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Mercury speciation, distribution, and bioaccumulation in a river catchment impacted by compact fluorescent lamp manufactures

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Abstract

The influence from the manufacturing of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) on mercury (Hg) speciation and distribution in river catchments nearby a typical CFL manufacturing area in China was investigated. Water, sediment, river snail (Procambarus clarkii), and macrophyte (Paspalum distichum L.) samples were collected. Total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in water ranged from 1.06 to 268 ng · L−1 and N.D. −2.14 ng · L−1, respectively. MeHg was significantly positively correlated with THg in water. THg and MeHg in sediment ranged from 15.0 to 2480 and 0.06 to 1.85 ng · g−1, respectively. River snail samples exhibited high concentrations of THg (206–1437 ng · g−1) and MeHg (31.4–404 ng · g−1). THg and MeHg concentrations in root of P. distichum L. were significantly higher than those in shoot, indicating that THg and MeHg in the plant were mainly attributed to root assimilation. A very high bioaccumulation factor (20.9 ± 22.1) for MeHg in P. distichum L was noted, suggesting that P. distichum L. might have a potential role in phytoremediating MeHg contaminated soil due to its abnormal uptake capacity to MeHg.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from the Innovative Team Foundation of Zhejiang Province (2013TD12), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21307114, 21577130), and Zhejiang Provincial Public Techniques Research and Social Development Project (2015C33050) are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang Agricultural and Forest University, Lin’an, Zhejiang Province, 311300, People’s Republic of China

    Peng Liang, Qiongzhi You, Jin Zhang, Yucheng Cao & Shengchun Wu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, People’s Republic of China

    Peng Liang & Xinbin Feng

  3. Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 311300, China

    Peng Liang, Jin Zhang, Yucheng Cao & Shengchun Wu

  4. Department of Biology and Croucher Institute for Environmental Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

    Anna Oi Wah Leung

Authors
  1. Peng Liang
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  2. Xinbin Feng
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  3. Qiongzhi You
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  4. Jin Zhang
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  5. Yucheng Cao
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  6. Anna Oi Wah Leung
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  7. Shengchun Wu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Xinbin Feng or Shengchun Wu.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Capsule abstract Compact fluorescent lamp manufacturing activities result in Hg pollution in local river catchment. Paspalum distichum L. might be potentially useful for the accumulation of MeHg.

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Liang, P., Feng, X., You, Q. et al. Mercury speciation, distribution, and bioaccumulation in a river catchment impacted by compact fluorescent lamp manufactures. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 10903–10910 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6229-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6229-9

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