Methylmercury Degradation by Trivalent Manganese
- Shuang ZhangShuang ZhangKey Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaDepartment of Criminal Science and Technology, Henan Police College, Zhengzhou 450046, P.R. ChinaMore by Shuang Zhang
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- Baohui LiBaohui LiKey Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Baohui Li
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- Yi ChenYi ChenKey Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Yi Chen
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- Mengqiang ZhuMengqiang ZhuDepartment of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave., Laramie, Wyoming 82071, United StatesMore by Mengqiang Zhu
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- Joel A. PedersenJoel A. PedersenDepartment of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United StatesMore by Joel A. Pedersen
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- Baohua GuBaohua GuEnvironmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United StatesMore by Baohua Gu
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- Zimeng WangZimeng WangDepartment of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, P.R. ChinaMore by Zimeng Wang
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- Hui LiHui LiDepartment of Crop and Soil Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United StatesMore by Hui Li
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- Jinling LiuJinling LiuSchool of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, P.R. ChinaMore by Jinling Liu
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- Xin-Quan ZhouXin-Quan ZhouKey Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Xin-Quan Zhou
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- Yun-Yun HaoYun-Yun HaoKey Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Yun-Yun Hao
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- Hong JiangHong JiangCollege of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Hong Jiang
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- Fan LiuFan LiuKey Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Fan Liu
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- Yu-Rong Liu*Yu-Rong Liu*Email: [email protected]. Tel.: +86 27 87280271. Fax: +86 27 87288618.Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Yu-Rong Liu
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- Hui Yin*Hui Yin*Email: [email protected]. Tel.: +86 27 87280271. Fax: +86 27 87288618.Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtse River), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, P.R. ChinaMore by Hui Yin
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin and has great adverse health impacts on humans. Organisms and sunlight-mediated demethylation are well-known detoxification pathways of MeHg, yet whether abiotic environmental components contribute to MeHg degradation remains poorly known. Here, we report that MeHg can be degraded by trivalent manganese (Mn(III)), a naturally occurring and widespread oxidant. We found that 28 ± 4% MeHg could be degraded by Mn(III) located on synthesized Mn dioxide (MnO2–x) surfaces during the reaction of 0.91 μg·L–1 MeHg and 5 g·L–1 mineral at an initial pH of 6.0 for 12 h in 10 mM NaNO3 at 25 °C. The presence of low-molecular-weight organic acids (e.g., oxalate and citrate) substantially enhances MeHg degradation by MnO2–x via the formation of soluble Mn(III)-ligand complexes, leading to the cleavage of the carbon–Hg bond. MeHg can also be degraded by reactions with Mn(III)-pyrophosphate complexes, with apparent degradation rate constants comparable to those by biotic and photolytic degradation. Thiol ligands (cysteine and glutathione) show negligible effects on MeHg demethylation by Mn(III). This research demonstrates potential roles of Mn(III) in degrading MeHg in natural environments, which may be further explored for remediating heavily polluted soils and engineered systems containing MeHg.
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