Spatial and vertical distribution of mercury in upland forest soils across the northeastern United States

Richardson, Justin B.; Friedland, Andrew J.; Engerbretson, Teresa R.; Kaste, James M.; Jackson, Brian P.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2013.07.011

Cited by 60 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(127 reference statements)

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“…The mercury pools in the organic (5.8 mg m À2 ) and mineral topsoil (7.0 mg m À2 ) in this study were within the range 3.5e24 and 2.0e12 mg m À2 studied by our previous study on the regional mercury pool distribution in this area. The mercury pools in soil and ecosystem were obviously higher than previous measurement in North America (Friedli et al, 2007;Obrist et al, 2009;Richardson et al, 2013), but lower compared to that in a primary subtropical forest in southwestern China (Zhou et al, 2013). This is in a good agreement with the elevated loading of mercury in subtropical forest areas Zhou et al, 2013).…”

Section: Mercury Pool In Soilssupporting

confidence: 79%

Mercury in terrestrial forested systems with highly elevated mercury deposition in southwestern China: The risk to insects and potential release from wildfires

Zhou

Wang

Sun

et al. 2016

Environmental Pollution

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a b s t r a c tForests are considered a pool of mercury in the global mercury cycle. However, few studies have investigated the distribution of mercury in the forested systems in China. Tieshanping forest catchment in southwest China was impacted by mercury emissions from industrial activities and coal combustions. Our work studied mercury content in atmosphere, soil, vegetation and insect with a view to estimating the potential for mercury release during forest fires. Results of the present study showed that total gaseous mercury (TGM) was highly elevated and the annual mean concentration was 3.51 ± 1.39 ng m À2 .Of the vegetation tissues, the mercury concentration follows the order of leaf/ needle > root > bark > branch > bole wood for each species. Total ecosystem mercury pool was 103.5 mg m À2 and about 99.4% of the mercury resides in soil layers (0e40 cm). The remaining 0.6% (0.50 mg m À2) of mercury was stored in biomass. The large mercury stocks in the forest ecosystem pose a serious threat for large pluses to the atmospheric mercury during potential wildfires and additional ecological stress to forest insect: dung beetles, cicada and longicorn, with mercury concentration of 1983 ± 446, 49 ± 38 and 7 ± 5 ng g À1 , respectively. Hence, the results obtained in the present study has implications for global estimates of mercury storage in forests, risks to forest insect and potential release to the atmosphere during wildfires.

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Section: Mercury Pool In Soilssupporting

confidence: 79%

Mercury in terrestrial forested systems with highly elevated mercury deposition in southwestern China: The risk to insects and potential release from wildfires

Zhou

Wang

Sun

et al. 2016

Environmental Pollution

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“…The estimates of THg storage in FB soil of about 2500 µg/m 2 (to 40 cm depth) are within the range of most values reported previously in forested landscapes in the northeastern US [64], and lower than those reported in peat soil and peatlands [3], [6], [13], [65]. The FB THg soil stores are less than those in a nearby watershed in the western Adirondacks of New York [16], but these latter estimates included the Oi and Oe horizons that were not sampled in FB, and also extended to a depth of 1 m, whereas THg stores were estimated only to a depth of 40 cm at FB.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Mercury in the Soil of Two Contrasting Watersheds in the Eastern United States

et al. 2014

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Soil represents the largest store of mercury (Hg) in terrestrial ecosystems, and further study of the factors associated with soil Hg storage is needed to address concerns about the magnitude and persistence of global environmental Hg bioaccumulation. To address this need, we compared total Hg and methyl Hg concentrations and stores in the soil of different landscapes in two watersheds in different geographic settings with similar and relatively high methyl Hg concentrations in surface waters and biota, Fishing Brook, Adirondack Mountains, New York, and McTier Creek, Coastal Plain, South Carolina. Median total Hg concentrations and stores in organic and mineral soil samples were three-fold greater at Fishing Brook than at McTier Creek. Similarly, median methyl Hg concentrations were about two-fold greater in Fishing Brook soil than in McTier Creek soil, but this difference was significant only for mineral soil samples, and methyl Hg stores were not significantly different among these watersheds. In contrast, the methyl Hg/total Hg ratio was significantly greater at McTier Creek suggesting greater climate-driven methylation efficiency in the Coastal Plain soil than that of the Adirondack Mountains. The Adirondack soil had eight-fold greater soil organic matter than that of the Coastal Plain, consistent with greater total Hg stores in the northern soil, but soil organic matter – total Hg relations differed among the sites. A strong linear relation was evident at McTier Creek (r2 = 0.68; p<0.001), but a linear relation at Fishing Brook was weak (r2 = 0.13; p<0.001) and highly variable across the soil organic matter content range, suggesting excess Hg binding capacity in the Adirondack soil. These results suggest greater total Hg turnover time in Adirondack soil than that of the Coastal Plain, and that future declines in stream water Hg concentrations driven by declines in atmospheric Hg deposition will be more gradual and prolonged in the Adirondacks.

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“…Acid-extractable concentrations of As, Cu, Zn, Mo, Se, and U were within the typical range of soils in the United States (Adriano 2001; Alloway 2013, Friedland et al 1986, Evans et al 2005, Kaste et al 2006, Jullierat et al 2012, Richardson et al 2013, Richardson et al 2014). Organic horizon and mineral soil TMM concentrations generally reflected their relative abundance in granitic and meta-sedimentary rocks that compose the soils of northern New England (Jersak et al 1997; Adriano 2001; Landre et al 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Many of the TMM have been enriched through atmospheric deposition from human sources with varying implications for humans and wildlife (Steinnes and Friedland, 2006; Kaste et al, 2006; Driscoll et al, 2007; Juillerat et al, 2012; Richardson et al, 2013; Richardson et al, in press ). Essential TMM, such as Cu, Mo, Ni, Se and Zn, are required by plants and animals as enzyme cofactors and micronutrients (Adriano 2001; Alloway 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trace metals and metalloids in forest soils and exotic earthworms in northern New England, USA

Richardson

Görres

Jackson

et al. 2015

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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Trace metals and metalloids (TMM) in forest soils and invasive earthworms were studied at 9 uncontaminated sites in northern New England, USA. Essential (Cu, Mo, Ni, Zn, Se) and toxic (As, Cd, Pb, Hg and U) TMM concentrations (mg kg-1) and pools (mg m-2) were quantified for organic horizons (forest floor), mineral soils and earthworm tissues. Essential TMM tissue concentrations were greatest for mineral soil-feeding earthworm Octolasion cyaneum. Toxic TMM tissue concentrations were highest for organic horizon-feeding earthworms Dendobaena octaedra, Aporrectodea rosea and Amynthas agrestis. Most earthworm species had attained tissue concentrations of Pb, Hg and Se potentially hazardous to predators. Bioaccumulation factors were Cd > Se > Hg > Zn > Pb > U > 1.0 > Cu > As > Mo > Ni. Only Cd, Se Hg and Zn were considered strongly bioaccumulated by earthworms because their average bioaccumulation factors were significantly greater than 1.0. Differences in bioaccumulation did not appear to be caused by soil concentrations as earthworm TMM tissue concentrations were poorly correlated with TMM soil concentrations. Instead, TMM bioaccumulation appears to be species and site dependent. The invasive Amynthas agrestis had the greatest tissue TMM pools, due to its large body mass and high abundance at our stands. We observed that TMM tissue pools in earthworms were comparable or exceeded organic horizon TMM pools; earthworm tissue pools of Cd were up 12 times greater than in the organic horizon. Thus, exotic earthworms may represent an unaccounted portion and flux of TMM in forests of the northeastern US. Our results highlight the importance of earthworms in TMM cycling in northern forests and warrant more research into their impact across the region.

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Spatial and vertical distribution of mercury in upland forest soils across the northeastern United States

Cited by 60 publications

References 53 publications

Mercury in terrestrial forested systems with highly elevated mercury deposition in southwestern China: The risk to insects and potential release from wildfires

Mercury in terrestrial forested systems with highly elevated mercury deposition in southwestern China: The risk to insects and potential release from wildfires

Mercury in the Soil of Two Contrasting Watersheds in the Eastern United States

Trace metals and metalloids in forest soils and exotic earthworms in northern New England, USA

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