Abstract
The mobility of mercury (Hg) was assessed in sediment from the Union Canal, Scotland, UK. Samples collected from the vicinity of a former munitions factory that manufactured mercury fulminate detonators were subjected to sequential extraction followed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) and direct analysis using thermal desorption (TD). The sequential extraction indicated that > 75% of mercury (up to 429 mg kg −1 ) was in mobile forms, with < 12% semimobile and < 23% nonmobile species. In the TD method, > 67% of the total Hg content was desorbed in the temperature range 100–250 °C consistent with species weakly attached to the mineral matrix [tentatively identified as an iron (oxy)hydroxide-associated species]. This predominance of mobile mercury species may arise from a lack of association between Hg and either organic matter or sulfur in the sediments. Further investigation of Hg mobilization, transport, and assimilation/biomagnification is required both to determine whether there is a need for remediation of the sediment and to improve understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of Hg in shallow, oxic, freshwater systems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 650-656 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology |
| Volume | 76 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Early online date | 19 Mar 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 May 2019 |
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Keywords
- mercury
- thermal desorption
- sequential extraction
- sediment
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Assessing mercury mobility in sediment of the Union Canal, Scotland, UK by sequential extraction and thermal desorption. / Cavoura, Olga; Davidson, Christine M.; Keenan, Helen E.; Reis, Ana T.; Pereira, Eduarda.
In: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 76, No. 4, 31.05.2019, p. 650-656.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing mercury mobility in sediment of the Union Canal, Scotland, UK by sequential extraction and thermal desorption
AU - Cavoura, Olga
AU - Davidson, Christine M.
AU - Keenan, Helen E.
AU - Reis, Ana T.
AU - Pereira, Eduarda
PY - 2019/5/31
Y1 - 2019/5/31
N2 - The mobility of mercury (Hg) was assessed in sediment from the Union Canal, Scotland, UK. Samples collected from the vicinity of a former munitions factory that manufactured mercury fulminate detonators were subjected to sequential extraction followed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) and direct analysis using thermal desorption (TD). The sequential extraction indicated that > 75% of mercury (up to 429 mg kg −1 ) was in mobile forms, with < 12% semimobile and < 23% nonmobile species. In the TD method, > 67% of the total Hg content was desorbed in the temperature range 100–250 °C consistent with species weakly attached to the mineral matrix [tentatively identified as an iron (oxy)hydroxide-associated species]. This predominance of mobile mercury species may arise from a lack of association between Hg and either organic matter or sulfur in the sediments. Further investigation of Hg mobilization, transport, and assimilation/biomagnification is required both to determine whether there is a need for remediation of the sediment and to improve understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of Hg in shallow, oxic, freshwater systems.
AB - The mobility of mercury (Hg) was assessed in sediment from the Union Canal, Scotland, UK. Samples collected from the vicinity of a former munitions factory that manufactured mercury fulminate detonators were subjected to sequential extraction followed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) and direct analysis using thermal desorption (TD). The sequential extraction indicated that > 75% of mercury (up to 429 mg kg −1 ) was in mobile forms, with < 12% semimobile and < 23% nonmobile species. In the TD method, > 67% of the total Hg content was desorbed in the temperature range 100–250 °C consistent with species weakly attached to the mineral matrix [tentatively identified as an iron (oxy)hydroxide-associated species]. This predominance of mobile mercury species may arise from a lack of association between Hg and either organic matter or sulfur in the sediments. Further investigation of Hg mobilization, transport, and assimilation/biomagnification is required both to determine whether there is a need for remediation of the sediment and to improve understanding of the biogeochemical cycling of Hg in shallow, oxic, freshwater systems.
KW - mercury
KW - thermal desorption
KW - sequential extraction
KW - sediment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063209126&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://link.springer.com/journal/244
U2 - 10.1007/s00244-019-00615-y
DO - 10.1007/s00244-019-00615-y
M3 - Article
VL - 76
SP - 650
EP - 656
JO - Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
JF - Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
SN - 0090-4341
IS - 4
ER -