title: Predicted no-effect concentrations for mercury species and ecological risk assessment for mercury pollution in aquatic environment.
abstract: Mercury (Hg) exists in different chemical forms presenting varied toxic potentials. It is necessary to explore an ecological risk assessment method for different mercury species in aquatic environment. The predicted no-effect concentrations (PNECs) for Hg(II) and methyl mercury (MeHg) in the aqueous phase, calculated using the species sensitivity distribution method and the assessment factor method, were 0.39 and 6.5×10(-3)μg/L, respectively. The partition theory of Hg between sediment and aqueous phases was considered, along with PNECs for the aqueous phase to conduct an ecological risk assessment for Hg in the sediment phase. Two case studies, one in China and one in the Western Black Sea, were conducted using these PNECs. The toxicity of mercury is heavily dependent on their forms, and their potential ecological risk should be respectively evaluated on the basis of mercury species.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Water Quality Monitoring Center of Beijing Waterworks Group Company Limited, Beijing 100192, China. Electronic address: meng820701@163.com.
authors: Meng
authors: M
authors: Du
authors: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. Electronic address: weidb@rcees.ac.cn.
authors: Dongbin
authors: D
authors: Wei
authors: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
authors: Zhuowei
authors: Z
authors: Tan
authors: Water Quality Monitoring Center of Beijing Waterworks Group Company Limited, Beijing 100192, China.
authors: Aiwu
authors: A
authors: Lin
authors: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
authors: Yuguo
authors: Y
authors: Du
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000187:drug effects; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000633:toxicity*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010944:Plants / Q000187:drug effects; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000378:metabolism; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D017669:Mercury Compounds; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Ecological risk assessment; Mercury; Predicted no-effect concentration; Species