Springtime changes in snow chemistry lead to new insights into mercury methylation in the Arctic

Type Article
Date 2010-11
Language English
Author(s) Larose Catheririe1, 2, 3, Dommergue Aurelien1, de Angelis Martine1, Cossa Daniel4, Averty Bernard5, Marusczak Nicolas1, Soumis Nicolas1, Schneider Dominique2, 3, Ferrari Christophe1
Affiliation(s) 1 : Univ Grenoble 1, CNRS, LGGE, F-38402 St Martin Dheres, France.
2 : Univ Grenoble 1, Lab Adaptat & Pathogenie Microorganismes, F-38042 Grenoble 9, France.
3 : CNRS UMR 5163, Paris, France.
4 : Ctr Mediterranee, IFREMER, F-83507 La Seyne Sur Mer, France.
5 : Ctr Nantes, IFREMER, F-44311 Nantes, France.
Source Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta (0016-7037) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2010-11 , Vol. 74 , N. 22 , P. 6263-6275
DOI 10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.043
WOS© Times Cited 60
Abstract Seasonal snow is an active media and an important climate factor that governs nutrient transfer in Arctic ecosystems. Since the snow stores and transforms nutrients and contaminants, it is of crucial importance to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of contaminant cycling within the snowpack and its subsequent release to catchments via meltwater. Over the course of a two-month field study in the spring of 2008, we collected snow and meltwater samples from a seasonal snowpack in Ny-Alesund, Norway (78 degrees 56'N, 11 degrees 52'E), which were analyzed for major inorganic ions and some organic acids, as well as total, dissolved, bioavailable mercury (THg, DHg, BioHg, respectively) and monomethylmercury (MMHg) species. We observe a seasonal gradient for ion concentrations, with surface samples becoming less concentrated as the season progressed. A significant negative correlation between BioHg and MMHg was observed in the snowpack. MMHg was positively and significantly correlated to methanesulfonate concentrations. Based on these results, we propose a new model for aerobic methylation of mercury involving species in the dimethylsulfoniopropionate cycle. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Larose Catheririe, Dommergue Aurelien, de Angelis Martine, Cossa Daniel, Averty Bernard, Marusczak Nicolas, Soumis Nicolas, Schneider Dominique, Ferrari Christophe (2010). Springtime changes in snow chemistry lead to new insights into mercury methylation in the Arctic. Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 74(22), 6263-6275. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.043 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00018/12904/