Interaction between aquatic plants and bed sediments in mercury uptake from flowing water

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1975 · J. Environ. Qual.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1975.00472425000400040014x· OSTI ID:7196883

Mortimer, D C; Kudo, A

Bed sediment from a known zone in the Ottawa River study area and cuttings of Elodea densa were set out in aquaria in a 24-day controlled, flowing water experiment. Elodea was planted in sediment and in glass beads, and sediment was exposed with and without plants, all in the same aquaria for 7 days before the addition of mercury with /sup 203/Hg. Three concentrations each of mercuric chloride and methyl mercuric chloride were continuously metered into the input water to yield aquarium levels of 0.2, 2, and 10 ..mu..g/liter. There was no significant difference in the uptake rate between the two forms of mercury. Uptake was proportional to water concentration over the entire 17-day exposure period in both plants and sediment. Methyl mercury was more toxic to plant growth in this time interval than inorganic mercury. Elodea growing in sediment absorbed significantly less mercury than Elodea growing in glass beads. Sediment from which the plants had been removed contained about twice as much mercury as plant-free sediment. The aquarium walls were the largest absorbing compartment in the system and methyl mercury was absorbed more strongly than inorganic mercury. The total recovery of input mercury over the 17 days averaged 91 percent.

• Research Organization: National Research Council of Canada Labs., Ottawa
• OSTI ID: 7196883
• Journal Information: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Environ. Qual.; (United States) Vol. 4:4; ISSN JEVQA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOMASS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FRESH WATER
GROWTH
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPES
MERCURY 203
MERCURY CHLORIDES
MERCURY COMPOUNDS
MERCURY HALIDES
MERCURY ISOTOPES
METHYLMERCURY
NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MERCURY COMPOUNDS
OTTAWA RIVER
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANT GROWTH
PLANTS
QUANTITY RATIO
RADIOISOTOPES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RIVERS
SEDIMENTS
SIMULATION
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
TOXICITY
UPTAKE
WATER