Roles of dissolved organic matter in the speciation of mercury and methylmercury in a contaminated ecosystem in Oak Ridge

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2009 · Environmental Chemistry

OSTI ID:985272

Dong, Wenming ^[1]; Liang, Liyuan ^[1]; Brooks, Scott C ^[1]; Southworth, George R ^[1]; Gu, Baohua ^[1]

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1. ORNL

Mercury (Hg) presents an environmental concern owing to its transformation to the potent neurotoxin methylmercury (CH{sub 3}Hg{sup +}). The environmental factors that control bacterial methylation of mercury are poorly understood, but we know that methylmercury is bioaccumulated and biomagnified in aquatic food webs. We show that, even at low concentrations ({approx}3 mg L{sup -1}), natural dissolved organic matter strongly complexes with ionic Hg{sup 2+} and CH{sub 3}Hg{sup +}, thereby influencing biological uptake and methylation of Hg in aquatic environments. Complexation of the mercuric ion (Hg{sup 2+}) and methylmercury (CH{sub 3}Hg{sup +}) with organic and inorganic ligands influences mercury transformation and bioaccumulation in aquatic environments. Using aqueous geochemical modelling, we show that natural dissolved organic matter (DOM), even at low concentrations ({approx}3 mg L{sup -1}), controls the Hg speciation by forming strong Hg-DOM and CH{sub 3}Hg-DOM complexes through the reactive sulfur or thiol-like functional groups in DOM in the contaminated East Fork Poplar Creek at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Concentrations of neutral Hg(OH){sub 2}, Hg(OH)Cl, CH{sub 3}HgCl, and CH{sub 3}HgOH species are negligible. Of the coexisting metal ions, only Zn{sup 2+}, at concentrations of 1.6-2.6 x 10{sup -7} M, competes with Hg{sup 2+} for binding with DOM, causing decrease in Hg-DOM complexation but having little impact on CH{sub 3}Hg-DOM complexation. DOM may thus play a dominant role in controlling the transformation, biological uptake, and methylation of Hg in this contaminated ecosystem.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 985272
• Journal Information: Environmental Chemistry, Journal Name: Environmental Chemistry Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 7; ISSN 1448-2517
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CONTAMINATION
ECOSYSTEMS
FOOD
FUNCTIONALS
MERCURY
METHYLATION
METHYLMERCURY
OAK RIDGE RESERVATION
ORGANIC MATTER
STREAMS
SULFUR
TRANSFORMATIONS