Mercury Methylation Potentials in Sediments of an Ancient Cypress Wetland Using Species-Specific Isotope Dilution GC-ICP-MS.

ABSTRACT: Wetlands are of a considerable environmental value as they provide food and habitat for plants and animals. Several important chemical transformations take place in wetland media, including the conversion of inorganic mercury (Hg) to monomethylmercury (MeHg), a toxic compound with a strong tendency for bioconcentration. Considering the fact that wetlands are hotspots for Hg methylation, we investigated, for the first time, Hg methylation and demethylation rates in an old growth cypress wetland at Sky Lake in the Mississippi Delta. The Sky Lake ecosystem undergoes large-scale water level fluctuations causing alternating periods of oxic and anoxic conditions in the sediment. These oscillating redox conditions, in turn, can influence the transformation, speciation, and bioavailability of Hg.

SUBMITTER: Bussan DD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9370401 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature