The driving factors of mercury storage in the Tibetan grassland soils underlain by permafrost

Gu, Jing; Pang, Qiaotong; Ding, Jinzhi; Yin, Runsheng; Yang, Yuanhe

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115079

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…regions 12,14 . Therefore, an increase in atmospheric Hg 0 deposition through vegetative uptake into these permafrost regions can be expected 20,63,64 . Assuming that weakened atmospheric Hg 0 uptake by vegetation occurs in the 3.5 million km 2 of global alpine permafrost regions (20−30% of total permafrost regions in the Northern Hemisphere) 13 , we estimate 6−17 Mg Hg distributed in vegetation of global alpine permafrost regions 13 using the mean vegetation Hg pool size in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root uptake dominates mercury accumulation in permafrost plants of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wang

Yuan

Lin

et al. 2022

Commun Earth Environ

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Uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury via foliage is thought to be the dominant pathway of mercury accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems, including those in the Arctic permafrost regions. Whether a similar process operates in alpine permafrost regions remains unknown. Here we report mercury concentrations and stable isotopic signatures in a large cluster alpine permafrost regions of mid-latitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We find a transition from foliage to root uptake of mercury as elevation increases. In alpine permafrost regions, we find that root uptake of mercury from the surrounding soil is the dominant accumulation pathway. We estimate that root uptake accounts for 70 ± 19% of plant mercury in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and propose that this may be related to the harsh climate conditions suppressing foliage growth and promoting lateral root growth.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root uptake dominates mercury accumulation in permafrost plants of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wang

Yuan

Lin

et al. 2022

Commun Earth Environ

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“…Additionally, permafrost degradation in the QTP can increase the Hg release into aquatic ecosystems via soil erosion and lateral transport and enhance the Hg bioaccumulation and transport in the food web. 8,70 Furthermore, a reduction in anthropogenic Hg emissions decreases atmospheric Hg deposition under the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, as have been observed in the northern hemisphere remote sites. 75,76 Therefore, there are large knowledge gaps regarding the Hg mass balance over the QTP given the complex interactions among the future scenarios of anthropogenic emissions and global warming.…”

Section: Environmental Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, on the other side, the accelerated Hg re-emission from permafrost caused by global warming over the QTP , could alter the regional Hg cycles and offset the atmospheric Hg sink through vegetation succession. Additionally, permafrost degradation in the QTP can increase the Hg release into aquatic ecosystems via soil erosion and lateral transport and enhance the Hg bioaccumulation and transport in the food web. , Furthermore, a reduction in anthropogenic Hg emissions decreases atmospheric Hg deposition under the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, as have been observed in the northern hemisphere remote sites. , Therefore, there are large knowledge gaps regarding the Hg mass balance over the QTP given the complex interactions among the future scenarios of anthropogenic emissions and global warming. More studies are needed on the Hg biogeochemical processes between the air–soil interface in response to global warming in the QTP.…”

Section: Environmental Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4−10 These findings have suggested that the local climate, vegetation, and geomorphological characteristics all influence the process of Hg accumulation in surface soil. 4,[6][7][8]11 However, the spatial variation, source contribution, and controlling factors for the observed Hg accumulation over the QTP remain unclear due to the scarcity of synthesized observational data and direct evidence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Known as “The Third Pole” of the world, the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is a pristine region in the Northern Hemisphere at an average altitude of more than 4000 m above the sea level and far away from anthropogenic sources . Elevated Hg accumulation has been recently found in some anthropogenically impacted surface soils of the QTP up to 1 order of magnitude higher than the background soil Hg concentration in other remote areas. − These findings have suggested that the local climate, vegetation, and geomorphological characteristics all influence the process of Hg accumulation in surface soil. ,− , However, the spatial variation, source contribution, and controlling factors for the observed Hg accumulation over the QTP remain unclear due to the scarcity of synthesized observational data and direct evidence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantifying Mercury Distribution and Source Contribution in Surface Soil of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Using Mercury Isotopes

Liu

Jia

et al. 2023

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Long-range transport and atmospheric deposition of gaseous mercury (Hg0) result in significant accumulation of Hg in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, there are significant knowledge gaps in understanding the spatial distribution and source contribution of Hg in the surface soil of the QTP and factors influencing Hg accumulation. In this study, we comprehensively investigated Hg concentrations and isotopic signatures in the QTP to address these knowledge gaps. Results show that the average Hg concentration in the surface soil ranks as follows: forest (53.9 ± 36.9 ng g–1) > meadow (30.7 ± 14.3 ng g–1) > steppe (24.5 ± 16.1 ng g–1) > shrub (21.0 ± 11.6 ng g–1). Hg isotopic mass mixing and structural equation models demonstrate that vegetation-mediated atmospheric Hg0 deposition dominates the Hg source in the surface soil, with an average contribution of 62 ± 12% in forests, followed by 51 ± 10% in shrub, 50 ± 13% in steppe, and 45 ± 11% in meadow. Additionally, geogenic sources contribute 28–37% of surface soil Hg accumulation, and atmospheric Hg2+ inputs contribute 10–18% among the four types of biomes. The Hg pool in 0–10 cm surface soil over the QTP is estimated as 8200 ± 3292 Mg. Global warming, permafrost degradation, and anthropogenic influences have likely perturbed Hg accumulation in the soil of QTP.

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Soil enrichment of potentially toxic elements in relation to land‐use types in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Luo,

Zuo,

Pan

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, a fragile ecosystem with unique biodiversity, is particularly susceptible to soil contamination from increasing anthropogenic activities like grazing and farming. However, research exploring the relationship between these factors remains limited. Our study examines soil changes and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) after converting alpine meadows, providing insight into the impact of land‐use in this area. We found significant differences in the concentrations of PTEs (Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) among the three land‐use types. Soil from Oat Field (OF) had lower levels of Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb compared with Fence Enclosure (FE) and Winter Grazing (WG), indicating a potential uptake/phytoextraction of these elements by oats. Different profiles of soil physiochemical properties were also detected, particularly in the OF soil, which showed significantly lower available potassium, microbial carbon, and microbial nitrogen but higher soil bulk density and total and available phosphorus. Additionally, significant stratification was observed in soil concentrations of most studied PTEs and nutrients in FE and WG, but not in OF. Specifically, lower levels of As, Cr, and most nutrients were found in the top layer (0–10 cm) compared with the bottom layer (20–30 cm). By comparison, Cd and Hg showed higher concentrations in the top layer in FE. These contrasting trends suggest potential differences in the mobility or bioavailability of these elements in the soil of the alpine meadow. Furthermore, significantly negative correlations were found between most soil nutrients, and the concentrations of As, Cr, and Pb, whereas significantly positive associations were observed for soil nutrients with Cd and Hg. However, such relationships predominantly existed in soils of WG and FE, but not OF. Collectively, our results suggest the potentially disrupted PTE accumulation and nutrient distribution by anthropogenic activities, particularly agricultural practices within the studied land‐use types, and warrant further evaluation of the associated ecotoxicological risks.

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The driving factors of mercury storage in the Tibetan grassland soils underlain by permafrost

Cited by 10 publications

References 45 publications

Root uptake dominates mercury accumulation in permafrost plants of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Root uptake dominates mercury accumulation in permafrost plants of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Quantifying Mercury Distribution and Source Contribution in Surface Soil of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Using Mercury Isotopes

Soil enrichment of potentially toxic elements in relation to land‐use types in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

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