Mercury biogeochemical cycling: A synthesis of recent scientific advances

Gustin, Mae Sexauer; Bank, Michael S.; Bishop, Kevin; Bowman, Katlin L.; Branfireun, Brian A.; Chételat, John; Eckley, Chris S.; Hammerschmidt, Chad R.; Lamborg, Carl H.; Lyman, Seth; Cortizas, Antonio Martínez; Sommar, Jonas; Tsui, Martin Tsz‐Ki; Zhang, Tong

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139619

Cited by 63 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 217 publications

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“…Mercury is ubiquitous in volcanic active regions, and anthropogenic activities release large amounts of Hg into the environment [ 100 ]. The chemical speciation of Hg determines its mobility and toxicity, and the fetal brain is particularly vulnerable, with accumulated Hg concentrations 5–7 times higher than in maternal blood [ 101 , 102 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 ]; (4) NPs have extraordinary variations in terms of sources, chemical composition, shape, size, valence, corona formation, etc., which means that we are in a very difficult position to define and to study their direct effect upon placentas and fetuses across pregnancies, diverse environments, and NP sources; (5) genetic, nutritional, and metabolic maternal factors play a role in the fetal response to neurotoxicants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Nanoparticles Reach Human Fetal Brains

et al. 2022

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Anthropogenic ultrafine particulate matter (UFPM) and industrial and natural nanoparticles (NPs) are ubiquitous. Normal term, preeclamptic, and postconceptional weeks(PCW) 8–15 human placentas and brains from polluted Mexican cities were analyzed by TEM and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We documented NPs in maternal erythrocytes, early syncytiotrophoblast, Hofbauer cells, and fetal endothelium (ECs). Fetal ECs exhibited caveolar NP activity and widespread erythroblast contact. Brain ECs displayed micropodial extensions reaching luminal NP-loaded erythroblasts. Neurons and primitive glia displayed nuclear, organelle, and cytoplasmic NPs in both singles and conglomerates. Nanoscale Fe, Ti, and Al alloys, Hg, Cu, Ca, Sn, and Si were detected in placentas and fetal brains. Preeclamptic fetal blood NP vesicles are prospective neonate UFPM exposure biomarkers. NPs are reaching brain tissues at the early developmental PCW 8–15 stage, and NPs in maternal and fetal placental tissue compartments strongly suggests the placental barrier is not limiting the access of environmental NPs. Erythroblasts are the main early NP carriers to fetal tissues. The passage of UFPM/NPs from mothers to fetuses is documented and fingerprinting placental single particle composition could be useful for postnatal risk assessments. Fetal brain combustion and industrial NPs raise medical concerns about prenatal and postnatal health, including neurological and neurodegenerative lifelong consequences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Nanoparticles Reach Human Fetal Brains

et al. 2022

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“…As seawater MeHg data were not available at a large spatial scale and high resolution in the Pacific Ocean, we used a suite of physical and biogeochemical variables known to influence MeHg production in seawater ( 4 , 57 , 61 , 62 ) in addition to Hg environmental data. Variables included sea surface temperature (SST, °C), depth of net heterotrophy (meters), depth of oxycline (meters), depth of the mixed layer (MLD, meters), total chlorophyll (Chl-a, milligrams ⋅ meters −3 ) averaged over the upper 100 m, and vertically integrated net primary production (NPP, milligrams C ⋅ meters −2 ⋅ days −1 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence that Pacific tuna mercury levels are driven by marine methylmercury production and anthropogenic inputs

Médieu

Point

Itai

et al. 2022

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Pacific Ocean tuna is among the most-consumed seafood products but contains relatively high levels of the neurotoxin methylmercury. Limited observations suggest tuna mercury levels vary in space and time, yet the drivers are not well understood. Here, we map mercury concentrations in skipjack tuna across the Pacific Ocean and build generalized additive models to quantify the anthropogenic, ecological, and biogeochemical drivers. Skipjack mercury levels display a fivefold spatial gradient, with maximum concentrations in the northwest near Asia, intermediate values in the east, and the lowest levels in the west, southwest, and central Pacific. Large spatial differences can be explained by the depth of the seawater methylmercury peak near low-oxygen zones, leading to enhanced tuna mercury concentrations in regions where oxygen depletion is shallow. Despite this natural biogeochemical control, the mercury hotspot in tuna caught near Asia is explained by elevated atmospheric mercury concentrations and/or mercury river inputs to the coastal shelf. While we cannot ignore the legacy mercury contribution from other regions to the Pacific Ocean (e.g., North America and Europe), our results suggest that recent anthropogenic mercury release, which is currently largest in Asia, contributes directly to present-day human mercury exposure.

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“…Unlike other trace metals, atmospheric Hg mainly exists as gaseous elemental Hg (Hg(0)), which accounts for more than 95% of total gaseous Hg. Hg(0) has an atmospheric residence time of ∼0.5–2 year. , Once an atom of Hg is emitted into the atmosphere, it can remain in circulation for >1000 years, allowing for long-range transport to remote areas prior to being scavenged via wet or dry deposition. − The sources of Hg in surface soil are derived from atmospheric deposition of Hg(0) and oxidized Hg (Hg(II)), ,, as well as geological weathering . Storage in soil accounts for >90% of Hg in upland forest ecosystems, , with global topsoil Hg pools possibly accounting for >1088 ± 379 Gg .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement of the Vertical Distribution of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Concentration in Soil Pore Air of Subtropical and Temperate Forests

Zhou

Wang

Zhang

et al. 2021

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Solid–gas–water phase partitioning of mercury (Hg) and the processes governing its diffusivity within soils are poorly studied. In this study, landscape and forest species dependences of gaseous elemental Hg (Hg(0)) in soil profiles (0–50 cm) were investigated over four seasons in eight subtropical (130 days) and temperate (96 days) forest plots. The vertical soil pore Hg(0) concentrations differed between subtropical (Masson pine, broad-leaved forest, and open field) and temperate (Chinese pine, larch, mixed broad-leaf forests, and open field) catchments, with annual averages ranging from 6.73 to 15.8 and 0.95 to 2.08 ng m–3, respectively. The highest Hg(0) concentrations in soil gas consistently occurred in the upper mineral or organic horizons, indicating immobilization of Hg(0) in mineral soils. A strongly positive relationship between pore Hg(0) concentrations and ratios of Hg to organic matter (SOM) in soils suggests that the vertical distribution of Hg(0) is related to soil Hg(0) formation by Hg(II) reduction and sorption to SOM. Temperature was also an important driver of Hg(0) production in soil pores. Based on measurements of soil–air Hg(0) exchange, diffusion coefficients (D s) of Hg(0) between soil and atmosphere were calculated for field sites, providing a foundation for future development and validation of terrestrial Hg models.

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Mercury biogeochemical cycling: A synthesis of recent scientific advances

Cited by 63 publications

References 217 publications

Environmental Nanoparticles Reach Human Fetal Brains

Environmental Nanoparticles Reach Human Fetal Brains

Evidence that Pacific tuna mercury levels are driven by marine methylmercury production and anthropogenic inputs

Measurement of the Vertical Distribution of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Concentration in Soil Pore Air of Subtropical and Temperate Forests

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