Bioaccumulation of mercury in plants collected from Wanshan mercury mining areas in Guizhou province
Article
Tao, H, Chen, Y, Liu, Y et al. (2022). Bioaccumulation of mercury in plants collected from Wanshan mercury mining areas in Guizhou province
. 41(12), 4047-4056. 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2021080903
Tao, H, Chen, Y, Liu, Y et al. (2022). Bioaccumulation of mercury in plants collected from Wanshan mercury mining areas in Guizhou province
. 41(12), 4047-4056. 10.7524/j.issn.0254-6108.2021080903
This study analyzed mercury (Hg) concentrations in soil and plant samples collected from one abandoned Hg smelting workshop and one abandoned Hg mine in Wanshan Hg mining areas, Guizhou province, aiming to investigate the Hg accumulation characteristics of different plants and the Hg distribution in plant tissues. A total of 185 plant samples (including shoots and roots) of 77 plant species were collected, such as Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae. Results showed that total Hg (THg) concentrations in soil collected from Wanshan Hg mining areas (1.8–224 mg·kg−1) were significantly higher than those in soil collected from the control site in Guiyang (0.14–0.26 mg·kg−1). THg concentrations in plant shoots and roots from Wanshan Hg mining areas were 0.07 – 7.9 mg·kg−1and 0.06–28 mg·kg−1, respectively, which were higher than those from the control site (P < 0.001). No significant THg concentration differences were observed between herbaceous and woody plants (P > 0.05), nor did among Asteraceae, Poaceae, and Lamiaceae species (P > 0.05). THg concentrations varied in the root and shoot for the same plant, and THg concentrations in these plant tissues were significantly correlated (R ≥ 0.58，P < 0.001), which may be due to the different origins for Hg in different tissues and Hg transport within plants. These results suggested that the abandoned Hg smelting workshop and abandoned Hg mine have a substantial influence on Hg accumulation in plants, and the potential ecological risks posed by abandoned Hg mining areas deserve further attention.
