Volatilization of mercury compounds by methylmercury-volatilizing bacteria in Minamata Bay sediment

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02021014· OSTI ID:6148864

Nakamura, K; Sakata, T; Nakahara, H

Minamata Bay has been heavily polluted by high mercury concentrations which gave rise for a long time to methylmercury poisoning, Minamata disease (Kutsuna 1968; Irukayama 1977). The mercury still exists in the sediments of the Bay. The population of mercury-resistant bacteria in the sediments of Minamata Bay is larger than that in the sediments of other marine environments. The mercury-resistant bacteria isolated from a marine environment have been found to transform organic and inorganic mercury compounds into mercury vapor. The mercury-resistance confirmed in various bacterial genera has been shown to be plasmid-mediated volatilization. However, there has been little definitive information on the volatilization of organic mercury by the bacteria living in the mercury-polluted environment. It is important to know what bacterial transformations of mercury have been taking place and how the mercury-resistant bacteria may be playing a role in the mercury cycle in the marine environment of Minamata Bay. The object of the present study is to clarify the characteristics of the methylmercury-volatilizing bacteria in the sediments of Minamata Bay and of the volatilization of various mercury compounds by these bacteria.

• Research Organization: National Institute for Minamata Disease, Kumamoto (Japan)
• OSTI ID: 6148864
• Journal Information: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol.; (United States) Vol. 41:5; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510200* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ASIA
BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
FLUIDS
GASES
JAPAN
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
METABOLISM
METHYLMERCURY
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SEDIMENTS
VAPORS
WATER POLLUTION