A mechanism for bimodal emission of gaseous mercury from aquatic macrophytes [An article from: Atmospheric Environment]
Description
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Description:
We performed intensive sampling campaigns of Hg^0 fluxes over emergent macrophytes in the Florida Everglades to find a surrogate for Hg fluxes from water and vegetation to identify the mechanisms of emission. We measured daytime lacunal and sediment gas concentrations of Hg^0, which suggested that the lacunal space acts as temporary storage for Hg^0 and CH"4. The absence of detectable Hg^0 fluxes measured over uprooted (floating) plants and sediment incubation experiments suggest that the Hg^0 emitted from emergent macrophytes such as Typha and Cladium originates in the sediment. HgII in the rhizosphere is reduced to Hg^0 in these sediments by various processes, and is then transported by the plants to the atmosphere by two separate processes. At night, Hg^0 and CH"4 formed in the sediment accumulate in the lacunal space after crossing the root-sediment barrier. At sunrise, a form of pressurized through-flow purges the lacunal space of Typha into the atmosphere forming an early morning emission pulse for both gases, and coincidental peaks of CH"4 and Hg^0 suggest that the same lacunal gas transport mechanism is involved. Later in the day while the release of methane continues to deplete the lacunal pool, the Hg^0 flux increases again to form a second peak in the afternoon when the CH"4 emission has decreased. This peak parallels that of transpiration, and is presumably due to xylem transport of Hg^0 from continued production of Hg^0 in the rhizosphere, perhaps in response to release of root exudates. A mass balance for this ~1500ha wetland suggested that the total transpiration of Hg^0 is ~1kgyr^-^1, or ~20 times the amount evaded from the water surface.
Description:
We performed intensive sampling campaigns of Hg^0 fluxes over emergent macrophytes in the Florida Everglades to find a surrogate for Hg fluxes from water and vegetation to identify the mechanisms of emission. We measured daytime lacunal and sediment gas concentrations of Hg^0, which suggested that the lacunal space acts as temporary storage for Hg^0 and CH"4. The absence of detectable Hg^0 fluxes measured over uprooted (floating) plants and sediment incubation experiments suggest that the Hg^0 emitted from emergent macrophytes such as Typha and Cladium originates in the sediment. HgII in the rhizosphere is reduced to Hg^0 in these sediments by various processes, and is then transported by the plants to the atmosphere by two separate processes. At night, Hg^0 and CH"4 formed in the sediment accumulate in the lacunal space after crossing the root-sediment barrier. At sunrise, a form of pressurized through-flow purges the lacunal space of Typha into the atmosphere forming an early morning emission pulse for both gases, and coincidental peaks of CH"4 and Hg^0 suggest that the same lacunal gas transport mechanism is involved. Later in the day while the release of methane continues to deplete the lacunal pool, the Hg^0 flux increases again to form a second peak in the afternoon when the CH"4 emission has decreased. This peak parallels that of transpiration, and is presumably due to xylem transport of Hg^0 from continued production of Hg^0 in the rhizosphere, perhaps in response to release of root exudates. A mass balance for this ~1500ha wetland suggested that the total transpiration of Hg^0 is ~1kgyr^-^1, or ~20 times the amount evaded from the water surface.
