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Using X-ray microscopy and Hg L3 XANES to study Hg binding in the rhizosphere of Spartina cordgrass.

ABSTRACT: San Francisco Bay has been contaminated historically by mercury from mine tailings as well as contemporary industrial sources. Native Spartina foliosa and non-native S. alterniflora-hybrid cordgrasses are dominant florae within the SF Bay estuary environment. Understanding mercury uptake and transformations in these plants will help to characterize the significance of their roles in mercury biogeochemical cycling in the estuarine environment. Methylated mercury can be biomagnified up the food web, resulting in levels in sport fish up to 1 million times greater than in surrounding waters and resulting in advisories to limit fish intake. Understanding the uptake and methylation of mercury in the plant rhizosphere can yield insight into ways to manage mercury contamination. The transmission X-ray microscope on beamline 6-2 at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) was used to obtain absorption contrast images and 3D tomography of Spartina foliosa roots that were exposed to 1 ppm Hg (as HgCl2) hydroponically for 1 week. Absorption contrast images of micrometer-sized roots from S. foliosa revealed dark particles, and dark channels within the root, due to Hg absorption. 3D tomography showed that the particles are on the root surface, and slices from the tomographic reconstruction revealed that the particles are hollow, consistent with microorganisms with a thin layer of Hg on the surface. Hg L3 XANES of ground-up plant roots and Hg L3 micro-XANES from microprobe analysis of micrometer-sized roots (60-120 microm in size) revealed three main types of speciation in both Spartina species: Hg-S ligation in a form similar to Hg(II) cysteine, Hg-S bonding as in cinnabar and metacinnabar, and methylmercury-carboxyl bonding in a form similar to methylmercury acetate. These results are interpreted within the context of obtaining a "snapshot" of mercury methylation in progress.

SUBMITTER: Patty C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2768038 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Using X-ray microscopy and Hg L3 XANES to study Hg binding in the rhizosphere of Spartina cordgrass.

Patty Cynthia C Barnett Brandy B Mooney Bridget B Kahn Amanda A Levy Silvio S Liu Yijin Y Pianetta Piero P Andrews Joy C JC

Environmental science & technology 20091001 19

San Francisco Bay has been contaminated historically by mercury from mine tailings as well as contemporary industrial sources. Native Spartina foliosa and non-native S. alterniflora-hybrid cordgrasses are dominant florae within the SF Bay estuary environment. Understanding mercury uptake and transformations in these plants will help to characterize the significance of their roles in mercury biogeochemical cycling in the estuarine environment. Methylated mercury can be biomagnified up the food we ...[more]

PMID: 19848152

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Project description:Experimental studies to determine the nature of ecological interactions between invasive and native species are necessary for conserving and restoring native species in impacted habitats. Theory predicts that species boundaries along environmental gradients are determined by physical factors in stressful environments and by competitive ability in benign environments, but little is known about the mechanisms by which hydrophytes exclude halophytes and the life history stage at which these mechanisms are able to operate. The ongoing invasion of the South American Spartina densiflora in European marshes is causing concern about potential impacts to native plants along the marsh salinity gradient, offering an opportunity to evaluate the mechanisms by which native hydrophytes may limit, or even prevent, the expansion of invasive halophytes. Our study compared S. densiflora seedling establishment with and without competition with Phragmites australis and Typha domingensis, two hydrophytes differing in clonal architecture. We hypothesized that seedlings of the stress tolerant S. densiflora would be out-competed by stands of P. australis and T. domingensis. Growth, survivorship, biomass patterns and foliar nutrient content were recorded in a common garden experiment to determine the effect of mature P. australis and T. domingensis on the growth and colonization of S. densiflora under fresh water conditions where invasion events are likely to occur. Mature P. australis stands prevented establishment of S. densiflora seedlings and T. domingensis reduced S. densiflora establishment by 38%. Seedlings grown with P. australis produced fewer than five short shoots and all plants died after ca. 2 yrs. Our results showed that direct competition, most likely for subterranean resources, was responsible for decreased growth rate and survivorship of S. densiflora. The presence of healthy stands of P. australis, and to some extent T. domingensis, along river channels and in brackish marshes may prevent the invasion of S. densiflora by stopping the establishment of its seedlings.

Dataset Information

Using X-ray microscopy and Hg L3 XANES to study Hg binding in the rhizosphere of Spartina cordgrass.

Publications

Using X-ray microscopy and Hg L3 XANES to study Hg binding in the rhizosphere of Spartina cordgrass.

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