Abstract
Purpose
Mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) are easily released from sediments to overlying water and cause secondary contamination. In general, Hg concentrations are low in natural aquatic environments, but Hg toxicity is high. Therefore, it is important to assess the mobility and release risks of Hg and MeHg from surface sediment using in situ high-resolution sampling techniques.
Methods
The profile distribution of Hg and MeHg was obtained for samples from Weishan sub-lake (WL) and Dushan sub-lake (DL) of Nansi Lake, China, by high-resolution dialysis (HR-Peeper probes) and the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique at mm-resolution. Furthermore, Hg mobility and release risks in sediments were evaluated by combining BCR (European Community Reference Bureau) extraction and DGT-measured data.
Results
The soluble concentrations of Hg in surface sediments in WL and DL were 21.70 and 19.38 ng L−1 and the DGT-labile concentration of Hg were 8.21 and 10.30 ng L−1, respectively. The soluble and labile Hg and MeHg concentrations were higher in the surface sediments (from −40 to 0 mm) than in deep sediments. The distribution of the labile-Hg was controlled by the ferrimanganic (hydr)oxide and total nitrogen rather than organic carbon content. The non-residual components accounted for a greater proportion of the interface, which further confirmed Hg was more active on the surface layer of the sediment. The resupply ability indicated that the release of Hg from sediment was insufficient to maintain the initial concentration in the porewater before consumption. The MeHg fluxes in WL (6.18 ng m−2 day−1) were twice those in DL (2.89 ng m−2 day−1), and the risk assessment code revealed a higher risk in the surface layer (25.21–61.88%) than in the deep layer (0–27.75%).
Conclusions
Dissolved Hg and MeHg accumulated on the surface of the sediments and were more active than in the deeper sediments. The DGT-labile state can be used for a better understanding of the bioavailability and mobility of Hg. The diffusion direction of Hg and MeHg was from sediment to the overlying water. The release risks of Hg and MeHg from surface sediments (especially in WL) were found to be worthy of concern.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The experimental data on which this manuscript is based can be obtained, on request, from the corresponding author (youngliyuan@126.com).
References
Berzas Nevado JJ, Rodriguez Martin-Doimeadios RC, Guzman Bernardo FJ, Jimenez Moreno M, Herculano AM, do Nascimento JL, Crespo-Lopez ME (2010) Mercury in the Tapajos River basin, Brazilian Amazon: a review. Environ Int 36(6):593–608. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2010.03.011
Benoit JM, Gilmour CC, Mason RP, Heyes A (1999) Sulfide controls on mercury speciation and bioavailability to methylating bacteria in sediment pore waters. Environ Sci Technol 33:951–957. https://doi.org/10.1021/es9808200
Bratkic A, Klun K, Gao Y (2019) Mercury speciation in various aquatic systems using passive sampling technique of diffusive gradients in thin-film. Sci Total Environ 663(1):297–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.241
Bravo AG, Cosio C, Amouroux D, Zopfi J, Chevalley PA, Spangenberg JE, Ungureanu VG, Dominik J (2014) Extremely elevated methyl mercury levels in water, sediment and organisms in a Romanian reservoir affected by release of mercury from a chlor-alkali plant. Water Res 49:391–405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres2013.10.024
Breiman L (2001) Random forests. Mach Learn 45(1):5–32
Chen M, Cui J, Lin J, Ding S, Gong M, Ren M, Tsang DCW (2018) Successful control of internal phosphorus loading after sediment dredging for 6 years: a field assessment using high-resolution sampling techniques. Sci Total Environ 616–617:927–936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.227
Choe KY, Gill GA, Lehman RD, Han S, Heim WA, Coale KH (2004) Sediment–water exchange of total mercury and monomethyl mercury in the San Francisco Bay-Delta. Limnol Oceanogr 49(5):1512–1527. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2004.49.5.1512
Claveau J, Monperrus M, Jarry M, Pinaly H, Baudrimont M, Gonzalez P, Amouroux D, Bardonnet A, Bolliet V (2015) Spatial and seasonal variations of methylmercury in European glass eels (Anguilla anguilla) in the Adour estuary (France) and relation to their migratory behaviour. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22:10721–10732. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4303-3
CNEMC (1990) Chinese soil element background concentent. China National Environmental Monitoring Center, Beijing
Covelli S, Faganeli J, Vittor CD, Predonzani S, Acquavita A, Horvat M (2008) Benthic fluxes of mercury species in a lagoon environment (Grado Lagoon, Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy). Appl Geochem 23:529–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2007.12.011
Davison W, Zhang H (1994) In situ speciation measurements of trace components in natural waters using thin-film gels. Nature 367:546–548. https://doi.org/10.1038/367546a0
Diez EG, Loizeau JL, Cosio C, Bouchet S, Adatte T, Amouroux D, Bravo AG (2016) Role of settling particles on mercury methylation in the oxic water column of freshwater systems. Environ Sci Technol 50:11672–11679. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b03260
Ding S, Han C, Wang Y, Yao L, Wang Y, Xu D, Sun Q, Williams PN, Zhang C (2015) In situ, high-resolution imaging of labile phosphorus in sediments of a large eutrophic lake. Water Res 74:100–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2015.02.008
Ding S, Sun Q, Xu D, Jia F, He X, Zhang C (2012) High-resolution simultaneous measurements of dissolved reactive phosphorus and dissolved sulfide: the first observation of their simultaneous release in sediments. Environ Sci Technol 46:8297–8304. https://doi.org/10.1021/es301134h
Drott A, Lambertsson L, Bjorn E, Skyllberg U (2007) Importance of dissolved neutral mercury sulfides for methyl mercury production in contaminated sediments. Environ Sci Technol 41:2270–2276. https://doi.org/10.1021/es061724z
Drott A, Lambertsson L, Bjorn E, Skyllberg U (2008) Do potential methylation rates reflect accumulated methyl mercury in contaminated sediments? Environ Sci Technol 42:153–158. https://doi.org/10.1021/es0715851
EPA (2017) Minamata Convention on Mercury. http://www.mercuryconvention.org/
Faganeli J, Hines ME, Horvat M, Falnoga I, Covelli S (2014) Methylmercury in the gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea): from microbial sources to seafood consumers. Food Technol Biotech 52:188–197
Feng X, Bai W, Shang L, He T, Qiu G, Yan H (2011) Mercury speciation and distribution in Aha Reservoir which was contaminated by coal mining activities in Guiyang, Guizhou, China. Appl Geochem 26:213–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2010.11.021
Fones GR, Davison W, Holly O, Jorgensen BB, Thamdrup B (2001) High-resolution metal gradients measured by in situ DGT/DET deployment in Black Sea sediments using an autonomous benthic lander. Limnol Oceanogr 46:982–988. https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2001.46.4.0982
Gao B, Han L, Hao H, Zhou H (2016) Pollution characteristics of mercury (Hg) in surface sediments of major basins, China. Ecol Indic 67:577–585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.03.031
Gao L, Gao B, Zhou Y, Xu D, Sun K (2017) Predicting remobilization characteristics of cobalt in riparian soils in the Miyun Reservoir prior to water retention. Ecol Indic 80:196–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2017.05.024
Gao Y, Baeyens W, De Galan S, Poffijn A, Leermakers M (2010) Mobility of radium and trace metals in sediments of the Winterbeek: application of sequential extraction and DGT techniques. Environ Pollut 158:2439–2445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.03.022
Gill GA, Bloom NS, Cappellino S, Driscoll CT, Dobbs C, Mcshea L, Mason R, Rudd JW (1999) Sediment-water fluxes of mercury in Lavaca Bay, Texas. Environ Sci Technol 33:663–669. https://doi.org/10.1021/es980380c
Hammerschmidt CR, Fitzgerald WF (2004) Geochemical controls on the production and distribution of methylmercury in near-shore marine sediments. Environ Sci Technol 38:1487–1495. https://doi.org/10.1021/es034528q
Haris H, Aris AZ, Mokhtar M (2017) Mercury and methylmercury distribution in the intertidal surface sediment of a heavily anthrophogenically impacted saltwater-mangrove-sediment interplay zone. Chemosphere 166:323–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2016.09.045
Hsu-Kim H, Kucharzyk KH, Zhang T, Deshusses MA (2013) Mechanisms regulating mercury bioavailability for methylating microorganisms in the aquatic environment: a critical review. Environ Sci Technol 47:2441–2456. https://doi.org/10.1021/es304370g
Jin Z, Ding S, Sun Q, Gao S, Fu Z, Gong M, Lin J, Wang D, Wang Y (2019) High resolution spatiotemporal sampling as a tool for comprehensive assessment of zinc mobility and pollution in sediments of a eutrophic lake. J Hazard Mater 364:182–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2018.09.067
Leermakers M, Gao Y, Gabelle C, Lojen S, Ouddane B, Wartel M, Baeyens W (2005) Determination of high resolution pore water profiles of trace metals in sediments of the Rupel River (Belgium) using det (diffusive equilibrium in thin films) and DGT (diffusive gradients in thin films) techniques. Water Air Soil Poll 166:265–286. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-005-6671-7
Li Y, Tang C, Wang J, Acharya K, Du W, Gao X, Luo L, Li H, Dai S, Mercy J, Yu Z, Pan B (2017) Effect of wave-current interactions on sediment resuspension in large shallow Lake Taihu. China Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:4029–4039. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-8165-0
Liu E, Shen J, Yang L, Zhang E, Meng X, Wang J (2010) Assessment of heavy metal contamination in the sediments of Nansihu Lake Catchment, China. Environ Monit Assess 161:217–227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0739-y
Liu X, Feng J, Wang Y (2019) Chlorophyll a predictability and relative importance of factors governing lake phytoplankton at different timescales. Sci Total Environ 648:472–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.146
Ma X, Li C, Yang L, Ding S, Zhang M, Zhang Y, Zhao T (2020) Evaluating the mobility and labile of As and Sb using diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) in the sediments of Nansi Lake. China Sci Total Environ 713:136569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136569
Maiz I, Arambarri I, Garcia R, Minnan GE (2000) Evaluation of heavy metal availability in polluted soils by two sequential extraction procedures using factor analysis. Environ Pollut 110:3–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(99)00287-0
Ndu U, Christensen GA, Rivera NA, Gionfriddo CM, Deshusses MA, Elias DA, Hsu-Kim H (2018) Quantification of mercury bioavailability for methylation using diffusive gradient in thin-film samplers. Environ Sci Technol 52:8521–8529. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b00647Oswald
Pang X, Dai J, Hu X, Song Z, Yu C, Chen L, Zhang H, Liu H, Wang Z, Zhao X, Zeng X, Ren W (2018) Background values of soil geochemistry in Shangdong province. Shangdong Land and Resource 34:39–43
Pisanello F, Marziali L, Rosignoli F, Poma G, Roscioli C, Pozzoni F, Guzzella L (2016) In situ bioavailability of DDT and Hg in sediments of the Toce River (Lake Maggiore basin, Northern Italy): accumulation in benthic invertebrates and passive samplers. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23:10542–10555. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-5900-x
Ren M, Wang Y, Ding S, Yang L, Sun Q, Zhang L (2018a) Development of a new diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) method for the simultaneous measurement of CH3Hg+ and Hg2+. New J Chem 42:7976–7983. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nj00211h
Ren M, Yang L, Wang L, Han X, Dai J, Pang X (2018b) Spatial trends and pollution assessment for mercury in the surface soils of the Nansi Lake catchment, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 25:2417–2424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0554-5
Sakan S, Sakan N, Anđelković I, Trifunović S, Đorđević D (2017) Study of potential harmful elements (arsenic, mercury and selenium) in surface sediments from Serbian rivers and artificial lakes. J Geochem Explor 180:24–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2017.06.006
Wang S, Zhang M, Li B, Xing D, Wang X, Wei C, Jia Y (2012) Comparison of mercury speciation and distribution in the water column and sediments between the algal type zone and the macrophytic type zone in a hypereutrophic lake (Dianchi Lake) in Southwestern China. Sci Total Environ 417–418:204–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2011.12.036
Wang Y, Ding S, Ren M, Li C, Xu S, Sun Q, Xu L (2019) Enhanced DGT capability for measurements of multiple types of analytes using synergistic effects among different binding agents. Sci Total Environ 657:446–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.016
Wang Y, Ding S, Wang D, Sun Q, Lin J, Lei S, Chen M, Zhang C (2017) Static layer: A key to immobilization of phosphorus in sediments amended with lanthanum modified bentonite (Phoslock®). Chem Eng J 325:49–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2017.05.039
Xu D, Wu W, Ding S, Sun Q, Zhang C (2012) A high-resolution dialysis technique for rapid determination of dissolved reactive phosphate and ferrous iron in pore water of sediments. Sci Total Environ 421–422:245–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.01.062
Xu D, Gao B, Peng W, Gao L, Wan X, Li Y (2019) Application of DGT/DIFS and geochemical baseline to assess Cd release risk in reservoir riparian soils. China Sci Total Environ 646:1546–1553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.262
Yang L, Wang L, Wang Y, Zhang W (2015) Geochemical speciation and pollution assessment of heavy metals in surface sediments from Nansi Lake, China Environ Monit Assess 187:261. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4480-z
Yang L, Zhang W, Ren M, Cao F, Chen F, Zhang Y, Shang L (2020) Mercury distribution in a typical shallow lake in northern China and its re-emission from sediment. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 192:110316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110316
Yin H, Cai Y, Duan H, Gao J, Fan C (2014) Use of DGT and conventional methods to predict sediment metal bioavailability to a field inhabitant freshwater snail (Bellamya aeruginosa) from Chinese eutrophic lakes. J Hazard Mater 264:184–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2013.11.030
Zhang H, Davison W (1995) Performence characteristics of diffusion gradients in thin films for the in situ measurement of trace metals in aqueous solutions. Anal Chem 67:3391–3400. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac00115a005
Zhang H, Davison W (2015) Use of diffusive gradients in thin-films for studies of chemical speciation and bioavailability. Environ Chem 12:85. https://doi.org/10.1071/en14105
Zhang M, Li C, Yang L, Ding S, Ma X, Zhang Y, Zhao T (2020) Application of DGT/DIFS combined with BCR to assess the mobility and release risk of heavy metals in the sediments of Nansi Lake, China. Environ Geochem Health 42:3765–3778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00638-8
Zhang W, Cao F, Yang L, Dai J, Pang X (2018) Distribution, fractionation and risk assessment of mercury in surficial sediments of Nansi Lake, China. Environ Geochem Health 40:115–125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-9922-9
Zhu G, Chen Y (2001) A review of geochemical behaviors and environmental effects of organic matter in sediments. J Lake Sci 13(3):272–279
Funding
This study was cofounded by the Key R&D plan of Shandong province in 2019 (Public Welfare Project) (2019GSF110016) and Major Water Conservancy Research and technology promotion projects in Shandong Province (SDSLKY201008-01).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Informed consent
Authors the undersigned declare that this manuscript entitled “Evaluating the mercury distribution and release risks in sediments using high-resolution technology in Nansi Lake, China” is original, has not been published before, and is not currently being considered for publication elsewhere. We confirm that the manuscript has been read and approved by all named authors and that there are no other persons who satisfied the criteria for authorship but are not listed. We further confirm that the order of authors listed in the manuscript has been approved by all of us.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible editor: Hongbin Yin
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, M., Li, C., Ma, X. et al. Evaluating the mercury distribution and release risks in sediments using high-resolution technology in Nansi Lake, China. J Soils Sediments 21, 3466–3478 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-02994-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-021-02994-z