Mercury fractionation - Problems in method application

Wilman, Bartłomiej; Saniewska, Dominika; Pyta, H.; Wysiecki, Dariusz; Bełdowska, Magdalena

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114560

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Therefore, the method was tested on certified reference materials (tea leaves-INCT-TL-1; soil-NCS DC 87103), as well as on 3 synthetic materials (HgCl 2 , HgS and HgO) (Sigma Aldrich Co., St. Louis, MO, USA, purity ≥ 97%) and two natural materials (seal muscle and seal faeces). More details are disrobed by Wilman et al [67]. The accuracy of the method was verified by comparing the sum of the Hg concentrations measured by the 5-step fractionation method with the result of the HgTOT analysis.…”

Section: Hg Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Total Mercury, Its Fractions and Species Diversity of Diatom Taphocoenoses Deposited in Surface Sediments (Southern Baltic Sea)

Hetko,

Witak,

Bełdowska

2023

Water

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Mercury is a toxic metal that in excessive amounts negatively affects the human nervous system. It can biomagnify to enrich successive levels of the trophic web with higher and higher concentrations of Hg. Diatoms are cosmopolitan microalgae that represent the base of the trophic web. The objective of this study was to determine the importance of diatoms in the accumulation of Hg in surface sediments in the example of Puck Lagoon (southern Baltic Sea). The study verified the relationship of mercury forms with diatoms’ characteristic salinity groups and individual diatom species. The identified diatom flora permitted the distinguishment of three regions with different salinity preferences. The obtained results suggest that, together with organic matter and fine sediment fraction, diatoms are an important element of the marine environment in accumulating Hg. Area I, dominated by euhalobous and mesohalobous diatom species, was characterized by a high statistically significant correlation of mesohalobous with HgSO4, Hg in complexes with organic matter and HgS. In Area II, associated with the highest Hg concentrations (ca. 100 ng g−1), euhalobous showed a statistically significant linear correlation with HgSO4. In contrast, in Area III, the freshwater diatom community was associated with stable Hg forms. The identified species showed a connection with labile forms of Hg that can undergo biomagnification.

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Section: Hg Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship between Total Mercury, Its Fractions and Species Diversity of Diatom Taphocoenoses Deposited in Surface Sediments (Southern Baltic Sea)

Hetko,

Witak,

Bełdowska

2023

Water

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“…In light of these complexities, perhaps the most problematic and fundamental assumption is that Hg is typically assumed to be bound within a single dominant host‐phase throughout a succession and that this phase can be identified via (linear) correlation. As (sub‐)recent sediments often show strong spatial and temporal heterogeneity in Hg speciation (e.g., Chakraborty et al., 2014; Gamboa Ruiz & Tomiyasu, 2015; Lim et al., 2020; Wilman et al., 2023) it is likely that the same applies to the geological record and that the importance of various Hg species and hence host‐phases (subtly) changes through the analyzed successions. The likelihood of changing speciation increases when the analyzed sequences span substantial environmental perturbations as they are often accompanied by broad biogeochemical and lithological changes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Hg Speciation Changes in the Sedimentary Rock Record From Thermal Desorption Characteristics

Frieling,

Fendley,

Nawaz

et al. 2024

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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Sedimentary mercury (Hg) has become a widely used proxy for paleo‐volcanic activity. However, scavenging and drawdown of Hg by organic‐matter (OM) and sulfides are important non‐volcanic factors determining variability in such records. Most studies, therefore, normalize total Hg (HgT) to a Hg “host‐phase” proxy (e.g., HgT/TOC for OM, HgT/TS for sulfides), with the dominant host‐phase determined based on the strongest observed (linear) correlations. This approach suffers from various non‐linearities in Hg‐host‐phase behavior and does not account for succession‐level, let alone sample‐level, Hg speciation changes. Thermal desorption characteristics or “profiles” (TDPs) for many Hg species during pyrolysis analysis are well‐established with applications including distinguishing between OM‐bound Hg and different Hg sulfides and oxides in (sub‐)recent sediments. We explore the use of TDPs for geological sediment (rock) samples and illustrate the presence of multiple release phases (Hg species)—correlated to geochemical host‐phase—in (almost) all the 65 analyzed Tithonian (146–145 Ma) silt and mudrock samples. By quantifying the Hg in each release phase for every sample, we find TOC concentration may determine ∼60% of the variability in the first (lower temperature) Hg TDP release phase: a stark difference with the total Hg released from these samples, where ∼20% of variation is explained by TOC variability. TDPs provide insight on sample‐level Hg speciation and demonstrate that, while the common assumption of single‐phase Hg speciation in sedimentary rocks is problematic, differences in Hg speciation can be detected, quantified, and accounted for using commonly applied techniques—opening potential for routine assessment.

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