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

Journal Article · Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 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), Vol. 41:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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