Stable Hg isotope signatures in creek sediments impacted by a former Hg mine

Environmental Science and Technology

Volumn 49, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 767-776

  Smith, Robin S ^a   Wiederhold, Jan G ^a   Jew, Adam D ^b   Brown, Gordon E ^b   Bourdon, Bernard ^c   Kretzschmar, Ruben ^a  

^a ETH ZURICH   (Switzerland)

^b STANFORD UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^c UNIVERSITÉ DE LYON   (France)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ISOTOPES;

CLAY FRACTIONS; HG CONCENTRATIONS; HG STABLE ISOTOPES; ISOTOPE SIGNATURES; MASS-INDEPENDENT FRACTIONATION; MINING AREAS; SEDIMENT SAMPLES; SPATIAL SCALE;

SEDIMENTS;

MERCURY; STABLE ISOTOPE; FRESH WATER; WATER POLLUTANT;

FRACTIONATION; MERCURY (ELEMENT); POLLUTION INCIDENCE; POLLUTION MONITORING; SEDIMENT POLLUTION; STABLE ISOTOPE; TAILINGS;

ARTICLE; CLAY; COLLOID; CONTROLLED STUDY; FRACTIONATION; ISOTOPE TRACING; LEACHING; MINING; SAND; SEDIMENT; UNITED STATES; WASTE; ANALYSIS; CHEMISTRY; ECOSYSTEM; ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING; PROCEDURES; WATER POLLUTANT;

UNITED STATES;

CALIFORNIA; CHEMICAL FRACTIONATION; ECOSYSTEM; ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING; FRESH WATER; GEOLOGIC SEDIMENTS; MERCURY; MERCURY ISOTOPES; MINING; WATER POLLUTANTS, CHEMICAL;

EID: 84921787525     PISSN: 0013936X     EISSN: 15205851     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1021/es503442p     Document Type: Article

References (66)

1. UNEP. Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport; Chemicals Branch: Geneva, Switzerland, 2013.
2. WHO. Mercury and Health; World Health Organization: Brussels, September 2013, 2013.
3. Bergquist, B. A.; Blum, J. D. The odds and evens of mercury isotopes: Applications of mass-dependent and mass-independent isotope fractionation. Elements 2009, 353-357.
4. Blum, J. D.; Bergquist, B. A. Reporting of variations in the natural isotopic composition of mercury. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2007, 388, 353-359.
5. Blum, J. D. Applications of stable mercury isotopes to biogeochemistry. In Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry; Baskaran, M., Ed.; Springer: Berlin, 2011; pp 229-245.
6. Blum, J. D.; Sherman, L. S.; Johnson, M. W. Mercury isotopes in earth and environmental sciences. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 2014, 42, 249-269.
7. Hintelmann, H.; Zheng, W. Tracking geochemical transformations and transport of mercury through isotope fractionation. In Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology of Mercury; Liu, G., Cai, Y., O'Driscoll, N., Ed.; John Wiley & Sons, 2012; pp 293-327.
8. Feng, X. B.; Foucher, D.; Hintelmann, H.; Yan, H. Y.; He, T. R.; Qiu, G. L. Tracing mercury contamination sources in sediments using mercury isotope compositions. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010, 44, 3363-3368.
9. Foucher, D.; Hintelmann, H.; Al, T. A.; MacQuarrie, K. T. Mercury isotope fractionation in waters and sediments of the Murray Brook mine watershed (New Brunswick, Canada): Tracing mercury contamination and transformation. Chem. Geol. 2013, 336, 87-95.
10. Foucher, D.; Ogrinc, N.; Hintelmann, H. Tracing mercury contamination from the Idrija Mining Region (Slovenia) to the Gulf of Trieste using Hg isotope ratio measurements. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43, 33-39.
11. Gehrke, G. E.; Blum, J. D.; Marvin-DiPasquale, M. Sources of mercury to San Francisco Bay surface sediment as revealed by mercury stable isotopes. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2011, 75, 691-705.
12. Liu, J. L.; Feng, X. B.; Yin, R. S.; Zhu, W.; Li, Z. G. Mercury distributions and mercury isotope signatures in sediments of Dongjiang, the Pearl River Delta, China. Chem. Geol. 2011, 287, 81-89.
13. Wiederhold, J. G.; Skyllberg, U.; Drott, A.; Jiskra, M.; Jonsson, S.; Björn, E.; Bourdon, B.; Kretzschmar, R. Mercury isotope signatures in contaminated sediments as tracer for local industrial pollution sources. Environ. Sci. Technol., DOI: 10.1021/es5044358.
14. Yin, R. S.; Feng, X. B.; Wang, J. X.; Li, P.; Liu, J. L.; Zhang, Y.; Chen, J. B.; Zheng, L. R.; Hu, T. D. Mercury speciation and mercury isotope fractionation during ore roasting process and their implication to source identification of downstream sediment in the Wanshan mercury mining area, SW China. Chem. Geol. 2013, 336, 72-79.
15. Blum, J. D.; Popp, B. N.; Drazen, J. C.; Choy, C. A.; Johnson, M. W. Methylmercury production below the mixed layer in the North Pacific Ocean. Nat. Geosci. 2013, 6, 879-884.
16. Gehrke, G. E.; Blum, J. D.; Slotton, D. G.; Greenfield, B. K. Mercury isotopes link mercury in San Francisco Bay forage fish to surface sediments. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45, 1264-1270.
17. Kritee, K.; Blum, J. D.; Johnson, M. W.; Bergquist, B. A.; Barkay, T. Mercury stable isotope fractionation during reduction of Hg(II) to Hg(0) by mercury resistant microorganisms. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2007, 41, 1889-1895.
18. Laffont, L.; Sonke, J. E.; Maurice, L.; Monrroy, S. L.; Chincheros, J.; Amouroux, D.; Behra, P. Hg speciation and stable isotope signatures in human hair as a tracer for dietary and occupational exposure to mercury. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45, 9910-9916.
19. Coolbaugh, M. F.; Gustin, M. S.; Rytuba, J. J. Annual emissions of mercury to the atmosphere from natural sources in Nevada and California. Environ. Geol. 2002, 42, 338-349.
20. Gosar, M.; Tersic, T. Environmental geochemistry studies in the area of Idrija mercury mine, Slovenia. Environ. Geochem. Health 2012, 34, 27-41.
21. Gray, J. E.; Hines, M. E.; Higueras, P. L.; Adatto, I.; Lasorsa, B. K. Mercury speciation and microbial transformations in mine wastes, stream sediments, and surface waters at the Almaden Mining District, Spain. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, 38, 4285-4292.
22. Rimondi, V.; Gray, J. E.; Costagliola, P.; Vaselli, O.; Lattanzi, P. Concentration, distribution, and translocation of mercury and methylmercury in mine-waste, sediment, soil, water, and fish collected near the Abbadia San Salvatore mercury mine, Monte Amiata district, Italy. Sci. Total Environ. 2012, 414, 318-327.
23. Tersic, T.; Gosar, M.; Biester, H. Distribution and speciation of mercury in soil in the area of an ancient mercury ore roasting site, Frbejzene trate (Idrija area, Slovenia). J. Geochem. Explor. 2011, 110, 136-145.
24. Conaway, C. H.; Black, F. J.; Grieb, T. M.; Roy, S.; Flegal, A. R. Mercury in the San Francisco estuary. Rev. Environ. Contam. Tox. 2008, 194, 29-54.
25. Conomos, T. J.; Smith, R. E.; Gartner, J. W. Environmental setting of San-Francisco Bay. Hydrobiologia 1985, 129, 1-12.
26. EPA. Expanded Site Inspection Report, New Idria Mercury Mine, San Benito County, California, EPA-CA0001900463; U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency: Washington DC, 2010.
27. Gray, J. E.; Pribil, M. J.; Higueras, P. L. Mercury isotope fractionation during ore retorting in the Almadén mining district, Spain. Chem. Geol. 2013, 357, 150-157.
28. Navarro, A.; Cardellach, E.; Corbella, M. Mercury mobility in mine waste from Hg-mining areas in Almeria, Andalusia (SE Spain). J. Geochem. Explor. 2009, 101, 236-246.
29. Smith, C. N.; Kesler, S. E.; Blum, J. D.; Rytuba, J. J. Isotope geochemistry of mercury in source rocks, mineral deposits and spring deposits of the California Coast Ranges, USA. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2008, 269, 398-406.
30. Smith, R. S.; Wiederhold, J. G.; Jew, A. D.; Brown, G. E., Jr; Bourdon, B.; Kretzschmar, R. Small-scale studies of roasted ore waste reveal extreme ranges of stable mercury isotope signatures. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2014, 137, 1-17.
31. Wiederhold, J. G.; Smith, R. S.; Siebner, H.; Jew, A. D.; Brown, G. E., Jr; Bourdon, B.; Kretzschmar, R. Mercury isotope signatures as tracers for Hg cycling at the New Idria Hg mine. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2013, 47, 6137-6145.
32. Ganguli, P. M.; Mason, R. P.; Abu-Saba, K. E.; Anderson, R. S.; Flegal, A. R. Mercury speciation in drainage from the New Idria mercury mine, California. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2000, 34, 4773-4779.
33. Jew, A. D.; Kim, C. S.; Rytuba, J. J.; Gustin, M. S.; Brown, G. E., Jr New technique for quantification of elemental Hg in mine wastes and its implications for mercury evasion into the atmosphere. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2011, 45, 412-417.
34. Kim, C. S.; Brown, G. E., Jr.; Rytuba, J. J. Characterization and speciation of mercury-bearing mine wastes using X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Sci. Total Environ. 2000, 261, 157-168.
35. Lowry, G. V.; Shaw, S.; Kim, C. S.; Rytuba, J. J.; Brown, G. E., Jr Macroscopic and microscopic observations of particle-facilitated mercury transport from new idria and sulphur bank mercury mine tailings. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2004, 38, 5101-5111.
36. Kim, C. S.; Rytuba, J. J.; Brown, G. E., Jr Geological and anthropogenic factors influencing mercury speciation in mine wastes: An EXAFS spectroscopy study. Appl. Geochem. 2004, 19, 379-393.
37. Stetson, S. J.; Gray, J. E.; Wanty, R. B.; Macalady, D. L. Isotopic variability of mercury in ore, mine-waste calcine, and leachates of mine-waste calcine from areas mined for mercury. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2009, 43, 7331-7336.
38. Biester, H.; Gosar, M.; Muller, G. Mercury speciation in tailings of the Idrija mercury mine. J. Geochem. Explor. 1999, 65, 195-204.
39. Gray, J.; Theodorakos, P.; Fey, D.; Krabbenhoft, D. Mercury concentrations and distribution in soil, water, mine waste leachates, and air in and around mercury mines in the Big Bend region, Texas, USA. Environ. Geochem. Health 2014, 1-14.
40. Jew, A. D. Stability, transformations, and fate of residual mercury at the inoperative New Idria mercury mine, New Idria, California. Ph.D. Dissertation, Stanford University, 2013.
41. Marvin-DiPasquale, M.; Agee, J.; McGowan, C.; Oremland, R. S.; Thomas, M.; Krabbenhoft, D.; Gilmour, C. C. Methyl-mercury degradation pathways: A comparison among three mercury-impacted ecosystems. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2000, 34, 4908-4916.
42. Slowey, A. J.; Rytuba, J. J.; Brown, G. E., Jr Speciation of mercury and mode of transport from placer gold mine tailings. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2005, 39, 1547-1554.
43. Boctor, N. Z.; Shieh, Y. N.; Kullerud, G. Mercury ores from the New Idria Mining District, California - geochemical and stable isotope studies. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1987, 51, 1705-1715.
44. Kimpe, C. R. Soil separation for mineralogical analysis. In Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis; Carter, M. R., Ed.; Lewis Publishers: Boca Raton, 1993.
45. Grolimund, D.; Borkovec, M. Long term release kinetics of colloidal particles from natural porous media. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1999, 33, 4054-4060.
46. Grolimund, D.; Elimelech, M.; Borkovec, M.; Barmettler, K.; Kretzschmar, R.; Sticher, H. Transport of in situ mobilized colloidal particles in packed soil columns. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1998, 32, 3562-3569.
47. Bloom, N. S.; Preus, E.; Katon, J.; Hiltner, M. Selective extractions to assess the biogeochemically relevant fractionation of inorganic mercury in sediments and soil. Anal. Chim. Acta 2003, 479, 233-248.
48. Wiederhold, J. G.; Cramer, C. J.; Daniel, K.; Infante, I.; Bourdon, B.; Kretzschmar, R. Equilibrium mercury isotope fractionation between dissolved Hg(II) species and thiol-bound Hg. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2010, 44, 4191-4197.
49. Coplen, T. B. Guidelines and recommended terms for expression of stable-isotope-ratio and gas-ratio measurement results. Rapid Commun. Mass. Spectrom. 2011, 25, 2538-2560.
50. Jiskra, M.; Wiederhold, J. G.; Bourdon, B.; Kretzschmar, R. Solution speciation controls mercury isotope fractionation of Hg(II) sorption to goethite. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2012, 46, 6654-6662.
51. Barnett, M. O.; Harris, L. A.; Turner, R. R.; Stevenson, R. J.; Henson, T. J.; Melton, R. C.; Hoffman, D. P. Formation of mercuric sulfide in soil. Environ. Sci. Technol. 1997, 31, 3037-3043.
52. Donovan, P. M.; Blum, J. D.; Demers, J. D.; Gu, B.; Brooks, S. C.; Peryam, J. Identification of multiple mercury sources to stream sediments near Oak Ridge, TN, USA. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2014, 48, 3666-3674.
53. Kocman, D.; Kanduc, T.; Ogrinc, N.; Horvat, M. Distribution and partitioning of mercury in a river catchment impacted by former mercury mining activity. Biogeochemistry 2011, 104, 183-201.
54. Biester, H.; Gosar, M.; Covelli, S. Mercury speciation in sediments affected by dumped mining residues in the drainage area of the Idrija mercury mine, Slovenia. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2000, 34, 3330-3336.
55. Gosar, M.; Pirc, S.; Bidovec, M. Mercury in the Idrijca river sediments as a reflection of mining and smelting activities of the Idrija mercury mine. J. Geochem. Explor. 1997, 58, 125-131.
56. Buchachenko, A. L. Mercury isotope effects in the environmental chemistry and biochemistry of mercury-containing compounds. Russ. Chem. Rev. 2009, 78, 319-328.
57. Schauble, E. A. Role of nuclear volume in driving equilibrium stable isotope fractionation of mercury, thallium, and other very heavy elements. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2007, 71, 2170-2189.
58. Jew, A. D.; Behrens, S. F.; Rytuba, J. J.; Kappler, A.; Spormann, A. M.; Brown, G. E., Jr Microbially enhanced dissolution of HgS in an acid mine drainage system in the California Coast Range. Geobiology 2014, 12, 20-33.
59. Kimball, B. E.; Mathur, R.; Dohnalkova, A. C.; Wall, A. J.; Runkel, R. L.; Brantley, S. L. Copper isotope fractionation in acid mine drainage. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2009, 73, 1247-1263.
60. Fernandez, A.; Borrok, D. M. Fractionation of Cu, Fe, and Zn isotopes during the oxidative weathering of sulfide-rich rocks. Chem. Geol. 2009, 264, 1-12.
61. Kiczka, M.; Wiederhold, J. G.; Frommer, J.; Kraemer, S. M.; Bourdon, B.; Kretzschmar, R. Iron isotope fractionation during proton- and ligand-promoted dissolution of primary phyllosilicates. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2010, 74, 3112-3128.
62. Wiederhold, J. G.; Kraemer, S. M.; Teutsch, N.; Borer, P. M.; Halliday, A. N.; Kretzschmar, R. Iron isotope fractionation during proton-promoted, ligand-controlled, and reductive dissolution of goethite. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2006, 40, 3787-3793.
63. Kim, C. S.; Rytuba, J.; Brown, G. E., Jr EXAFS study of mercury(II) sorption to Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides - II. Effects of chloride and sulfate. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2004, 270, 9-20.
64. Kim, C. S.; Rytuba, J. J.; Brown, G. E., Jr EXAFS study of mercury(II) sorption to Fe- and Al-(hydr)oxides I. Effects of pH. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2004, 271, 1-15.
65. Tersic, T.; Gosar, M.; Biester, H. Environmental impact of ancient small-scale mercury ore processing at Psenk on soil (Idrija area, Slovenia). Appl. Geochem. 2011, 26, 1867-1876.
66. Donovan, P. M.; Blum, J. D.; Yee, D.; Gehrke, G. E.; Singer, M. B. An isotopic record of mercury in San Francisco Bay sediment. Chem. Geol. 2013, 349, 87-98.