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Species and correlations between selenium and mercury in fishpond ecosystems
Author(s) -
Yu Xiaoping,
Wang Mengxue,
Nan Xuejiao,
Guo Yafei,
Deng Tianlong
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.1002/wer.1029
Subject(s) - mercury (programming language) , selenium , selenate , environmental chemistry , chemistry , ecotoxicology , bioavailability , aquaculture , ecosystem , ecology , fishery , biology , fish <actinopterygii> , bioinformatics , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
The chemical species and contents of selenium and mercury in water, sediments, and crucian carps collected from three wild and three aquaculture fishponds in Tianjin, China, were determined, and the interaction between selenium and mercury in water was also investigated by the calorimetry method. The results revealed that the average contents of total selenium ( TS e) and total mercury ( TH g) in each item of the wild areas were higher than in those of the aquaculture areas, and significant differences (95% confidence) were presented for TH g both in the sediments and crucian carps. The molar ratios between TS e and TH g in all investigated fishponds were far higher than 1, indicating good protective effects of selenium on mercury toxicity. Obviously, negative correlations ( r > 0.9993) were found between TS e and TH g in water. The antagonism of selenium on mercury in water was confirmed to mainly result from the reaction between selenate and Hg 2+ to form an insoluble selenium–mercury oxygenated compound, by which the addition of selenate into the water of fishponds would reduce the environmental risk of mercury. Practitioner points Se and Hg in different fishpond ecosystems were investigated and compared. Direct evidence was provided for the interaction between Se and Hg in water. The addition of Se(VI) into fishpond ecosystems would reduce the environmental risk of Hg.