title: Environmental contamination of mercury from Hg-mining areas in Wuchuan, northeastern Guizhou, China.
abstract: Total Hg and methyl-Hg were evaluated in mine wastes, soils, water, and vegetations from the Wuchuan Hg-mining areas, Guizhou, China. Mine wastes contain high total Hg concentrations, ranging from 79 to 710 microg g(-1), and methyl-Hg from 0.32 to 3.9 ng g(-1). Total Hg in soil samples range from 0.33 to 320 microg g(-1) and methyl-Hg from 0.69 to 20 ng g(-1). Vegetations present a high average total Hg concentration of 260 ng g(-1), which greatly exceeds the maximum Hg concentration of 20 ng g(-1) recommended by the Chinese National Standard Agency for food sources. The rice samples contain elevated methyl-Hg concentrations, ranging from 4.2 to 18 ng g(-1). Stream water collected from Hg-mining areas is also contaminated, containing Hg as high as 360 ng l(-1), and methyl-Hg reaches up to 5.7 ng l(-1). Data indicate heavy Hg-contaminations and significant conversion of methyl-Hg in the study areas.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 Guanshui Road, Guiyang, Guizhou 550002, PR China.
authors.forename: Guangle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Xinbin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Shaofeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lihai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007220:Industrial Waste; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury