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Janssen SE, Kotalik CJ, Willacker JJ, Tate MT, Pritz CMF, Nelson SJ, Krabbenhoft DP, Walters DM, Eagles-Smith CA. Geographic Drivers of Mercury Entry into Aquatic Food Webs Revealed by Mercury Stable Isotopes in Dragonfly Larvae. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58. [PMID: 39012137 PMCID: PMC11295128 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury (Hg) emissions and subsequent transport and deposition are major concerns within protected lands, including national parks, where Hg can bioaccumulate to levels detrimental to human and wildlife health. Despite this risk to biological resources, there is limited understanding of the relative importance of different Hg sources and delivery pathways within the protected regions. Here, we used Hg stable isotope measurements within a single aquatic bioindicator, dragonfly larvae, to determine if these tracers can resolve spatial patterns in Hg sources, delivery mechanisms, and aquatic cycling at a national scale. Mercury isotope values in dragonfly tissues varied among habitat types (e.g., lentic, lotic, and wetland) and geographic location. Photochemical-derived isotope fractionation was habitat-dependent and influenced by factors that impact light penetration directly or indirectly, including dissolved organic matter, canopy cover, and total phosphorus. Strong patterns for Δ200Hg emerged in the western United States, highlighting the relative importance of wet deposition sources in arid regions in contrast to dry deposition delivery in forested regions. This work demonstrates the efficacy of dragonfly larvae as biosentinels for Hg isotope studies due to their ubiquity across freshwater ecosystems and ability to track variation in Hg sources and processing attributed to small-scale habitat and large-scale regional patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Janssen
- US
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, One Gifford Pinchot Drive,, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - Christopher J. Kotalik
- US
Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Rd, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - James J. Willacker
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
| | - Michael T. Tate
- US
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, One Gifford Pinchot Drive,, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - Colleen M. Flanagan Pritz
- National
Park Service, Air Resources Division,
P.O. Box 25287, Denver, Colorado 80225, United States
| | - Sarah J. Nelson
- Appalachian
Mountain Club, 361 Route
16, Gorham, New Hampshire 03581, United States
| | - David P. Krabbenhoft
- US
Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, One Gifford Pinchot Drive,, Madison, Wisconsin 53726, United States
| | - David M. Walters
- US
Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center, 4200 New Haven Rd, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - Collin A. Eagles-Smith
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, United States
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Kung HC, Wu CH, Huang BW, Chang-Chien GP, Mutuku JK, Lin WC. Mercury abatement in the environment: Insights from industrial emissions and fates in the environment. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28253. [PMID: 38571637 PMCID: PMC10987932 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Mercury's neurotoxic effects have prompted the development of advanced control and remediation methods to meet stringent measures for industries with high-mercury feedstocks. Industries with significant Hg emissions, including artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM)-789.2 Mg year-1, coal combustion-564.1 Mg year-1, waste combustion-316.1 Mg year-1, cement production-224.5 Mg year-1, and non-ferrous metals smelting-204.1 Mg year-1, use oxidants and adsorbents capture Hg from waste streams. Oxidizing agents such as O3, Cl2, HCl, CaBr2, CaCl2, and NH4Cl oxidize Hg0 to Hg2+ for easier adsorption. To functionalize adsorbents, carbonaceous ones use S, SO2, and Na2S, metal-based adsorbents use dimercaprol, and polymer-based adsorbents are grafted with acrylonitrile and hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Adsorption capacities span 0.2-85.6 mg g-1 for carbonaceous, 0.5-14.8 mg g-1 for metal-based, and 168.1-1216 mg g-1 for polymer-based adsorbents. Assessing Hg contamination in soils and sediments uses bioindicators and stable isotopes. Remediation approaches include heat treatment, chemical stabilization and immobilization, and phytoremediation techniques when contamination exceeds thresholds. Achieving a substantially Hg-free ecosystem remains a formidable challenge, chiefly due to the ASGM industry, policy gaps, and Hg persistence. Nevertheless, improvements in adsorbent technologies hold potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsin-Chieh Kung
- Institute of Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Hsing Wu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, 83301, Taiwan
- Center for General Education, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung 833301, Taiwan
| | - Bo-Wun Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Institute of Mechatronic Engineering, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung City, 833301, Taiwan
| | - Guo-Ping Chang-Chien
- Institute of Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
- Super micro mass research and technology center, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
- Center for Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
| | - Justus Kavita Mutuku
- Institute of Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
- Super micro mass research and technology center, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
- Center for Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, 833301, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Ching Lin
- Department of Neuroradiology, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, 84001, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, E-Da Hospital/I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, 84001, Taiwan
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Zhou Z, Tang Z, Wang H, Liu K, Wang Y, Xiao X, Yin Y, Liu G, Cai Y, Li Y. Spatial and temporal variations in the pollution status and sources of mercury in the Jiaozhou bay. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 346:123554. [PMID: 38395130 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
In the past few decades, mercury (Hg) discharged into the coastal bays of China has significantly increased; however, long-term trends regarding the pollution status and sources of Hg in these bays have yet to be clear. Focusing on this issue, surface sediments and core sediments were collected in the Jiaozhou Bay (JZB), a typical bay highly affected by human activities in China, to analyze the concentrations and stable isotopic composition of Hg. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in surface sediment varied from 7 to 163 ng/g, with higher levels located in the eastern JZB, possibly attributed to intensive industrial and population density. THg in sediment cores 14 and 20 displayed fluctuating increasing trends from 1936 to 2019, reflecting the deterioration of Hg pollution. In contrast, THg in sediment core 28 near the river mouth exhibited a declining trend, possibly due to the river dam construction. Using a stable isotope mixing model, contributions of various sources (atmospheric, riverine, and industrial emissions) to Hg in the JZB were estimated. The results showed that industrial emissions were the main source (over 50%) of mercury in the JZB in 2019. Sediment cores recorded an increase in industrial Hg due to early industrialization and Reform and Opening-up before 2000. In addition, sediment core 20 demonstrated a rise in the percentage of riverine Hg due to land reclamation at the bay's mouth during 2000-2007.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwen Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Zhekai Tang
- School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Yingjun Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Xiaotong Xiao
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Guangliang Liu
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Yong Cai
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States
| | - Yanbin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
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4
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Xu Z, Lu Q, Xu X, Liang L, Abeysinghe KS, Chen Z, Qiu G. Aquatic methylmercury is a significant subsidy for terrestrial songbirds: Evidence from the odd mass-independent fractionation of mercury isotopes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 880:163217. [PMID: 37011675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In contrast to aquatic food chains, knowledge of the origins and transfer of mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in terrestrial food chains is relatively limited, especially in songbirds. We collected soil, rice plants, aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, small wild fish, and resident songbird feathers from an Hg-contaminated rice paddy ecosystem for an analysis of stable Hg isotopes to clarify the sources of Hg and its transfer in songbirds and their prey. Significant mass-dependent fractionation (MDF, δ202Hg), but no mass-independent fractionation (MIF, ∆199Hg) occurred in the trophic transfers in terrestrial food chains. Piscivorous, granivorous, and frugivorous songbirds and aquatic invertebrates were all characterized by elevated Δ199Hg values. The estimated MeHg isotopic compositions obtained using linear fitting and a binary mixing model explained both the terrestrial and aquatic origins of MeHg in the terrestrial food chains. We found that MeHg from aquatic habitats is an important subsidy for terrestrial songbirds, even those that feed mainly on seeds, fruits, or cereals. The results show that MIF of the MeHg isotope is a reliable tool to reveal MeHg sources in songbirds. Because the MeHg isotopic compositions was calculated with a binary mixing model or directly estimated from the high proportions of MeHg, compound-specific isotope analysis of Hg would be more useful for the interpretation of the Hg sources, and is highly recommended for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Qinhui Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; The Key Laboratory of Environment Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Xiaohang Xu
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment (Guizhou University), Ministry of Education, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Longchao Liang
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Kasun S Abeysinghe
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, China
| | - Guangle Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
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5
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Zhou Z, Wang H, Li Y. Mercury stable isotopes in the ocean: Analytical methods, cycling, and application as tracers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 874:162485. [PMID: 36858226 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) has seven stable isotopes that can be utilized to trace the sources of Hg and evaluate the importance of transport and transformation processes in the cycling of Hg in the environment. The ocean is an integral part of the Earth and plays an important role in the global mercury cycle. However, there is a lack of a systematic review of Hg stable isotopes in marine environments. This review is divided into four sections: a) advances in Hg stable isotope analysis, b) the isotope ratios of Hg in various marine environmental matrices (seawater, sediment, and organisms), c) processes governing stable Hg isotope ratios in the ocean, and d) application of Hg stable isotopes to understand biotic uptake and migration. Mercury isotopes have provided much useful information on marine Hg cycling that cannot be given by Hg concentrations alone. This includes (i) sources of Hg in coastal or estuarine environments, (ii) transformation pathways and mechanisms of different forms of Hg in marine environments, (iii) trophic levels and feeding guilds of marine fish, and (iv) migration/habitat changes of marine fish. With the improvement of methods for seawater Hg isotope analysis (especially species-specific methods) and the measurement of Hg isotope fractionation during natural biogeochemical processes in the ocean, Hg stable isotopes will advance our understanding of the marine Hg cycle in the future, e.g., mercury exchange at the sea-atmosphere interface and seawater-sediment interface, contributions of different water masses to Hg in the ocean, fractionation mechanisms of Hg and MeHg transformation in seawater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwen Zhou
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Huiling Wang
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yanbin Li
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China.
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6
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Diverse Methylmercury (MeHg) Producers and Degraders Inhabit Acid Mine Drainage Sediments, but Few Taxa Correlate with MeHg Accumulation. mSystems 2023; 8:e0073622. [PMID: 36507660 PMCID: PMC9948709 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00736-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a notorious neurotoxin, and its production and degradation in the environment are mainly driven by microorganisms. A variety of microbial MeHg producers carrying the gene pair hgcAB and degraders carrying the merB gene have been separately reported in recent studies. However, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat, and no studies have been performed to explore to what extent these two contrasting microbial groups correlate with MeHg accumulation in the habitat of interest. Here, we collected 86 acid mine drainage (AMD) sediments from an area spanning approximately 500,000 km2 in southern China and profiled the sediment-borne putative MeHg producers and degraders using genome-resolved metagenomics. 46 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) containing hgcAB and 93 MAGs containing merB were obtained, including those from various taxa without previously known MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms. These diverse MeHg-metabolizing MAGs were formed largely via multiple independent horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. The putative MeHg producers from Deltaproteobacteria and Firmicutes as well as MeHg degraders from Acidithiobacillia were closely correlated with MeHg accumulation in the sediments. Furthermore, these three taxa, in combination with two abiotic factors, explained over 60% of the variance in MeHg accumulation. Most of the members of these taxa were characterized by their metabolic potential for nitrogen fixation and copper tolerance. Overall, these findings improve our understanding of the ecology of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms and likely have implications for the development of management strategies for the reduction of MeHg accumulation in the AMD sediments. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms are the main drivers of MeHg production and degradation in the environment. However, little attention has been paid to the simultaneous investigation of the diversities of microbial MeHg producers and degraders in a given habitat. We used genome-resolved metagenomics to reveal the vast phylogenetic and metabolic diversities of putative MeHg producers and degraders in AMD sediments. Our results show that the diversity of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms (particularly MeHg degraders) in AMD sediments is much higher than was previously recognized. Via multiple linear regression analysis, we identified both microbial and abiotic factors affecting MeHg accumulation in AMD sediments. Despite their great diversity, only a few taxa of MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms were closely correlated with MeHg accumulation. This work underscores the importance of using genome-resolved metagenomics to survey MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms and provides a framework for the illumination of the microbial basis of MeHg accumulation via the characterization of physicochemical properties, MeHg-metabolizing microorganisms, and the correlations between them.
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7
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Zhang L, Yin Y, Li Y, Cai Y. Mercury isotope fractionation during methylmercury transport and transformation: A review focusing on analytical method, fractionation characteristics, and its application. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 841:156558. [PMID: 35710002 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxin, can be formed, migrated and transformed in environmental compartments, accompanying with unique mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionation of mercury (Hg). These Hg isotope fractionation signals have great potential to probe the transformation and transport of MeHg in aquatic environments. However, the majority of studies to date have focused on total Hg isotopic composition, with less attention to the isotopic fractionation of MeHg due to technical difficulties in analysis, which severely hinders the understanding of MeHg isotopic fractionation and its applications. This review a) evaluates the reported analytical methods for Hg isotopic composition of MeHg, including online and offline measurement techniques; b) summarizes the extent and characteristics of Hg isotopic fractionation during MeHg transport and transformation, focusing on methylation, demethylation, trophic transfer and internal metabolism; and c) briefly discusses several applications of MeHg isotopic fractionation signatures in estimating the extent of photodemethylation, tracing the source of Hg species, and diagnosing reaction mechanisms. Additionally, the existing problems and future directions in MeHg isotope fractionation are highlighted to improve the analytical protocol for Hg isotope fractionation and deepen our understanding of Hg isotope fractionation in the biogeochemical cycling of MeHg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yongguang Yin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Yanbin Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, China
| | - Yong Cai
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, United States.
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8
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Araújo DF, Knoery J, Briant N, Vigier N, Ponzevera E. "Non-traditional" stable isotopes applied to the study of trace metal contaminants in anthropized marine environments. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 175:113398. [PMID: 35114550 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The advent of Multicollector ICP-MS inaugurated the analysis of new metal isotope systems, the so-called "non-traditional" isotopes. They are now available tools to study geochemical and ecotoxicological aspects of marine metal contamination and hence, to push the frontiers of our knowledge. However, such applications are still in their infancy, and an accessible state-of-the-art describing main applications, obstacles, gaps, and directions for further development was missing from the literature. This paper fills this gap and aims to encourage the marine scientific community to explore the contributions of this newly available information for the fields of chemical risk assessment, biomonitoring, and trophic transfer of metal contaminants. In the current "Anthropocene" epoch, metal contamination will continue to threaten marine aquatic ecosystems, and "non-traditional" isotopes can be a valuable tool to detect human-induced changes across time-space involving metal contaminants, and their interaction with marine biota.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Nathalie Vigier
- Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche sur Mer (LOV), IMEV, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, France
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9
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Jung S, Kwon SY, Hong Y, Yin R, Motta LC. Isotope investigation of mercury sources in a creek impacted by multiple anthropogenic activities. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 282:130947. [PMID: 34119733 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To investigate mercury (Hg) sources responsible for contamination at Gumu Creek in South Korea, Hg concentration (THg) and Hg isotope ratios were measured in the soil and sediment of Gumu Creek and the samples from a hazardous waste landfill (HWL). The THg ranged between 0.29-327 mg kg-1 and 9.5-414 mg kg-1 in the soil and sediment, respectively, reflecting heterogeneous distribution and elevated levels across the entire Gumu Creek. Without the soil with the lowest THg (0.30 ± 0.01 mg kg-1, n = 3), the δ202Hg (-0.83 to -0.18‰) and Δ199Hg (-0.24 to 0.01‰) of the sediment and soil of Gumu Creek were within the ranges of the HWL samples (δ202Hg; -1.29 to -0.38‰, Δ199Hg; -0.31 to 0.01‰). The comparison with the literature reporting sediment Hg isotope ratios impacted by various anthropogenic Hg sources revealed a presence of diverse Hg sources at Gumu Creek, including commercial liquid Hg, phenyl-Hg, and fly ash, consistent with the types of waste deposited within the HWL. Using commercial liquid Hg, fly ash, and the soil with the lowest THg as end-members, the ternary mixing model yielded 25-88% and 12-57% contributions from commercial liquid Hg and fly ash to the Gumu Creek sediment, respectively. The results of our study suggest that Hg isotope ratios are an effective tool for screening potential Hg sources at sites where the distribution of Hg is heterogeneous and multiple anthropogenic activities exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saebom Jung
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, 37673, South Korea
| | - Sae Yun Kwon
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, 37673, South Korea; Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, 85 Songdogwahak-Ro, Yeonsu-Gu, Incheon, 21983, South Korea.
| | - Yongseok Hong
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Korea University, 2511 Sejong-Ro, Sejong City, 30019, South Korea
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550081, Guiyang, China
| | - Laura C Motta
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, 37673, South Korea
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Stable Isotope Fractionation Reveals Similar Atomic-Level Controls during Aerobic and Anaerobic Microbial Hg Transformation Pathways. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0067821. [PMID: 34232740 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00678-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant and potent neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in food webs as monomethylmercury (MeHg). The production of MeHg is driven by anaerobic and Hg redox cycling pathways, such as Hg reduction, which control the availability of Hg to methylators. Anaerobes play an important role in Hg reduction in methylation hot spots, yet their contributions remain underappreciated due to how challenging these pathways are to study in the absence of dedicated genetic targets and low levels of Hg0 in anoxic environments. In this study, we used Hg stable isotope fractionation to explore Hg reduction during anoxygenic photosynthesis and fermentation in the model anaerobe Heliobacterium modesticaldum Ice1. We show that cells preferentially reduce lighter Hg isotopes in both metabolisms, leading to mass-dependent fractionation, but mass-independent fractionation commonly induced by UV-visible light is absent. Due to the variability associated with replicate experiments, we could not discern whether dedicated physiological processes drive Hg reduction during photosynthesis and fermentation. However, we demonstrate that fractionation is affected by the interplay between pathways controlling Hg recruitment, accessibility, and availability alongside metabolic redox reactions. The combined contributions of these processes lead to isotopic enrichment during anoxygenic photosynthesis that is in between the values reported for anaerobic respiratory microbial Hg reduction and abiotic photoreduction. Isotope enrichment during fermentation is closer to what has been observed in aerobic bacteria that reduce Hg through dedicated detoxification pathways. Our work suggests that similar controls likely underpin diverse microbe-mediated Hg transformations that affect Hg's fate in oxic and anoxic habitats. IMPORTANCE Anaerobic and photosynthetic bacteria that reduce mercury affect mercury delivery to microbes in methylation sites that drive bioaccumulation in food webs. Anaerobic mercury reduction pathways remain underappreciated in the current view of the global mercury cycle because they are challenging to study, bearing no dedicated genetic targets to establish physiological mechanisms. In this study, we used stable isotopes to characterize the physiological processes that control mercury reduction during photosynthesis and fermentation in the model anaerobe Heliobacterium modesticaldum Ice1. The sensitivity of isotope analyses highlighted the subtle contribution of mercury uptake to the isotope signature associated with anaerobic mercury reduction. When considered alongside the isotope signatures associated with microbial pathways for which genetic determinants have been identified, our findings underscore the narrow range of isotope enrichment that is characteristic of microbial mercury transformations. This suggests that there are common atomic-level controls for biological mercury transformations across a broad range of geochemical conditions.
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11
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Janssen SE, Tate MT, Krabbenhoft DP, DeWild JF, Ogorek JM, Babiarz CL, Sowers AD, Tuttle PL. The influence of legacy contamination on the transport and bioaccumulation of mercury within the Mobile River Basin. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 404:124097. [PMID: 33022526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Past industrial use and subsequent release of mercury (Hg) into the environment have resulted in severe cases of legacy contamination that still influence contemporary Hg levels in biota. While the bioaccumulation of legacy Hg is commonly assessed via concentration measurements within fish tissue, this practice becomes difficult in regions of high productivity and methylmercury (MeHg) production, like the Mobile River Basin, Alabama in the southeastern United States. This study applied Hg stable isotope tracers to distinguish legacy Hg from regional deposition sources in sediments, waters, and fish within the Mobile River. Sediments and waters displayed differences in δ202Hg between industrial and background sites, which corresponded to drastic differences in Hg concentration. Sites that were affected by legacy Hg, as defined by δ202Hg, produced largemouth bass with lower MeHg content (59-70%) than those captured in the main rivers (>85%). Direct measurements of Hg isotopes and mathematical estimates of MeHg isotope pools in fish displayed similar distinctions between legacy and watershed sources as observed in other matrices. These results indicate that legacy Hg can accumulate directly into fish tissue as the inorganic species and may also be available for methylation within contaminated zones decades after the initial release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Janssen
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA.
| | - Michael T Tate
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - David P Krabbenhoft
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - John F DeWild
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Jacob M Ogorek
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Christopher L Babiarz
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, WI 53562, USA
| | - Anthony D Sowers
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Georgia Ecological Services Office, 4980 Wildlife Dr., Townsend, GA 31331, USA
| | - Peter L Tuttle
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Deepwater Horizon Gulf Restoration Office, 341 Greeno Road, Fairhope, AL 36532, USA
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12
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Renedo M, Bustamante P, Cherel Y, Pedrero Z, Tessier E, Amouroux D. A "seabird-eye" on mercury stable isotopes and cycling in the Southern Ocean. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 742:140499. [PMID: 33167295 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Since mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry in the Southern Ocean is minimally documented, we investigated Hg stable isotopes in the blood of seabirds breeding at different latitudes in the Antarctic, Subantarctic and Subtropical zones. Hg isotopic composition was determined in adult penguins (5 species) and skua chicks (2 species) from Adélie Land (66°39'S, Antarctic) to Crozet (46°25'S, Subantarctic) and Amsterdam Island (37°47'S, Subtropical). Mass-dependent (MDF, δ202Hg) and mass-independent (MIF, Δ199Hg) Hg isotopic values separated populations geographically. Antarctic seabirds exhibited lower δ202Hg values (-0.02 to 0.79 ‰, min-max) than Subantarctic (0.88 to 2.12 ‰) and Subtropical (1.44 to 2.37 ‰) seabirds. In contrast, Δ199Hg values varied slightly from Antarctic (1.31 to 1.73 ‰) to Subtropical (1.69 to 2.04 ‰) waters. The extent of methylmercury (MeHg) photodemethylation extrapolated from Δ199Hg values was not significantly different between locations, implying that most of the bioaccumulated MeHg was of mesopelagic origin. The larger increase of MDF between the three latitudes co-varies with MeHg concentrations. This supports an increasing effect of specific biogenic Hg pathways from Antarctic to Subtropical waters, such as Hg biological transformations and accumulations. This "biogenic effect" among different productive southern oceanic regions can also be related to different mixed layer depth dynamics and biological productivity turnover that specifically influence the vertical transport between the mesopelagic and the photic zones. This study shows the first Hg isotopic data of the Southern Ocean at large scale and reveals how regional Southern Ocean dynamics and productivity control marine MeHg biogeochemistry and the exposure of seabirds to Hg contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Renedo
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France; Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France.
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Zoyne Pedrero
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France
| | - David Amouroux
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, Pau, France.
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13
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Sun R, Yuan J, Sonke JE, Zhang Y, Zhang T, Zheng W, Chen S, Meng M, Chen J, Liu Y, Peng X, Liu C. Methylmercury produced in upper oceans accumulates in deep Mariana Trench fauna. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3389. [PMID: 32636418 PMCID: PMC7341844 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17045-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Monomethylmercury (MMHg) is a potent toxin that bioaccumulates and magnifies in marine food webs. Recent studies show abundant methylated Hg in deep oceans (>1000 m), yet its origin remains uncertain. Here we measured Hg isotope compositions in fauna and surface sediments from the Mariana Trench. The trench fauna at 7000-11000 m depth all have substantially positive mass-independent fractionation of odd Hg isotopes (odd-MIF), which can be generated only in the photic zone via MMHg photo-degradation. Given the identical odd-MIF in trench fauna and North Pacific upper ocean (<1000 m) biota MMHg, we suggest that the accumulated Hg in trench fauna originates exclusively from MMHg produced in upper oceans, which penetrates to depth by sorption to sinking particles. Our findings reveal little in-situ MMHg production in deep oceans and imply that anthropogenic Hg released at the Earth's surface is much more pervasive across deep oceans than was previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Sun
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Jingjing Yuan
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/Institute for Research and Development/Université Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Yanxu Zhang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Pollution Processes and Environmental Criteria, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Pollution Control, Nankai University, 38 Tongyan Rd., 300350, Tianjin, China
| | - Wang Zheng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Shun Chen
- Deep Sea Science Division, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 572000, Sanya, Hainan, China
| | - Mei Meng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiubin Chen
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China.
| | - Xiaotong Peng
- Deep Sea Science Division, Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 572000, Sanya, Hainan, China.
| | - Congqiang Liu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, 300072, Tianjin, China
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14
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Meng M, Sun RY, Liu HW, Yu B, Yin YG, Hu LG, Chen JB, Shi JB, Jiang GB. Mercury isotope variations within the marine food web of Chinese Bohai Sea: Implications for mercury sources and biogeochemical cycling. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 384:121379. [PMID: 31611019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) speciation and isotopic compositions in a large-scale food web and seawater from Chinese Bohai Sea were analyzed to investigate methylmercury (MeHg) sources and Hg cycling. The biota showed ∼5‰ variation in mass dependent fractionation (MDF, -4.57 to 0.53‰ in δ202Hg) and mostly positive odd-isotope mass independent fractionation (odd-MIF, -0.01 to 1.21‰ in Δ199Hg). Both MDF and odd-MIF in coastal biota showed significant correlations with their trophic levels and MeHg fractions, likely reflecting a preferential trophic transfer of MeHg with higher δ202Hg and Δ199Hg than inorganic Hg. The MDF and odd-MIF of biota were largely affected by their feeding habits and living territories, and MeHg in pelagic food web was more photodegraded than in coastal food web (21-31% vs. 9-11%). From the Hg isotope signatures of pelagic biota and extrapolated coastal MeHg, we suggest that MeHg in the food webs was likely derived from sediments. Interestingly, we observed complementary even-MIF (mainly negative Δ200Hg of -0.36 to 0.08‰ and positive Δ204Hg of -0.05 to 0.82‰) in the biota and a significant linear slope of -0.5 for Δ200Hg/Δ204Hg. This leads us to speculate that atmospheric Hg0 is an important source to bioaccumulated MeHg, although the exact source-receptor relationships need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Meng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Ruo-Yu Sun
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Hong-Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Ben Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Li-Gang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Jiu-Bin Chen
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Jian-Bo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan, 430056, China.
| | - Gui-Bin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
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15
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Goñi-Urriza M, Klopp C, Ranchou-Peyruse M, Ranchou-Peyruse A, Monperrus M, Khalfaoui-Hassani B, Guyoneaud R. Genome insights of mercury methylation among Desulfovibrio and Pseudodesulfovibrio strains. Res Microbiol 2019; 171:3-12. [PMID: 31655199 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Mercury methylation converts inorganic mercury into the toxic methylmercury, and the consequences of this transformation are worrisome for human health and the environment. This process is performed by anaerobic microorganisms, such as several strains related to Pseudodesulfovibrio and Desulfovibrio genera. In order to provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of mercury methylation, we performed a comparative genomic analysis on mercury methylators and non-methylators from (Pseudo)Desulfovibrio strains. Our results showed that (Pseudo)Desulfovibrio species are phylogenetically and metabolically distant and consequently, these genera should be divided into various genera. Strains able to perform methylation are affiliated with one branch of the phylogenetic tree, but, except for hgcA and hgcB genes, no other specific genetic markers were found among methylating strains. hgcA and hgcB genes can be found adjacent or separated, but proximity between those genes does not promote higher mercury methylation. In addition, close examination of the non-methylator Pseudodesulfovibrio piezophilus C1TLV30 strain, showed a syntenic structure that suggests a recombination event and may have led to hgcB depletion. The genomic analyses identify also arsR gene coding for a putative regulator upstream hgcA. Both genes are cotranscribed suggesting a role of ArsR in hgcA expression and probably a role in mercury methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Goñi-Urriza
- Environmental Microbiology, CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France.
| | - Christophe Klopp
- Plateforme Bioinformatique Genotoul, UR875 Biométrie et Intelligence Artificielle, INRA, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
| | - Magali Ranchou-Peyruse
- Environmental Microbiology, CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France.
| | - Anthony Ranchou-Peyruse
- Environmental Microbiology, CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France.
| | - Mathilde Monperrus
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR5254, Anglet, France.
| | - Bahia Khalfaoui-Hassani
- Environmental Microbiology, CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France.
| | - Rémy Guyoneaud
- Environmental Microbiology, CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR/E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR5254, Pau, France.
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16
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Albert C, Renedo M, Bustamante P, Fort J. Using blood and feathers to investigate large-scale Hg contamination in Arctic seabirds: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 177:108588. [PMID: 31382127 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg), because of its deleterious effects on wildlife and its high concentrations in polar regions, has been widely studied in the Arctic. This provided important information regarding food web contamination, spatial and temporal trends of Hg in ecosystems or risk assessments for wildlife and Humans. Among the Arctic biota, seabirds have been among the most studied species due to their sensitivity to this toxicant, their role as bioindicators of the contamination status of their environment, and their consumption by Arctic communities. However, most studies that investigated Hg in Arctic seabirds focused on measurements in internal organs or in eggs, while few investigations have been performed on blood and feathers, despite the relevant and complementary information they provide. Here, we first provide a detailed overview of the specific information blood and feathers can bring when investigating Hg contamination of Arctic seabirds, including new knowledge on the poorly studied non-breeding period. Second, we perform a comprehensive review of the use of blood and feathers as non-lethal tissues to study Hg in Arctic seabirds. This review demonstrates important interspecific variations in Hg blood concentrations according to seabird trophic status, with seaducks generally presenting the lowest Hg concentrations while auks have the highest ones. However, all the observed Hg concentrations are below the admitted toxicity thresholds. Hg concentrations in feathers follow similar trends and gulls appear to be the most contaminated species, likely as a consequence of contrasting migratory and overwintering strategies. This review also confirms strong spatial variations with higher concentrations found in the Canadian Arctic and Pacific waters than in Greenland and the European Arctic. It also identifies some major understudied areas such as West Greenland, Aleutian Islands and Russia. Finally, we provide a thorough review of the current knowledge regarding molting patterns in Arctic seabirds, which is an essential information to interpret Hg concentrations measured in feathers. Overall, our results point out the importance of blood and feathers in seabird ecotoxicological assessments and highlight the need for large scale international collaborations and research programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Albert
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France.
| | - Marina Renedo
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France; Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, GET, UMR CNRS 5563/IRD 234/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
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17
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Janssen SE, Riva-Murray K, DeWild JF, Ogorek JM, Tate MT, Van Metre PC, Krabbenhoft DP, Coles JF. Chemical and Physical Controls on Mercury Source Signatures in Stream Fish from the Northeastern United States. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:10110-10119. [PMID: 31390861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Streams in the northeastern U.S. receive mercury (Hg) in varying proportions from atmospheric deposition and legacy point sources, making it difficult to attribute shifts in fish concentrations directly back to changes in Hg source management. Mercury stable isotope tracers were utilized to relate sources of Hg to co-located fish and bed sediments from 23 streams across a forested to urban-industrial land-use gradient within this region. Mass-dependent isotopes (δ202Hg) in prey and game fish at forested sites were depleted (medians -0.95 and -0.83 ‰, respectively) in comparison to fish from urban-industrial settings (medians -0.26 and -0.38 ‰, respectively); the forested site group also had higher prey fish Hg concentrations. The separation of Hg isotope signatures in fish was strongly related to in-stream and watershed land-use indicator variables. Fish isotopes were strongly correlated with bed sediment isotopes, but the isotopic offset between the two matrices was variable due to differing ecosystem-specific drivers controlling the extent of MeHg formation. The multivariable approach of analyzing watershed characteristics and stream chemistry reveals that the Hg isotope composition in fish is linked to current and historic Hg sources in the northeastern U.S. and can be used to trace bioaccumulated Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Janssen
- United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center , Middleton , Wisconsin 53562 , United States
| | - Karen Riva-Murray
- United States Geological Survey, New York Water Science Center , Troy , New York 12180 , United States
| | - John F DeWild
- United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center , Middleton , Wisconsin 53562 , United States
| | - Jacob M Ogorek
- United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center , Middleton , Wisconsin 53562 , United States
| | - Michael T Tate
- United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center , Middleton , Wisconsin 53562 , United States
| | - Peter C Van Metre
- United States Geological Survey, Texas Water Science Center Austin , Texas 78754 , United States
| | - David P Krabbenhoft
- United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center , Middleton , Wisconsin 53562 , United States
| | - James F Coles
- United States Geological Survey, New England Water Science Center Northborough , Massachusetts 01532 , United States
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18
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Li W, Gou W, Li W, Zhang T, Yu B, Liu Q, Shi J. Environmental applications of metal stable isotopes: Silver, mercury and zinc. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 252:1344-1356. [PMID: 31254892 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
With developments in multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), applications of metal stable isotopes received increasing attentions in the studies of source and fate of heavy metals in the environment. In light of the rapid progresses in this emerging field, we attempted to review the recent findings comprehensively in a way that environmental scientists can easily read. This review started with an introduction of basic terminologies in isotope geochemistry, followed with detailed descriptions of instrumentation and analytical procedures, and finally focused on the cases of three typical metal stable isotopes (Ag, Hg and Zn) to illustrate how they were applied to address environmental issues. Additionally, future perspectives on the applicability, opportunities, and limitations of metal stable isotope techniques as novel approaches in advancing environmental chemistry were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Li
- Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wenxian Gou
- Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Weiqiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Research, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Tuoya Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Ben Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Qian Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Jianbo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
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19
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Feng C, Pedrero Z, Lima L, Olivares S, de la Rosa D, Berail S, Tessier E, Pannier F, Amouroux D. Assessment of Hg contamination by a Chlor-Alkali Plant in riverine and coastal sites combining Hg speciation and isotopic signature (Sagua la Grande River, Cuba). JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2019; 371:558-565. [PMID: 30878906 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.02.092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Revised: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Chlor-alkali plants (CAP) are recognized as major sources of mercury (Hg) in the environment. In this work, Hg concentration, speciation and isotopic signature were determined in sediments and biota (fish and oyster) from Sagua La Grande River (SG River) and the adjacent coastal zone in the vicinity of a CAP (Cuba). High Hg concentrations in surface sediments (up to 5072 ng g-1), mainly occurring as inorganic Hg, decrease with the distance from the CAP along the SG River and seaward. Meanwhile, Hg concentration and speciation in riverine catfish (Claria gariepinus) muscle (1093 ± 319 ng g-1, ˜70% as MeHg) and coastal oysters (Crassostrea rizophorae) (596 ± 233 ng g-1, ˜50% as MeHg) indicate a direct impact from CAP. Hg isotopic signature in sediments, following both mass dependent (MDF) and mass independent fractionation (MIF), exhibits a clear binary mixing between CAP pollution (+0.42‰, δ202Hg; -0.18‰, Δ201Hg) and regional background end-member (˜ -0.49‰, δ202Hg; +0.01‰, Δ201Hg). The combination of speciation and isotopic information in biota and sediments allows to trace Hg contamination pathways from contaminated sediments to the biota, establishing the importance of both methylation and demethylation extent in both river and coastal sites before Hg species bioaccumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caiyan Feng
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, F-64053 Pau, France
| | - Zoyne Pedrero
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, F-64053 Pau, France.
| | - Lázaro Lima
- Laboratorio de Análisis Ambiental, Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ave. Salvador Allende y Luaces, La Habana, Cuba; Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas, Esmeraldas, Ecuador
| | - Susana Olivares
- Laboratorio de Análisis Ambiental, Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ave. Salvador Allende y Luaces, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Daniel de la Rosa
- Laboratorio de Análisis Ambiental, Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ave. Salvador Allende y Luaces, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Sylvain Berail
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, F-64053 Pau, France
| | - Enmanuel Tessier
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, F-64053 Pau, France
| | - Florence Pannier
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, F-64053 Pau, France
| | - David Amouroux
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, F-64053 Pau, France
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20
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Janssen S, Lepak R, Tate M, Ogorek J, DeWild J, Babiarz C, Hurley J, Krabbenhoft D. Rapid pre-concentration of mercury in solids and water for isotopic analysis. Anal Chim Acta 2019; 1054:95-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2018.12.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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21
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Meng M, Sun RY, Liu HW, Yu B, Yin YG, Hu LG, Shi JB, Jiang GB. An Integrated Model for Input and Migration of Mercury in Chinese Coastal Sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:2460-2471. [PMID: 30688440 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Coastal sediments are a major sink of the global mercury (Hg) biogeochemical cycle, bridging terrestrial Hg migration to the open ocean. It is thus of substantial interest to quantify the Hg contributors to coastal sediments and the extents to which the Hg sequestered into coastal sediments affects the ocean. Here, we measured concentrations and isotope compositions of Hg in Chinese coastal sediments and found that estuary sediments had distinctly higher δ202Hg and lower Δ199Hg values than marine sediments. Hg isotope compositions of marine sediments followed a latitudinal trend where δ202Hg decreases and Δ199Hg increases from north to south. An integrated model was developed based on a Hg isotope mixing model and urban distance factor (UDF), which revealed a significant difference in Hg source contributions among the estuary and marine sediments and a gradual change of dominant Hg sources from terrestrial inputs (riverine and industrial wastewater discharges) to atmospheric deposition with a decrease in urban impact. A UDF value of 306 ± 217 was established as the critical point where dominant Hg sources started to change from terrestrial inputs to atmospheric deposition. Our study helps explain the input and migration of Hg in Chinese marginal seas and provides critical insights for targeted environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Meng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science , Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072 , China
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
| | - Ruo-Yu Sun
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science , Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072 , China
| | - Hong-Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
| | - Ben Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
| | - Yong-Guang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
| | - Li-Gang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
| | - Jian-Bo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
- Institute of Environment and Health , Jianghan University , Wuhan 430056 , China
| | - Gui-Bin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100085 , China
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22
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Rua-Ibarz A, Bolea-Fernandez E, Maage A, Frantzen S, Sanden M, Vanhaecke F. Tracing Mercury Pollution along the Norwegian Coast via Elemental, Speciation, and Isotopic Analysis of Liver and Muscle Tissue of Deep-Water Marine Fish ( Brosme brosme). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:1776-1785. [PMID: 30652479 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b04706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Liver and muscle tissue of tusks ( Brosme brosme) have been analyzed for their THg and MeHg concentrations and Hg isotopic signatures for tracing Hg pollution along the Norwegian coast. Clear differences between tissue types and locations were established. At five of the eight locations, the Hg concentration in muscle exceeded the maximum allowable level of 0.5 mg kg-1 wet weight. δ202Hg values in both tissue types indicated that Hg speciation affects the bulk Hg isotopic signature. Tusk liver seems to be more sensitive to immediate changes and to anthropogenic inorganic Hg, while the muscle rather reflects the Hg accumulated over a longer period of exposure. The δ202Hg values of liver and muscle also enabled different sources of Hg and exposure pathways to be distinguished. δ202Hgmuscle-δ202Hgliver showed a clear correlation with the % MeHg in tusk liver for the coastal waters, but not for the fjords. The absence of significant differences in Δ199Hg values between both tissues of tusk from the same location suggests that in vivo metabolic processes are the underlying reason for the differences in Hg speciation and in δ202Hg values. This work highlights the importance of selecting different tissues of marine fish in future Hg monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rua-Ibarz
- Ghent University , Department of Chemistry, Atomic & Mass Spectrometry Research Unit , Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281-S12 , 9000 Ghent , Belgium
| | - Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez
- Ghent University , Department of Chemistry, Atomic & Mass Spectrometry Research Unit , Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281-S12 , 9000 Ghent , Belgium
| | - Amund Maage
- Institute of Marine Research , Postboks 1870 Nordnes , 5817 Bergen , Norway
| | - Sylvia Frantzen
- Institute of Marine Research , Postboks 1870 Nordnes , 5817 Bergen , Norway
| | - Monica Sanden
- Institute of Marine Research , Postboks 1870 Nordnes , 5817 Bergen , Norway
| | - Frank Vanhaecke
- Ghent University , Department of Chemistry, Atomic & Mass Spectrometry Research Unit , Campus Sterre, Krijgslaan 281-S12 , 9000 Ghent , Belgium
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23
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Qin C, Chen M, Yan H, Shang L, Yao H, Li P, Feng X. Compound specific stable isotope determination of methylmercury in contaminated soil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 644:406-412. [PMID: 29981990 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Rice is one of the main sources of methylmercury (MeHg) to humans, and soil is the main source of MeHg to rice grains. Determining the Hg isotope composition in environmental samples is a good way of characterizing sources of Hg pollution and investigating environmental processes. We developed a new compound-specific method for determining stable Hg isotopes in MeHg in contaminated soil and sediment. The method involved HNO3 leaching/solvent extraction, chemical ethylation, and separation by gas chromatography with a solenoid valve optimized to enrich MeHg. The method was optimized by using MeHg standard solution, certified reference materials and paddy soil samples. The δ202Hg precision for replicate MeHg isotope analyses was 0.14‰ (2 × standard deviation, n = 11), and no fractionation of Hg stable isotopes was found during the separation processes. The δ202Hg values for MeHg in paddy soils were -1.78‰ to -1.30‰, which were lower than the δ202Hg values for total Hg (-1.32‰ to -0.44‰). The results indicated that methylation (rather than demethylation) was the dominant process in the paddy soils. The method developed in this study can help us to better understand MeHg migration and transformation processes in paddy soil-rice ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongyang Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Min Chen
- School of Public Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Haiyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Lihai Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Heng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Ping Li
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
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24
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Renedo M, Amouroux D, Pedrero Z, Bustamante P, Cherel Y. Identification of sources and bioaccumulation pathways of MeHg in subantarctic penguins: a stable isotopic investigation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8865. [PMID: 29891979 PMCID: PMC5995893 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27079-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seabirds are widely used as bioindicators of mercury (Hg) contamination in marine ecosystems and the investigation of their foraging strategies is of key importance to better understand methylmercury (MeHg) exposure pathways and environmental sources within the different ecosystems. Here we report stable isotopic composition for both Hg mass-dependent (e.g. δ202Hg) and mass-independent (e.g. Δ199Hg) fractionation (proxies of Hg sources and transformations), carbon (δ13C, proxy of foraging habitat) and nitrogen (δ15N, proxy of trophic position) in blood of four species of sympatric penguins breeding at the subantarctic Crozet Islands (Southern Indian Ocean). Penguins have species-specific foraging strategies, from coastal to oceanic waters and from benthic to pelagic dives, and feed on different prey. A progressive increase to heavier Hg isotopic composition (δ202Hg and Δ199Hg, respectively) was observed from benthic (1.45 ± 0.12 and 1.41 ± 0.06‰) to epipelagic (1.93 ± 0.18 and 1.77 ± 0.13‰) penguins, indicating a benthic-pelagic gradient of MeHg sources close to Crozet Islands. The relative variations of MeHg concentration, δ202Hg and Δ199Hg with pelagic penguins feeding in Polar Front circumpolar waters (1.66 ± 0.11 and 1.54 ± 0.06‰) support that different MeHg sources occur at large scales in Southern Ocean deep waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Renedo
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France. .,CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France.
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Zoyne Pedrero
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
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25
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Bouchet S, Bérail S, Amouroux D. Hg Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis at Ultratrace Levels Using an on Line Gas Chromatographic Preconcentration and Separation Strategy Coupled to Multicollector-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2018; 90:7809-7816. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b04555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Bouchet
- CNRS/Univ Pau & Pays Adour, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie Pour l’Environnement et Les Matériaux, UMR5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Sylvain Bérail
- CNRS/Univ Pau & Pays Adour, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie Pour l’Environnement et Les Matériaux, UMR5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/Univ Pau & Pays Adour, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie Pour l’Environnement et Les Matériaux, UMR5254, 64000, Pau, France
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26
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Liu CB, Hua XB, Liu HW, Yu B, Mao YX, Wang DY, Yin YG, Hu LG, Shi JB, Jiang GB. Tracing aquatic bioavailable Hg in three different regions of China using fish Hg isotopes. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 150:327-334. [PMID: 29304475 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.12.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To trace the most concerned bioavailable mercury (Hg) in aquatic environment, fish samples were collected from three typical regions in China, including 3 rivers and 1 lake in the Tibetan Plateau (TP, a high altitude background region with strong solar radiation), the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR, the largest artificial freshwater reservoir in China), and the Chinese Bohai Sea (CBS, a heavily human-impacted semi-enclosed sea). The Hg isotopic compositions in fish muscles were analyzed. The results showed that anthropogenic emissions were the main sources of Hg in fish from TGR and CBS because of the observed negative δ202Hg and positive Δ199Hg in these two regions (TGR, δ202Hg: - 0.72 to - 0.29‰, Δ199Hg: 0.15 - 0.52‰; CBS, δ202Hg: - 2.09 to - 0.86‰, Δ199Hg: 0.07 - 0.52‰). The relatively higher δ202Hg and Δ199Hg (δ202Hg: - 0.37 - 0.08‰, Δ199Hg: 0.50 - 1.89‰) in fish from TP suggested the insignificant disturbance from local anthropogenic activities. The larger slopes of Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg in fish from TGR (1.29 ± 0.14, 1SD) and TP (1.25 ± 0.06, 1SD) indicated methylmercury (MeHg) was produced and photo-reduced in the water column before incorporation into the fish. In contrast, the photoreduction of Hg2+ was the main process in CBS (slope of Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg: 1.06 ± 0.06, 1SD). According to the fingerprint data of Hg isotopes, the most important source for aquatic bioavailable Hg in TP should be the long-range transported Hg, contrasting to the anthropogenic originated MeHg from surface sediments and runoffs in TGR and inorganic Hg from continental inputs in CBS. Therefore, the isotopic signatures of Hg in fish can provide novel clues in tracing sources and behaviors of bioavailable Hg in aquatic systems, which are critical for further understanding the biogeochemical cycling of Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Bin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiu-Bing Hua
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
| | - Hong-Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ben Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Yu-Xiang Mao
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
| | - Ding-Yong Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Li-Gang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jian-Bo Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Gui-Bin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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27
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Renedo M, Amouroux D, Duval B, Carravieri A, Tessier E, Barre J, Bérail S, Pedrero Z, Cherel Y, Bustamante P. Seabird Tissues As Efficient Biomonitoring Tools for Hg Isotopic Investigations: Implications of Using Blood and Feathers from Chicks and Adults. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018. [PMID: 29514456 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Blood and feathers are the two most targeted avian tissues for environmental biomonitoring studies, with mercury (Hg) concentration in blood and body feathers reflecting short and long-term Hg exposure, respectively. In this work, we investigated how Hg isotopic composition (e.g., δ202Hg and Δ199Hg) of blood and feathers from either seabird chicks (skuas, n = 40) or adults (penguins, n = 62) can accurately provide information on exposure to Hg in marine ecosystems. Our results indicate a strong correlation between blood and feather Hg isotopic values for skua chicks, with similar δ202Hg and Δ199Hg values in the two tissues (mean difference: -0.01 ± 0.25 ‰ and -0.05 ± 0.12 ‰, respectively). Since blood and body feathers of chicks integrate the same temporal window of Hg exposure, this suggests that δ202Hg and Δ199Hg values can be directly compared without any correction factors within and between avian groups. Conversely, penguin adults show higher δ202Hg and Δ199Hg values in feathers than in blood (mean differences: 0.28 ± 0.19‰ and 0.25 ± 0.13‰), most likely due to tissue-specific Hg temporal integration. Since feathers integrate long-term (i.e., the intermoult period) Hg accumulation, whereas blood reflects short-term (i.e., seasonal) Hg exposure in adult birds, the two tissues provide complementary information on trophic ecology at different time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Renedo
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) , UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle , 2 rue Olympe de Gouges , 17000 La Rochelle , France
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - Bastien Duval
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - Alice Carravieri
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) , UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle , 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - Julien Barre
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - Sylvain Bérail
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - Zoyne Pedrero
- CNRS/UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR , Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 , 64000 , Pau , France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC) , UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle , 79360 Villiers-en-Bois , France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs) , UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle , 2 rue Olympe de Gouges , 17000 La Rochelle , France
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28
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Ranchou-Peyruse M, Goñi-Urriza M, Guignard M, Goas M, Ranchou-Peyruse A, Guyoneaud R. Pseudodesulfovibrio hydrargyri sp. nov., a mercury-methylating bacterium isolated from a brackish sediment. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018. [PMID: 29533171 DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.002173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The strain BerOc1T was isolated from brackish sediments contaminated with hydrocarbons and heavy metals. This strain has been used as a model strain of sulfate-reducer to study the biomethylation of mercury. The cells are vibrio-shaped, motile and not sporulated. Phylogeny and physiological traits placed this strain within the genus Pseudodesulfovibrio. Optimal growth was obtained at 30 °C, 1.5 % NaCl and pH 6.0-7.4. The estimated G+C content of the genomic DNA was 62.6 mol%. BerOc1T used lactate, pyruvate, fumarate, ethanol and hydrogen. Terminal electron acceptors used were sulfate, sulfite, thiosulfate and DMSO. Only pyruvate could be used without a terminal electron acceptor. The major fatty acids were C18 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7. The name Pseudodesulfovibrio hydrargyri sp. nov. is proposed for the type strain BerOc1T (DSM 10384T=JCM 31820T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Ranchou-Peyruse
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Marisol Goñi-Urriza
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Marion Guignard
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Marjorie Goas
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Anthony Ranchou-Peyruse
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Rémy Guyoneaud
- Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, CNRS, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux - MIRA, UMR 5254, 64000, Pau, France
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29
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Tsui MTK, Adams EM, Jackson AK, Evers DC, Blum JD, Balogh SJ. Understanding sources of methylmercury in songbirds with stable mercury isotopes: Challenges and future directions. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2018; 37:166-174. [PMID: 28792100 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) stable isotope analysis is an emerging technique that has contributed to a better understanding of many aspects of the biogeochemical cycling of Hg in the environment. However, no study has yet evaluated its usefulness in elucidating the sources of methylmercury (MeHg) in songbird species, a common organism for biomonitoring of Hg in forested ecosystems. In the present pilot study, we examined stable mercury isotope ratios in blood of 4 species of songbirds and the invertebrates they are likely foraging on in multiple habitats in a small watershed of mixed forest and wetlands in Acadia National Park in Maine (USA). We found distinct isotopic signatures of MeHg in invertebrates (both mass-dependent fractionation [as δ202 Hg] and mass-independent fractionation [as Δ199 Hg]) among 3 interconnected aquatic habitats. It appears that the Hg isotopic compositions in bird blood cannot be fully accounted for by the isotopic compositions of MeHg in lower trophic levels in each of the habitats examined. Furthermore, the bird blood isotope results cannot be simply explained by an isotopic offset as a result of metabolic fractionation of δ202 Hg (e.g., internal demethylation). Our results suggest that many of the birds sampled obtain MeHg from sources outside the habitat they were captured in. Our findings also indicate that mass-independent fractionation is a more reliable and conservative tracer than mass-dependent fractionation for identifying sources of MeHg in bird blood. The results demonstrate the feasibility of Hg isotope studies of songbirds but suggest that larger numbers of samples and an expanded geographic area of study may be required for conclusive interpretation. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:166-174. © 2017 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - Evan M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, Maine, USA
| | | | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, Maine, USA
| | - Joel D Blum
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Steven J Balogh
- Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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Sackett DK, Drazen JC, Popp BN, Choy CA, Blum JD, Johnson MW. Carbon, Nitrogen, and Mercury Isotope Evidence for the Biogeochemical History of Mercury in Hawaiian Marine Bottomfish. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:13976-13984. [PMID: 29132209 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b04893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The complex biogeochemical cycle of Hg makes identifying primary sources of fish tissue Hg problematic. To identify sources and provide insight into this cycle, we combined carbon (δ13C), nitrogen amino acid (δ15NPhe), and Hg isotope (Δ199Hg, Δ201Hg, δ202Hg) data for six species of Hawaiian marine bottomfish. Results from these isotopic systems identified individuals within species that likely fed from separate food webs. Terrestrial freshwater inputs to coastal sediments were identified as the primary source of tissue Hg in the jack species, Caranx ignobilis, which inhabit shallow marine ecosystems. Thus, coastal C. ignobilis were a biological vector transporting Hg from freshwater environments into marine ecosystems. Depth profiles of Hg isotopic compositions for bottomfish (excludung C. ignobilis) were similar, but not identical, to profiles for open-ocean pelagic fishes, suggesting that in both settings inorganic Hg, which was ultimately transformed to monomethylmercury (MeHg) and bioaccumulated, was dominantly from a single source. However, differences between pelagic fish and bottomfish profiles were attributable to mass-dependent fractionation in the benthos prior to incorporation into the food web. Results also confirmed that bottomfish relied, at least in part, on a benthic food web and identified the incorporation of deeper water oceanic MeHg sources into deeper water sediments prior to food web uptake and transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana K Sackett
- School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University , Auburn, Alabama 36849, United States
| | - Jeffrey C Drazen
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii , Manoa, 1000 Pope Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - Brian N Popp
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Hawaii , Manoa, 1680 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, United States
| | - C Anela Choy
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute , 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, California 95039, United States
| | - Joel D Blum
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan , 1100 N University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Marcus W Johnson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan , 1100 N University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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31
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Rothenberg SE, Yin R, Hurley JP, Krabbenhoft DP, Ismawati Y, Hong C, Donohue A. Stable Mercury Isotopes in Polished Rice (Oryza sativa L.) and Hair from Rice Consumers. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:6480-6488. [PMID: 28482656 PMCID: PMC5464010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) isotopic signatures were characterized in polished rice samples from China, U.S., and Indonesia (n = 45). Hg isotopes were also analyzed in paired hair samples for participants from China (n = 21). For the latter, we also quantified the proportion of methylmercury intake through rice (range: 31-100%), and the weekly servings of fish meals (range: 0-5.6 servings/weekly). For these participants, 29% (n = 6) never ingested fish, 52% (n = 11) ingested fish < twice/weekly, and 19% (n = 4) ingested fish ≥ twice/weekly. In rice and hair, both mass-dependent fractionation (MDF, reported as δ202Hg) and mass-independent fractionation (MIF, reported as Δ199Hg) of Hg isotopes were observed. Compared to rice, hair δ202Hg values were enriched on average (±1 standard deviation) by 1.9 ± 0.61‰, although the range was wide (range: 0.45‰, 3.0‰). Hair Δ199Hg was significantly inversely associated with %methylmercury intake from rice (Spearman's rho = -0.61, p < 0.01, n = 21), i.e., as the proportion of methylmercury intake from rice increased, MIF decreased. Additionally, hair Δ199Hg was significantly higher for participants ingesting fish ≥ twice/weekly compared to those who did not ingest fish or ingested fish < twice/weekly (ANOVA, p < 0.05, n = 21); Overall, results suggest that Hg isotopes (especially MIF) in human hair can be used to distinguish methylmercury intake from rice versus fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Rothenberg
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
- E-mail: ,
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State
Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
- Environmental
Chemistry and Technology Program, University
of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - James P. Hurley
- Environmental
Chemistry and Technology Program, University
of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - David P. Krabbenhoft
- U.S. Geological
Survey, 8505 Research Way, Middleton, Wisconsin 53562, United States
| | - Yuyun Ismawati
- BaliFokus Foundation, Mandalawangi No. 5, Jalan Tukad Tegalwangi, Denpasar 80223, Bali, Indonesia
- Medical
Research-International Health Center for International Health, Medical Center of the University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Chuan Hong
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
| | - Alexis Donohue
- Department
of Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208, United States
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32
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Tang S, Feng C, Feng X, Zhu J, Sun R, Fan H, Wang L, Li R, Mao T, Zhou T. Stable isotope composition of mercury forms in flue gases from a typical coal-fired power plant, Inner Mongolia, northern China. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2017; 328:90-97. [PMID: 28092743 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2017.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Mercury forms emitted from coal combustion via air pollution control devices are speculated to carry different Hg isotope signatures. Yet, their Hg isotope composition is still not reported. Here, we present the first onsite Hg isotope data for gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) and gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM) of flue gases from a typical lignite-fired power plant (CFPP). Significant mass dependent fractionation (MDF) and insignificant mass independent fractionation (MIF) are observed between feed coal and coal combustion products. As compared to feed coal (δ202Hg=-2.04±0.25‰), bottom ash, GEM and GOM in flue gases before and after wet flue gas desulfurization system significantly enrich heavy Hg isotopes by 0.7-2.6‰ in δ202Hg, while fly ash, desulfurization gypsum and waste water show slight but insignificant enrichment of light Hg isotopes. GEM is significantly enriched heavy Hg isotopes compared to GOM and Hg in fly ash. Our observations verify the previous speculation on Hg isotope fractionation mechanism in CFPPs, and suggest a kinetically-controlled mass dependent Hg isotope fractionation during transformation of Hg forms in flue gases. Finally, our data are compared to Hg isotope compositions of atmospheric Hg pools, suggesting that coal combustion Hg emission is likely an important atmospheric Hg contributor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunlin Tang
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China.
| | - Chaohui Feng
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Jianming Zhu
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China; State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100086, China
| | - Ruoyu Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
| | - Huipeng Fan
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China
| | - Lina Wang
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China
| | - Ruiyang Li
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China
| | - Tonghua Mao
- Institute of Resources and Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China
| | - Ting Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China
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Draft Genome Sequence of Desulfovibrio BerOc1, a Mercury-Methylating Strain. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2017; 5:5/3/e01483-16. [PMID: 28104657 PMCID: PMC5255934 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.01483-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Desulfovibrio BerOc1 is a sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from the Berre lagoon (French Mediterranean coast). BerOc1 is able to methylate and demethylate mercury. The genome size is 4,081,579 bp assembled into five contigs. We identified the hgcA and hgcB genes involved in mercury methylation, but not those responsible for mercury demethylation.
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34
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Donovan PM, Blum JD, Singer MB, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Tsui MTK. Methylmercury degradation and exposure pathways in streams and wetlands impacted by historical mining. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:1192-1203. [PMID: 27234290 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Monomethyl mercury (MMHg) and total mercury (THg) concentrations and Hg stable isotope ratios (δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg) were measured in sediment and aquatic organisms from Cache Creek (California Coast Range) and Yolo Bypass (Sacramento Valley). Cache Creek sediment had a large range in THg (87 to 3870ng/g) and δ(202)Hg (-1.69 to -0.20‰) reflecting the heterogeneity of Hg mining sources in sediment. The δ(202)Hg of Yolo Bypass wetland sediment suggests a mixture of high and low THg sediment sources. Relationships between %MMHg (the percent ratio of MMHg to THg) and Hg isotope values (δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg) in fish and macroinvertebrates were used to identify and estimate the isotopic composition of MMHg. Deviation from linear relationships was found between %MMHg and Hg isotope values, which is indicative of the bioaccumulation of isotopically distinct pools of MMHg. The isotopic composition of pre-photodegraded MMHg (i.e., subtracting fractionation from photochemical reactions) was estimated and contrasting relationships were observed between the estimated δ(202)Hg of pre-photodegraded MMHg and sediment IHg. Cache Creek had mass dependent fractionation (MDF; δ(202)Hg) of at least -0.4‰ whereas Yolo Bypass had MDF of +0.2 to +0.5‰. This result supports the hypothesis that Hg isotope fractionation between IHg and MMHg observed in rivers (-MDF) is unique compared to +MDF observed in non-flowing water environments such as wetlands, lakes, and the coastal ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Donovan
- University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1100 N., University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Joel D Blum
- University of Michigan, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1100 N., University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Michael Bliss Singer
- University of St Andrews, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, North St., St. Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK; Earth Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 91306, USA
| | | | - Martin T K Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
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35
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Janssen SE, Schaefer JK, Barkay T, Reinfelder JR. Fractionation of Mercury Stable Isotopes during Microbial Methylmercury Production by Iron- and Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:8077-83. [PMID: 27392249 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The biological production of monomethylmercury (MeHg) in soils and sediments is an important factor controlling mercury (Hg) accumulation in aquatic and terrestrial food webs. In this study we examined the fractionation of Hg stable isotopes during Hg methylation in nongrowing cultures of the anaerobic bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132. Both organisms showed mass-dependent, but no mass-independent fractionation of Hg stable isotopes during Hg methylation. Despite differences in methylation rates, the two bacteria had similar Hg fractionation factors (αr/p = 1.0009 and 1.0011, respectively). Unexpectedly, δ(202)Hg values of MeHg for both organisms were 0.4‰ higher than the value of initial inorganic Hg after about 35% of inorganic Hg had been methylated. These results indicate that a (202)Hg-enriched pool of inorganic Hg was preferentially utilized as a substrate for methylation by these organisms, but that multiple intra- and/or extracellular pools supplied inorganic Hg for biological methylation. Understanding the controls of the Hg stable isotopic composition of microbially produced MeHg is important to identifying bioavailable Hg in natural systems and the interpretation of Hg stable isotopes in aquatic food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Janssen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University , 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Jeffra K Schaefer
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University , 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - Tamar Barkay
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University , 76 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
| | - John R Reinfelder
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University , 14 College Farm Road, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901, United States
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36
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Jiménez-Moreno M, Barre JPG, Perrot V, Bérail S, Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios RC, Amouroux D. Sources and fate of mercury pollution in Almadén mining district (Spain): Evidences from mercury isotopic compositions in sediments and lichens. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 147:430-438. [PMID: 26774309 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.12.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Variations in mercury (Hg) isotopic compositions have been scarcely investigated until now in the Almadén mining district (Spain), which is one of the most impacted Hg areas worldwide. In this work, we explore and compare Hg isotopic signatures in sediments and lichens from Almadén mining district and its surroundings in order to identify and trace Hg aquatic and atmospheric contamination sources. No statistically significant mass independent fractionation was observed in sediments, while negative Δ(201)Hg values from -0.12 to -0.21‰ (2SD = 0.06‰) were found in lichens. A large range of δ(202)Hg values were reported in sediments, from -1.86 ± 0.21‰ in La Serena Reservoir sites far away from the pollution sources to δ(202)Hg values close to zero in sediments directly influenced by Almadén mining district, whereas lichens presented δ(202)Hg values from -1.95 to -0.40‰ (2SD = 0.15‰). A dilution or mixing trend in Hg isotope signatures versus the distance to the mine was found in sediments along the Valdeazogues River-La Serena Reservoir system and in lichens. This suggests that Hg isotope fingerprints in these samples are providing a direct assessment of Hg inputs and exposure from the mining district, and potential information on diffuse atmospheric contamination and/or geochemical alteration processes in less contaminated sites over the entire hydrosystem. This study confirms the applicability of Hg isotope signatures in lichens and sediments as an effective and complementary tool for tracing aquatic and atmospheric Hg contamination sources and a better constraint of the spatial and temporal fate of Hg released by recent or ancient mining activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Jiménez-Moreno
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau F-64053, France; Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Technology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Biochemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III s/n, Toledo E-45071, Spain.
| | - Julien P G Barre
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau F-64053, France
| | - Vincent Perrot
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau F-64053, France
| | - Sylvain Bérail
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau F-64053, France
| | - Rosa C Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Technology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Biochemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avenida Carlos III s/n, Toledo E-45071, Spain
| | - David Amouroux
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique, Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (IPREM), CNRS-UPPA-UMR-5254, Hélioparc, 2 Avenue du Président Pierre Angot, Pau F-64053, France.
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37
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Donovan PM, Blum JD, Singer MB, Marvin-DiPasquale M, Tsui MTK. Isotopic Composition of Inorganic Mercury and Methylmercury Downstream of a Historical Gold Mining Region. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:1691-702. [PMID: 26789018 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We measured total mercury (THg) and monomethyl mercury (MMHg) concentrations and mercury (Hg) isotopic compositions in sediment and aquatic organisms from the Yuba River (California, USA) to identify Hg sources and biogeochemical transformations downstream of a historical gold mining region. Sediment THg concentrations and δ(202)Hg decreased from the upper Yuba Fan to the lower Yuba Fan and the Feather River. These results are consistent with the release of Hg during gold mining followed by downstream mixing and dilution. The Hg isotopic composition of Yuba Fan sediment (δ(202)Hg = -0.38 ± 0.17‰ and Δ(199)Hg = 0.04 ± 0.03‰; mean ± 1 SD, n = 7) provides a fingerprint of inorganic Hg (IHg) that could be methylated locally or after transport downstream. The isotopic composition of MMHg in the Yuba River food web was estimated using biota with a range of %MMHg (the percent of THg present as MMHg) and compared to IHg in sediment, algae, and the food web. The estimated δ(202)Hg of MMHg prior to photodegradation (-1.29 to -1.07‰) was lower than that of IHg and we suggest this is due to mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) of up to -0.9‰ between IHg and MMHg. This result is in contrast to net positive MDF (+0.4 to +0.8‰) previously observed in lakes, estuaries, coastal oceans, and forests. We hypothesize that this unique relationship could be due to differences in the extent or pathway of biotic MMHg degradation in stream environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M Donovan
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan , 1100 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Joel D Blum
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan , 1100 N. University Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Michael Bliss Singer
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews , North Street, St Andrews, KY16 9AL U.K
- Earth Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, California 93106 United States
| | | | - Martin T K Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro , Greensboro, North Carolina 27402, United States
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38
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Pedrero Z, Donard OFX, Amouroux D. Pushing back the frontiers of mercury speciation using a combination of biomolecular and isotopic signatures: challenge and perspectives. Anal Bioanal Chem 2016; 408:2641-8. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-015-9243-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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39
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Moreau JW, Gionfriddo CM, Krabbenhoft DP, Ogorek JM, DeWild JF, Aiken GR, Roden EE. The Effect of Natural Organic Matter on Mercury Methylation by Desulfobulbus propionicus 1pr3. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:1389. [PMID: 26733947 PMCID: PMC4683176 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylation of tracer and ambient mercury ((200)Hg and (202)Hg, respectively) equilibrated with four different natural organic matter (NOM) isolates was investigated in vivo using the Hg-methylating sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfobulbus propionicus 1pr3. Desulfobulbus cultures grown fermentatively with environmentally representative concentrations of dissolved NOM isolates, Hg[II], and HS(-) were assayed for absolute methylmercury (MeHg) concentration and conversion of Hg(II) to MeHg relative to total unfiltered Hg(II). Results showed the (200)Hg tracer was methylated more efficiently in the presence of hydrophobic NOM isolates than in the presence of transphilic NOM, or in the absence of NOM. Different NOM isolates were associated with variable methylation efficiencies for either the (202)Hg tracer or ambient (200)Hg. One hydrophobic NOM, F1 HpoA derived from dissolved organic matter from the Florida Everglades, was equilibrated for different times with Hg tracer, which resulted in different methylation rates. A 5 day equilibration with F1 HpoA resulted in more MeHg production than either the 4 h or 30 day equilibration periods, suggesting a time dependence for NOM-enhanced Hg bioavailability for methylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Moreau
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eric E Roden
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI, USA
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40
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Kwon SY, Blum JD, Nadelhoffer KJ, Timothy Dvonch J, Tsui MTK. Isotopic study of mercury sources and transfer between a freshwater lake and adjacent forest food web. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 532:220-9. [PMID: 26071963 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Studies of monomethylmercury (MMHg) sources and biogeochemical pathways have been extensive in aquatic ecosystems, but limited in forest ecosystems. Increasing evidence suggests that there is significant mercury (Hg) exchange between aquatic and forest ecosystems. We use Hg stable isotope ratios (δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg) to investigate the relative importance of MMHg sources and assess Hg transfer pathways between Douglas Lake and adjacent forests located at the University of Michigan Biological Station, USA. We characterize Hg isotopic compositions of basal resources and use linear regression of % MMHg versus δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg to estimate Hg isotope values for inorganic mercury (IHg) and MMHg in the aquatic and adjacent forest food webs. In the aquatic ecosystem, we found that lake sediment represents a mixture of IHg pools deposited via watershed runoff and precipitation. The δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg values estimated for IHg are consistent with other studies that measured forest floor in temperate forests. The Δ(199)Hg value estimated for MMHg in the aquatic food web indicates that MMHg is subjected to ~20% photochemical degradation prior to bioaccumulation. In the forest ecosystem, we found a significant negative relationship between total Hg and δ(202)Hg and Δ(199)Hg of soil collected at multiple distances from the lakeshore and lake sediment. This suggests that IHg input from watershed runoff provides an important Hg transfer pathway between the forest and aquatic ecosystems. We measured Δ(199)Hg values for high trophic level insects and compared these insects at multiple distances perpendicular to the lake shoreline. The Δ(199)Hg values correspond to the % canopy cover suggesting that forest MMHg is subjected to varying extents of photochemical degradation and the extent may be controlled by sunlight. Our study demonstrates that the use of Hg isotopes adds important new insight into the relative importance of MMHg sources and complex Hg transfer pathways across ecosystem boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sae Yun Kwon
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, 1100 N. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States.
| | - Joel D Blum
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, 1100 N. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Knute J Nadelhoffer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - J Timothy Dvonch
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States
| | - Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 321 McIver Street, Greensboro, NC 27402, United States
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41
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Goñi-Urriza M, Corsellis Y, Lanceleur L, Tessier E, Gury J, Monperrus M, Guyoneaud R. Relationships between bacterial energetic metabolism, mercury methylation potential, and hgcA/hgcB gene expression in Desulfovibrio dechloroacetivorans BerOc1. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 22:13764-71. [PMID: 25772867 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4273-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The proteins encoded by the hgcA and hgcB genes are currently the only ones known to be involved in the mercury methylation by anaerobic microorganisms. However, no studies have been published to determine the relationships between their expression level and the net/gross methylmercury production. This study aimed to decipher the effect of growth conditions on methylmercury production and the relationships between hgcA and hgcB expression levels and net methylation. Desulfovibrio dechloroacetivorans strain BerOc1 was grown under sulfidogenic conditions with different carbon sources and electron donors as well as under fumarate respiration. A good correlation was found between the biomass production and the methylmercury production when the strain was grown under sulfate-reducing conditions. Methylmercury production was much higher under fumarate respiration when no sulfide was produced. During exponential growth, hgcA and hgcB gene expression levels were only slightly higher in the presence of inorganic mercury, and it was difficult to conclude whether there was a significant induction of hgcA and hgcB genes by inorganic mercury. Besides, no relationships between hgcA and hgcB expression levels and net mercury methylation could be observed when the strain was grown either under sulfate reduction or fumarate respiration, indicating that environmental factors had more influence than expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisol Goñi-Urriza
- EEM-UMR IPREM CNRS 5254, Equipe Environnement et Microbiologie, University of Pau, Pau, France,
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42
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Smith RS, Wiederhold JG, Kretzschmar R. Mercury isotope fractionation during precipitation of metacinnabar (β-HgS) and montroydite (HgO). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:4325-4334. [PMID: 25782104 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To utilize stable Hg isotopes as a tracer for Hg cycling and pollution sources in the environment, it is imperative that fractionation factors for important biogeochemical processes involving Hg are determined. Here, we report experimental results on Hg isotope fractionation during precipitation of metacinnabar (β-HgS) and montroydite (HgO). In both systems, we observed mass-dependent enrichments of light Hg isotopes in the precipitates relative to the dissolved Hg. Precipitation of β-HgS appeared to follow equilibrium isotope fractionation with an enrichment factor ε(202)Hg(precipitate-supernatant) of -0.63‰. Precipitation of HgO resulted in kinetic isotope fractionation, which was described by a Rayleigh model with an enrichment factor of -0.32‰. Small mass-independent fractionation was observed in the HgS system, presumably related to nuclear volume fractionation. We propose that Hg isotope fractionation in the HgS system occurred in solution during the transition of O- to S-coordination of Hg(II), consistent with theoretical predictions. In the HgO system, fractionation was presumably caused by the faster precipitation of light Hg isotopes, and no isotopic exchange between solid and solution was observed on the timescale investigated. The results of this work emphasize the importance of Hg solution speciation and suggest that bonding partners of Hg in solution complexes may control the overall isotope fractionation. The determined fractionation factor and mechanistic insights will have implications for the interpretation of Hg isotope signatures and their use as an environmental tracer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin S Smith
- †Soil Chemistry Group, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- ‡Isotope Geochemistry Group, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jan G Wiederhold
- †Soil Chemistry Group, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
- ‡Isotope Geochemistry Group, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruben Kretzschmar
- †Soil Chemistry Group, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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43
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Wiederhold JG. Metal stable isotope signatures as tracers in environmental geochemistry. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:2606-24. [PMID: 25640608 DOI: 10.1021/es504683e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The biogeochemical cycling of metals in natural systems is often accompanied by stable isotope fractionation which can now be measured due to recent analytical advances. In consequence, a new research field has emerged over the last two decades, complementing the traditional stable isotope systems (H, C, O, N, S) with many more elements across the periodic table (Li, B, Mg, Si, Cl, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, Se, Br, Sr, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, W, Pt, Hg, Tl, U) which are being explored and potentially applicable as novel geochemical tracers. This review presents the application of metal stable isotopes as source and process tracers in environmental studies, in particular by using mixing and Rayleigh model approaches. The most important concepts of mass-dependent and mass-independent metal stable isotope fractionation are introduced, and the extent of natural isotopic variations for different elements is compared. A particular focus lies on a discussion of processes (redox transformations, complexation, sorption, precipitation, dissolution, evaporation, diffusion, biological cycling) which are able to induce metal stable isotope fractionation in environmental systems. Additionally, the usefulness and limitations of metal stable isotope signatures as tracers in environmental geochemistry are discussed and future perspectives presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan G Wiederhold
- Soil Chemistry Group, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich , 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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