Abstract
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an important role in promoting or suppressing methylmercury (MeHg) production in wetlands. However, in the context of climate warming, the regulatory mechanism of DOM composition and molecular structure changes in permafrost wetland soil on mercury methylation remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the distribution characteristics of mercury and methylmercury in permafrost wetland soils in the Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM), and elucidated the driving mechanism of mercury methylation by basic physical and chemical properties and DOM spectral characteristics of soils. The results showed that the mean value of total mercury in the permafrost wetlands of the GKM was 111 ng·g-1, the mean value of methylmercury was 5.69 ng·g-1, and the mean percentage of methylmercury was 6.16%. Hg and MeHg concentrations showed different vertical distribution patterns in the four wetlands, with Hg and MeHg concentrations in both scrub and moss wetlands showing a decreasing trend with soil deepening, but herb and forest wetlands did not satisfy this pattern. Soil warming, associated with the decomposition and mineralization of Soil Organic Matter (SOM), induces an elevation in Dissolved Organic Matter (DOM) content, subsequently contributing to increased levels of mercury methylation and an upswing in methylmercury output. Throughout this process, the spectral properties of DOM play a pivotal role in regulating Hg methylation, with the input of plant sources following closely behind. The content of MeHg in the soil is minimally influenced by the mercury content in the soil.
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The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Data would be available when be requested.
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Funding
The authors gratefully thank the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U20A2083, U19A2042), the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (No. 2018265), and the Professional Association of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (Grant No. ANSO-PA-2020-14).
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Fan Sun wrote the draft, Meijie Zheng and Shan Jiang performed the chemical analysis, Qiang Guan and Dongmei Zheng designed the experiment, and Zhongsheng Zhang designed and polished the draft.
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Sun, F., Zheng, M., Jiang, S. et al. Impacts of Spectral Characteristics of Dissolved Organic Matter on Methyl Mercury Contents in Permafrost Wetlands, Northeast China. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01800-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01800-2