Hg pollution is a global concern due to its high ecotoxicity and health risk to human beings. A comprehensive understanding of the fast-developed technology applied in determining and controlling Hg pollution is beneficial for risk assessment and field remediation. Herein, we mainly assembled the recent progress on Hg treatment in the environment by nanotechnology. The advantages and disadvantages of the conventional and nanotechnology-based methods commonly used in water-/soil-Hg remediation were compared and summarized. Specifically, green nanomaterials derived from plant tissues (e.g., nanocellulose) have prominent merits in remediation of Hg contaminated environments, including high efficiency in Hg removal, low cost, environment-friendly, and easily degradable. Based on the theories of Hg biogeochemistry and existed researches, four promising pathways are proposed, 1) developing surface-modified green nanocellulose with high selectivity and affinity towards Hg; 2) designing effective dispersants in preventing nanocellulose from agglomeration in soil; 3) mediating soil properties by adding green nanomaterials-based fertilizers; 4) improving plant-Hg-extract capacity with green nanomaterials addition. Briefly, more efficient and available approaches are still expected to be developed and implemented in the natural environment for Hg remediation.

One of the major challenges in understanding the dynamics of the ocean’s health and functioning is the potential impact of the increasing presence of plastic. Besides the verified and macroscopic effects on marine wildlife and habitats, micro and macroplastics offer potential sites for microbial activity and chemical leaching. Most marine plastic is found initially in the upper meters of the water column, where fundamental biogeochemical processes drive marine productivity and food web dynamics. However, recent findings show a continuum of potential effects of these new marine components on carbon, nutrients and microbial processes. In the present analysis, we develop a common ground between these studies and we identify knowledge gaps where new research efforts should be focused, to better determine potential feedbacks of plastics on the carbon biogeochemistry of a changing ocean.

Bacteria and archaea (prokaryotes) are vital components for maintaining healthy function of groundwater ecosystems. The prokaryotic community composition and associated putative functional processes were examined in a shallow sandy aquifer in a wet-dry tropical environment. The aquifer had a contaminated gradient of saline mine-water, which primarily consisted of elevated magnesium (Mg²⁺) and sulfate (SO₄²⁻), although other major ions and trace metals were also present. Groundwaters were sampled from piezometers, approximately 2 m in depth, located in the creek channel upstream and downstream of the mine-water influence. Sampling occurred during the dry-season when only subsurface water flow was present. Next generation sequencing was used to analyse the prokaryote assemblages using 16S rDNA and metabolic functions were predicted with FAPROTAX. Significant changes in community composition and functional processes were observed with exposure to mine-waters. Communities in the exposed sites had significantly lower relative abundance of methanotrophs such as Methylococcaceae and methanogens (Methanobacteriaceae), but higher abundance in Nitrososphaeraceae, associated with nitrification, indicating potentially important changes in the biogeochemistry of the exposed sites. The changes were most strongly correlated with concentrations of SO₄²⁻, Mg²⁺ and Na⁺. This knowledge allows an assessment of the risk of mine-water contamination to groundwater ecosystem function and aids mine-water management.

Hg accumulation in marine organisms depends strongly on in situ water or sediment biogeochemistry and levels of Hg pollution. To predict the rates of Hg exposure in human communities, it is important to understand Hg assimilation and processing within commercially harvested marine fish, like the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax. Previously, values of Δ¹⁹⁹Hg and δ²⁰²Hg in muscle tissue successfully discriminated between seven populations of European seabass. In the present study, a multi-tissue approach was developed to assess the underlying processes behind such discrimination.We determined total Hg content (THg), the proportion of monomethyl-Hg (%MeHg), and Hg isotopic composition (e.g. Δ¹⁹⁹Hg and δ²⁰²Hg) in seabass liver. We compared this to the previously published data on muscle tissue and local anthropogenic Hg inputs.The first important finding of this study showed an increase of both %MeHg and δ²⁰²Hg values in muscle compared to liver in all populations, suggesting the occurrence of internal MeHg demethylation in seabass. This is the first evidence of such a process occurring in this species. Values for mass-dependent (MDF, δ²⁰²Hg) and mass-independent (MIF, Δ¹⁹⁹Hg) isotopic fractionation in liver and muscle accorded with data observed in estuarine fish (MDF, 0–1‰ and MIF, 0–0.7‰). Black Sea seabass stood out from other regions, presenting higher MIF values (≈1.5‰) in muscle and very low MDF (≈-1‰) in liver. This second finding suggests that under low Hg bioaccumulation, Hg isotopic composition may allow the detection of a shift in the habitat use of juvenile fish, such as for first-year Black Sea seabass.Our study supports the multi-tissue approach as a valid tool for refining the analysis of Hg sourcing and metabolism in a marine fish. The study’s major outcome indicates that Hg levels of pollution and fish foraging location are the main factors influencing Hg species accumulation and isotopic fractionation in the organisms.

Periphyton plays a significant role in heavy metal transfer in wetlands, but its contribution to cadmium (Cd) bioavailability in paddy fields remains largely unexplored. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of periphyton on Cd behavior in paddy fields. Periphyton significantly decreased Cd concentrations in paddy waters. Non-invasive micro-test technology analyses indicated that periphyton can absorb Cd from water with a maximum Cd²⁺ influx rate of 394 pmol cm⁻² s⁻¹ and periphyton intrusion significantly increased soil Cd concentrations. However, soil Cd bioavailability declined significantly due to soil pH increase and soil redox potential (Eh) decrease induced by periphyton. With periphyton, more Cd was adsorbed and immobilized on organic matter, carbonates, and iron and manganese oxides in soil. Consequently, Cd content in rice decreased significantly. These findings give insights into Cd biogeochemistry in paddy fields with periphyton, and may provide a novel strategy for reducing Cd accumulation in rice.

Rapid industrialization in China during the last three decades has resulted in widespread contamination of Cd in agricultural soils. A considerable proportion of the rice grain grown in some areas of southern China has Cd concentrations exceeding the Chinese food limit, raising widespread concern regarding food safety. In this review, we summarize rice grain Cd concentrations in national Chinese markets and in field surveys from contaminated areas, and analyze the potential health risk associated with increased dietary Cd intake. For subsistence rice farmers living in some contaminated areas of southern China who mainly consume locally-produced Cd-contaminated rice, their estimated dietary Cd intake is now comparable to that for the population in the region of Japan where the Itai-Itai disease was first reported. Interventions must be taken urgently to reduce Cd intake for these farmers. We also analyze i) the main reasons causing elevated grain Cd concentrations in southern China, ii) the dominant biogeochemical processes controlling the solubility of Cd in paddy soils, and iii) molecular mechanisms for the uptake and translocation of Cd in rice plants. Based on these analyses, we propose a number of countermeasures to address soil Cd contamination, including i) mitigation of Cd transfer from paddy soils to rice grain, and ii) intervention in those farmers who consume home-grown Cd-contaminated rice. Liming to increase soil pH to 6.5 and gene editing biotechnology are effective strategies to decrease Cd accumulation in rice grain. For these local farmers with high-Cd exposure risk, local governments should monitor the Cd concentration in their home-grown rice and exchange those high-Cd rice with low-Cd rice in order to reduce their dietary Cd intake.

High arsenic groundwater generally coexists with elevated Fe2+ concentrations (mg L−1 levels) under reducing conditions, but an explanation for the extremely high arsenic (up to ∼2690) concentrations at very low Fe2+ (i.e., μg L−1 levels) in groundwater of Datong Basin remains elusive. Field groundwater investigation and laboratory microcosm experiments were implemented in this study. The field groundwater was characterized by weakly alkaline (pH 7.69 to 8.34) and reducing conditions (Eh −221.7 to −31.9 mV) and arsenic concentration averages at 697 μg L−1. Acinetobacter (5.9–51.3%), Desulfosporosinus (4.6–30.2%), Brevundimonas (3.9–19%) and Pseudomonas (3.2–14.6%) were identified as the dominant genera in the bacterial communities. Bacterially mediated arsenate reduction, Fe(III) reduction, and sulfate reduction are processes occurring (or having previously occurred) in the groundwater. Results from incubation experiment (27 d) revealed that nitrate, arsenate, and Fe(III)/sulfate reduced sequentially with time under anoxic conditions, while Fe(III) and sulfate reduction processes had no obvious differences, occurring almost simultaneously. Moreover, low Fe2+ concentrations were attributed to initially high pH conditions, which relatively retarded Fe(III) reduction. In addition, arsenic behavior in relation to groundwater redox conditions, matrices, and solution chemistry were elaborated. Bacterial arsenate reduction process proceeded before Fe(III) and sulfate reduction in the incubation experiment, and the total arsenic concentration (dominated by arsenite) gradually increased from ∼7 to 115 μg L−1 as arsenate was reduced. Accordingly, bacterially mediated reductive desorption of arsenate is identified as the main process controlling arsenic mobility, while Fe(III) reduction coupled with sulfate reduction are secondary processes that have also contributed to arsenic enrichment in the study site. Overall, this study provide important insights into the mechanism controlling arsenic mobility under weakly alkaline and reducing conditions, and furnishes that arsenate reduction by bacteria play a major role leading to high accumulation of desorbed arsenite in groundwater.

Intact aquifer sediments were collected to obtain As-resistant bacteria from the Hetao basin. Two strains of aerobic As-resistant bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. M17-1 and Bacillus sp. M17-15) were isolated from the aquifer sediments. Those strains exhibited high resistances to both As(III) and As(V). Results showed that both strains had arr and ars genes, and led to reduction of dissolved As(V), goethite-adsorbed As(V), scorodite As(V) and sediment As(V), in the presence of organic carbon as the carbon source. After reduction of solid As(V), As release was observed from the solids to solutions. Strain M17-15 had a higher ability than strain M17-1 in reducing As(V) and promoting the release of As. These results suggested that the strains would mediate As(V) reduction to As(III), and thereafter release As(III), due to the higher mobility of As(III) in most aquifer systems. The processes would play an important role in genesis of high As groundwater.

We evaluated spatial patterns of mercury (Hg) deposition through analysis of foliage and forest floor samples from 45 sites across Adirondack Park, NY. Species-specific differences in foliar Hg were evident with the lowest concentrations found in first-year conifer needles and highest concentrations found in black cherry (Prunus serotina). For foliage and forest floor samples, latitude and longitude were negatively correlated with Hg concentrations, likely because of proximity to emission sources, while elevation was positively correlated with Hg concentrations. Elemental analysis showed moderately strong, positive correlations between Hg and nitrogen concentrations. The spatial pattern of Hg deposition across the Adirondacks is similar to patterns of other contaminants that originate largely from combustion sources such as nitrogen and sulfur. The results of this study suggest foliage can be used to assess spatial patterns of Hg deposition in small regions or areas of varied topography where current Hg deposition models are too coarse to predict deposition accurately.

Both eutrophication and SO₄ pollution can lead to higher availability of nutrients and potentially toxic compounds in wetlands. To unravel the interaction between the level of eutrophication and toxicity at species and community level, effects of SO₄ were tested in nutrient-poor and nutrient-rich fen mesocosms. Biomass production of aquatic and semi-aquatic macrophytes and colonization of the water layer increased after fertilization, leading to dominance of highly competitive species. SO₄ addition increased alkalinity and sulphide concentrations, leading to decomposition and additional eutrophication. SO₄ pollution and concomitant sulphide production considerably reduced biomass production and colonization, but macrophytes were less vulnerable in fertilized conditions. The experiment shows that competition between species, vegetation succession and terrestrialization are not only influenced by nutrient availability, but also by toxicity, which strongly interacts with the level of eutrophication. This implies that previously neutralized toxicity effects in eutrophied fens may appear after nutrient reduction measures have been taken. Interspecific competition, vegetation succession and terrestrialization in fens depend on the interacting effects of SO₄ pollution, sulphide toxicity and nutrient availability.