Differentiated availability of geochemical mercury pools controls methylmercury levels in estuarine sediment and biota

Sofi Jonsson, Ulf Skyllberg, Mats B. Nilsson, Erik Lundberg, Agneta Andersson and Erik Björn ()
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Sofi Jonsson: Umeå University
Ulf Skyllberg: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Mats B. Nilsson: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Erik Lundberg: Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University
Agneta Andersson: Umeå Marine Sciences Centre, Umeå University
Erik Björn: Umeå University

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) formed from inorganic divalent mercury (HgII) accumulates in aquatic biota and remains at high levels worldwide. It is poorly understood to what extent different geochemical Hg pools contribute to these levels. Here we report quantitative data on MeHg formation and bioaccumulation, in mesocosm water-sediment model ecosystems, using five HgII and MeHg isotope tracers simulating recent Hg inputs to the water phase and Hg stored in sediment as bound to natural organic matter or as metacinnabar. Calculations for an estuarine ecosystem suggest that the chemical speciation of HgII solid/adsorbed phases control the sediment Hg pool’s contribution to MeHg, but that input of MeHg from terrestrial and atmospheric sources bioaccumulates to a substantially greater extent than MeHg formed in situ in sediment. Our findings emphasize the importance of MeHg loadings from catchment runoff to MeHg content in estuarine biota and we suggest that this contribution has been underestimated.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5624

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