Stability and bioavailability of mercury sulfide in Oak Ridge Soils

During the 1950's and 1960's, a large amount of elemental mercury escaped confinement and is still present in the buildings and grounds of the U.S. Department of Energy's Y-12 National Security Facility and in the Y-12 Watershed in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA. Because of the adverse effects of elemental mercury and mercury compounds upon human health, the Oak Ridge Site is engaged in an on-going effort to monitor and remediate the area. In order to more cost effectively implement those extensive remediation efforts, it is necessary now to obtain an improved understanding of the role that mercury and mercury compounds play in the Oak Ridge ecosystem. Specifically, the long-term bioavailability, stability, and mobility of mercury species in contaminated terrestrial and aquatic environments of the Oak Ridge ecosystem under a range of biogeochemical conditions are not well understood. Mercury can be expected to be present in various forms. These species can be transformed from one form into another thus bioavailability, toxicity, and mobility can change as a function of the biogeochemical conditions. The kinetics of these transformations is currently unknown. We have conducted pilot scale experiments to study the bioavailability of mercury sulfide (HgS) in Oak Ridge soils. The effects of plants and incubation time on chemical stability and bioavailability of HgS under simulated conditions of the Oak Ridge ecosystem have been examined, as has the dynamics of the dissolution of HgS by various extractants. The results show that HgS in contaminated Oak Ridge soils was still to some extent bioavailable to plants. (authors)