Mercury speciation, bioavailability, and biomagnification in contaminated streams on the Savannah River Site (SC, USA)

Xu, Xiaoyu; Bryan, Albert L.; Mills, Gary L.; Korotasz, Alexis M.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.301

Mercury speciation, bioavailability, and biomagnification in contaminated streams on the Savannah River Site (SC, USA)

Journal Article · Wed Feb 20 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Science of the Total Environment

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.301· OSTI ID:1819450

^[1]; Bryan, Albert L. ^[2]; Mills, Gary L. ^[2]; Korotasz, Alexis M. ^[3]

Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States); SREL
Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States)
Univ. of Georgia, Aiken, SC (United States); Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL (United States)

Water, sediment, and biota from two streams on the Savannah River Site were sampled to study mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry. Total and methyl-Hg (MHg) concentrations were measured for all samples, speciation models were used to explore Hg speciation in the water, and Diffusive Gradients in Thin Films (DGT) were applied to indicate the vertical profiles of labile Hg (DGT-Hg). Trophic position (δ¹⁵N) was estimated for biota and used to establish MHg biomagnification model. Furthermore, the speciation model indicated Hg methylation in the water occurred on settling particles and the most bioavailable Hg species to bacteria were complexes of inorganic Hg and labile organic ligands. Correspondingly, dissolved organic carbon concentrations were positively related to MHg concentrations in the water. In the sediment, the sharp increase of DGT-Hg around the sediment water interface underscores the importance of this interface, which determines the differences in the accumulation and generation of labile Hg among different waterbodies. The positive correlation between sediment MHg and sulfate concentrations suggested possible methylation reaction by dissimilatory sulfate reducing bacteria in the sediment. The food web magnification factors of MHg were 9.6 (95% CI: 4.0 - 23.4) and 4.4 (95% 31 CI: 2.5 - 7.7) for the two streams established with trophic data of biofilm, invertebrates, and fish. Meanwhile, DGT-Hg concentrations in the water were positively correlated to biofilm Hg concentrations, which can be combined with the MHg biomagnification model to generate a modified biomagnification model that estimate MHg bioaccumulation with only labile Hg concentrations in the water. With this approach, Hg accumulation in abiotic and biotic environmental compartments were connected and the different bioaccumulation patterns of Hg in different waterbodies were explained with both geochemical and biological factors.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Ecology Lab. (SREL)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Contributing Organization:: Univ. of South Florida

Grant/Contract Number:: EM0004391; FC09-07SR22506

OSTI ID:: 1819450

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1614643
OSTI ID: 1528639

Journal Information:: Science of the Total Environment, Journal Name: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 668; ISSN 0048-9697

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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