Are the existing guideline values adequate to protect soil health from inorganic mercury contamination?

Khandaker Rayhan Mahbub; Md Mezbaul Bahar; Mallavarapu Megharaj; Maurizio Labbate

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.037

Are the existing guideline values adequate to protect soil health from inorganic mercury contamination?

Environ Int. 2018 Aug:117:10-15. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.037. Epub 2018 Apr 25.

Authors

Khandaker Rayhan Mahbub¹, Md Mezbaul Bahar², Mallavarapu Megharaj³, Maurizio Labbate⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: khandaker.mahbub@uts.edu.au.
² Global Center for Environmental Remediation, Research and Innovation Division, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. Electronic address: mezbaul.bahar@newcastle.edu.au.
³ Global Center for Environmental Remediation, Research and Innovation Division, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia. Electronic address: megh.mallavarapu@newcastle.edu.au.
⁴ School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia. Electronic address: maurizio.labbate@uts.edu.au.

PMID: 29704752
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2018.04.037

Abstract

Currently, data that guide safe concentration ranges for inorganic mercury in the soil are lacking and subsequently, threaten soil health. In the present study, a species sensitivity distribution (SSD) approach was applied to estimate critical mercury concentration that has little (HC₅) or no effect (PNEC) on soil biota. Recently published terrestrial toxicity data were incorporated in the approach. Considering total mercury content in soils, the estimated HC₅ was 0.6 mg/kg, and the PNEC was 0.12-0.6 mg/kg. Whereas, when only water-soluble mercury fractions were considered, these values were 0.04 mg/kg and 0.008-0.04 mg/kg, respectively.

Keywords: Bioavailability; Ecotoxicity; HC(5); SSD; Safe limits.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Environmental Pollution* / legislation & jurisprudence
Environmental Pollution* / prevention & control
Mercury*
Soil Pollutants*

Substances

Soil Pollutants
Mercury