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Pereira-Garcia C, Sanz-Sáez I, Sánchez P, Coutinho FH, Bravo AG, Sánchez O, Acinas SG. Genomic and transcriptomic characterization of methylmercury detoxification in a deep ocean Alteromonas mediterranea ISS312. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123725. [PMID: 38467369 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is one of the most worrisome pollutants in marine systems. MeHg detoxification is mediated by merB and merA genes, responsible for the demethylation of MeHg and the reduction of inorganic mercury, respectively. Little is known about the biological capacity to detoxify this compound in marine environments, and even less the bacterial transcriptional changes during MeHg detoxification. This study provides the genomic and transcriptomic characterization of the deep ocean bacteria Alteromonas mediterranea ISS312 with capacity for MeHg degradation. Its genome sequence revealed four mer operons containing three merA gene and two merB gene copies, that could be horizontally transferred among distant related genomes by mobile genetic elements. The transcriptomic profiling in the presence of 5 μM MeHg showed that merA and merB genes are within the most expressed genes, although not all mer genes were equally transcribed. Besides, we aimed to identify functional orthologous genes that displayed expression profiles highly similar or identical to those genes within the mer operons, which could indicate they are under the same regulatory controls. We found contrasting expression profiles for each mer operon that were positively correlated with a wide array of functions mostly related to amino acid metabolism, but also to flagellar assembly or two component systems. Also, this study highlights that all merAB genes of the four operons were globally distributed across oceans layers with higher transcriptional activity in the mesopelagic deeper waters. Our study provides new insights about the transcriptional patterns related to the capacity of marine bacteria to detoxify MeHg, with important implications for the understanding of this process in marine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Pereira-Garcia
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
| | - Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain; Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Felipe H Coutinho
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Silvia G Acinas
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain.
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2
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Pereira-García C, Del Amo EH, Vigués N, Rey-Velasco X, Rincón-Tomás B, Pérez-Cruz C, Sanz-Sáez I, Hu H, Bertilsson S, Pannier A, Soltmann U, Sánchez P, Acinas SG, Bravo AG, Alonso-Sáez L, Sánchez O. Unmasking the physiology of mercury detoxifying bacteria from polluted sediments. J Hazard Mater 2024; 467:133685. [PMID: 38335604 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.133685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Marine sediments polluted from anthropogenic activities can be major reservoirs of toxic mercury species. Some microorganisms in these environments have the capacity to detoxify these pollutants, by using the mer operon. In this study, we characterized microbial cultures isolated from polluted marine sediments growing under diverse environmental conditions of salinity, oxygen availability and mercury tolerance. Specific growth rates and percentage of mercury removal were measured in batch cultures for a selection of isolates. A culture affiliated with Pseudomonas putida (MERCC_1942), which contained a mer operon as well as other genes related to metal resistances, was selected as the best candidate for mercury elimination. In order to optimize mercury detoxification conditions for strain MERCC_1942 in continuous culture, three different dilution rates were tested in bioreactors until the cultures achieved steady state, and they were subsequently exposed to a mercury spike; after 24 h, strain MERCC_1942 removed up to 76% of the total mercury. Moreover, when adapted to high growth rates in bioreactors, this strain exhibited the highest specific mercury detoxification rates. Finally, an immobilization protocol using the sol-gel technology was optimized. These results highlight that some sediment bacteria show capacity to detoxify mercury and could be used for bioremediation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Pereira-García
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena H Del Amo
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
| | - Núria Vigués
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xavier Rey-Velasco
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Blanca Rincón-Tomás
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Carla Pérez-Cruz
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain; Instituto de Diagnóstico Ambiental y Estudios del Agua (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Haiyan Hu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Angela Pannier
- GMBU e.V., Department of Functional Coatings, D-01454 Radeberg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Soltmann
- GMBU e.V., Department of Functional Coatings, D-01454 Radeberg, Germany
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia G Acinas
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Alonso-Sáez
- AZTI, Marine Research, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Txatxarramendi ugartea z/g, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
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Wu Q, Wang B, Hu H, Bravo AG, Bishop K, Bertilsson S, Meng B, Zhang H, Feng X. Sulfate-reduction and methanogenesis are coupled to Hg(II) and MeHg reduction in rice paddies. J Hazard Mater 2023; 460:132486. [PMID: 37690197 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.132486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) produced in rice paddies is the main source of MeHg accumulation in rice, resulting in high risk of MeHg exposure to humans and wildlife. Net MeHg production is affected by Hg(II) reduction and MeHg demethylation, but it remains unclear to what extent these processes influence net MeHg production, as well as the role of the microbial guilds involved. We used isotopically labeled Hg species and specific microbial inhibitors in microcosm experiments to simultaneously investigate the rates of Hg(II) and MeHg transformations, as well as the key microbial guilds controlling these processes. Results showed that Hg(II) and MeHg reduction rate constants significantly decreased with addition of molybdate or BES, which inhibit sulfate-reduction and methanogenesis, respectively. This suggests that both sulfate-reduction and methanogenesis are important processes controlling Hg(II) and MeHg reduction in rice paddies. Meanwhile, up to 99% of MeHg demethylation was oxidative demethylation (OD) under the incubation conditions, suggesting that OD was the main MeHg degradative pathway in rice paddies. In addition, [202Hg(0)/Me202Hg] from the added 202Hg(NO3)2 was up to 13.9%, suggesting that Hg(II) reduction may constrain Hg(II) methylation in rice paddies at the abandoned Hg mining site. This study improves our understanding of Hg cycling pathways in rice paddies, and more specifically how reduction processes affect net MeHg production and related microbial metabolisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wu
- 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
| | - Baolin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Haiyan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China.
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciencies del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona E08003, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Bo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- 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; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Cabrol L, Capo E, van Vliet DM, von Meijenfeldt FAB, Bertilsson S, Villanueva L, Sánchez-Andrea I, Björn E, G. Bravo A, Heimburger Boavida LE. Redox gradient shapes the abundance and diversity of mercury-methylating microorganisms along the water column of the Black Sea. mSystems 2023; 8:e0053723. [PMID: 37578240 PMCID: PMC10469668 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00537-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In the global context of seawater deoxygenation triggered by climate change and anthropogenic activities, changes in redox gradients impacting biogeochemical transformations of pollutants, such as mercury, become more likely. Being the largest anoxic basin worldwide, with high concentrations of the potent neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg), the Black Sea is an ideal natural laboratory to provide new insights about the link between dissolved oxygen concentration and hgcAB gene-carrying (hgc+) microorganisms involved in the formation of MeHg. We combined geochemical and microbial approaches to assess the effect of vertical redox gradients on abundance, diversity, and metabolic potential of hgc+ microorganisms in the Black Sea water column. The abundance of hgcA genes [congruently estimated by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and metagenomics] correlated with MeHg concentration, both maximal in the upper part of the anoxic water. Besides the predominant Desulfobacterales, hgc+ microorganisms belonged to a unique assemblage of diverse-previously underappreciated-anaerobic fermenters from Anaerolineales, Phycisphaerae (characteristic of the anoxic and sulfidic zone), Kiritimatiellales, and Bacteroidales (characteristic of the suboxic zone). The metabolic versatility of Desulfobacterota differed from strict sulfate reduction in the anoxic water to reduction of various electron acceptors in the suboxic water. Linking microbial activity and contaminant concentration in environmental studies is rare due to the complexity of biological pathways. In this study, we disentangle the role of oxygen in shaping the distribution of Hg-methylating microorganisms consistently with MeHg concentration, and we highlight their taxonomic and metabolic niche partitioning across redox gradients, improving the prediction of the response of marine communities to the expansion of oxygen-deficient zones. IMPORTANCE Methylmercury (MeHg) is a neurotoxin detected at high concentrations in certain marine ecosystems, posing a threat to human health. MeHg production is mainly mediated by hgcAB gene-carrying (hgc+) microorganisms. Oxygen is one of the main factors controlling Hg methylation; however, its effect on the diversity and ecology of hgc+ microorganisms remains unknown. Under the current context of seawater deoxygenation, mercury cycling is expected to be disturbed. Here, we show the strong effect of oxygen gradients on the distribution of potential Hg methylators. In addition, we show for the first time the significant contribution of a unique assemblage of potential fermenters from Anaerolineales, Phycisphaerae, and Kiritimatiellales to Hg methylation, stratified in different redox niches along the Black Sea gradient. Our results considerably expand the known taxonomic diversity and ecological niches prone to the formation of MeHg and contribute to better apprehend the consequences of oxygen depletion in seawater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Cabrol
- Aix Marseille University, Univ. Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, Marseille, France
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eric Capo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Daan M. van Vliet
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Wageningen Food and Biobased Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - F. A. Bastiaan von Meijenfeldt
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, the Netherlands
- Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Irene Sánchez-Andrea
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lars-Eric Heimburger Boavida
- Aix Marseille University, Univ. Toulon, CNRS, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, Marseille, France
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Capo E, Cosio C, Gascón Díez E, Loizeau JL, Mendes E, Adatte T, Franzenburg S, Bravo AG. Anaerobic mercury methylators inhabit sinking particles of oxic water columns. Water Res 2023; 229:119368. [PMID: 36459894 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Increased concentration of mercury, particularly methylmercury, in the environment is a worldwide concern because of its toxicity in severely exposed humans. Although the formation of methylmercury in oxic water columns has been previously suggested, there is no evidence of the presence of microorganisms able to perform this process, using the hgcAB gene pair (hgc+ microorganisms), in such environments. Here we show the prevalence of hgc+ microorganisms in sinking particles of the oxic water column of Lake Geneva (Switzerland and France) and its anoxic bottom sediments. Compared to anoxic sediments, sinking particles found in oxic waters exhibited relatively high proportion of hgc+genes taxonomically assigned to Firmicutes. In contrast hgc+members from Nitrospirae, Chloroflexota and PVC superphylum were prevalent in anoxic sediment while hgc+ Desulfobacterota were found in both environments. Altogether, the description of the diversity of putative mercury methylators in the oxic water column expand our understanding on MeHg formation in aquatic environments and at a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Capo
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Spain
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UMR-I 02 INERIS-URCA-ULH SEBIO, Reims, France.
| | - Elena Gascón Díez
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, and Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland; Direction générale de la santé, Secteur des produits chimiques, République et Canton de Genève, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Loizeau
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, and Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva 1205, Switzerland
| | - Elsa Mendes
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Spain
| | - Thierry Adatte
- ISTE, Institut des Sciences de la Terre, Université de Lausanne, GEOPOLIS, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sören Franzenburg
- Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology, Kiel University and University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, 24105 Kiel, Germany
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003, Spain.
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Wang B, Hu H, Bishop K, Buck M, Björn E, Skyllberg U, Nilsson MB, Bertilsson S, Bravo AG. Microbial communities mediating net methylmercury formation along a trophic gradient in a peatland chronosequence. J Hazard Mater 2023; 442:130057. [PMID: 36179622 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Peatlands are generally important sources of methylmercury (MeHg) to adjacent aquatic ecosystems, increasing the risk of human and wildlife exposure to this highly toxic compound. While microorganisms play important roles in mercury (Hg) geochemical cycles where they directly and indirectly affect MeHg formation in peatlands, potential linkages between net MeHg formation and microbial communities involving these microorganisms remain unclear. To address this gap, microbial community composition and specific marker gene transcripts were investigated along a trophic gradient in a geographically constrained peatland chronosequence. Our results showed a clear spatial pattern in microbial community composition along the gradient that was highly driven by peat soil properties and significantly associated with net MeHg formation as approximated by MeHg concentration and %MeHg of total Hg concentration. Known fermentative, syntrophic, methanogenic and iron-reducing metabolic guilds had the strong positive correlations to net MeHg formation, while methanotrophic and methylotrophic microorganisms were negatively correlated. Our results indicated that sulfate reducers did not have a key role in net MeHg formation. Microbial activity as interpreted from 16S rRNA sequences was significantly correlated with MeHg and %MeHg. Our findings shed new light on the role of microbial community in net MeHg formation of peatlands that undergo ontogenetic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550081 Guiyang, China; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Haiyan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550081 Guiyang, China.
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Moritz Buck
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mats B Nilsson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
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Jonsson S, Mastromonaco MN, Wang F, Bravo AG, Cairns WRL, Chételat J, Douglas TA, Lescord G, Ukonmaanaho L, Heimbürger-Boavida LE. Arctic methylmercury cycling. Sci Total Environ 2022; 850:157445. [PMID: 35882324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic mercury (Hg) undergoes long-range transport to the Arctic where some of it is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg), potentially leading to high exposure in some Arctic inhabitants and wildlife. The environmental exposure of Hg is determined not just by the amount of Hg entering the Arctic, but also by biogeochemical and ecological processes occurring in the Arctic. These processes affect MeHg uptake in biota by regulating the bioavailability, methylation and demethylation, bioaccumulation and biomagnification of MeHg in Arctic ecosystems. Here, we present a new budget for pools and fluxes of MeHg in the Arctic and review the scientific advances made in the last decade on processes leading to environmental exposure to Hg. Methylation and demethylation are key processes controlling the pool of MeHg available for bioaccumulation. Methylation of Hg occurs in diverse Arctic environments including permafrost, sediments and the ocean water column, and is primarily a process carried out by microorganisms. While microorganisms carrying the hgcAB gene pair (responsible for Hg methylation) have been identified in Arctic soils and thawing permafrost, the formation pathway of MeHg in oxic marine waters remains less clear. Hotspots for methylation of Hg in terrestrial environments include thermokarst wetlands, ponds and lakes. The shallow sub-surface enrichment of MeHg in the Arctic Ocean, in comparison to other marine systems, is a possible explanation for high MeHg concentrations in some Arctic biota. Bioconcentration of aqueous MeHg in bacteria and algae is a critical step in the transfer of Hg to top predators, which may be dampened or enhanced by the presence of organic matter. Variable trophic position has an important influence on MeHg concentrations among populations of top predator species such as ringed seal and polar bears distributed across the circumpolar Arctic. These scientific advances highlight key processes that affect the fate of anthropogenic Hg deposited to Arctic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofi Jonsson
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Feiyue Wang
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Warren R L Cairns
- CNR Institute of Polar Sciences and Ca' Foscari University, Venice, Italy
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas A Douglas
- U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Fort Wainwright, AK, USA
| | - Gretchen Lescord
- Wildlife Conservation Society Canada and Laurentian University, Vale Living with Lakes Center, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
| | - Liisa Ukonmaanaho
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), P.O. Box 2, FI-00791 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- CNRS/INSU,Aix Marseille Université,Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille, France
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8
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Capo E, Feng C, Bravo AG, Bertilsson S, Soerensen AL, Pinhassi J, Buck M, Karlsson C, Hawkes J, Björn E. Expression Levels of hgcAB Genes and Mercury Availability Jointly Explain Methylmercury Formation in Stratified Brackish Waters. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:13119-13130. [PMID: 36069707 PMCID: PMC9494745 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) is formed by microbial methylation of inorganic divalent Hg (HgII) and constitutes severe environmental and human health risks. The methylation is enabled by hgcA and hgcB genes, but it is not known if the associated molecular-level processes are rate-limiting or enable accurate prediction of MeHg formation in nature. In this study, we investigated the relationships between hgc genes and MeHg across redox-stratified water columns in the brackish Baltic Sea. We showed, for the first time, that hgc transcript abundance and the concentration of dissolved HgII-sulfide species were strong predictors of both the HgII methylation rate and MeHg concentration, implying their roles as principal joint drivers of MeHg formation in these systems. Additionally, we characterized the metabolic capacities of hgc+ microorganisms by reconstructing their genomes from metagenomes (i.e., hgc+ MAGs), which highlighted the versatility of putative HgII methylators in the water column of the Baltic Sea. In establishing relationships between hgc transcripts and the HgII methylation rate, we advance the fundamental understanding of mechanistic principles governing MeHg formation in nature and enable refined predictions of MeHg levels in coastal seas in response to the accelerating spread of oxygen-deficient zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Capo
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Caiyan Feng
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Department
of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona 08003, Spain
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Anne L. Soerensen
- Department
of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm 104 05, Sweden
| | - Jarone Pinhassi
- Centre
for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems—EEMiS, Linnaeus University, Kalmar 391 82, Sweden
| | - Moritz Buck
- Department
of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish
University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala 750 07, Sweden
| | - Camilla Karlsson
- Centre
for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems—EEMiS, Linnaeus University, Kalmar 391 82, Sweden
| | - Jeffrey Hawkes
- Department
of Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala 751 23, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department
of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå 901 87, Sweden
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9
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Capo E, Peterson BD, Kim M, Jones DS, Acinas SG, Amyot M, Bertilsson S, Björn E, Buck M, Cosio C, Elias DA, Gilmour C, Goñi Urriza MS, Gu B, Lin H, Liu YR, McMahon K, Moreau JW, Pinhassi J, Podar M, Puente-Sánchez F, Sánchez P, Storck V, Tada Y, Vigneron A, Walsh D, Vandewalle-Capo M, Bravo AG, Gionfriddo C. A consensus protocol for the recovery of mercury methylation genes from metagenomes. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 23:190-204. [PMID: 35839241 PMCID: PMC10087281 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) methylation genes (hgcAB) mediate the formation of the toxic methylmercury and have been identified from diverse environments, including freshwater and marine ecosystems, Arctic permafrost, forest and paddy soils, coal-ash amended sediments, chlor-alkali plants discharges and geothermal springs. Here we present the first attempt at a standardized protocol for the detection, identification and quantification of hgc genes from metagenomes. Our Hg-MATE (Hg-cycling Microorganisms in Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems) database, a catalogue of hgc genes, provides the most accurate information to date on the taxonomic identity and functional/metabolic attributes of microorganisms responsible for Hg methylation in the environment. Furthermore, we introduce "marky-coco", a ready-to-use bioinformatic pipeline based on de novo single-metagenome assembly, for easy and accurate characterization of hgc genes from environmental samples. We compared the recovery of hgc genes from environmental metagenomes using the marky-coco pipeline with an approach based on co-assembly of multiple metagenomes. Our data show similar efficiency in both approaches for most environments except those with high diversity (i.e., paddy soils) for which a co-assembly approach was preferred. Finally, we discuss the definition of true hgc genes and methods to normalize hgc gene counts from metagenomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Capo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, 08003, Spain.,Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Benjamin D Peterson
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 53706, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Minjae Kim
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, 80523, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Daniel S Jones
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 87801, Socorro, NM, USA.,National Cave and Karst Research Institute, 88220, Carlsbad, NM, USA
| | - Silvia G Acinas
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
| | - Marc Amyot
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 5J9, Canada
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90736, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Moritz Buck
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Claudia Cosio
- University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51100, Reims, France
| | | | - Cynthia Gilmour
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 21037, Edgewater, MD, USA
| | | | - Baohua Gu
- Oak Ridge National Lab, 37830, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Heyu Lin
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 3010, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, 430070, Wuhan, China
| | - Katherine McMahon
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin at Madison, 53706, Madison, WI, USA
| | - John W Moreau
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8RZ, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jarone Pinhassi
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems - EEMiS, Linnaeus University, 39231, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Mircea Podar
- Oak Ridge National Lab, 37830, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Fernando Puente-Sánchez
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
| | - Veronika Storck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, H3C 5J9, Canada
| | - Yuya Tada
- National Institute for Minamata Disease, Department of Environment and Public Health, Kumamoto, 867-0008, Japan
| | - Adrien Vigneron
- University of Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Pau, 64000, France
| | - David Walsh
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec H4BIR6, Canada
| | - Marine Vandewalle-Capo
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC, Barcelona, 08003, Spain
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10
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Cossa D, Knoery J, Bănaru D, Harmelin-Vivien M, Sonke JE, Hedgecock IM, Bravo AG, Rosati G, Canu D, Horvat M, Sprovieri F, Pirrone N, Heimbürger-Boavida LE. Mediterranean Mercury Assessment 2022: An Updated Budget, Health Consequences, and Research Perspectives. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:3840-3862. [PMID: 35244390 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c03044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and especially its methylated species (MeHg) are toxic chemicals that contaminate humans via the consumption of seafood. The most recent UNEP Global Mercury Assessment stressed that Mediterranean populations have higher Hg levels than people elsewhere in Europe. The present Critical Review updates current knowledge on the sources, biogeochemical cycling, and mass balance of Hg in the Mediterranean and identifies perspectives for future research especially in the context of global change. Concentrations of Hg in the Western Mediterranean average 0.86 ± 0.27 pmol L-1 in the upper water layer and 1.02 ± 0.12 pmol L-1 in intermediate and deep waters. In the Eastern Mediterranean, Hg measurements are in the same range but are too few to determine any consistent oceanographical pattern. The Mediterranean waters have a high methylation capacity, with MeHg representing up to 86% of the total Hg, and constitute a source of MeHg for the adjacent North Atlantic Ocean. The highest MeHg concentrations are associated with low oxygen water masses, suggesting a microbiological control on Hg methylation, consistent with the identification of hgcA-like genes in Mediterranean waters. MeHg concentrations are twice as high in the waters of the Western Basin compared to the ultra-oligotrophic Eastern Basin waters. This difference appears to be transferred through the food webs and the Hg content in predators to be ultimately controlled by MeHg concentrations of the waters of their foraging zones. Many Mediterranean top-predatory fish still exceed European Union regulatory Hg thresholds. This emphasizes the necessity of monitoring the exposure of Mediterranean populations, to formulate adequate mitigation strategies and recommendations, without advising against seafood consumption. This review also points out other insufficiencies of knowledge of Hg cycling in the Mediterranean Sea, including temporal variations in air-sea exchange, hydrothermal and cold seep inputs, point sources, submarine groundwater discharge, and exchanges between margins and the open sea. Future assessment of global change impacts under the Minamata Convention Hg policy requires long-term observations and dedicated high-resolution Earth System Models for the Mediterranean region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Cossa
- Université Grenoble Alpes, ISTerre, CS 40700, 38058 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Joël Knoery
- Ifremer, Centre Atlantique de Nantes, BP 44311, 44980 Nantes, France
| | - Daniela Bănaru
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Mireille Harmelin-Vivien
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, CNRS/Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées (OMP)/Université de Toulouse, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Ian M Hedgecock
- Istituto sull'inquinamento atmosferico, CNR-IIA, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | | | - Ginevra Rosati
- Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisca Sperimentale (OGS), 34010 Trieste, Italy
| | - Donata Canu
- Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisca Sperimentale (OGS), 34010 Trieste, Italy
| | | | | | - Nicola Pirrone
- Istituto sull'inquinamento atmosferico, CNR-IIA, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS/INSU, Université de Toulon, IRD, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO) UM 110, 13288 Marseille, France
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11
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Groeneveld M, Catalán N, Einarsdottir K, Bravo AG, Kothawala DN. The influence of pH on dissolved organic matter fluorescence in inland waters. Anal Methods 2022; 14:1351-1360. [PMID: 35298579 DOI: 10.1039/d1ay01702k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence is an easily available analytical technique used to assess the optical characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Despite widespread use, there has been some confusion about how robust fluorescence spectroscopy is to differences in solution pH. Here we assess fluorescence characteristics of three natural water samples and one commercially available standard (Nordic Reservoir) by modifying the pH across a range from 3.5 to 9.0 at 0.5 pH increments. We used two statistical approaches to assess if fluorescence intensity shifted significantly across this pH range. We identified that humic-like and protein-like fluorescence was largely stable within the pH range of 5.5 to 7.5, which represents 80% of Swedish lakes and streams. Likewise, we found that the three commonly used fluorescence indices were robust across the full pH range tested with the exception of the humification index, which had a narrower range of stability. The commerical humic substance sample was highly unstable with changes to pH in the regions of protein-like fluorescence being particularly sensitive. One of our conclusions is that differences in fluorescence intensity in the pH range of 5.5 to 7.5, typical for most inland waters, are generally minor. We recommend adjusting the pH when samples fall outside this region and to be especially careful in interpreting results from commercial humic substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Groeneveld
- Department of Ecology and Genetics/Limnology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - N Catalán
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et l'Environnement (LSCE), CNRS-UMR 8212, L'Orme des Merisiers-bat.714, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - K Einarsdottir
- Department of Ecology and Genetics/Limnology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - A G Bravo
- Departament de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia Institut de Ciències del Mar, CSIC, Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - D N Kothawala
- Department of Ecology and Genetics/Limnology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
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12
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Sanz-Sáez I, Pereira-García C, Bravo AG, Trujillo L, Pla i Ferriol M, Capilla M, Sánchez P, Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios RC, Acinas SG, Sánchez O. Prevalence of Heterotrophic Methylmercury Detoxifying Bacteria across Oceanic Regions. Environ Sci Technol 2022; 56:3452-3461. [PMID: 35245029 PMCID: PMC8928480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Microbial reduction of inorganic divalent mercury (Hg2+) and methylmercury (MeHg) demethylation is performed by the mer operon, specifically by merA and merB genes, respectively, but little is known about the mercury tolerance capacity of marine microorganisms and its prevalence in the ocean. Here, combining culture-dependent analyses with metagenomic and metatranscriptomic data, we show that marine bacteria that encode mer genes are widespread and active in the global ocean. We explored the distribution of these genes in 290 marine heterotrophic bacteria (Alteromonas and Marinobacter spp.) isolated from different oceanographic regions and depths, and assessed their tolerance to diverse concentrations of Hg2+ and MeHg. In particular, the Alteromonas sp. ISS312 strain presented the highest tolerance capacity and a degradation efficiency for MeHg of 98.2% in 24 h. Fragment recruitment analyses of Alteromonas sp. genomes (ISS312 strain and its associated reconstructed metagenome assembled genome MAG-0289) against microbial bathypelagic metagenomes confirm their prevalence in the deep ocean. Moreover, we retrieved 54 merA and 6 merB genes variants related to the Alteromonas sp. ISS312 strain from global metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from Tara Oceans. Our findings highlight the biological reductive MeHg degradation as a relevant pathway of the ocean Hg biogeochemical cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Sanz-Sáez
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Carla Pereira-García
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Laura Trujillo
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Martí Pla i Ferriol
- Departament
de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Miguel Capilla
- Research
Group in Environmental Engineering (GI2AM), Department of Chemical
Engineering, University of Valencia, Av. De la Universitat S/N, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Rosa Carmen Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios
- Environmental
Sciences Institute (ICAM), Department of Analytical Chemistry and
Food Technology, University of Castilla-La
Mancha, Avda. Carlos
III s/n, 45071 Toledo, Spain
| | - Silvia G. Acinas
- Departament
de Biologia Marina i Oceanografia, Institut
de Ciències del Mar, ICM-CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Olga Sánchez
- Departament
de Genètica i Microbiologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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13
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Lupon A, Rodríguez-Lozano P, Bartrons M, Anadon-Rosell A, Batalla M, Bernal S, Bravo AG, Capdevila P, Cañedo-Argüelles M, Catalán N, Genua-Olmedo A, Gutiérrez-Cánovas C, Feio MJ, Lucati F, Onandia G, Poblador S, Rotchés-Ribalta R, Sala-Bubaré A, Sánchez-Montoya MM, Sebastián M, Zufiaurre A, Pastor A. Towards women-inclusive ecology: Representation, behavior, and perception of women at an international conference. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260163. [PMID: 34890389 PMCID: PMC8664204 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Conferences are ideal platforms for studying gender gaps in science because they are important cultural events that reflect barriers to women in academia. Here, we explored women’s participation in ecology conferences by analyzing female representation, behavior, and personal experience at the 1st Meeting of the Iberian Society of Ecology (SIBECOL). The conference had 722 attendees, 576 contributions, and 27 scientific sessions. The gender of attendees and presenters was balanced (48/52% women/men), yet only 29% of the contributions had a woman as last author. Moreover, men presented most of the keynote talks (67%) and convened most of the sessions. Our results also showed that only 32% of the questions were asked by women, yet the number of questions raised by women increased when the speaker or the convener was a woman. Finally, the post-conference survey revealed that attendees had a good experience and did not perceive the event as a threatening context for women. Yet, differences in the responses between genders suggest that women tended to have a worse experience than their male counterparts. Although our results showed clear gender biases, most of the participants of the conference failed to detect it. Overall, we highlight the challenge of increasing women’s scientific leadership, visibility and interaction in scientific conferences and we suggest several recommendations for creating inclusive meetings, thereby promoting equal opportunities for all participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lupon
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Pablo Rodríguez-Lozano
- Department of Geography, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Spain
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Mireia Bartrons
- Aquatic Ecology Group, University of Vic—Central University of Catalonia (Uvic-UCC), Vic, Spain
| | - Alba Anadon-Rosell
- Landscape Ecology and Ecosystem Dynamics, Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Susana Bernal
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pol Capdevila
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Miguel Cañedo-Argüelles
- FEHM-Lab, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Institut de Recerca de l’Aigua (IdRA), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Catalán
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, LSCE, CNRS-UMR 8212, Gif Sur Yvette, France
| | - Ana Genua-Olmedo
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Maria João Feio
- Department of Life Sciences, MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Federica Lucati
- Integrative Freshwater Ecology Group, Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriela Onandia
- Research Platform Data Analysis and Simulation, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Sílvia Poblador
- Plants and Ecosystems (PLECO), Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | | | - Anna Sala-Bubaré
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Mar Sánchez-Montoya
- Department of Ecology and Hydrology, International Excellence Campus for Higher Education and Research of the University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Sebastián
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aitziber Zufiaurre
- CREAF, E08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Catalonia, Spain
- Área de Biodiversidad, Gestión Ambiental de Navarra-Nafarroako Ingurumen Kudeaketa (GAN-NIK), Pamplona-Iruñea, Navarra
| | - Ada Pastor
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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14
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Liu J, Liang J, Bravo AG, Wei S, Yang C, Wang D, Jiang T. Anaerobic and aerobic biodegradation of soil-extracted dissolved organic matter from the water-level-fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir region, China. Sci Total Environ 2021; 764:142857. [PMID: 33160674 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The biodegradation of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural environments is determined by its molecular composition and reactivity. Redox oscillations are common in the water-level-fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). As a consequence, the soil DOM released is degraded under both anaerobic and aerobic conditions. The DOM compounds available for degradation under contrasting redox conditions and the resulting DOM composition still need to be elucidated. By combining laboratory experiments with an in-depth characterization of DOM optical properties, we show that different pathways controlled the depletion and enrichment of the DOM optical components under different oxygen regimes. In particular, 28-day dark biodegradation assays showed that up to 39.5 ± 4% DOM was degraded under anaerobic conditions, while 55.5 ± 6% DOM was biodegraded under aerobic conditions. Aerobic biodegradation resulted in a higher aromaticity and degree of humification of the DOM compared to anaerobic degradation. The specific UV absorbance at a wavelength of 254 (SUVA254) and biological index (BIX) could be used to track DOM biodegradation under anaerobic conditions. Under aerobic conditions, the SUVA254, BIX and concentration of coloured DOM (CDOM, reflected by a (355)) could track DOM biodegradation, and significant amounts of CDOM could be aerobically biodegraded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Liu
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China
| | - Jian Liang
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Baise University, Guangxi 533000, China
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shiqiang Wei
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Caiyun Yang
- Research Center of Bioenergy and Bioremediation, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Dingyong Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Agriculture Green Development in Yangtze River Basin, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China; Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden.
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15
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Calao-Ramos C, Bravo AG, Paternina-Uribe R, Marrugo-Negrete J, Díez S. Occupational human exposure to mercury in artisanal small-scale gold mining communities of Colombia. Environ Int 2021; 146:106216. [PMID: 33181411 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
With the aim of protecting human life and the environment, the Minamata Convention seeks to reduce and monitor mercury (Hg) concentrations in the environment. Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) has been identified as the most important anthropogenic source of Hg at a global scale and an important route of human exposure to Hg. In this context, this study assessed total Hg (THg) in blood, urine and hair, and methylmercury (MeHg) in human hair samples from 238 participants with occupational exposure to Hg in the most relevant ASGM communities of Colombia. Mercury concentrations in different biological matrices were related to several variables of interest such as age, gender, body mass index, fish consumption, exposure time, and specific occupational activities, such as amalgamation and amalgam burning. The median values of THg in blood (3.70 µg/L), urine (4.00 µg/L) and hair (1.37 mg/kg), and hair MeHg (1.47 mg/kg) for all participants were below permissible concentrations set by WHO. However, about 40% of the miners showed Hg concentrations in blood, urine and/or hair above the WHO thresholds. In all the biological matrices studied, miners burning amalgams showed significantly higher concentrations than miners who did not burn amalgams, with values 7-, 7-, and 8-fold higher in blood, urine and hair, respectively. A multiple linear regression model revealed that burning amalgam and fish consumption were significant predictors of Hg exposure in miners. Miners from Guainía had the highest concentrations in urine and hair, most likely due to the high manipulation and burning of amalgam, and a high fish consumption. In contrast, miners from Caldas showed the lowest Hg concentrations in all the biomarkers because they do not manipulate or burn amalgam, as well as reporting the lowest fish consumption. Our study also highlighted that gold miners exposure to Hg depends on their work practices. Therefore, the implementation of a health education programme on gold mining strategies is required, especially in Guaina, Vaupés, Córdoba, and Antioquia departments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clelia Calao-Ramos
- Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No. 76-103, Montería, Córdoba, Colombia
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Sergi Díez
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain.
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16
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Branfireun BA, Cosio C, Poulain AJ, Riise G, Bravo AG. Mercury cycling in freshwater systems - An updated conceptual model. Sci Total Environ 2020; 745:140906. [PMID: 32758756 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The widely accepted conceptual model of mercury (Hg) cycling in freshwater lakes (atmospheric deposition and runoff of inorganic Hg, methylation in bottom sediments and subsequent bioaccumulation and biomagnification in biota) is practically accepted as common knowledge. There is mounting evidence that the dominant processes that regulate inputs, transformations, and bioavailability of Hg in many lakes may be missing from this picture, and the fixation on the temperate stratified lake archetype is impeding our exploration of understudied, but potentially important sources of methylmercury to freshwater lakes. In this review, the importance of understudied biogeochemical processes and sites of methylmercury production are highlighted, including the complexity of redox transformations of Hg within the lake system itself, the complex assemblage of microbes found in biofilms and periphyton (two vastly understudied important sources of methylmercury in many freshwater ecosystems), and the critical role of autochthonous and allochthonous dissolved organic matter which mediates the net supply of methylmercury from the cellular to catchment scale. A conceptual model of lake Hg in contrasting lakes and catchments is presented, highlighting the importance of the autochthonous and allochthonous supply of dissolved organic matter, bioavailable inorganic mercury and methylmercury and providing a framework for future convergent research at the lab and field scales to establish more mechanistic process-based relationships within and among critical compartments that regulate methylmercury concentrations in freshwater ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Branfireun
- Department of Biology and Centre for Environment & Sustainability, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UMR I-02 SEBIO, Reims, France
| | | | - Gunnhild Riise
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Spanish National Research Council | CSIC, Institut de Ciències del Mar, Barcelona, Spain.
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17
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Wu Q, Hu H, Meng B, Wang B, Poulain AJ, Zhang H, Liu J, Bravo AG, Bishop K, Bertilsson S, Feng X. Methanogenesis Is an Important Process in Controlling MeHg Concentration in Rice Paddy Soils Affected by Mining Activities. Environ Sci Technol 2020; 54:13517-13526. [PMID: 33084323 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Rice paddies are agricultural sites of special concern because the potent toxin methylmercury (MeHg), produced in rice paddy soils, accumulates in rice grains. MeHg cycling is mostly controlled by microbes but their importance in MeHg production and degradation in paddy soils and across a Hg concentration gradient remains unclear. Here we used surface and rhizosphere soil samples in a series of incubation experiments in combination with stable isotope tracers to investigate the relative importance of different microbial groups on MeHg production and degradation across a Hg contamination gradient. We showed that sulfate reduction was the main driver of MeHg formation and concentration at control sites, and that methanogenesis had an important and complex role in MeHg cycling as Hg concentrations increased. The inhibition of methanogenesis at the mining sites led to an increase in MeHg production up to 16.6-fold and a decrease in MeHg degradation by up to 77%, suggesting that methanogenesis is associated with MeHg degradation as Hg concentrations increased. This study broadens our understanding of the roles of microbes in MeHg cycling and highlights methanogenesis as a key control of MeHg concentrations in rice paddies, offering the potential for mitigation of Hg contamination and for the safe production of rice in Hg-contaminated areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Haiyan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, P. R. China
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Bo Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, P. R. China
| | - Baolin Wang
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Alexandre J Poulain
- Biology Department, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, P. R. China
| | - Jinling Liu
- School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P. R. China
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, Barcelona E08003, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala SE-75007, Sweden
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, P. R. China
- Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xian 710061, P. R. China
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18
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Capo E, Bravo AG, Soerensen AL, Bertilsson S, Pinhassi J, Feng C, Andersson AF, Buck M, Björn E. Deltaproteobacteria and Spirochaetes-Like Bacteria Are Abundant Putative Mercury Methylators in Oxygen-Deficient Water and Marine Particles in the Baltic Sea. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:574080. [PMID: 33072037 PMCID: PMC7536318 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.574080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg), a neurotoxic compound biomagnifying in aquatic food webs, can be a threat to human health via fish consumption. However, the composition and distribution of the microbial communities mediating the methylation of mercury (Hg) to MeHg in marine systems remain largely unknown. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we used the Baltic Sea Reference Metagenome (BARM) dataset to study the abundance and distribution of the genes involved in Hg methylation (the hgcAB gene cluster). We determined the relative abundance of the hgcAB genes and their taxonomic identity in 81 brackish metagenomes that cover spatial, seasonal and redox variability in the Baltic Sea water column. The hgcAB genes were predominantly detected in anoxic water, but some hgcAB genes were also detected in hypoxic and normoxic waters. Phylogenetic analysis identified putative Hg methylators within Deltaproteobacteria, in oxygen-deficient water layers, but also Spirochaetes-like and Kiritimatiellaeota-like bacteria. Higher relative quantities of hgcAB genes were found in metagenomes from marine particles compared to free-living communities in anoxic water, suggesting that such particles are hotspot habitats for Hg methylators in oxygen-depleted seawater. Altogether, our work unveils the diversity of the microorganisms with the potential to mediate MeHg production in the Baltic Sea and pinpoint the important ecological niches for these microorganisms within the marine water column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Capo
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anne L Soerensen
- Department of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jarone Pinhassi
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems - EEMiS, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Caiyan Feng
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders F Andersson
- Department of Gene Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, Sweden
| | - Moritz Buck
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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19
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Marrugo-Negrete J, Durango-Hernández J, Díaz-Fernández L, Urango-Cárdenas I, Araméndiz-Tatis H, Vergara-Flórez V, Bravo AG, Díez S. Transfer and bioaccumulation of mercury from soil in cowpea in gold mining sites. Chemosphere 2020; 250:126142. [PMID: 32105852 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the phytoremediation ability of three different genotypes of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) grown on mercury-contaminated soils from gold mining areas. In particular we compared a native genotype with two commercial lines L-019 and L-042. The plants were cultivated in soils amended at different concentrations of Hg (i.e. 0.2, 1, 2, 5 and 8 mg kg-1). After three months exposure, we determined plant growth, seed production, and Hg accumulation in different plant tissues (root, leaf, seed and stem). Indices of soil-plant metal transfer such as translocation, bioconcentration and bioaccumulation factors were calculated. Results showed that the native variety presented the highest seed production (3.8 g), however the highest plant biomass (7.9 g) was observed in line L-019, both on Hg-contaminated soil of 1 mg kg-1. The different plant tissues differed in terms of Hg concentration (root > leaf > stem). In the highest treated soil, the line L-042 accumulates higher Hg in both roots and leaves, while line L-019 accumulates more metal in stems. In line L-019, Hg concentrations in the fruit showed significant differences being higher in the valves than in the seeds. The transfer factors were generally lower than 1 and indicates the low accumulation of Hg by cowpeas. The estimated daily Hg intake through cowpea consumption showed values far below the threshold of 0.57 μg kg-1 dw day-1 recommended by the World Health Organization. Our results show cowpea V. unguiculata as a good protein-rich food substitute of Hg-contaminated fish for populations living near gold mining sites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Vicente Vergara-Flórez
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sucre, Carrera 28 No. 5-267, Sincelejo, Sucre, Colombia
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Díez
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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20
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Wang B, Nilsson MB, Eklöf K, Hu H, Ehnvall B, Bravo AG, Zhong S, Åkeblom S, Björn E, Bertilsson S, Skyllberg U, Bishop K. Opposing spatial trends in methylmercury and total mercury along a peatland chronosequence trophic gradient. Sci Total Environ 2020; 718:137306. [PMID: 32087589 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Peatlands are abundant elements of boreal landscapes where inorganic mercury (IHg) can be transformed into bioaccumulating and highly toxic methylmercury (MeHg). We studied fifteen peatlands divided into three age classes (young, intermediate and old) along a geographically constrained chronosequence to determine the role of biogeochemical factors and nutrient availability in controlling the formation of MeHg. In the 10 cm soil layer just below the average annual growing season water table, concentrations of MeHg and %MeHg (of total Hg) were higher in younger, more mesotrophic peatlands than in older, more oligotrophic peatlands. In contrast, total mercury (THg) concentrations were higher in the older peatlands. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis indicates that the net MeHg production was positively correlated to trophic demands of vegetation and an increased availability of potential electron acceptors and donors for Hg methylating microorganisms. An important question for further studies will be to elucidate why there is less THg in the younger peatlands compared to the older peatlands, even though the age of the superficial peat itself is similar for all sites. We hypothesize that ecosystem features which enhance microbial processes involved in Hg methylation also promote Hg reduction that makes previously deposited Hg more available for evasion back to the atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Wang
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mats B Nilsson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Karin Eklöf
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Haiyan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550081 Guiyang, China; Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Betty Ehnvall
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Shunqing Zhong
- College of City and Tourism, Hengyang Normal University, 421002 Hengyang, China
| | - Staffan Åkeblom
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
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21
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Bravo AG, Cosio C. Biotic formation of methylmercury: A bio-physico-chemical conundrum. Limnol Oceanogr 2020; 65:1010-1027. [PMID: 32612306 PMCID: PMC7319479 DOI: 10.1002/lno.11366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a natural and widespread trace metal, but is considered a priority pollutant, particularly its organic form methylmercury (MMHg), because of human's exposure to MMHg through fish consumption. Pioneering studies showed the methylation of divalent Hg (HgII) to MMHg to occur under oxygen-limited conditions and to depend on the activity of anaerobic microorganisms. Recent studies identified the hgcAB gene cluster in microorganisms with the capacity to methylate HgII and unveiled a much wider range of species and environmental conditions producing MMHg than previously expected. Here, we review the recent knowledge and approaches used to understand HgII-methylation, microbial biodiversity and activity involved in these processes, and we highlight the current limits for predicting MMHg concentrations in the environment. The available data unveil the fact that HgII methylation is a bio-physico-chemical conundrum in which the efficiency of biological HgII methylation appears to depend chiefly on HgII and nutrients availability, the abundance of electron acceptors such as sulfate or iron, the abundance and composition of organic matter as well as the activity and structure of the microbial community. An increased knowledge of the relationship between microbial community composition, physico-chemical conditions, MMHg production, and demethylation is necessary to predict variability in MMHg concentrations across environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G. Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institute of Marine SciencesSpanish National Research Council (CSIC)BarcelonaSpain
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardennes, UMR‐I 02 INERIS‐URCA‐ULH SEBIO, Unité Stress Environnementaux et BIOsurveillance des milieux aquatiquesReimsFrance
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22
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Hu H, Wang B, Bravo AG, Björn E, Skyllberg U, Amouroux D, Tessier E, Zopfi J, Feng X, Bishop K, Nilsson MB, Bertilsson S. Shifts in mercury methylation across a peatland chronosequence: From sulfate reduction to methanogenesis and syntrophy. J Hazard Mater 2020; 387:121967. [PMID: 31901845 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 12/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Peatlands are globally important ecosystems where inorganic mercury is converted to bioaccumulating and highly toxic methylmercury, resulting in high risks of methylmercury exposure in adjacent aquatic ecosystems. Although biological mercury methylation has been known for decades, there is still a lack of knowledge about the organisms involved in mercury methylation and the drivers controlling their methylating capacity. In order to investigate the metabolisms responsible for mercury methylation and methylmercury degradation as well as the controls of both processes, we studied a chronosequence of boreal peatlands covering fundamentally different biogeochemical conditions. Potential mercury methylation rates decreased with peatland age, being up to 53 times higher in the youngest peatland compared to the oldest. Methylation in young mires was driven by sulfate reduction, while methanogenic and syntrophic metabolisms became more important in older systems. Demethylation rates were also highest in young wetlands, with a gradual shift from biotic to abiotic methylmercury degradation along the chronosequence. Our findings reveal how metabolic shifts drive mercury methylation and its ratio to demethylation as peatlands age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550081 Guiyang, China; Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Baolin Wang
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Marine Biology and Oceanography, Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Pg Marítim de la Barceloneta 37-49, E08003 Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/Univ Pau & Pays Adour/ E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux-mira, UMR5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- CNRS/Univ Pau & Pays Adour/ E2S UPPA, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physicochimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux-mira, UMR5254, 64000, Pau, France
| | - Jakob Zopfi
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Biogeochemistry, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 550081 Guiyang, China
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Mats B Nilsson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
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23
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Marrugo-Negrete J, Vargas-Licona S, Ruiz-Guzmán JA, Marrugo-Madrid S, Bravo AG, Díez S. Human health risk of methylmercury from fish consumption at the largest floodplain in Colombia. Environ Res 2020; 182:109050. [PMID: 32069752 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.109050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Colombia is one of the countries with the highest emissions of mercury (Hg) to the environment, due to its use in gold mining. This study evaluated the human health risk from exposure to Hg through fish consumption in 11 municipalities located in the Mojana region, northern Colombia. The study participants (n = 839) were categorized into three population groups: children (CHD), women of childbearing age (WCHA) and the rest of population (RP). Total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations were evaluated in the top ten most consumed fish species (n = 292). Median concentrations (range: 0.22-0.58 μg/g ww) of the five carnivorous fish species exceeded the reference limit established by FAO/WHO (0.2 μg/g ww) for vulnerable populations. For 6 of the 10 studied fish species, the estimated weekly intake (EWI) in children was above the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI, 1.6 μg/kg bw/week) of MeHg established by JECFA. EWI values for WCHA were above PTWI in 4 fish species, whereas in general, for RP group values were below PTWI (3.2 μg/kg bw/week). Our assessment of potential risks to MeHg exposure indicated that most of the consumed fish could generate negative effects in vulnerable groups, because according to ingestion rate, MeHg permissible is, in some cases, up to 4 times higher than reference limits. Consumption advisories should be a guidance to avoid risk, gain nutritional benefits, and sustain fish populations. Because its high MeHg levels as well as high ingestion, it is recommended that inhabitants of this region should stop eating certain kinds of fish and the whole fish as a single meal. To reduce its harmful intake, we have proposed a didactic strategy based on marbles that control the portion of fish they are eating.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Siday Marrugo-Madrid
- Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No. 76-103, Montería, Córdoba, Colombia; Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergi Díez
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, IDAEA-CSIC, E-08034, Barcelona, Spain.
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24
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Lázaro WL, Díez S, Bravo AG, da Silva CJ, Ignácio ÁRA, Guimaraes JRD. Cyanobacteria as regulators of methylmercury production in periphyton. Sci Total Environ 2019; 668:723-729. [PMID: 30861408 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Biotic mercury (Hg) methylation appears to depend on factors such as microbial activity and the concentration and bioavailability of Hg2+ to the Hg-methylating organisms. Recently, the presence of cyanobacteria has been linked with high methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations. The aim of this work was to test MeHg production in microcosms, in relation to the amount of periphytic cyanobacteria, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and phosphorus concentrations, as well as periphytic primary production rates. Water and periphyton samples were collected for cultivation and isolation of cyanobacteria from the Guaporé River floodplain, Brazil. We cultivated the periphyton in microcosms with different concentrations of cyanobacteria, total phosphorus and DOM. The highest net MeHg production (6.8 to 24.6% of added Hg d-1) occurred in the microcosm with added cyanobacteria, followed by microcosms with added phosphorus (6.1 to 11.4%) and added DOM (6.4 to 9.1%). Positive correlations were found between MeHg production, addition of cyanobacteria, phosphorus and DOM and periphytic primary productivity. Our results bring the first direct experimental evidence of the relevance of cyanobacteria and primary production as regulators of MeHg production in periphyton. These findings have numerous implications for the management of natural and engineered wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilkinson L Lázaro
- Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil. Avenida Santos Dummont, Cidade Universitária, 78200-000 Cáceres, MT, Brazil.
| | - Sergi Díez
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Environmental Chemistry Department, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC). C/Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Carolina J da Silva
- Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil. Avenida Santos Dummont, Cidade Universitária, 78200-000 Cáceres, MT, Brazil; Rede Bionorte, Doutorado em Biodiversidade e Biotecnologia da Amazônia Legal. Avenida Fernando Correa da Costa, 2.367, Boa Esperança, 78060-900, Cuiabá, Brazil.
| | - Áurea R A Ignácio
- Centro de Estudos em Limnologia Biodiversidade e Etnobiologia do Pantanal, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso (UNEMAT), Brasil. Avenida Santos Dummont, Cidade Universitária, 78200-000 Cáceres, MT, Brazil.
| | - Jean R D Guimaraes
- Laboratório de Traçadores, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ). Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373 Bloco G, CCS, Cidade Universitária, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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25
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Wu P, Kainz MJ, Bravo AG, Åkerblom S, Sonesten L, Bishop K. The importance of bioconcentration into the pelagic food web base for methylmercury biomagnification: A meta-analysis. Sci Total Environ 2019; 646:357-367. [PMID: 30055496 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) transfer from water into the base of the food web (bioconcentration) and subsequent biomagnification in the aquatic food web leads to most of the MeHg in fish. But how important is bioconcentration compared to biomagnification in predicting MeHg in fish? To answer this question we reviewed articles in which MeHg concentrations in water, plankton (seston and/or zooplankton), as well as fish (planktivorous and small omnivorous fish) were reported. This yielded 32 journal articles with data from 59 aquatic ecosystems at 22 sites around the world. Although there are many case studies of particular aquatic habitats and specific geographic areas that have examined MeHg bioconcentration and biomagnification, we performed a meta-analysis of such studies. Aqueous MeHg was not a significant predictor of MeHg in fish, but MeHg in seston i.e., the base of the aquatic food web, predicted 63% of the variability in fish MeHg. The MeHg bioconcentration factors (i.e., transfer of MeHg from water to seston; BCFw-s) varied from 3 to 7 orders of magnitude across sites and correlated significantly with MeHg in fish. The MeHg biomagnification factors from zooplankton to fish varied much less (logBMFz-f, 0.75 ± 0.31), and did not significantly correlate with fish MeHg, suggesting that zooplanktivory is not as important as bioconcentration in the biomagnification of fish MeHg across the range of ecosystems represented in our meta-analysis. Partial least square (PLS) and linear regression analyses identified several environmental factors associated with increased BCF, including low dissolved organic carbon, low pH, and oligotrophy. Our study reveals the widespread importance of MeHg bioconcentration into the base of the aquatic food web for MeHg at higher trophic levels in aquatic food webs, as well as the major influences on the variability in this bioconcentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pianpian Wu
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Martin J Kainz
- WasserCluster - Biologische Station Lunz, Inter-University Center for Aquatic Ecosystems Research, Lunz am See, Austria
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Staffan Åkerblom
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lars Sonesten
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Jiang T, Bravo AG, Skyllberg U, Björn E, Wang D, Yan H, Green NW. Influence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics on dissolved mercury (Hg) species composition in sediment porewater of lakes from southwest China. Water Res 2018; 146:146-158. [PMID: 30243058 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.08.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The origin and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in porewater of lake sediments is intricate and decisive for fate of pollutants including mercury (Hg). While there are many reports on the relationship between dissolved organic carbon concentration (DOC) and mercury (Hg) concentrations in aquatic systems, there are few in which DOM compositional properties, that may better explain the fate of Hg, have been the focus. In this study, porewaters from sediments of three lakes, Caihai Lake (CH), Hongfeng Lake (HF) and Wujiangdu Lake (WJD), all located in southwest China, were selected to test the hypothesis that DOM optical properties control the fate of Hg in aquatic ecosystems. Porewater DOM was extracted and characterized by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. A two end-member (autochthonous and allochthonous DOM) mixing model was used to unveil the origin of DOM in porewaters of the three lakes. Our results show a higher input of terrestrial DOM in the pristine lake CH, as compared to lakes HF and WJD lakes, which were both influenced by urban environments and enriched in autochthonous DOM. While the relationships between the concentrations of DOC and the different chemical forms of Hg forms were quite inconsistent, we found important links between specific DOM components and the fate of Hg in the three lakes. In particular, our results suggest that allochthonous, terrestrial DOM inhibits Hg(II) availability for Hg methylating micro-organisms. In contrast, autochthonous DOM seems to have been stimulated MeHg formation, likely by enhancing the activity of microbial communities. Indeed, DOM biodegradation experiments revealed that differences in the microbial activity could explain the variation in the concentration of MeHg. While relationships between concentrations of DOC and Hg vary among different sites and provide little information about Hg cycling, we conclude that the transport and transformation of Hg (e.g. the methylation process) are more strongly linked to DOM chemical composition and reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Jiang
- Department of Environment Science and Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China; Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, 08034, Spain
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå SE-90183, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901-87, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Dingyong Wang
- Department of Environment Science and Engineering, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400716, China
| | - Haiyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China.
| | - Nelson W Green
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Atlanta, GA, 30332, United States
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Bravo AG, Kothawala DN, Attermeyer K, Tessier E, Bodmer P, Ledesma JLJ, Audet J, Casas-Ruiz JP, Catalán N, Cauvy-Fraunié S, Colls M, Deininger A, Evtimova VV, Fonvielle JA, Fuß T, Gilbert P, Herrero Ortega S, Liu L, Mendoza-Lera C, Monteiro J, Mor JR, Nagler M, Niedrist GH, Nydahl AC, Pastor A, Pegg J, Gutmann Roberts C, Pilotto F, Portela AP, González-Quijano CR, Romero F, Rulík M, Amouroux D. The interplay between total mercury, methylmercury and dissolved organic matter in fluvial systems: A latitudinal study across Europe. Water Res 2018; 144:172-182. [PMID: 30029076 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.06.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale studies are needed to identify the drivers of total mercury (THg) and monomethyl-mercury (MeHg) concentrations in aquatic ecosystems. Studies attempting to link dissolved organic matter (DOM) to levels of THg or MeHg are few and geographically constrained. Additionally, stream and river systems have been understudied as compared to lakes. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine the influence of DOM concentration and composition, morphological descriptors, land uses and water chemistry on THg and MeHg concentrations and the percentage of THg as MeHg (%MeHg) in 29 streams across Europe spanning from 41°N to 64 °N. THg concentrations (0.06-2.78 ng L-1) were highest in streams characterized by DOM with a high terrestrial soil signature and low nutrient content. MeHg concentrations (7.8-159 pg L-1) varied non-systematically across systems. Relationships between DOM bulk characteristics and THg and MeHg suggest that while soil derived DOM inputs control THg concentrations, autochthonous DOM (aquatically produced) and the availability of electron acceptors for Hg methylating microorganisms (e.g. sulfate) drive %MeHg and potentially MeHg concentration. Overall, these results highlight the large spatial variability in THg and MeHg concentrations at the European scale, and underscore the importance of DOM composition on mercury cycling in fluvial systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Dolly N Kothawala
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katrin Attermeyer
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Emmanuel Tessier
- CNRS/ UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR5254, MIRA, Pau, France
| | - Pascal Bodmer
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany; Chemical Analytics and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - José L J Ledesma
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Joachim Audet
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Núria Catalán
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | | | - Miriam Colls
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | - Anne Deininger
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Vesela V Evtimova
- Department of Aquatic Ecosystems, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Jérémy A Fonvielle
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Fuß
- Ecohydrology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany; WasserCluster Biological Station Lunz, Lunz am See, Austria
| | - Peter Gilbert
- The Environmental Research Institute, North Highland College, University of Highlands and Islands, Thurso, Scotland, UK
| | - Sonia Herrero Ortega
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Stechlin, Germany
| | - Liu Liu
- Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
| | - Clara Mendoza-Lera
- IRSTEA, UR RiverLy, Centre de Lyon-Villeurbanne, Villeurbanne, Cedex, France
| | - Juliana Monteiro
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jordi-René Mor
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Magdalena Nagler
- Microbial Resource Management, Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Georg H Niedrist
- River and Conservation Research, Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Anna C Nydahl
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ada Pastor
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | - Josephine Pegg
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University, UK; University Centre Sparsholt, Winchester, UK
| | | | - Francesca Pilotto
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ana Paula Portela
- Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | | | - Ferran Romero
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain
| | - Martin Rulík
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Palacky University in Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - David Amouroux
- CNRS/ UNIV PAU & PAYS ADOUR, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Materiaux, UMR5254, MIRA, Pau, France.
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28
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Mantzouki E, Lürling M, Fastner J, de Senerpont Domis L, Wilk-Woźniak E, Koreivienė J, Seelen L, Teurlincx S, Verstijnen Y, Krztoń W, Walusiak E, Karosienė J, Kasperovičienė J, Savadova K, Vitonytė I, Cillero-Castro C, Budzyńska A, Goldyn R, Kozak A, Rosińska J, Szeląg-Wasielewska E, Domek P, Jakubowska-Krepska N, Kwasizur K, Messyasz B, Pełechaty A, Pełechaty M, Kokocinski M, García-Murcia A, Real M, Romans E, Noguero-Ribes J, Duque DP, Fernández-Morán E, Karakaya N, Häggqvist K, Demir N, Beklioğlu M, Filiz N, Levi EE, Iskin U, Bezirci G, Tavşanoğlu ÜN, Özhan K, Gkelis S, Panou M, Fakioglu Ö, Avagianos C, Kaloudis T, Çelik K, Yilmaz M, Marcé R, Catalán N, Bravo AG, Buck M, Colom-Montero W, Mustonen K, Pierson D, Yang Y, Raposeiro PM, Gonçalves V, Antoniou MG, Tsiarta N, McCarthy V, Perello VC, Feldmann T, Laas A, Panksep K, Tuvikene L, Gagala I, Mankiewicz-Boczek J, Yağcı MA, Çınar Ş, Çapkın K, Yağcı A, Cesur M, Bilgin F, Bulut C, Uysal R, Obertegger U, Boscaini A, Flaim G, Salmaso N, Cerasino L, Richardson J, Visser PM, Verspagen JMH, Karan T, Soylu EN, Maraşlıoğlu F, Napiórkowska-Krzebietke A, Ochocka A, Pasztaleniec A, Antão-Geraldes AM, Vasconcelos V, Morais J, Vale M, Köker L, Akçaalan R, Albay M, Špoljarić Maronić D, Stević F, Žuna Pfeiffer T, Fonvielle J, Straile D, Rothhaupt KO, Hansson LA, Urrutia-Cordero P, Bláha L, Geriš R, Fránková M, Koçer MAT, Alp MT, Remec-Rekar S, Elersek T, Triantis T, Zervou SK, Hiskia A, Haande S, Skjelbred B, Madrecka B, Nemova H, Drastichova I, Chomova L, Edwards C, Sevindik TO, Tunca H, Önem B, Aleksovski B, Krstić S, Vucelić IB, Nawrocka L, Salmi P, Machado-Vieira D, de Oliveira AG, Delgado-Martín J, García D, Cereijo JL, Gomà J, Trapote MC, Vegas-Vilarrúbia T, Obrador B, Grabowska M, Karpowicz M, Chmura D, Úbeda B, Gálvez JÁ, Özen A, Christoffersen KS, Warming TP, Kobos J, Mazur-Marzec H, Pérez-Martínez C, Ramos-Rodríguez E, Arvola L, Alcaraz-Párraga P, Toporowska M, Pawlik-Skowronska B, Niedźwiecki M, Pęczuła W, Leira M, Hernández A, Moreno-Ostos E, Blanco JM, Rodríguez V, Montes-Pérez JJ, Palomino RL, Rodríguez-Pérez E, Carballeira R, Camacho A, Picazo A, Rochera C, Santamans AC, Ferriol C, Romo S, Soria JM, Dunalska J, Sieńska J, Szymański D, Kruk M, Kostrzewska-Szlakowska I, Jasser I, Žutinić P, Gligora Udovič M, Plenković-Moraj A, Frąk M, Bańkowska-Sobczak A, Wasilewicz M, Özkan K, Maliaka V, Kangro K, Grossart HP, Paerl HW, Carey CC, Ibelings BW. Temperature Effects Explain Continental Scale Distribution of Cyanobacterial Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10040156. [PMID: 29652856 PMCID: PMC5923322 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10040156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Insight into how environmental change determines the production and distribution of cyanobacterial toxins is necessary for risk assessment. Management guidelines currently focus on hepatotoxins (microcystins). Increasing attention is given to other classes, such as neurotoxins (e.g., anatoxin-a) and cytotoxins (e.g., cylindrospermopsin) due to their potency. Most studies examine the relationship between individual toxin variants and environmental factors, such as nutrients, temperature and light. In summer 2015, we collected samples across Europe to investigate the effect of nutrient and temperature gradients on the variability of toxin production at a continental scale. Direct and indirect effects of temperature were the main drivers of the spatial distribution in the toxins produced by the cyanobacterial community, the toxin concentrations and toxin quota. Generalized linear models showed that a Toxin Diversity Index (TDI) increased with latitude, while it decreased with water stability. Increases in TDI were explained through a significant increase in toxin variants such as MC-YR, anatoxin and cylindrospermopsin, accompanied by a decreasing presence of MC-LR. While global warming continues, the direct and indirect effects of increased lake temperatures will drive changes in the distribution of cyanobacterial toxins in Europe, potentially promoting selection of a few highly toxic species or strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evanthia Mantzouki
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Miquel Lürling
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jutta Fastner
- German Environment Agency, Unit Drinking Water Resources and Water Treatment, Corrensplatz 1, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Lisette de Senerpont Domis
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Elżbieta Wilk-Woźniak
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Judita Koreivienė
- Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania.
| | - Laura Seelen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Sven Teurlincx
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Yvon Verstijnen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wojciech Krztoń
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Edward Walusiak
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, 31-120 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Jūratė Karosienė
- Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania.
| | | | - Ksenija Savadova
- Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania.
| | - Irma Vitonytė
- Institute of Botany, Nature Research Centre, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania.
| | | | - Agnieszka Budzyńska
- Department ofWater Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Ryszard Goldyn
- Department ofWater Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Anna Kozak
- Department ofWater Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Joanna Rosińska
- Department ofWater Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | | | - Piotr Domek
- Department ofWater Protection, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | | | - Kinga Kwasizur
- Department of Hydrobiology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Beata Messyasz
- Department of Hydrobiology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | | | - Mariusz Pełechaty
- Department of Hydrobiology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Mikolaj Kokocinski
- Department of Hydrobiology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61614 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Ana García-Murcia
- Department of Limnology and Water Quality, AECOM U.R.S, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Monserrat Real
- Department of Limnology and Water Quality, AECOM U.R.S, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Elvira Romans
- Department of Limnology and Water Quality, AECOM U.R.S, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jordi Noguero-Ribes
- Department of Limnology and Water Quality, AECOM U.R.S, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - David Parreño Duque
- Department of Limnology and Water Quality, AECOM U.R.S, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Nusret Karakaya
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Abant Izzet Baysal University, 14280 Bolu, Turkey.
| | - Kerstin Häggqvist
- Department of Science and Engineering, Åbo Akademi University, 20520 Åbo, Finland.
| | - Nilsun Demir
- Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ankara University, 6100 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Meryem Beklioğlu
- Department of biology, Middle East Technical University, 6800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Nur Filiz
- Department of biology, Middle East Technical University, 6800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Eti E. Levi
- Department of biology, Middle East Technical University, 6800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Uğur Iskin
- Department of biology, Middle East Technical University, 6800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Gizem Bezirci
- Department of biology, Middle East Technical University, 6800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | | | - Koray Özhan
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Department of Oceanography, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Spyros Gkelis
- Department of Botany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Manthos Panou
- Department of Botany, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Özden Fakioglu
- Department of Basic Science, Ataturk University, 25240 Erzurum, Turkey.
| | - Christos Avagianos
- Water Quality Department, Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company, 11146 Athens, Greece.
| | - Triantafyllos Kaloudis
- Water Quality Department, Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company, 11146 Athens, Greece.
| | - Kemal Çelik
- Department of Biology, Balikesir University, 10145 Balikesir, Turkey.
| | - Mete Yilmaz
- Department of Bioengineering, Bursa Technical University, 16310 Bursa, Turkey.
| | - Rafael Marcé
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), 17003 Girona, Spain.
| | - Nuria Catalán
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), 17003 Girona, Spain.
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Andrea G. Bravo
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Moritz Buck
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - William Colom-Montero
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Erken Laboratory, Uppsala University, 76173 Norrtalje, Sweden.
| | - Kristiina Mustonen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Erken Laboratory, Uppsala University, 76173 Norrtalje, Sweden.
| | - Don Pierson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Erken Laboratory, Uppsala University, 76173 Norrtalje, Sweden.
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Erken Laboratory, Uppsala University, 76173 Norrtalje, Sweden.
| | - Pedro M. Raposeiro
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-Azores), InBIO Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
| | - Vítor Gonçalves
- Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources (CIBIO-Azores), InBIO Associated Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, 9501-801 Ponta Delgada, Portugal.
| | - Maria G. Antoniou
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, 3036 Lemesos, Cyprus.
| | - Nikoletta Tsiarta
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, 3036 Lemesos, Cyprus.
| | - Valerie McCarthy
- Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology, A91 K584 Dundalk, Ireland.
| | - Victor C. Perello
- Centre for Freshwater and Environmental Studies, Dundalk Institute of Technology, A91 K584 Dundalk, Ireland.
| | - Tõnu Feldmann
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Alo Laas
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Kristel Panksep
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Lea Tuvikene
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Ilona Gagala
- European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 90364 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Joana Mankiewicz-Boczek
- European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 90364 Lodz, Poland.
| | - Meral Apaydın Yağcı
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Şakir Çınar
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Kadir Çapkın
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Abdulkadir Yağcı
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Mehmet Cesur
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Fuat Bilgin
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Cafer Bulut
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Rahmi Uysal
- Republic of Turkey Ministry of Food Agriculture, Fisheries Research Institute, 32500 Eğirdir, Isparta, Turkey.
| | - Ulrike Obertegger
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy.
| | - Adriano Boscaini
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Flaim
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy.
| | - Nico Salmaso
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy.
| | - Leonardo Cerasino
- Department of Sustainable Ecosystems and Bioresources, Fondazione Edmund Mach, 38010 San Michele all’Adige, Italy.
| | - Jessica Richardson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Petra M. Visser
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Jolanda M. H. Verspagen
- Department of Freshwater and Marine Ecology, University of Amsterdam, 1090 GE Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Tünay Karan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gaziosmanpasa University, 60250 Merkez, Turkey.
| | | | | | | | - Agnieszka Ochocka
- Department of Freshwater Protection, Institute of Environmental Protection- National Research Institute, 01-692 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Pasztaleniec
- Department of Freshwater Protection, Institute of Environmental Protection- National Research Institute, 01-692 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ana M. Antão-Geraldes
- Centro de Investigação da Montanha, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal;
| | - Vitor Vasconcelos
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
| | - João Morais
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
| | - Micaela Vale
- Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR) and University of Porto, 4450-208 Matosinhos, Portugal.
| | - Latife Köker
- Department of Freshwater Resource and Management, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, 34134 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Reyhan Akçaalan
- Department of Freshwater Resource and Management, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, 34134 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Meriç Albay
- Department of Freshwater Resource and Management, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, 34134 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | | | - Filip Stević
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia.
| | - Tanja Žuna Pfeiffer
- Department of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia.
| | - Jeremy Fonvielle
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 16775 Stechlin, Germany.
| | - Dietmar Straile
- Department of Biology, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Karl-Otto Rothhaupt
- Department of Biology, Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany.
| | | | - Pablo Urrutia-Cordero
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden.
- Department of Biology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Luděk Bláha
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Rodan Geriš
- Department of Hydrobiology, Morava Board Authority, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Markéta Fránková
- Laboratory of Paleoecology, Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Mehmet Ali Turan Koçer
- Department of Environment and Resource Management, Mediterranean Fisheries Research Production and Training Institute, 7090 Antalya, Turkey.
| | - Mehmet Tahir Alp
- Faculty of Aquaculture, Mersin University, 33160 Mersin, Turkey.
| | - Spela Remec-Rekar
- Department ofWater Quality, Slovenian Environmental Agency, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Tina Elersek
- Department of Genetic Toxicology and Cancer Biology, National Institute of Biology, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Theodoros Triantis
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research «DEMOKRITOS», 15341 Attiki, Greece.
| | - Sevasti-Kiriaki Zervou
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research «DEMOKRITOS», 15341 Attiki, Greece.
| | - Anastasia Hiskia
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Center for Scientific Research «DEMOKRITOS», 15341 Attiki, Greece.
| | - Sigrid Haande
- Department of Freshwater Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, 0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Birger Skjelbred
- Department of Freshwater Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, 0349 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Beata Madrecka
- Institute of Environmental Engineering, Poznan University of Technology, 60965 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Hana Nemova
- National Reference Center for Hydrobiology, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, 82645 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Iveta Drastichova
- National Reference Center for Hydrobiology, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, 82645 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Lucia Chomova
- National Reference Center for Hydrobiology, Public Health Authority of the Slovak Republic, 82645 Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Christine Edwards
- School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB10 7GJ, UK.
| | | | - Hatice Tunca
- Department of Biology, Sakarya University, 54187 Sakarya, Turkey.
| | - Burçin Önem
- Department of Biology, Sakarya University, 54187 Sakarya, Turkey.
| | - Boris Aleksovski
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, SS Cyril and Methodius University, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia.
| | - Svetislav Krstić
- Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, SS Cyril and Methodius University, 1000 Skopje, Macedonia.
| | - Itana Bokan Vucelić
- Department for Ecotoxicology, Teaching Institute of Public Health of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
| | - Lidia Nawrocka
- Institute of Technology, The State University of Applied Sciences, 82300 Elblag, Poland.
| | - Pauliina Salmi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
| | - Danielle Machado-Vieira
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58059-970 Paraíba, Brasil.
| | | | | | - David García
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of A Coruña, 15192 A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Jose Luís Cereijo
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of A Coruña, 15192 A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Joan Gomà
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mari Carmen Trapote
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Teresa Vegas-Vilarrúbia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Biel Obrador
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology, and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Magdalena Grabowska
- Department of Hydrobiology, University of Bialystok, 15245 Bialystok, Poland.
| | - Maciej Karpowicz
- Department of Hydrobiology, University of Bialystok, 15245 Bialystok, Poland.
| | - Damian Chmura
- Institute of Environmental Protection and Engineering, University of Bielsko-Biala, 43309 Bielsko-Biala, Poland.
| | - Bárbara Úbeda
- Department of Biology, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - José Ángel Gálvez
- Department of Biology, University of Cádiz, 11510 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
| | - Arda Özen
- Department of Forest Engineering, University of Cankiri Karatekin, 18200 Cankiri, Turkey.
| | | | - Trine Perlt Warming
- Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Justyna Kobos
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, 81378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | - Hanna Mazur-Marzec
- Department of Marine Biotechnology, University of Gdansk, 81378 Gdynia, Poland.
| | | | | | - Lauri Arvola
- Lammi Biological Station, University of Helsinki, 16900 Lammi, Finland.
| | - Pablo Alcaraz-Párraga
- Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Jaen, 23701 Jaen, Spain.
| | - Magdalena Toporowska
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20262 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Barbara Pawlik-Skowronska
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20262 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Michał Niedźwiecki
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20262 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Wojciech Pęczuła
- Department of Hydrobiology and Protection of Ecosystems, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20262 Lublin, Poland.
| | - Manel Leira
- Instituto Dom Luiz, University of Lisbon, 1749016 Lisbon, Portugal.
| | - Armand Hernández
- Institute of Earth Sciences Jaume Almera, ICTJA, CSIC, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rafael Carballeira
- Centro de Investigacións Cientificas Avanzadas (CICA), Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade da Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain.
| | - Antonio Camacho
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna Valencia, Spain.
| | - Antonio Picazo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna Valencia, Spain.
| | - Carlos Rochera
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna Valencia, Spain.
| | - Anna C. Santamans
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna Valencia, Spain.
| | - Carmen Ferriol
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, 46980 Paterna Valencia, Spain.
| | - Susana Romo
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain.
| | - Juan Miguel Soria
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Spain. (J.M.S.)
| | - Julita Dunalska
- Department ofWater Protection Engineering, University ofWarmia and Mazury, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Justyna Sieńska
- Department ofWater Protection Engineering, University ofWarmia and Mazury, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Daniel Szymański
- Department ofWater Protection Engineering, University ofWarmia and Mazury, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | - Marek Kruk
- Department of Tourism, Recreation and Ecology, University of Warmia and Mazury, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland.
| | | | - Iwona Jasser
- Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, University ofWarsaw, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Petar Žutinić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Marija Gligora Udovič
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
| | | | - Magdalena Frąk
- Department of Environmental Improvement, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Bańkowska-Sobczak
- Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Michał Wasilewicz
- Department of Hydraulic Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, 02-787Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Korhan Özkan
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Marine Biology and Fisheries, Middle East Technical University, 06800 Ankara, Turkey.
| | - Valentini Maliaka
- Society for the Protection of Prespa, 53077 Agios Germanos, Greece.
- Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Department of Aquatic Ecology and Environmental Biology, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, 6700 Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Kersti Kangro
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 51014 Tartu, Estonia.
- Tartu Observatory, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, 61602 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Hans-Peter Grossart
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, 16775 Stechlin, Germany.
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Potsdam University, 14469 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Hans W. Paerl
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 28557, USA.
| | - Cayelan C. Carey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Bas W. Ibelings
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.
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Eklöf K, Bishop K, Bertilsson S, Björn E, Buck M, Skyllberg U, Osman OA, Kronberg RM, Bravo AG. Formation of mercury methylation hotspots as a consequence of forestry operations. Sci Total Environ 2018; 613-614:1069-1078. [PMID: 28950669 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Earlier studies have shown that boreal forest logging can increase the concentration and export of methylmercury (MeHg) in stream runoff. Here we test whether forestry operations create soil environments of high MeHg net formation associated with distinct microbial communities. Furthermore, we test the hypothesis that Hg methylation hotspots are more prone to form after stump harvest than stem-only harvest, because of more severe soil compaction and soil disturbance. Concentrations of MeHg, percent MeHg of total Hg (THg), and bacterial community composition were determined at 200 soil sampling positions distributed across eight catchments. Each catchment was either stem-only harvested (n=3), stem- and stump-harvested (n=2) or left undisturbed (n=3). In support of our hypothesis, higher MeHg to THg ratios was observed in one of the stump-harvested catchments. While the effects of natural variation could not be ruled out, we noted that most of the highest % MeHg was observed in water-filled cavities created by stump removal or driving damage. This catchment also featured the highest bacterial diversity and highest relative abundance of bacterial families known to include Hg methylators. We propose that water-logged and disturbed soil environments associated with stump harvest can favor methylating microorganisms, which also enhance MeHg formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Eklöf
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Kevin Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Moritz Buck
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden; National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Uppsala SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Ulf Skyllberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Omneya A Osman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rose-Marie Kronberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236 Uppsala, Sweden
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Bravo AG, Zopfi J, Buck M, Xu J, Bertilsson S, Schaefer JK, Poté J, Cosio C. Geobacteraceae are important members of mercury-methylating microbial communities of sediments impacted by waste water releases. ISME J 2018; 12:802-812. [PMID: 29321692 PMCID: PMC5864163 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-017-0007-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Microbial mercury (Hg) methylation in sediments can result in bioaccumulation of the neurotoxin methylmercury (MMHg) in aquatic food webs. Recently, the discovery of the gene hgcA, required for Hg methylation, revealed that the diversity of Hg methylators is much broader than previously thought. However, little is known about the identity of Hg-methylating microbial organisms and the environmental factors controlling their activity and distribution in lakes. Here, we combined high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and hgcA genes with the chemical characterization of sediments impacted by a waste water treatment plant that releases significant amounts of organic matter and iron. Our results highlight that the ferruginous geochemical conditions prevailing at 1–2 cm depth are conducive to MMHg formation and that the Hg-methylating guild is composed of iron and sulfur-transforming bacteria, syntrophs, and methanogens. Deltaproteobacteria, notably Geobacteraceae, dominated the hgcA carrying communities, while sulfate reducers constituted only a minor component, despite being considered the main Hg methylators in many anoxic aquatic environments. Because iron is widely applied in waste water treatment, the importance of Geobacteraceae for Hg methylation and the complexity of Hg-methylating communities reported here are likely to occur worldwide in sediments impacted by waste water treatment plant discharges and in iron-rich sediments in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Jakob Zopfi
- Aquatic and Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry, University of Basel, Basel, CH-4056, Switzerland
| | - Moritz Buck
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Jingying Xu
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Stefan Bertilsson
- Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, SE-75236, Sweden
| | - Jeffra K Schaefer
- Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - John Poté
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Environmental Biogeochemistry and Ecotoxicology, University of Geneva, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland. .,Unité Stress Environnementaux et BIOSurveillance des Milieux Aquatiques UMR-I 02 (SEBIO), Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims, F-51687, France.
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Gascón Díez E, Loizeau JL, Cosio C, Bouchet S, Adatte T, Amouroux D, Bravo AG. Correction to Role of Settling Particles on Mercury Methylation in the Oxic Water Column of Freshwater Systems. Environ Sci Technol 2017; 51:3594. [PMID: 28263566 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
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Habiba G, Abebe G, Bravo AG, Ermias D, Staffan Ǻ, Bishop K. Mercury Human Exposure in Populations Living Around Lake Tana (Ethiopia). Biol Trace Elem Res 2017; 175:237-243. [PMID: 27278962 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-016-0745-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
A survey carried out in Lake Tana in 2015 found that Hg levels in some fish species exceeded internationally accepted safe levels for fish consumption. The current study assesses human exposure to Hg through fish consumption around the Lake Tana. Of particular interest was that a dietary intake of fishes is currently a health risk for Bihar Dar residents and anglers. Hair samples were collected from three different groups: anglers, college students and teachers, and daily laborers. A questionary includes gender, age, weight, activity. Frequency of fish consumption and origin of the eaten fish were completed by each participant. Mercury concentrations in hair were significantly higher (P value <0.05) for anglers (mean ± standard deviation 0.120 ± 0.199 μg/g) than college students (mean ± standard deviation 0.018 ± 0.039 μg/g) or daily workers (mean ± standard deviation 16 ± 9.5 ng/g). Anglers consumed fish more often than daily workers and college group. Moreover, there was also a strong correlation (P value <0.05) between the logarithms of total mercury and age associated with mercury concentration in scalp hair. Mercury concentrations in the hair of men were on average twice the value of the women. Also, users of skin lightening soap on a daily basis had 2.5 times greater mercury in scalp hair than non-users. Despite the different sources of mercury exposure mentioned above, the mercury concentrations of the scalp hair of participants of this study were below levels deemed to pose a threat to health.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Habiba
- Ethiopian Institute of Water Resources, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - G Abebe
- Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, Limnology and Science for Life Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - D Ermias
- Hawassa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ǻ Staffan
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - K Bishop
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
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Gascón Díez E, Loizeau JL, Cosio C, Bouchet S, Adatte T, Amouroux D, Bravo AG. Role of Settling Particles on Mercury Methylation in the Oxic Water Column of Freshwater Systems. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:11672-11679. [PMID: 27670225 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
As the methylation of inorganic mercury to neurotoxic methylmercury has been attributed to the activity of anaerobic bacteria, the formation of methylmercury in the oxic water column of marine ecosystems has puzzled scientists over the past years. Here we show for the first time that methylmercury can be produced in particles sinking through oxygenated water column of lakes. Total mercury and methylmercury concentrations were measured in the settling particles and in surface sediments of the largest freshwater lake in Western Europe (Lake Geneva). While total mercury concentration differences between sediments and settling particles were not significant, methylmercury concentrations were about ten-fold greater in settling particles. Methylmercury demethylation rate constants (kd) were of similar magnitude in both compartments. In contrast, mercury methylation rate constants (km) were one order of magnitude greater in settling particles. The net potential for methylmercury formation, assessed by the ratio between the two rate constants (km kd-1), was therefore up to ten fold greater in settling particles, denoting that in situ transformations likely contributed to the high methylmercury concentration found in settling particles. Mercury methylation was inhibited (∼80%) in settling particles amended with molybdate, demonstrating the prominent role of biological sulfate-reduction in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gascón Díez
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Water Sciences, University of Geneva , Boulevard Carl-Vogt 66, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Luc Loizeau
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Water Sciences, University of Geneva , Boulevard Carl-Vogt 66, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Water Sciences, University of Geneva , Boulevard Carl-Vogt 66, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Sylvain Bouchet
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 CNRS, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc , 64053 Pau, France
| | - Thierry Adatte
- Institute of Earth Sciences (ISTE), University of Lausanne , 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Amouroux
- Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, UMR 5254 CNRS, Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc , 64053 Pau, France
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Limnology Department, Evolutionary Biology Centre, EBC, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
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Bravo AG, Loizeau JL, Dranguet P, Makri S, Björn E, Ungureanu VG, Slaveykova VI, Cosio C. Persistent Hg contamination and occurrence of Hg-methylating transcript (hgcA) downstream of a chlor-alkali plant in the Olt River (Romania). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2016; 23:10529-10541. [PMID: 26662302 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5906-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Chlor-alkali plants using mercury (Hg) cell technology are acute point sources of Hg pollution in the aquatic environment. While there have been recent efforts to reduce the use of Hg cells, some of the emitted Hg can be transformed to neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). Here, we aimed (i) to study the dispersion of Hg in four reservoirs located downstream of a chlor-alkali plant along the Olt River (Romania) and (ii) to track the activity of bacterial functional genes involved in Hg methylation. Total Hg (THg) concentrations in water and sediments decreased successively from the initial reservoir to downstream reservoirs. Suspended fine size particles and seston appeared to be responsible for the transport of THg into downstream reservoirs, while macrophytes reflected the local bioavailability of Hg. The concentration and proportion of MeHg were correlated with THg, but were not correlated with bacterial activity in sediments, while the abundance of hgcA transcript correlated with organic matter and Cl(-) concentration, indicating the importance of Hg bioavailability in sediments for Hg methylation. Our data clearly highlights the importance of considering Hg contamination as a legacy pollutant since there is a high risk of continued Hg accumulation in food webs long after Hg-cell phase out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Limnology/Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jean-Luc Loizeau
- Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Perrine Dranguet
- Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Stamatina Makri
- Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Erik Björn
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, SE-90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Viorel Gh Ungureanu
- Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
- GeoEcoMar, National Research and Development Institute for Marine Geology and Geoecology, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vera I Slaveykova
- Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290, Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Cosio
- Institute F.-A. Forel, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290, Versoix, Switzerland.
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Bravo AG, Bouchet S, Guédron S, Amouroux D, Dominik J, Zopfi J. High methylmercury production under ferruginous conditions in sediments impacted by sewage treatment plant discharges. Water Res 2015; 80:245-55. [PMID: 26005785 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2015.04.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Sewage treatment plants (STPs) are important point sources of mercury (Hg) to the environment. STPs are also significant sources of iron when hydrated ferric oxide (HFO) is used as a dephosphatation agent during water purification. In this study, we combined geochemical and microbiological characterization with Hg speciation and sediment amendments to evaluate the impact of STP's effluents on monomethylmercury (MMHg) production. The highest in-situ Hg methylation was found close to the discharge pipe in subsurface sediments enriched with Hg, organic matter, and iron. There, ferruginous conditions were prevailing with high concentrations of dissolved Fe(2+) and virtually no free sulfide in the porewater. Sediment incubations demonstrated that the high MMHg production close to the discharge was controlled by low demethylation yields. Inhibition of dissimilatory sulfate reduction with molybdate led to increased iron reduction rates and Hg-methylation, suggesting that sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) may not have been the main Hg methylators under these conditions. However, Hg methylation in sediments amended with amorphous Fe(III)-oxides was only slightly higher than control conditions. Thus, in addition to iron-reducing bacteria, other non-SRB most likely contributed to Hg methylation. Overall, this study highlights that sediments impacted by STP discharges can become local hot-spots for Hg methylation due to the combined inputs of i) Hg, ii) organic matter, which fuels bacterial activities and iii) iron, which keeps porewater sulfide concentration low and hence Hg bioavailable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G Bravo
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Route de Suisse 10, CH-1290 Versoix, Genève, Switzerland.
| | - Sylvain Bouchet
- LCABIE-IPREM, UMR 5254 CNRS - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Stéphane Guédron
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Route de Suisse 10, CH-1290 Versoix, Genève, Switzerland; ISTerre, University Grenoble 1, IRD - UMR 5559 (IRD/UJF/CNRS) - BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble, France
| | - David Amouroux
- LCABIE-IPREM, UMR 5254 CNRS - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Janusz Dominik
- Institut F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, Route de Suisse 10, CH-1290 Versoix, Genève, Switzerland; Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricercha, Castello 2737/F, I-30122 Venezia, Italy
| | - Jakob Zopfi
- Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Dominik J, Tagliapietra D, Bravo AG, Sigovini M, Spangenberg JE, Amouroux D, Zonta R. Mercury in the food chain of the Lagoon of Venice, Italy. Mar Pollut Bull 2014; 88:194-206. [PMID: 25287224 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Revised: 09/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Sediments and biota samples were collected in a restricted area of the Lagoon of Venice and analysed for total mercury, monomethyl mercury (MMHg), and nitrogen and carbon isotopes. Results were used to examine mercury biomagnification in a complex food chain. Sedimentary organic matter (SOM) proved to be a major source of nutrients and mercury to primary consumers. Contrary to inorganic mercury, MMHg was strongly biomagnified along the food chain, although the lognormal relationship between MMHg and δ(15)N was less constrained than generally reported from lakes or coastal marine ecosystems. The relationship improved when logMMHg concentrations were plotted against trophic positions derived from baseline δ(15)N estimate for primary consumers. From the regression slope a mean MMHg trophic magnification factor of 10 was obtained. Filter-feeding benthic bivalves accumulated more MMHg than other primary consumers and were probably important in MMHg transfer from sediments to higher levels of the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz Dominik
- Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F 30122 Venezia, Italy; Institute F.-A. Forel, Université de Genève, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
| | - Davide Tagliapietra
- Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F 30122 Venezia, Italy
| | - Andrea G Bravo
- Institute F.-A. Forel, Université de Genève, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
| | - Marco Sigovini
- Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F 30122 Venezia, Italy
| | - Jorge E Spangenberg
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, CH 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David Amouroux
- IPREM-LCABIE, UMR 5254 CNRS - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 2 av P. Angot, 64053 Pau, France
| | - Roberto Zonta
- Istituto di Scienze Marine - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Arsenale - Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F 30122 Venezia, Italy
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