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Abiological Methylation of Mercury in Soil¹

ABSTRACT

The results from this work define several factors influencing the methylation of mercuric ion in soil. Two of the most important findings were that it is possible to extract the mercury methylating factor from soil with a solution of 0.5/V sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and that this factor is responsible for the abiological methylation of Hg in the soils under investigation.

The ability of the soil extract to methylate Hg is influenced by temperature, mercuric ion concentrations, and solution pH. In addition, it was found that the methylating ability of the soil extract was stable at high temperatures (121C), but was lost after exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

When the 0.5/V NaOH extract of soil was separated into a soluble fraction and an insoluble precipitate, the ability to methylate mercuric ion remained with the soluble fraction. It was found that the methylating factor was lost when the 0.5/V NaOH extract was dialyzed against distilled water. Other work showed that the methylating factor passes through dialysis tubing into the distilled water.

Key Words: humic acid • fulvic acid • soil organic matter • dialysis

¹ Contribution from the Environ. Monitoring and Support Lab., Off. of Res. and Dev., U. S. Environ. Prot. Agency, Las Vegas, NV 89114.

² Soil Microbiologist.

Received for publication November 30, 1976.