Role of Organic Carbon Sources and Sulfate in Controlling Net Methylmercury Production in Riverbank Sediments of the South River, VA (USA)

Abstract

ABSTRACTMercury (Hg) transport and methylmercury (MeHg) production in riverbank sediments are complex processes influenced by site-specific physical and biogeochemical conditions. The South River watershed in VA, USA, contains elevated concentrations of Hg in riverbank and floodplain sediments, which has the potential to methylate. The role of specific organic carbon sources in promoting methylation reactions in natural sediments under dynamic flow conditions is not well understood. Four saturated column experiments were conducted, including a control column, which received South River water as an influent solution, and three columns that received South River water amended with: acetate (5.8 mM); lactate (5.7 mM); and lactate (5.7 mM) with SO42− (10.1 mM). The amendments were selected to promote growth of different microorganisms to gain an understanding of the microbial processes, controlling rates of methylation. The column receiving lactate and SO42− had the highest MeHg concentrations in the effluent and in the pore water near the effluent at 1.8 and 4.9 μg L−1, respectively. At the cessation of the column experiments, the lactate–sulfate column sediments contained the highest populations of enumerable sulfur-reducing bacteria and the highest solid-phase MeHg at 530 ± 100 ng g−1 dry wt. from the interval closest to the influent. The results suggest that the form and availability of electron donors and acceptors are primary factors controlling rates of methylation in the South River sediment.