In order to contribute to the general understanding of the risks and benefits of consuming fish and fish products, total mercury (THg), monomethylmercury (MeHg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), ...selenium (Se),
n-3 and
n-6 fatty acids were determined in fresh and canned fish on the Slovenian market. Furthermore, the mercury exposure of pregnant women in Slovenia was assessed by determining total mercury (THg) in hair, and through fresh and canned fish consumption obtained by a food frequency questionnaire. Based on the frequency of fish consumption and levels of MeHg, THg and PCBs determined in the present study, it can be concluded that fish available on the Slovenian market do not represent a health risk. It was also confirmed that fish are important sources of selenium and
n-3 fatty acids.
A quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to study the thermal release of mercury from wet flue gas desulphurization (WFGD) gypsum using temperature-programmed desorption/decomposition (TPD). The ...inability in direct detection of low concentrations of mercury halogenides in gypsum by mass spectrometry is discussed in detail. The hydrolysis of HgCl
vapours under specific experimental conditions in the mass spectrometer was considered theoretically and proved experimentally. The mercury concentration in different gypsum fractions varies from 0.22 mg kg
(3.27-148 μm, coarse particles) to 20.6 mg kg
(0.41-88.0 μm, fine particles). All samples had a similar, symmetrical, single-peak (peak maximum 253–266°C) in the TPD spectra. In the present study, the use of ‘wet’ methods for preparing mercury compounds is introduced in addition to the mercury standards prepared using the ‘dry’ method, as commonly found in TPD. The study showed that selected metals, such as Fe enriched in gypsum samples, significantly influence the shape and the maximum temperature of the Hg TPD curves and that during the mercury compound preparation and the TPD process, Hg species undergo transformations that prevent the identification of their original identity.
The province of Guizhou in Southwestern China is currently one of the world's most important mercury production areas. Emissions of mercury from the province to the global atmosphere have been ...estimated to be approximately 12% of the world total anthropogenic emissions. The main objective of this study was to assess the level of contamination with Hg in two geographical areas of Guizhou province. Mercury pollution in the areas concerned originates from mercury mining and ore processing in the area of Wanshan, while in the area of Quingzhen mercury pollution originates from the chemical industry discharging Hg through wastewaters and emissions to the atmosphere due to coal burning for electricity production. The results of this study confirmed high contamination with Hg in soil, sediments and rice in the Hg mining area in Wanshan. High levels of Hg in soil and rice were also found in the vicinity of the chemical plant in Quingzhen. The concentrations of Hg decreased with distance from the main sources of pollution considerably. The general conclusion is that Hg contamination in Wanshan is geographically more widespread, due to deposition and scavenging of Hg from contaminated air and deposition on land. In Quingzhen Hg contamination of soil is very high close to the chemical plant but the levels reach background concentrations at a distance of several km. Even though the major source of Hg in both areas is inorganic Hg, it was observed that active transformation of inorganic Hg to organic Hg species (MeHg) takes place in water, sediments and soils. The concentration of Hg in rice grains can reach up to 569 μg/kg of total Hg of which 145 μg/kg was in MeHg form. The percentage of Hg as MeHg varied from 5 to 83%. The concentrations of selenium can reach up to 16 mg/kg in soil and up to 1 mg/g in rice. A correlation exists between the concentration of Se in soil and rice, indicating that a portion of Se is bioavailabile to plants. No correlation between Hg and Se in rice was found. Exposure of the local population to Hg may occur due to inhalation of Hg present in air (in particular in Hg mining area) and consumption of Hg contaminated food (in particular rice and fish) and water. Comparison of intake through these different routes showed that the values of Hg considerably exceed the USA EPA Reference Concentration (RfC) for chronic Hg exposure (RfC is 0.0004 mg/m
3) close to the emission sources. Intake of Hg through food consumption, particularly rice and fish, is also an important route of Hg exposure in study area. In general, it can be concluded that the population mostly at risk is located in the vicinity of smelting facilities, mining activities and close to the waste disposal sites in the wider area of Wanshan. In order to assess the real level of contamination in the local population, it is recommended that biomonitoring should be performed, including Hg and MeHg measurements in hair, blood and urine samples.
The atmospheric distribution and deposition of Hg in the area of the former Idrija Hg-mine, Slovenia, were investigated. Mapping of air Hg
0 concentrations was performed to assess the spatial ...distribution and major sources of mercury to the atmosphere in the area. In addition, analyses of mercury speciation in the air over Idrija were performed during a 4-day sampling campaign in September 2006 to better understand the fate and transformation of Hg in the atmosphere of this specific mercury polluted site. The speciation results were then compared to the results of mercury speciation in the wet and throughfall deposition sampled on a precipitation event basis from October 2006 to September 2007. The Hg
0 concentration in air was mostly below 10
ng
m
−3, with the highest concentration in the area of the former smelter complex exceeding 5000
ng
m
−3. Mercury-bearing airborne particles (TPM) seem to dominate the atmospheric Hg deposition, which revealed noticeable variations between precipitation events (11–76
ng
m
−2
day
−1), mostly as a function of the amount of precipitation. Hg in precipitation was largely (∼50%) associated with the particulate phase (THg
P). No correlation was found between the THg
P and the dissolved phases (THg
D), suggesting that particulate phase Hg is mostly the result of dry deposition. In the throughfall, significantly higher (2–10 fold) Hg concentrations than in associated event precipitation were observed, mostly due to Hg in the particulate phase (∼70% THg). As shown by SEM/EDXS microscopy, an important amount of mercury in the precipitation and throughfall samples is due to the presence of cinnabar particles as a result of the aeolian erosion of cinnabar-containing surfaces in the area.
► Soils surrounding the smelting plant are the main source of Hg in the Idrija region. ► Atmospheric Hg in the Idrija Hg-mine region is subjected to long range transport. ► Mercury-bearing airborne particles dominate the atmospheric deposition.
In this study, seasonal changes of mercury (Hg) species in the highly variable estuary of Soča/Isonzo River (northern Adriatic Sea) were investigated. Samplings were performed on a seasonal basis ...(September 2009, May, August and October 2010) and Hg species (total Hg, methylmercury (MeHg), dissolved gaseous Hg (DGM)) in waters, sediments and pore waters were determined. In addition, a range of ancillary parameters were measured (salinity, nutrients, organic carbon (OC), nitrogen species). Hg values were interpreted using these parameters and hydrological conditions (river flow, wave height) around the time of sampling. There were no significant changes in Hg load from river to the gulf, compared to previous studies. The load was temporarily higher in May 2010 due to higher river flow. Wave height, through changing hydrostatic pressure, was most likely to cause resuspension of already deposited Hg from the bottom (August 2010). The estuary is a net source of DGM to the atmosphere as suggested by DGM profiles, with salinity, redox potential and organic matter as the most probable controls over its production. MeHg is produced in situ in sediment or in water column, rather than transported by river, as indicated by its correlation with OC of the marine origin. Calculated fluxes for THg and MeHg showed sediment as a source for both the water column. In pore waters, OC in part affects partitioning of both THg and MeHg; however other factors (e.g. sulphide and/or oxyhydroxides precipitation and dissolution) are also probably important.
► Water, sediment and pore water mercury species in front of Soča River estuary were measured. ► Seasonally variable hydrological conditions were shown to influence water column Hg speciation. ► Fluxes for total Hg and MeHg from sediment to water were calculated. ► Sediment is a source of total Hg and MeHg to the water column. ► Correlation of MeHg with organic carbon of marine origin suggests in situ formation.
Continuous dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) measurements were performed during the summer months (May to September 2019) in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea), a well-studied contaminated ...site due to releases of mercury from the former mercury mine Idrija in Slovenia. Continuous DGM data were regularly checked by the discrete manual method to assure traceability and comparability of the results and used for the calculation of the upward flux of Hg(0) between the water and the air compartment, using the gas exchange model applied in previous studies in the Mediterranean Sea. DGM concentrations measured by continuous and discrete methods showed good agreement, 68.7 and 73.5 ng·m−3, respectively. The diurnal DGM variability examined by sorting the DGM concentrations in 24 1-h intervals was extremely low (68.3–69.2 ng·m−3). Various environmental parameters measured at oceanographic buoy Vida, and the nearby stations were used to determine the relationship between DGM and the individual environmental parameters. The correlation with the oxygen saturation was pronounced during the July high DGM event (R2 = 0.70, p < 0.05), and the gradient between the bottom and surface temperature was correlated with both DGM peaks in June and July (R2 = 0.42 and R2 = 0.43, p < 0.05). Transport from the more polluted northern part of the Gulf was determined as the most probable source of both high DGM events. The computed average annual Hg(0) flux across the water–air interface (5.13 ng·m−2·h−1) was lower than those reported in recent studies. We assume that for an appropriate assessment of the Hg evasion flux and of the temporal DGM variability in such heterogeneously polluted coastal areas, both spatial and temporal coverage are required.
Traceable determination of atmospheric mercury (Hg) represents a major analytical problem due to low environmental concentrations. Although Hg pre-concentration on activated carbon (AC) traps is a ...simple method for sample collection, Hg determination is difficult due to a complex matrix that cannot be easily digested using wet chemistry. Two approaches for Hg loading on iodinated AC, the purging of elemental mercury (Hg0) and the spiking a solution of standard reference material (SRM), were used to test whether spiking SRM solution on AC can be used for the traceable determination of atmospheric mercury collected as Hg0. Mercury on AC was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry after sample combustion. The detector’s response for both loading methods was identical in a wide concentration range, indicating that the spiking of SRM on AC can, indeed, be used for the calibration of analytical systems used for the determination of atmospheric mercury. This was confirmed by the determination of Hg in a real atmospheric sample collected on an iodinated AC trap and using an SRM spiking calibration. Different ACs were compared regarding their ability to quantitatively capture Hg while having the lowest breakthrough. Use of a specific impregnating solution probably converted Hg on AC to Millon’s iodide, as estimated from the fractionation thermogram.
Objectives: The authors aimed to evaluate whether blood cadmium (B-Cd), lead (B-Pb) and mercury (B-Hg) in children differ regionally in 9 countries, and to identify factors correlating with exposure. ...Material and Methods: The authors performed a cross-sectional study of children aged 7-14 years, living in 2007-2008 in urban, rural, or potentially polluted ("hot spot") areas (ca. 50 children from each area, in total 1363 children) in 6 European and 3 non-European countries. The authors analyzed Cd, Pb, and total Hg in blood and collected information on potential determinants of exposure through questionnaires. Regional differences in exposure levels were assessed within each country. Results: Children living near industrial "hot-spots" had B-Cd 1.6 (95% CI: 1.4-1.9) times higher in the Czech Republic and 2.1 (95% CI:1.6-2.8) times higher in Poland, as compared to urban children in the same countries (geometric means GM: 0.13 microg/l and 0.15 microg/l, respectively). Correspondingly, B-Pb in the "hot spot" areas was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.6-2.1) times higher than in urban areas in Slovakia and 2.3 (95% CI: 1.9-2.7) times higher in Poland (urban GM: 19.4 microg/l and 16.3 microg/l, respectively). In China and Morocco, rural children had significantly lower B-Pb than urban ones (urban GM: 64 microg/l and 71 microg/l, respectively), suggesting urban exposure from leaded petrol, water pipes and/or coal-burning. Hg "hot spot" areas in China had B-Hg 3.1 (95% CI: 2.7-3.5) times higher, and Ecuador 1.5 (95% CI: 1.2-1.9) times higher, as compared to urban areas (urban GM: 2.45 microg/l and 3.23 microg/l, respectively). Besides industrial exposure, traffic correlated with B-Cd; male sex, environmental tobacco smoke, and offal consumption with B-Pb; and fish consumption and amalgam fillings with B-Hg. However, these correlations could only marginally explain regional differences. Conclusions: These mainly European results indicate that some children experience about doubled exposures to toxic elements just because of where they live. These exposures are unsafe, identifiable, and preventable and therefore call for preventive actions. Key words: biological monitoring, child, mercury, lead, environmental pollutants, cadmium
Few studies provide a detailed description of dietary habits during pregnancy, despite the central role of nutrition for the health of the mother and offspring. This paper describes the dietary ...habits, energy and nutrient intake in pregnant women from four countries belonging to the Mediterranean PHIME cohort (Croatia, Greece, Italy and Slovenia) and evaluates their adherence to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommendations. A total of 1436 women were included in the present analysis. Maternal diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The mean macro and micronutrient intakes were estimated and compared with the dietary reference values (DRVs). The percentage distribution of the 16 food groups in the total intake of each macronutrient was estimated. All women shared a similar diet during pregnancy; almost all the women in the four countries exceeded the DRV for sugars, and the total fat intake was above the DRV in most women in all the countries, as was the contribution of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) to the total energy intake. In all four countries, we observed an increased risk of micronutrient deficiency for iron, folate and vitamin D. Shared guidelines, implemented at both the national and European level, are essential to improve the maternal nutritional status during pregnancy.
Since the environmental levels of selenium (Se) can moderate the bioaccumulation and toxicity of mercury (Hg) in marine organisms, their interactions were studied in seawater, sediments, plankton and ...the benthic (Bull ray
, Eagle ray
) and the pelagic (Pelagic stingray
) rays, as apex predators in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea). Male and female rays showed no difference in the Se contents in muscle tissue. Pelagic species contained higher Se levels in muscle but slightly lower levels in the livers of both genders. The Hg/Se ratios in seawater dissolved and colloidal fractions, plankton and sediment were <0.5, while those in particulate matter were <1.3. In benthic ray species, a parallel increase in Se and Hg in muscle was observed, so that an increased in Hg (MeHg) bioaccumulation results in Se coaccumulation. The Hg/Se ratios (molar) in muscle and liver of pelagic and benthic rays were <1.4 and <0.7, respectively. The low levels of Hg in muscle and liver in all the ray species corresponded to low Hg/Se ratios and increases in muscle and liver to 1 at 7 µg/g, dry weight (dw) and 5 µg/g dw, respectively, i.e., about 1.6 µg/g wet weight (ww).
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