[Seasonal Variations in Vertical Profile of Hg Species and the Influential Factors in Changshou Reservior].

The vertical distribution of mercury (Hg) species were investigated in water and porewater of Changshou reservoir during the period from September 2013 to July 2014. Water samples were collected seasonally from five sampling sites, and the concentrations of Hg species were evaluated. Diffusion fluxes of Hg from sediment to overlaying water were also obtained. The results showed that the average concentrations of total Hg and total methylmercury (MeHg) were (14.77 ± 12.24) ng x L(-1) and (0.41 ± 0.47) ng x L(1), respectively. The concentrations of dissolved MeHg (DMeHg) was highest in 4-8 m under surface water, and then decreased with the increasing water depth with a subsequent increase in the bottom of Changshou Reservior. Peak particulate MeHg (PMeHg) values were found in 8-20 m under surface water, but not in the interface of sediment-water, suggesting that the increasing PMeHg might be related to the deposition of MeHg adsorbed to particulates from upper water. Two peak MeHg levels in pore water appeared in 16 and 28 cm under sediment surface, probably due to the extension of living region for sulfate reduction bacteria (SRB) to deeper sediment which resulted in increased methylation rate there. The diffusion fluxes of DMeHg from pore water to overlaying water were 28.2 ng x (m2 x d)(1) and 30.0 ng x (m2 x d)(-1) in autumn and summer, which were significantly higher than that in winter 3.8 ng x (m2 x d)(-1). It may be associated with the higher temperature in those two seasons. An obvious negative correlation was observed between DMeHg and dissolved oxygen (DO) in summer and spring (r = -0.482**, P < 0.05; r = -0.339, P < 0.01); however, similar correlations were not found in autumn and winter.