Mercury methylation in mesocosms with and without the aquatic macrophyte Eichhornia crassipes (mart.) Solms.

Mercury is a toxic pollutant and spreads to several compartments in the environment. Previous in-vitro studies showed that roots of aquatic macrophytes are sites of methylmercury formation, performed mainly by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The objective of this study was to observe MMHg formation and distribution among filtered water (0.2µm), suspended and settled particles and macrophyte roots during seventeen days, in (203)Hg- spiked mesocosms with and without live Eichhornia crassipes whole plants and a SRB inhibitor. Root samples were also incubated in-vitro for comparison of MM(203)Hg formation under in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. To evaluate the effect of SRB inhibition by sodium molybdate on total heterotrophic activity, the latter was measured by (3)H-leucine uptake. Inhibition of Hg methylation by sodium molybdate decreased with time in mesocosms. MMHg averaged 10, 12.4 and 0.23 percent of total (203)Hg present in filtered water, suspended particles and roots respectively. In vitro MMHg formation in roots averaged 5.54 percent of total added (203)Hg, with a clearer SRB inhibition effect than in mesocosms. Though significant, MMHg formation in roots from in-vivo mesocosms was one order of magnitude lower than previously found in in-vitro incubations of roots alone.