1 Recent advances have allowed for greater investigation into microbial regulation of 2 mercury toxicity in the environment. In wetlands in particular, dissolved organic matter (DOM) 3 may influence methylmercury (MeHg) production both through chemical interactions and 4 through substrate effects on microbiomes. We conducted microcosm experiments in two 5 disparate wetland environments (unveget...

forty bacteria species commonly found in soil, sediments, and sewage effluent were exposed for acclimation to inorganic and organic mercury compounds using sterilized sediments as the culture medium. screening tests for the ability of microorganisms to methylate inorganic mercury were made on all 40 species after acclimation to 13.5 mg/i mercuric chloride. additional screening tests for demethy...

Variation with depth and time of organic matter (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus), inorganic pollutant (mercury), as well as bacterial abundance and activity, were investigated for the first time in sediment profiles of different parts of Lake Geneva (Switzerland) over the last decades. The highest organic contents (about 32%), mercury concentration (27 mg kg(-1)), bacterial abundance (in order of...

The largest source of mercury to the atmosphere in the world is the burning of fossil fuels, primarily coal. Electrical power plants are estimated to account for about 25% of the global anthropogenic mercury emissions to the atmosphere and industrial and residential heating for another 20% [1]. According to the European Environmental Agency (EEA), Spain is the third country among EU27 in mercur...

The toxicity mechanisms of mercury and tin organic derivatives are still under debate. Generally the presence of organic moieties in their molecules makes these compounds lipophilic and membrane active species. The recent results suggest that Hg and Sn compounds deplete HS-groups in proteins, glutathione and glutathione-dependent enzymatic systems; this process also results in the production of...

It has been reported that mercury was contained in the tissue of, and eggs laid by hens fed experimentaly seed grains treated with methyl mercury dicyandiamide (1, 2). In the field, it has also been pointed out the remarkably high mercury contents in seed-eating birds, such as pheasants, and predatory animals living on such birds, suggesting that it may be explained by the existence of alkyl me...

Mercury, as any other heavy metal, may cause environmental damages due to its accumulation and biotransformation. Dental offices, whether private or institutional, use dental amalgam as a restorative material on a daily basis. Dental amalgam is composed of mercury (50%), silver (30%) and other metals. Approximately 30% of the amalgam prepared in dental offices (0.6 g per capsule) are wasted and...

To aid the development of IGCC technologies, the unique properties of aerogels were exploited to research purifying systems for H2S, NO, and Hg that are durable and efficient. Aerogels can be used to capture hot gases based on their high surface areas and great tendency to form composites with various other sorbents or structural supports. Silica aerogels are at the heart of the study. Sol-gel ...

Organic contaminant and total mercury concentrations were compared in four species of lamniform sharks over several age classes to examine bioaccumulation patterns and gain insights into trophic ecology. Contaminants found in young of the year (YOY) sharks were assumed to be derived from maternal sources and used as a proxy to investigate factors that influence maternal offloading processes. YO...