Extremely elevated methyl mercury levels in water, sediment and organisms in a Romanian reservoir affected by release of mercury from a chlor-alkali plant.
We examined mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry and biomagnification in the Babeni Reservoir, a system strongly affected by the release of Hg from a chlor-alkali plant. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in river water reached 88 ng L(-1) but decreased rapidly in the reservoir (to 9 ng L(-1)). In contrast, monomethylmercury (MMHg) concentrations increased from the upstream part of the reservoir to the central part (0.7 ng L(-1)), suggesting high methylation within the reservoir. Moreover, vertical water column profiles of THg and MMHg indicated that Hg methylation mainly occurred deep in the water column and at the sediment-water interface. The discharge of Hg from a chlor-alkali plant in Valcea region caused the highest MMHg concentrations ever found in non-piscivorous fish worldwide. MMHg concentrations and bioconcentration factors (BCF) of plankton and macrophytes revealed that the highest biomagnification of MMHg takes place in primary producers.
Institute F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland. Electronic address: andrea.garcia@gmail.com.
Andrea Garcia
AG
Bravo
Institute F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
Claudia
C
Cosio
Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique Bio-Inorganique et Environnement, IPREM UMR 5254 CNRS - Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, Hélioparc, 64053 Pau, France.
David
D
Amouroux
Environmental Geosciences, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Jakob
J
Zopfi
Institute Terre-Nature-Paysage, 150 Route de Presinge, 1254 Jussy, Switzerland.
Pierre-Alain
PA
Chevalley
Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Jorge E
JE
Spangenberg
Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Viorel-Gheorghe
VG
Ungureanu
Institute F.-A. Forel, University of Geneva, 10, Route de Suisse, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
Janusz
J
Dominik
D000468:Alkalies / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D058448:Biota; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005374:Filtration; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020387:Food Chain; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000378:metabolism; D008628:Mercury; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D016062:Porosity; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012383:Romania; D013431:Sulfates / Q000032:analysis; D013440:Sulfides / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D000468:Alkalies; D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D013431:Sulfates; D013440:Sulfides; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D008628:Mercury
Biomagnification; Chlor-alkali; Fish; Mercury; Methylation; Reservoir