Methylated and Elemental Mercury Cycling in Surface and Deep Ocean Waters of the North Atlantic

Abstract

Biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg) in the ocean and air-sea exchange are integral parts of the global Hg cycle. Ionic Hg (i.e. reactive Hg-Hg°) is converted in ocean surface waters to elemental Hg (Hg°) with the subsequent loss, via gas evasion, of the Hg° to the atmosphere. During a recent cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean, Hg° in surface waters was a substantial fraction of the reactive Hg (85%, on average) and there was a relationship between photosynthetic pigment concentration and Hg°. In addition, there was evidence of Hg bound to “collodial” material (of greater than 1,000 molecular weight). Ionic Hg concentrations were around 0.15 pM, similar to the average colloidal Hg concentration of 0.2 pM. Methylated Hg compounds, both dimethylHg (DMHg) and monomethylHg (MMHg), were found in the deeper waters with DMHg being the predominant methylated species. This contrasts with freshwater lakes where MMHg is the principal species and no DMHg has been found. Preliminary modelling, using estimated rate constants for the formation and decomposition of DMHg and MMHg, predicts an enhanced stability of DMHg in ocean waters relative to fresh water. Deep ocean waters, formed by sinking of surface waters, can preserve DMHg that was produced in the more productive surface regime.