Fractionation,distribution and transport of mercury in rivers and tributaries around Wanshan Hg mining district,Guizhou Province,Southwestern China: Part 2 – Methylmercury

Water samples were collected during normal flow (2007) and during a drought period (2008) from five rivers and tributaries draining the Wanshan Hg mining district, Guizhou, China. Unfiltered methylmercury (MeHg) as well as particulate and dissolved fractions of MeHg (P-MeHg, D-MeHg) were measured to assess the spatial and temporal variation of MeHg contamination in the local river system. Most locations (about 80%) displayed higher MeHg concentrations during drought period than during normal discharge conditions. Concentrations of MeHg during the drought period ranged from <0.035 to 11 ng L⁻¹ (geometric mean: 0.43), while during normal flow the concentrations ranged from <0.035 to only 3.4 ng L⁻¹ (geometric mean: 0.21). Concentrations of MeHg were positively correlated with total Hg (THg) concentrations (R² = 0.20–0.58, P < 0.001) and inversely related to distance from the calcines, during both sampling periods (R² = 0.34 and 0.23, P < 0.001, for low and normal flow, respectively) indicating that calcines may be important sources of MeHg to the downstream environment. Approximately 39% of MeHg was bound to particulates and the rest was transported in the dissolved phase along stretches of the entire river, which was different from THg, as this was mainly transported bound to particulates (commonly more than 80%).     

Identification of fractions of mercury in water,soil and sediment from a typical Hg mining area in Wanshan,Guizhou province,China

Water, sediment and soil in a region with severe Hg contamination resulting from Hg mining and retorting continue to receive anthropogenic Hg loading from discarded tailings and mine waste calcine piles, even after mining has ended. Crucial for potential long-term mobilization and uptake in biota, however, are chemical forms of Hg in the environment. In order to assess potential mobility and bioavailability of Hg in contaminated areas, a refined sequential extraction technique was used for Hg in soil and sediment, allowing identification of the following conceptual Hg fractions: elemental Hg, exchangeable Hg, strongly-bound Hg and organically-bound Hg.     

Potentially harmful elements in rice paddy fields in mercury hot spots in Guizhou, China

Levels of the chalcophile metals Hg, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn and the metalloid As in soils from rice paddy fields were assessed in two regions impacted by different industrial activities in Guizhou province, China. The two study areas (Wanshan and Qingzhen) have previously received attention in the international literature due to heavy Hg pollution, though levels of other potentially harmful elements have not previously been reported. The regions were selected as representing two important, but categorically different metal(loid) contaminated areas in China: Wanshan has been a major region for Hg production while Qingzhen is an important region for a large range of various heavy industries based on coal as an energy source.Within a limited distance of the Hg mine tailings in Wanshan the rice paddy fields are heavily contaminated by Hg (median concentration 25 μg g⁻¹, maximum 119 μg g⁻¹) and moderately contaminated by Zn and Cd (median concentrations of 86 and 0.9 μg g⁻¹, respectively). Zinc and Cd levels correlate well with Hg contamination, which indicates a similar source and mechanism of transport and accumulation. Other studies have concluded that the main sources of Hg contamination in Wanshan are the numerous Hg mine tailings. This is likely as these metals are all geochemically associated with the mineral cinnabar (HgS). The other chalcophile elements (Pb, Cu and As) are nevertheless found at background levels only. In Qingzhen the soils were found to contain elevated levels of As and Hg (median concentrations of 38 and 0.3 μg g⁻¹, respectively). These are elements that are known to be more associated with coal and released during coal combustion.     

Fractionation,distribution and transport of mercury in rivers and tributaries around Wanshan Hg mining district,Guizhou province,southwestern China: Part 1 – Total mercury

The Wanshan Hg mining area in Guizhou, China, was one of the world’s largest Hg producing regions. Numerous mine-waste and calcines still remain, leaching Hg to local rivers and streams and potentially impacting the local population. Several studies have been published on local environmental impacts of these mining and retorting residues, but a comprehensive, regional survey on the distribution of Hg in the rivers in the region, as presented in this paper, has not previously been conducted. This study focuses on the regional distribution and temporal variation of aqueous Hg fractions in the five main watercourses draining the Wanshan Hg mining and retorting area, covering more than 700 km². Three sampling campaigns were carried out in 2007 and 2008, covering high flow, normal flow and low flow periods. Total (THg), particulate (PHg), dissolved (DHg) and reactive (RHg) Hg fractions were determined. All rivers had the highest Hg concentrations at sample sites about 100–500 m downstream of the mine wastes. Total Hg concentrations ranged from extremely high (up to 12,000 ng L⁻¹) at the sample site just 100 m below mine wastes, to quite low in tributary streams (1.9 ng L⁻¹, about 14 km downstream of the mine wastes). Total Hg and PHg concentrations were usually highest during high flow periods in the Hg-contaminated areas (i.e. THg ? 50 ng L⁻¹), while in the less-impacted downstream areas (with THg < 50 ng L⁻¹) the Hg concentrations were usually lowest during high flow periods. Although highly elevated concentrations of Hg in water samples were found just downstream of the mine wastes, the concentrations decreased sharply to well below 50 ng L⁻¹ (US EPA Hg concentration standard for protection of fresh water), within only 6–8 km downstream. Concentrations of THg were highly dominated by and correlated with PHg (R² = 0.996–0.999, P < 0.001); PHg constituted more than 80% of THg in Hg-contaminated areas, and could account for 99.6% of the THg close to the mine wastes.