The impact of acid mine drainage on the methylmercury cycling at the sediment-water interface in Aha Reservoir, Guizhou, China.

Abstract

The methylmercury (MeHg) cycling at water-sediment interface in an acid mine drainage (AMD)-polluted reservoir (Aha Reservoir) and a reference site (Hongfeng Reservoir) were investigated and compared. Both reservoirs are seasonal anoxic and alkaline. The concentrations of sulfate, sulfide, iron, and manganese in Aha Reservoir were enriched compared to the reference levels in Hongfeng reservoir due to the AMD input. It was found that the MeHg accumulation layer in Aha Reservoir transitioned from the top sediment layer in winter to the water-sediment interface in spring and then to the overlying water above sediment in summer. It supported the assumption that spring methylation activity may start in sediments and migrate into the water column with seasonal variation. The weaker methylation in sediment during spring and summer was caused by the excessive sulfide (∼15-20μM) that reduced the bioavailability of mercury, while sulfate reduction potential was in the optimal range for the methylation in the overlying water. This led to a transport flux of MeHg from water to sediment in spring and summer. In contrast, such inversion of MeHg accumulation layer did not occur in Hongfeng Reservoir. The sulfate reduction potential was in the optimal range for the methylation in top sediment, and dissolved MeHg was positively related to sulfide in pore water of Hongfeng Reservoir (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). This result suggested that accumulation of MeHg in lake water and cycling of MeHg at sediment-water interface associate with some sensitive environmental factors, such as sulfur.