Comparison of mercury and methylmercury bioaccumulation in earthworms (Bimastus parvus) native to landfill-leachate-contaminated forest soil.

Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation was explored in the Bimastus parvus species of earthworm (B. parvus) native to the leachate-contaminated forest soils around a Hg-polluted traditional landfill in Japan. General soil properties and concentrations of THg and MeHg in forest soils and in B. parvus were determined. The results indicated that the average THg concentrations in B. parvus and in forest soils in the leachate-contaminated sites were 10.21 and 14.90 times higher than those in the reference sites, respectively, whereas similar average MeHg concentrations were observed in forest soils (< 0.01 mg kg-1) and in B. parvus (0.100-0.114 mg kg-1) across all sampled sites. The average bioaccumulation factors of THg in B. parvus (BAFTHg) in forest soil were similar between the leachate-contaminated sites and the reference sites. Cluster and regression analyses demonstrated that the B. parvus Hg (THg and MeHg) and soil THg were positively correlated with each other and with soil organic matter (SOM) and clays, but were negatively correlated with sand and hardly correlated with silts and pH in leachate-contaminated forest soils. From these results, it was proposed that Hg exposure to food chains is possible through B. parvus, because B. parvus showed a high ability to accumulate THg and MeHg in both leachate-contaminated and reference forest soils. Together, these findings indicated that the role of B. parvus in MeHg production is not clear, and it is possible that the MeHg in B. parvus was firstly formed within forest soils and then accumulated in their tissues.

Spatial distribution characteristics of mercury in the soils and native earthworms (Bimastos parvus) of the leachate-contaminated zone around a traditional landfill.

The contents and spatial distribution of mercury (Hg), including soil-Hg fractionation and Hg-containing native earthworm Bimastos parvus (B. parvus) species, were investigated in the leachate-contaminated zone of a large traditional landfill, Japan. Soil-Hg was fractionated into 5 categories: F1/water soluble Hg (Hg-w), F2/human stomach acid soluble Hg (Hg-h), F3/organic-chelated (Hg-o), F4/elemental Hg (Hg-e), and F5/mercuric sulfide (Hg-s). The total mercury (T-Hg) and methylmercury (MeHg) of native B. parvus, and the geochemical properties of soils were examined in this study. Soil T-Hg concentration ranged between 0.227 and 2.919 mg kg-1 dry weight (dw). The T-Hg and MeHg concentrations of B. parvus species ranged from 1.242 to 6.775 mg kg-1 dw and from 0.031 to 0.218 mg kg-1 dw, respectively. Percentages of soil-Hg fractions were in the order of F3/Hg-o > F4/ Hg-e > F5/Hg-s > F1/Hg-w > F2/Hg-h, and the fractions of Hg-o and Hg-e were 55.50% and 35.31%, respectively. Similar distributions and close correlations between the levels of B. parvus Hg and soil Hg-o, Hg-e, and Hg-s were observed in this study. The distribution of Hg in B. parvus was associated with soil organic matter (SOM) content and particle size (sand, clay); however, it was not correlated with Hg-w or Hg-h. The results indicated that easily bioavailable and soluble Hg fractions (Hg-w, Hg-h) of the soil were not appropriate to illustrate the distribution of Hg in native B. parvus. Instead, the stable soil-Hg fractions (Hg-o, Hg-e, and Hg-s) demonstrated good relationships of spatial distribution with B. parvus Hg in leachate-contaminated soil. It is advisable to preclude the evaluation of Hg biological distribution using soluble Hg fractions only. Stable Hg fractions in leachate-contaminated soil should also be included for assessing the biological distribution of Hg in leachate-contaminated soils.

Phytoremediation of 4,4'-thiodiphenol (TDP) and other bisphenol derivatives by Portulaca oleracea cv.

4,4'-Thiodiphenol (TDP) is a bisphenol derivative, and there has been no report on TDP removal by any plants or pure bacterial cultures. The removal of TDP by Portulaca oleracea cv., a floricultural herbal plant, was examined with a hydroculture system, and 97% of TDP was removed after 4 days culture.

Modification of soot by volatile species in an urban atmosphere.

Aerosol samples in the urban atmosphere of Kumamoto (32 degrees 48'N, 134 degrees 45'E) in southwestern Japan were collected onto aluminum foil strips. Parts of the samples were heated to 550 degrees C in pure helium gas, and oxygen (2%)-helium (98%) mixture gas. Particles in unheated and heated parts were characterized individually by their morphology and elemental composition using a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer. There were mainly two types of soot-containing particles according to the morphology: chain-like and sub-round. Chain-like particles were likely young soot particles because such particles in heated specimens showed similar morphology to those in unheated specimen. In contrast, the sub-round particles were composed of volatile species encapsulated with soot. The heating caused partial evaporation of such particles, and the soot inclusions could be identified only after the heating. The volatile species frequently contained sulfur compounds, but sulfur was not detected in the residues, suggesting that the volatile species were mainly produced on soot particles in the atmosphere. The sub-round soot-containing particles were approximately 3 times larger in diameter than the inclusions. These results suggest that soot particles could be substantially modified in size and composition by volatile species in the urban atmosphere.