Comparison of bioaccessibility methods in spiked and field Hg-contaminated soils

Estimating bioaccessible content of mercury in soils is essential in evaluating risks that contaminated soils pose. In this study, soil samples spiked with HgCl₂ through adsorption were used to test the effects of liming, soil organic matter, soil depth, and Hg concentration on the following bioaccessibility tests: dilute nitric acid at room temperature, dilute nitric acid at body temperature, Simplified Bioaccessibility Extraction Test (SBET) method, and gastric phase of the In vitro Gastrointestinal (IVG) protocol. Soil and sediment samples from Descoberto, Minas Gerais (Brazil), a city with a well-known record of Hg contamination from artisanal mining, were subjected to these bioaccessibility tests for the first time, and the different methods of estimating bioaccessible content were compared. Bioaccessible fractions in spiked samples ranged from 10% to 60%, and this high bioaccessibility was due to the highly soluble species of Hg and the short time under adsorption. In general, clay and organic matter decreased bioaccessible content. Although the soil in Descoberto is undoubtedly polluted, mercury bioaccessibility in that area is low. In general, dilute nitric acid estimated higher bioaccessible content in soil samples, whereas the SBET method estimated higher bioaccessible content in sediment samples. In multivariate analysis, two groups of bioaccessibility tests arise: one with the two nitric acid tests, and the other with SBET and the gastric phase of the IVG protocol. The addition of pepsin and glycine in the last two tests suggests a more reliable test for assessing mercury bioaccessibility.