Abstract
Soil properties largely control the fate of mercury (Hg), including the synthesis of neurovirulent methylmercury (MeHg). Here, the freshwater snail (Cipangopaludina cahayensis), a snail species commonly bred in flooded farmland, was used in a test of biotoxicity exposure to explore the effects of soil components on Hg bioavailability. The results show that snails incubated on the surface of slightly Hg-polluted flooded soil (2.0 mg/kg) have MeHg concentrations of 7.9 ± 1.5 mg/kg, which greatly exceed the limit of contaminants in food in China (0.5 mg/kg). The addition of ferrous disulfide can significantly increase the MeHg concentrations in soils while reducing the concentrations of total Hg (THg) and MeHg levels in snails by 59.1% and 64.3%, respectively. Peat-derived fulvic acid has the capacity to reduce the MeHg concentrations in soils and snails by 23.8% and 33.2%, respectively, whereas it increases the dissolved Hg levels in overlying water by 104.3%. Moreover, Fe–Mn oxides and humic acid can consistently reduce THg and MeHg concentrations in snails. Overall, freshwater snails bred in Hg-polluted areas may suffer from a high risk of Hg exposure, and importantly, some soil components such as ferrous disulfide and humic acid have strong inhibitory effects on Hg bioaccumulation in snails.
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Acknowledgements
This work is supported by Science and Technology Planning Project of Guizhou Province (No. Qiankehezhicheng-[2018]2336), Program Foundation of the Institute for Scientific Research of the Karst Area of NSFC-GZGOV (No. U1612442), Open Fund of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory, China (GZUKEY20191001), Fund for Newly-enrolled Talent of Guizhou University (Guidarenjihezi(2019)64) and Science and Technology Planning Project of Guizhou Province (Qiankehejichu-[2020]1Y187).
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Zhang, G., Yin, D., He, T. et al. Mercury Bioaccumulation in Freshwater Snails as Influenced by Soil Composition. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 106, 153–159 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-03071-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-020-03071-w