierce EM, Jakubzick C, Carpenter KJ, Kunkel SL, Evanoff H, Martinez FJ, Flaherty KR, Moore BB, Toews GB, Colby TV, Kazerooni EA, Gross BH, Travis WD, Hogaboam CM. Focal interstitial CC chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) expression in idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. J Clin Pathol 2006; 59:28-39. [PMID: 16394278 PMCID: PMC1860265 DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2005.026872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) are a diverse grouping of chronic pulmonary diseases characterised by varying degrees of pulmonary fibrosis. The triggers of the fibroproliferative process in IIP remain enigmatic but recent attention has been directed towards chemokine involvement in this process. METHODS The expression of two chemokine receptors, CCR7 and CXCR4, and their respective ligands, CCL19, CCL21, and CXCL12, were examined in surgical lung biopsies (SLBs) from patients with IIP. Transcript and protein expression of these receptors and their ligands was compared with that detected in histologically normal margin SLBs. RESULTS CCR7 and CXCR4 were detected by gene array and real time polymerase chain reaction analysis and CCR7, but not CXCR4, expression was significantly raised in usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) relative to biopsies from patients diagnosed with non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) or respiratory bronchiolitis/interstitial lung disease (RBILD). CCR7 protein was expressed in interstitial areas of all upper and lower lobe UIP SLBs analysed. CCR7 expression was present in 50% of NSIP SLBs, and CCR7 was restricted to blood vessels and mononuclear cells in 75% of RBILD SLBs. Immune cell specific CXCR4 expression was seen in IIP and normal margin biopsies. CCR7 positive areas in UIP biopsies were concomitantly positive for CD45 (the leucocyte common antigen) but CCR7 positive areas in all IIP SLBs lacked the haemopoietic stem cell antigen CD34, collagen 1, and alpha smooth muscle actin. CONCLUSION This molecular and immunohistochemical analysis showed that IIPs are associated with abnormal CCR7 transcript and protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Choi
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Room 5214, Medical Science I, 1301 Catherine Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0602, USA
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