Journal
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Volume 68, Issue -, Pages 194-205Publisher
SCIENCE PRESS
DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2018.04.028
Keywords
Rice paddy; Physicochemical property; Mercury mining area; Mercury; Methylmercury; Bioaccumulation factors
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [41763017]
- Program Foundation of Institute for Scientific Research of Karst Area of NSFC-GZGOV [U1612442]
- Science and Technology Planning Project of Guizhou Province [Qiankehe-[2018]2336]
- Key Discipline Construction Project, Guizhou [ZDXK[2016]11]
- Top-class Discipline Construction Project of Ecology in Guizhou Province [GNYL[2017]007]
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Rice paddy soil is recognized as the hotspot of mercury (Hg) methylation, which is mainly a biotic process mediated by many abiotic factors. In this study, effects of key soil properties on the production and bioaccumulation of Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) in Hg-contaminated rice paddies were investigated. Rice and soil samples were collected from the active Hg smelting site and abandoned Hg mining sites (a total of 124 paddy fields) in the Wanshan Mercury Mine, China. Total Hg (THg) and MeHg in soils and rice grains, together with sulfur (S), selenium (Se), organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), mineral compositions (e.g., SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3) and pH in soils were quantified. The results showed that long-term Hg mining activities had resulted in THg and MeHg contaminations in soil-rice system. The newly-deposited atmospheric Hg was more readily methylated relative to the native Hg already in soils, which could be responsible for the elevated MeHg levels in soils and rice grains around the active artificial Hg smelting site. The MeHg concentrations in soils and rice grains showed a significantly negative relationship with soil N/Hg, S/Hg and OM/Hg ratio possibly due to the formation of low-bioavailability Hg-S(N)-OM complexes in rhizosphere. The Hg-Se antagonism undoubtedly occurred in soil-rice system, while its role in bioaccumulation of MeHg in the MeHg-contaminated rice paddies was minor. However, other soil properties showed less influence on the production and bioaccumulation of MeHg in rice paddies located at the Wanshan Mercury Mine zone. (C) 2018 The Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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