Terrestrial runoff represents a major source of mercury (Hg) to aquatic ecosystems. In boreal forest catchments, such as the one in northern Sweden studied here, mercury bound to natural organic matter (NOM) represents a large fraction of mercury in the runoff. We present a method to measure Hg stable isotope signatures of colloidal Hg, mainly complexed by high molecular weight or colloidal natural organic matter (NOM) in natural waters based on pre-enrichment by ultrafiltration, followed by freeze-drying and combustion. We report that Hg associated with high molecular weight NOM in the boreal forest runoff has very similar Hg isotope signatures as compared to the organic soil horizons of the catchment area. The mass-independent fractionation (MIF) signatures (ΔHg and ΔHg) measured in soils and runoff were in agreement with typical values reported for atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (Hg) and distinctly different from reported Hg isotope signatures in precipitation. We therefore suggest that most Hg in the boreal terrestrial ecosystem originated from the deposition of Hg through foliar uptake rather than precipitation. Using a mixing model we calculated the contribution of soil horizons to the Hg in the runoff. At moderate to high flow runoff conditions, that prevailed during sampling, the uppermost part of the organic horizon (Oe/He) contributed 50-70% of the Hg in the runoff, while the underlying more humified organic Oa/Ha and the mineral soil horizons displayed a lower mobility of Hg. The good agreement of the Hg isotope results with other source tracing approaches using radiocarbon signatures and Hg : C ratios provides additional support for the strong coupling between Hg and NOM. The exploratory results from this study illustrate the potential of Hg stable isotopes to trace the source of Hg from atmospheric deposition through the terrestrial ecosystem to soil runoff, and provide a basis for more in-depth studies investigating the mobility of Hg in terrestrial ecosystems using Hg isotope signatures.

The corrinoid protein, HgcA has been shown to be essential for Hg methylation in anaerobic bacteria. We investigated the diversity of hgcA from temperate and tropical wetland soils where Hg methylation is demonstrated. Sequences obtained from both environments clustered with those from the δ-Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi and Methanomicrobia with significant overlap in hgcA phylogeny between libraries. Clear differences in hgcA distribution were observed between two highly contrasting sites within a tropical wetland in Everglades National Park, USA. hgcA sequences obtained from the northern site clustered primarily with those of methanogens, while sequences from the estuarine site clustered primarily with sulphate-reducing bacteria and syntrophs in the δ-Proteobacteria. Libraries obtained from soils collected from a temperate swamp in Sweden were dominated by hgcA sequences within the δ-Proteobacteria with hgcA sequences clustering primarily with iron reducers in the upstream portion of the swamp and with sulphate reducers in the downstream portion of the swamp. Interestingly, enrichments prepared from the lower portion of this temperate wetland contained a high abundance of hgcA sequences clustering with methanogens. This first report on hgcA diversity in environmental samples suggests a role in Hg methylation for various phenotypic groups in different portions of wetlands.

Effects of Boreal forest harvest on mercury (Hg) and methyl mercury (MeHg) soil pools and export by stream runoff were quantified by comparing 10 reference watersheds (REFs) covered by >80 year old Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) forests with 10 similar watersheds subjected to clear-cutting (CCs). While total Hg soil storage did not change, MeHg pools increased seven times (p = 0.006) in the organic topsoil 2 years after clear-cutting. In undulating terrain, situated above the postglacial marine limit (ML) of the ancient Baltic Sea, the mass ratio between flux-weighted MeHg and dissolved organic carbon (MeHg/DOC) in stream runoff increased 1.8 times (p < 0.004) as a consequence of forest harvest. When recalculated to 100% clear-cutting of the watershed, the annual MeHg stream export increased 3.8 times (p = 0.047). Below the ML, where the terrain was flatter, neither the MeHg/DOC ratio nor the annual export of MeHg differed between REFs and CCs, likely because of the larger contribution of MeHg exported from peaty soils and small wetlands. The most robust measure, MeHg/DOC, was used to calculate MeHg loadings to Boreal headwaters. If the forest harvest effect lasts 10 years, clear-cutting increases MeHg runoff by 12-20% in Sweden and 2% in the Boreal zone as a whole. In Sweden, having intensely managed forests, 37% and 56% of MeHg are exported from peatlands and forest soils, respectively, and forest clear-cutting is adding another 6.6%. In the Boreal zone as a whole peatlands and forests soils contribute with 53% and 46%, respectively, and clearcutting is estimated to add another 1.0%. An expected rapid increase in Boreal forest harvest and disturbance urge for inclusion of land use effects in mercury biogeochemical cycling models at different scales.

Wetlands are common net producers of the neurotoxin monomethylmercury (MeHg) and are largely responsible for MeHg bioaccumulation in aquatic food-webs. However, not all wetlands net produce MeHg; notable exceptions are black alder (Alnus glutinosa) swamps, which net degrade MeHg. Here we report the mechanisms of MeHg demethylation in one such swamp (EHT), shown to be a sink for MeHg during four consecutive years. The potential demethylation rate constant (k d) in soil incubations was ∼3 times higher in the downstream (EHT-D: k d ∼ 0.14 d–1) as compared to the upstream part of the swamp (EHT-U: k d ∼ 0.05 d–1). This difference concurred with increased stream and soil pH, and a change in plant community composition. Electron acceptor and inhibitor addition experiments revealed that abiotic demethylation dominated at EHT-U while an additional and equally large contribution from biotic degradation was observed at EHT-D, explaining the increase in MeHg degradation. Biotic demethylation (EHT-D) was primarily due to methanogens, inferred by a decrease in k d to autoclaved levels following selective inhibition of methanogens. Though methanogen-specific transcripts (mcrA) were found throughout the wetland, transcripts clustering with Methanosaetaceae were exclusive to EHT-D, suggesting a possible role for these acetoclastic methanogens in the degradation of MeHg.