Jump to main content
US EPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Search
Search
Main menu
Environmental Topics
Laws & Regulations
About EPA
Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)
Contact Us
Print
Feedback
Export to File
Search:
This record has one attached file:
Add More Files
Attach File(s):
Display Name for File*:
Save
Citation
Tags
HERO ID
1998647
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Importance of sulfate reducing bacteria in mercury methylation and demethylation in periphyton from Bolivian Amazon region
Author(s)
Achá, D; Hintelmann, H; Yee, J
Year
2011
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Chemosphere
ISSN:
0045-6535
EISSN:
1879-1298
Volume
82
Issue
6
Page Numbers
911-916
Language
English
PMID
21074243
DOI
10.1016/j.chemosphere.2010.10.050
Web of Science Id
WOS:000287337800019
Abstract
Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) are important mercury methylators in sediments, but information on mercury methylators in other compartments is ambiguous. To investigate SRB involvement in methylation in Amazonian periphyton, the relationship between Hg methylation potential and SRB (Desulfobacteraceae, Desulfobulbaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae) abundance in Eichhornia crassipes and Polygonum densiflorum root associated periphyton was examined. Periphyton subsamples of each macrophyte were amended with electron donors (lactate, acetate and propionate) or inhibitors (molybdate) of sulfate reduction to create differences in SRB subgroup abundance, which was measured by quantitative real-time PCR with primers specific for the 16S rRNA gene. Mercury methylation and demethylation potentials were determined by a stable isotope tracer technique using 200HgCl and CH3(202)HgCl, respectively. Relative abundance of Desulfobacteraceae (<0.01-12.5%) and Desulfovibrionaceae (0.01-6.8%) were both highly variable among samples and subsamples, but a significant linear relationship (p<0.05) was found between Desulfobacteraceae abundance and net methylmercury formation among treatments of the same macrophyte periphyton and among all P. densiflorum samples, suggesting that Desulfobacteraceae bacteria are the most important mercury methylators among SRB families. Yet, molybdate only partially inhibited mercury methylation potentials, suggesting the involvement of other microorganisms as well. The response of net methylmercury production to the different electron donors and molybdate was highly variable (3-1104 pg g(-1) in 12 h) among samples, as was the net formation in control samples (17-164 pg g(-1) in 12 h). This demonstrates the importance of community variability and complexity of microbial interactions for the overall methylmercury production in periphyton and their response to external stimulus.
Keywords
Mercury; Methylmercury; Sulfate reducing bacteria; Periphyton; Stable isotopes; Tropical lake
Tags
IRIS
•
Methylmercury
Literature Search: Jan 1998 - March 2017
PubMed
Science Direct
ToxNet
Web of Science
NAAQS
•
ISA NOxSOxPM Ecology (2018)
Cited in First Draft
Chapter 12
Cited in the Second Draft
Appendix 12
•
ISA NOxSOxPM Ecology (2020- Final Project Page)
Cited
Appendix 12
Home
Learn about HERO
Using HERO
Search HERO
Projects in HERO
Risk Assessment
Transparency & Integrity