Persistent Hg contamination and occurrence of Hg-methylating transcript (hgcA) downstream of a chlor-alkali plant in the Olt River (Romania)

Autor: Jean-Luc Loizeau, Viorel Gh. Ungureanu, Vera I. Slaveykova, Perrine Dranguet, Erik Björn, Stamatina Makri, Andrea G. Bravo, Claudia Cosio
Přispěvatelé: Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BU de, Limnology [Norbyvägen], Department of Ecology and Genetics [Uppsala] (EBC), Uppsala University-Uppsala University, Forel Institute, University of Geneva [Switzerland], Umea Univ, Dept Chem, SE-90187 Umea, Sweden, Umeå University, Department of Geology and Paleontology [Bucharest], University of Bucharest (UniBuc), National Institute for Marine Geology and Geo-ecology (GeoEcoMar )
Rok vydání: 2015
Předmět:
0301 basic medicine
Pollution
Health
Toxicology and Mutagenesis
media_common.quotation_subject
030106 microbiology
Industrial Waste
chemistry.chemical_element
010501 environmental sciences
01 natural sciences
Sediments
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
Rivers
ddc:550
Environmental Chemistry
Ecotoxicology
Organic matter
Bacterial activity
Methylmercury
ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS
Reservoir
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
media_common
Pollutant
chemistry.chemical_classification
[SDV.TOX.ECO] Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology
Romania
Chemistry
Seston
Water
Mercury
General Medicine
Dispersion
Biota
Mercury (element)
Macrophyte
13. Climate action
Environmental chemistry
[SDV.TOX.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Toxicology/Ecotoxicology
Water Pollutants
Chemical
Environmental Monitoring
Zdroj: Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Springer Verlag, 2016, 23 (11), pp.10529-10541
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 23, No 11 (2016) P. 10529–10541
ISSN: 1614-7499
0944-1344
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5906-4
Popis: Chlor-alkali plants using mercury (Hg) cell technology are acute point sources of Hg pollution in the aquatic environment. While there have been recent efforts to reduce the use of Hg cells, some of the emitted Hg can be transformed to neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). Here, we aimed (i) to study the dispersion of Hg in four reservoirs located downstream of a chlor-alkali plant along the Olt River (Romania) and (ii) to track the activity of bacterial functional genes involved in Hg methylation. Total Hg (THg) concentrations in water and sediments decreased successively from the initial reservoir to downstream reservoirs. Suspended fine size particles and seston appeared to be responsible for the transport of THg into downstream reservoirs, while macrophytes reflected the local bioavailability of Hg. The concentration and proportion of MeHg were correlated with THg, but were not correlated with bacterial activity in sediments, while the abundance of hgcA transcript correlated with organic matter and Cl(-) concentration, indicating the importance of Hg bioavailability in sediments for Hg methylation. Our data clearly highlights the importance of considering Hg contamination as a legacy pollutant since there is a high risk of continued Hg accumulation in food webs long after Hg-cell phase out.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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