The effects of a stannous chloride-based water treatment system in a mercury contaminated stream

Teresa J. Mathews; Brian B. Looney; A. Lawrence Bryan; John G. Smith; Carrie L. Miller; George R. Southworth; Mark J. Peterson

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.083

The effects of a stannous chloride-based water treatment system in a mercury contaminated stream

Teresa J. Mathews, Brian B. Looney, A. Lawrence Bryan, John G. Smith, Carrie L. Miller, George R. Southworth, Mark J. Peterson

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

We assessed the impacts of an innovative Hg water treatment system on a small, industrially-contaminated stream in the southeastern United States. The treatment system, installed in 2007, removes Hg from wastewater using tin (Sn) (II) chloride followed by air stripping. Mercury concentrations in the receiving stream, Tims Branch, decreased from 100 to ~10. ng/L in the four years following treatment, and Hg body burdens in redfin pickerel (. Esox americanus) decreased by 70% at the most contaminated site. Tin concentrations in water and fish increased significantly in the tributary leading to Tims Branch, but concentrations remain below levels of concern for human health or ecological risks. While other studies have shown that Sn may be environmentally methylated and methyltin can transfer its methyl group to Hg, results from our field studies and sediment incubation experiments suggest that the added Sn to the Tims Branch watershed is not contributing to methylmercury (MeHg) production or bioaccumulation in this system. The stannous chloride treatment system installed at Tims Branch was effective at removing Hg inputs and reducing Hg bioaccumulation in the stream, but future studies are needed to assess longer term impacts of Sn on the environment.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	190-196
Number of pages	7
Journal	Chemosphere
Volume	138
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.083
State	Published - Nov 1 2015

Funding

This work was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management under the Remediation of Mercury and Industrial Contaminants Applied Field Research Initiative (RoMIC AFRI) and through Financial Assistance Award No. DE-FC09-96SR18546 to the University of Georgia Research Foundation. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle for the DOE under contract number DE-AC05-00OR22725 and the Savannah River National Laboratory is managed by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions for the DOE under contracts DE-AC09-96SR18500 and DE-AC09-08SR22470.

Funders	Funder number
Remediation of Mercury and Industrial Contaminants Applied Field Research Initiative	DE-FC09-96SR18546
U.S. Department of Energy	DE-AC05-00OR22725, DE-AC09-08SR22470, DE-AC09-96SR18500
Office of Environmental Management
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
University of Georgia Research Foundation
UT-Battelle

Keywords

Bioaccumulation
Mercury
Remediation
Stannous chloride
Tin

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.05.083

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title = "The effects of a stannous chloride-based water treatment system in a mercury contaminated stream",

abstract = "We assessed the impacts of an innovative Hg water treatment system on a small, industrially-contaminated stream in the southeastern United States. The treatment system, installed in 2007, removes Hg from wastewater using tin (Sn) (II) chloride followed by air stripping. Mercury concentrations in the receiving stream, Tims Branch, decreased from 100 to ~10. ng/L in the four years following treatment, and Hg body burdens in redfin pickerel (. Esox americanus) decreased by 70% at the most contaminated site. Tin concentrations in water and fish increased significantly in the tributary leading to Tims Branch, but concentrations remain below levels of concern for human health or ecological risks. While other studies have shown that Sn may be environmentally methylated and methyltin can transfer its methyl group to Hg, results from our field studies and sediment incubation experiments suggest that the added Sn to the Tims Branch watershed is not contributing to methylmercury (MeHg) production or bioaccumulation in this system. The stannous chloride treatment system installed at Tims Branch was effective at removing Hg inputs and reducing Hg bioaccumulation in the stream, but future studies are needed to assess longer term impacts of Sn on the environment.",

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AU - Southworth, George R.

AU - Peterson, Mark J.

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N2 - We assessed the impacts of an innovative Hg water treatment system on a small, industrially-contaminated stream in the southeastern United States. The treatment system, installed in 2007, removes Hg from wastewater using tin (Sn) (II) chloride followed by air stripping. Mercury concentrations in the receiving stream, Tims Branch, decreased from 100 to ~10. ng/L in the four years following treatment, and Hg body burdens in redfin pickerel (. Esox americanus) decreased by 70% at the most contaminated site. Tin concentrations in water and fish increased significantly in the tributary leading to Tims Branch, but concentrations remain below levels of concern for human health or ecological risks. While other studies have shown that Sn may be environmentally methylated and methyltin can transfer its methyl group to Hg, results from our field studies and sediment incubation experiments suggest that the added Sn to the Tims Branch watershed is not contributing to methylmercury (MeHg) production or bioaccumulation in this system. The stannous chloride treatment system installed at Tims Branch was effective at removing Hg inputs and reducing Hg bioaccumulation in the stream, but future studies are needed to assess longer term impacts of Sn on the environment.

AB - We assessed the impacts of an innovative Hg water treatment system on a small, industrially-contaminated stream in the southeastern United States. The treatment system, installed in 2007, removes Hg from wastewater using tin (Sn) (II) chloride followed by air stripping. Mercury concentrations in the receiving stream, Tims Branch, decreased from 100 to ~10. ng/L in the four years following treatment, and Hg body burdens in redfin pickerel (. Esox americanus) decreased by 70% at the most contaminated site. Tin concentrations in water and fish increased significantly in the tributary leading to Tims Branch, but concentrations remain below levels of concern for human health or ecological risks. While other studies have shown that Sn may be environmentally methylated and methyltin can transfer its methyl group to Hg, results from our field studies and sediment incubation experiments suggest that the added Sn to the Tims Branch watershed is not contributing to methylmercury (MeHg) production or bioaccumulation in this system. The stannous chloride treatment system installed at Tims Branch was effective at removing Hg inputs and reducing Hg bioaccumulation in the stream, but future studies are needed to assess longer term impacts of Sn on the environment.

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The effects of a stannous chloride-based water treatment system in a mercury contaminated stream

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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