Photochemical reactions between mercury (Hg) and dissolved organic matter decrease Hg bioavailability and methylation
Abstract
Atmospheric deposition of mercury (Hg) to surface water is one of the dominant sources of Hg in aquatic environments and ultimately drives methylmercury (MeHg) toxin accumulation in fish. It is known that freshly deposited Hg is more readily methylated by microorganisms than aged or preexisting Hg; however the underlying mechanism of this process is unclear. Here we report that Hg bioavailability is decreased by photochemical reactions between Hg and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water. Photo-irradiation of Hg-DOM complexes results in loss of Sn(II)-reducible (i.e. reactive) Hg and up to an 80% decrease in MeHg production by the methylating bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA. Loss of reactive Hg proceeded at a faster rate with a decrease in the Hg to DOM ratio and is attributed to the possible formation of mercury sulfide (HgS). Lastly, these results suggest a new pathway of abiotic photochemical formation of HgS in surface water and provide a mechanism whereby freshly deposited Hg is readily methylated but, over time, progressively becomes less available for microbial uptake and methylation.
- Authors:
-
[2]
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division; Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China). Dept. of Chemistry
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division; Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou (China). School of Environmental Science and Engineering
- Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei (China). Dept. of Chemistry
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Environmental Sciences Division; Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1343495
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1397819
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22725
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Pollution
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 220; Journal Issue: PB; Journal ID: ISSN 0269-7491
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Dissolved organic matter; Hg-DOM photolysis; Methylmercury; Biogeochemical transformation; HgS precipitation
Citation Formats
Luo, Hong-Wei, Yin, Xiangping, Jubb, Aaron M., Chen, Hongmei, Lu, Xia, Zhang, Weihua, Lin, Hui, Yu, Han-Qing, Liang, Liyuan, Sheng, Guo-Ping, and Gu, Baohua. Photochemical reactions between mercury (Hg) and dissolved organic matter decrease Hg bioavailability and methylation. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.099.
Luo, Hong-Wei, Yin, Xiangping, Jubb, Aaron M., Chen, Hongmei, Lu, Xia, Zhang, Weihua, Lin, Hui, Yu, Han-Qing, Liang, Liyuan, Sheng, Guo-Ping, & Gu, Baohua. Photochemical reactions between mercury (Hg) and dissolved organic matter decrease Hg bioavailability and methylation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.099
Luo, Hong-Wei, Yin, Xiangping, Jubb, Aaron M., Chen, Hongmei, Lu, Xia, Zhang, Weihua, Lin, Hui, Yu, Han-Qing, Liang, Liyuan, Sheng, Guo-Ping, and Gu, Baohua. Wed .
"Photochemical reactions between mercury (Hg) and dissolved organic matter decrease Hg bioavailability and methylation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.099. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1343495.
@article{osti_1343495,
title = {Photochemical reactions between mercury (Hg) and dissolved organic matter decrease Hg bioavailability and methylation},
author = {Luo, Hong-Wei and Yin, Xiangping and Jubb, Aaron M. and Chen, Hongmei and Lu, Xia and Zhang, Weihua and Lin, Hui and Yu, Han-Qing and Liang, Liyuan and Sheng, Guo-Ping and Gu, Baohua},
abstractNote = {Atmospheric deposition of mercury (Hg) to surface water is one of the dominant sources of Hg in aquatic environments and ultimately drives methylmercury (MeHg) toxin accumulation in fish. It is known that freshly deposited Hg is more readily methylated by microorganisms than aged or preexisting Hg; however the underlying mechanism of this process is unclear. Here we report that Hg bioavailability is decreased by photochemical reactions between Hg and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water. Photo-irradiation of Hg-DOM complexes results in loss of Sn(II)-reducible (i.e. reactive) Hg and up to an 80% decrease in MeHg production by the methylating bacterium Geobacter sulfurreducens PCA. Loss of reactive Hg proceeded at a faster rate with a decrease in the Hg to DOM ratio and is attributed to the possible formation of mercury sulfide (HgS). Lastly, these results suggest a new pathway of abiotic photochemical formation of HgS in surface water and provide a mechanism whereby freshly deposited Hg is readily methylated but, over time, progressively becomes less available for microbial uptake and methylation.},
doi = {10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.099},
journal = {Environmental Pollution},
number = PB,
volume = 220,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Nov 09 00:00:00 EST 2016},
month = {Wed Nov 09 00:00:00 EST 2016}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
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