Mercury distribution, soil

Wallschiagfr D, Hintflmann H, Evans RD, WiLKFN RD (1995) Volatilization of dimethylmer-cury and elemental mercury from river Elbe flood plain soils. Water Air Soil Pollut 80 1325-1329. Warfvingf K (2000) Mercury distribution in the neonatal and adult cerebellum after mercury vapor exposure of pregnant squirrel monkeys Environ Res 83 93-101. 

Barghigiani, C., Bargagli, R., Siegel, B.Z., Siegel, S.M., 1990. A comparative study of mercury distribution on the Aeolian volcanoes, Vulcano and Stromboli. Water Air Soil Pollut. 53, 179-188. 

Syers, J.K. Iskandar, I.K. Keeney, D.R. Distribution and Background Levels of Mercury in Sediment Cores from Selected Wisconsin Lakes. Water Air Soil Pollut. 1973 2, 105-118. 

Becker DS, Bigham GN. 1995. Distribution of mercury in the aquatic food web of Onondaga Lake, New York. Water Air Soil Pollut 80 563-571. 

Biester H, Muller G, Scholer HF (2002) Estimating distribution and retention of mercury in three different soils contaminated by emissions from chlor-alkali plants part I. Sci Total Environ 284 177-189... 

Natural emission and re-emission processes are particularly important for the mercury cycle in the environment. The distribution of mercury re-emission from soil in Europe is illustrated in Figure 4. The most significant re-emission fluxes are in Central Europe... 

Figure 4. Spatial distribution of mercury re-emission from soils in Europe.

Coquery M., Cossa D., and Martin J.-M. (1995) The distribution of dissolved and particulate mercury in 3 Siberian estuaries and adjacent arctic coastal waters. Water Air Soil Pollut. 80(1-4), 653-664. 

Vaidya O. C., Howell G. D., and Leger D. A. (2000) Evaluation of the distribution of mercury in lakes in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland (Canada). Water Air Soil Pollut. 117(1—4), 353-369. 

Revis NW, Osborne TR, Holdsworth G, et al. 1989. Distribution of mercury species in soil from a mercury-contaminated site. Water Air Soil Pollut 45(1-2) 105-114. 

Today the predominant if not the sole source of methylmercury is derived from the methylation of inorganic mercury in aquatic sediments and soils. Methylmercury is well absorbed from the diet and distributes within a few days to all tissues in the body. It is present in the body as water-soluble complexes mainly, if not exclusively, attached to the sulfur atom of thiol ligands, and crosses the blood—brain barrier without hindrance, entering the endothelial cells of the blood—brain barrier as a complex with L-cysteine. The principal target tissue of MeHg is the brain, and its major toxic effects are on the central nervous system. Whereas adult poisoning affects the visual cortex and the cerebellum, in neonatal infants the outcome can be much more serious, ranging in its effects from cerebral palsy to developmental retardation. 

Nagpal, N.K., L. Boersma, L.W. DeBacker. 1972. Pore size distributions from mercury intrusion porosimeter data. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 36 264-267. 

Many metal pollutants (e.g. mercury, cadmium, lead, nickel and zinc) are hazardous to human health and terrestrial ecosystems. The determination of metals in contaminated soils may be carried out for a variety of reasons, such as measurement of total or defined extractable content, which provides knowledge of soil components in respect of changes in soil composition produced by natural or anthropogenic contamination. In addition, the analysis may be designed to investigate and categorise degrees of contamination of land for current or intended use. An environmental survey of a polluted site may be undertaken to obtain information about the nature, quantity, distribution and behaviour of contaminants and, if necessary, to select the most appropriate use of the site (Hester Harrison 2001 Kibblewhite 2001). 

The preliminary results of the biota investigation suggest that cadmium pollution, originally superficial, persists due to the retention ability of the surface soil layer, since the mushrooms, in contrast to the earthworms, continue to accumulate cadmium. This is conceivable due to the high wganic content of the soil and high pH (carbonate substratum). Alternatively, mercury is readily volatilized and its distribution is expected to have changed earlier. 

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