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Laboratory study of chemical speciation of mercury in lake sediment and water under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

Regnell, O. LU and Tunlid, A. LU (1991) In Applied and Environmental Microbiology 57(3). p.789-795
Abstract

Chemical speciation and partitioning of radiolabeled HgCl2 were studied in model aquatic systems consisting of undisturbed entrophic lake sediment and water in plastic cylinders. The cylinders were either gradually made anaerobic by a gentle flow of N2-CO2 or kept aerobic by air flow. The proportion of methylated 203Hg was significantly higher, in both water and sediment, in the anaerobic systems than in the aerobic systems. The composition and total concentration of fatty acids originating from bacterial phospholipids, as well as the concentration of vitamin B12, including related cobalamins, were similar in sediments from the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Bacterial cell numbers... (More)

Chemical speciation and partitioning of radiolabeled HgCl2 were studied in model aquatic systems consisting of undisturbed entrophic lake sediment and water in plastic cylinders. The cylinders were either gradually made anaerobic by a gentle flow of N2-CO2 or kept aerobic by air flow. The proportion of methylated 203Hg was significantly higher, in both water and sediment, in the anaerobic systems than in the aerobic systems. The composition and total concentration of fatty acids originating from bacterial phospholipids, as well as the concentration of vitamin B12, including related cobalamins, were similar in sediments from the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Bacterial cell numbers were, on average, 3.6 times higher in the anaerobic water columns than in the aerobic ones. Volatilization of 203Hg occurred in all systems except in an autoclaved control and was of similar magnitudes in the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Incorporation of 203Hg into the sediment was significantly faster in the aerobic systems than in the anaerobic systems. These results suggest that episodes of anoxia in bottom waters and sediment cause an increase in net mercury methylation and, hence, an increase in bioavailable mercury.

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author
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
volume
57
issue
3
pages
789 - 795
publisher
American Society for Microbiology
external identifiers
  • scopus:0025921592
ISSN
0099-2240
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b31cd486-2be4-4ba5-b5f8-728ca6bd8142
alternative location
https://aem.asm.org/content/57/3/789
date added to LUP
2019-10-23 17:19:09
date last changed
2021-01-28 02:32:23
@article{b31cd486-2be4-4ba5-b5f8-728ca6bd8142,
  abstract     = {{<p>Chemical speciation and partitioning of radiolabeled HgCl<sub>2</sub> were studied in model aquatic systems consisting of undisturbed entrophic lake sediment and water in plastic cylinders. The cylinders were either gradually made anaerobic by a gentle flow of N<sub>2</sub>-CO<sub>2</sub> or kept aerobic by air flow. The proportion of methylated <sup>203</sup>Hg was significantly higher, in both water and sediment, in the anaerobic systems than in the aerobic systems. The composition and total concentration of fatty acids originating from bacterial phospholipids, as well as the concentration of vitamin B<sub>12</sub>, including related cobalamins, were similar in sediments from the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Bacterial cell numbers were, on average, 3.6 times higher in the anaerobic water columns than in the aerobic ones. Volatilization of <sup>203</sup>Hg occurred in all systems except in an autoclaved control and was of similar magnitudes in the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Incorporation of <sup>203</sup>Hg into the sediment was significantly faster in the aerobic systems than in the anaerobic systems. These results suggest that episodes of anoxia in bottom waters and sediment cause an increase in net mercury methylation and, hence, an increase in bioavailable mercury.</p>}},
  author       = {{Regnell, O. and Tunlid, A.}},
  issn         = {{0099-2240}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{789--795}},
  publisher    = {{American Society for Microbiology}},
  series       = {{Applied and Environmental Microbiology}},
  title        = {{Laboratory study of chemical speciation of mercury in lake sediment and water under aerobic and anaerobic conditions}},
  url          = {{https://aem.asm.org/content/57/3/789}},
  volume       = {{57}},
  year         = {{1991}},
}