Kinetics of Microbially Mediated Methylation of Mercury in Aerobic and Anaerobic Aquatic Environments.

摘要

The microbial transformation of inorganic mercury to organic mercury (monomethyl and deimethyl-mercury) was studied with regard to the effects of the following: (1) redox potential, (2) inorganic mercury concentration, (3) temperature, (4) microbial activity,and (5) sulfide concentration. A kinetic model to describe the rate of methylation included the following parameters: (1) a coefficient indicating relative microbial activity, (2) a coefficient indicating biochemical availability of the inorganic mercury, (3) a parameter determined by the system redox potential,and (4) inorganic mercury concentration. The kinetic model was extended for application to natural aquatic benthic regions,and biological wastewater treatment schemes,and was used to evaluate proposed decontamination schemes for mercury polluted aquatic environments. (Modified author abstract)