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Natural wetland emissions of methylated trace elements
Bas Vriens1, Markus Lenz2, Laurent Charlet3
11] Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dubendorf CH-8600, Switzerland [2] Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich CH-8092, Switzerland.
Nature Communications
|January 9, 2014
Summary
Wetlands release significant amounts of volatile selenium, sulfur, and arsenic. These trace element emissions, driven by biomethylation, increase with temperature, impacting global biogeochemical cycles.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Biogeochemistry
Background:
- Natural wetlands are known for methane emissions but their trace element emissions are understudied.
- Wetlands are significant reservoirs of trace elements like selenium, sulfur, and arsenic.
- Biomethylation and volatilization are key processes in trace element mobility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate trace element (selenium, sulfur, arsenic) volatilization from pristine wetlands.
- To quantify volatile fluxes and compare them with total concentrations in peat.
- To assess the influence of temperature on trace element emissions.
Main Methods:
- Field measurements of volatile fluxes of selenium, sulfur, and arsenic over two summer seasons.
- Analysis of trace element concentrations in peat samples.
- Correlation analysis between volatilization rates and environmental parameters like temperature.
Main Results:
- Considerable and consistent volatile fluxes of selenium, sulfur, and arsenic were measured from a pristine peatland.
- Selenium volatilization was significantly more efficient than arsenic and sulfur.
- Volatilization of selenium and arsenic increased with temperature.
Conclusions:
- Biomethylation and volatilization in wetlands are crucial for trace element mobilization and global biogeochemical cycling.
- Wetland emissions of health-relevant trace elements like selenium and arsenic may increase with global warming.
- Pristine wetlands play a significant, yet underappreciated, role in the global distribution of trace elements.
