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Mercury biotransformations and their potential for remediation of mercury contamination

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Abstract

Bacterially mediated ionic mercury reduction to volatile Hg0 was shown to play an important role in the geochemical cycling of mercury in a contaminated freshwater pond. This process, and the degradation of methylmercury, could be stimulated to reduce the concentration of methylmercury that is available for accumulation by biota. A study testing the utility of this approach is described.

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Abbreviations

HgR :

inorganic mercury resistance

Org-Hg:

organomercury

Org-HgR :

organomercury resistance

SRB:

sulfate reducing bacteria

Methyl-B12:

methylcobalamine

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology Branch, U.S. Environmental Research Laboratory, 32561, Gulf Breeze, FL, USA

    Tamar Barkay

  2. Environmental Science Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 37831, Oak Ridge, TN, USA

    Ralph Turner

  3. Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation, University of West Florida, 32514, Pensacola, FL, USA

    Erwan Saouter & Joanne Horn

Authors
  1. Tamar Barkay
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  2. Ralph Turner
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  3. Erwan Saouter
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  4. Joanne Horn
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Barkay, T., Turner, R., Saouter, E. et al. Mercury biotransformations and their potential for remediation of mercury contamination. Biodegradation 3, 147–159 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00129080

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