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Toxics
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Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health:...
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Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health: Current Research and Emerging Trends

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Exposome Analysis and Risk Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 13632

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura Marziali

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council, Water Research Institute, Via del Mulino 19, I-20861 Brugherio, Italy
Interests: freshwater ecology; trace elements; environmental risk assessment; ecotoxicology; bioaccumulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Laura Fantozzi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Research Council, Water Research Institute, Largo Tonolli 50, I-28922 Verbania Pallanza (VB), Italy
Interests: biogeochemical cycle of mercury; biomarkers; marine biology; metals; biogeochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant with significant adverse impacts on human health and ecosystems. International attention to mercury as an environmental concern resulted in the adoption of the Minamata Convention in 2013, signed by 128 countries, with the aim to reduce and eliminate anthropogenic emission and release of mercury and mercury compounds.

The complex biogeochemical cycle of Hg starts with the emission from natural and anthropogenic sources. Once emitted, Hg enters the global atmospheric pool and travels worldwide before oxidizing to a form that deposits to ecosystems. This Hg may be sequestered, converted to methyl- or di-methylmercury, or reduced and re-emitted back to the atmosphere.

In its organic form (methylmercury, MeHg), Hg readily bioaccumulates and biomagnifies, causing neurological, immunological, and cardiovascular problems at high levels. Human exposure to MeHg is mainly through the consumption of contaminated fish and is a concern even in relatively pristine environments, as Hg can be readily transported through the atmosphere. It is of even greater concern in areas that have high background levels of Hg.

Although the interest in Hg biogeochemical cycling has been increasing during the past few decades, improvement in the understanding of the chemical, physical, and biological processes of Hg transformations, bioaccumulation, and fate is still needed to better evaluate the effect of convention implementation and to adapt policies.

This Special Issue encourages contributions from all around the world and welcomes high-quality original research papers, short communications, and reviews that examine all aspects of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury, namely:

  • Mercury cycling within marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems;
  • Source, fate, and effect of mercury on ecosystems and implications for human health;
  • Mercury bioaccumulation and biological effects of methylmercury exposure on living organisms;
  • Advances in characterizing and quantifying the relationships of mercury sources and transport processes with mercury levels in biota and biological effects of mercury exposure;
  • Solutions to prevent and to mitigate the harmful effects of Hg on ecosystems and human health;
  • New methods for the monitoring of the environmental impacts of anthropogenic mercury emissions and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies for mercury.

Dr. Laura Marziali
Dr. Laura Fantozzi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Mercury
  • Methylmercury
  • Environmental pollution
  • Risk assessment
  • Bioaccumulation
  • Toxicity
  • Processes

Published Papers (5 papers)

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15 pages, 1555 KiB  
Article
Mercury Bioaccumulation in Benthic Invertebrates: From Riverine Sediments to Higher Trophic Levels
by Laura Marziali, Claudio Roscioli and Lucia Valsecchi
Toxics 2021, 9(9), 197; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics9090197 - 24 Aug 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2175
Abstract
Riverine sediments are important sites of mercury methylation and benthic invertebrates may be indicators of Hg exposure to higher organisms. From 2014 to 2018, sediments and invertebrates were collected along a mercury gradient in the Toce River (Northern Italy) and analyzed for THg [...] Read more.
Riverine sediments are important sites of mercury methylation and benthic invertebrates may be indicators of Hg exposure to higher organisms. From 2014 to 2018, sediments and invertebrates were collected along a mercury gradient in the Toce River (Northern Italy) and analyzed for THg and MeHg. Concentrations in invertebrates, separated according to taxon and to Functional Feeding Group, ranged from 20 to 253 µg kg−1 dry weight (d.w.) for THg, increasing from grazers (Leuctra, Baetis, Serratella) to predators (Perla). MeHg ranged from 3 to 88 µg kg−1 d.w. in biota, representing 6–53% of THg, while in sediments it was mostly below LOD (0.7 µg kg−1), accounting for ≤3.8% of THg. The Biota-Sediment Accumulation Factor (BSAF, ranging 0.2–4.6) showed an inverse relation to exposure concentrations (THg in sediments, ranging 0.014–0.403 µg kg−1 d.w.) and to organic carbon. THg in invertebrates (up to 73 µg kg−1 wet weight), i.e., at the basal levels of the aquatic trophic chain, exceeded the European Environmental Quality Standard for biota (20 µg kg−1 w.w.), posing potential risks for top predators. Concentrations in adult insects were close to those in aquatic stages, proving active mercury transfer even to terrestrial food chains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health: Current Research and Emerging Trends)
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16 pages, 4481 KiB  
Article
An Integrated Investigation of Atmospheric Gaseous Elemental Mercury Transport and Dispersion Around a Chlor-Alkali Plant in the Ossola Valley (Italian Central Alps)
by Laura Fantozzi, Nicoletta Guerrieri, Giovanni Manca, Arianna Orrù and Laura Marziali
Toxics 2021, 9(7), 172; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics9070172 - 18 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2403
Abstract
We present the first assessment of atmospheric pollution by mercury (Hg) in an industrialized area located in the Ossola Valley (Italian Central Alps), in close proximity to the Toce River. The study area suffers from a level of Hg contamination due to a [...] Read more.
We present the first assessment of atmospheric pollution by mercury (Hg) in an industrialized area located in the Ossola Valley (Italian Central Alps), in close proximity to the Toce River. The study area suffers from a level of Hg contamination due to a Hg cell chlor-alkali plant operating from 1915 to the end of 2017. We measured gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) levels by means of a portable Hg analyzer during car surveys between autumn 2018 and summer 2020. Moreover, we assessed the long-term dispersion pattern of atmospheric Hg by analyzing the total Hg concentration in samples of lichens collected in the Ossola Valley. High values of GEM concentrations (1112 ng m−3) up to three orders of magnitude higher than the typical terrestrial background concentration in the northern hemisphere were measured in the proximity of the chlor-alkali plant. Hg concentrations in lichens ranged from 142 ng g−1 at sampling sites located north of the chlor-alkali plant to 624 ng g−1 in lichens collected south of the chlor-alkali plant. A north-south gradient of Hg accumulation in lichens along the Ossola Valley channel was observed, highlighting that the area located south of the chlor-alkali plant is more exposed to the dispersion of Hg emitted into the atmosphere from the industrial site. Long-term studies on Hg emission and dispersion in the Ossola Valley are needed to better assess potential impact on ecosystems and human health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health: Current Research and Emerging Trends)
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15 pages, 1772 KiB  
Article
Particle-Bound Mercury Characterization in the Central Italian Herbarium of the Natural History Museum of the University of Florence (Italy)
by Francesco Ciani, Laura Chiarantini, Pilario Costagliola and Valentina Rimondi
Toxics 2021, 9(6), 141; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics9060141 - 15 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2173
Abstract
Museums air quality can be negatively affected by treatments with heavy metals compounds employed to prevent pest infestations. Among these, the past use of mercury dichloride (HgCl2) on herbaria artifacts currently produces high levels of indoor atmospheric gaseous mercury (Hg0 [...] Read more.
Museums air quality can be negatively affected by treatments with heavy metals compounds employed to prevent pest infestations. Among these, the past use of mercury dichloride (HgCl2) on herbaria artifacts currently produces high levels of indoor atmospheric gaseous mercury (Hg0) and possibly of particulate bound Hg (PBM), i.e., the particulate matter containing Hg. This study evaluates the PBM pollution in the Central Italian Herbarium (Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, Italy), characterizing the size range and chemical speciation with SEM-EDS microanalysis. The analysis of the total Hg concentration in the samples allowed to calculate the workers exposure risk to this pollutant. PBM is almost totally classifiable as fine particulate with a significant dimensional increase in a period of scarce attendance of the Herbarium rooms. The microanalysis indicates that Hg is essentially bound to S, highlighting the change of Hg speciation from the original association with Cl. The average Hg concentration reveals a potential health risk for workers as result of multiple Hg exposure pathways, mainly by ingestion. The study provides information for characterizing PBM pollution that could affect a workplace atmosphere and a useful basis to evaluate and correctly design solution strategies to reduce the contamination levels and protect workers’ health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health: Current Research and Emerging Trends)
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19 pages, 5482 KiB  
Article
The Prevalence of Inorganic Mercury in Human Kidneys Suggests a Role for Toxic Metals in Essential Hypertension
by Roger Pamphlett, Philip A. Doble and David P. Bishop
Toxics 2021, 9(3), 67; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics9030067 - 21 Mar 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3310
Abstract
The kidney plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, but the initial pathogenic events in the kidney leading to hypertension are not known. Exposure to mercury has been linked to many diseases including hypertension in epidemiological and experimental studies, so [...] Read more.
The kidney plays a dominant role in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, but the initial pathogenic events in the kidney leading to hypertension are not known. Exposure to mercury has been linked to many diseases including hypertension in epidemiological and experimental studies, so we studied the distribution and prevalence of mercury in the human kidney. Paraffin sections of kidneys were available from 129 people ranging in age from 1 to 104 years who had forensic/coronial autopsies. One individual had injected himself with metallic mercury, the other 128 were from varied clinicopathological backgrounds without known exposure to mercury. Sections were stained for inorganic mercury using autometallography. Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used on six samples to confirm the presence of autometallography-detected mercury and to look for other toxic metals. In the 128 people without known mercury exposure, mercury was found in: (1) proximal tubules of the cortex and Henle thin loops of the medulla, in 25% of kidneys (and also in the man who injected himself with mercury), (2) proximal tubules only in 16% of kidneys, and (3) Henle thin loops only in 23% of kidneys. The age-related proportion of people who had any mercury in their kidney was 0% at 1–20 years, 66% at 21–40 years, 77% at 41–60 years, 84% at 61–80 years, and 64% at 81–104 years. LA-ICP-MS confirmed the presence of mercury in samples staining with autometallography and showed cadmium, lead, iron, nickel, and silver in some kidneys. In conclusion, mercury is found commonly in the adult human kidney, where it appears to accumulate in proximal tubules and Henle thin loops until an advanced age. Dysfunctions of both these cortical and medullary regions have been implicated in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension, so these findings suggest that further studies of the effects of mercury on blood pressure are warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health: Current Research and Emerging Trends)
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22 pages, 393 KiB  
Systematic Review
Genotoxicity of Mercury and Its Derivatives Demonstrated In Vitro and In Vivo in Human Populations Studies. Systematic Review
by Juana Sánchez-Alarcón, Mirta Milić, Lilia Patricia Bustamante-Montes, Keila Isaac-Olivé, Rafael Valencia-Quintana and Ninfa Ramírez-Durán
Toxics 2021, 9(12), 326; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/toxics9120326 - 01 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2655
Abstract
Beside partial coverage in three reviews so far (1994, 2009, 2019), there is no review on genotoxic studies dealing with mercury (Hg) and human exposure using the most usual genotoxic assays: sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), chromosomal aberrations (CA), cytochalasin B blocked micronucleus assay [...] Read more.
Beside partial coverage in three reviews so far (1994, 2009, 2019), there is no review on genotoxic studies dealing with mercury (Hg) and human exposure using the most usual genotoxic assays: sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), chromosomal aberrations (CA), cytochalasin B blocked micronucleus assay (CBMN), and single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE or alkaline comet assay). Fifty years from the first Hg genotoxicity study and with the Minamata Convention in force, the genotoxic potential of Hg and its derivatives is still controversial. Considering these antecedents, we present this first systematic literature overview of genotoxic studies dealing with Hg and human exposure that used the standard genotoxic assays. To date, there is not sufficient evidence for Hg human carcinogen classification, so the new data collections can be of great help. A review was made of the studies available (those published before the end of October 2021 on PubMed or Web of Science in English or Spanish language) in the scientific literature dealing with genotoxic assays and human sample exposure ex vivo, in vivo, and in vitro. Results from a total of 66 articles selected are presented. Organic (o)Hg compounds were more toxic than inorganic and/or elemental ones, without ruling out that all represent a risk. The most studied inorganic (i)Hg compounds in populations exposed accidentally, occupationally, or iatrogenically, and/or in human cells, were Hg chloride and Hg nitrate and of the organic compounds, were methylmercury, thimerosal, methylmercury chloride, phenylmercuric acetate, and methylmercury hydroxide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Potential Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Health: Current Research and Emerging Trends)
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