Environmental geochemistry of an active Hg mine in Xunyang, Shaanxi Province, China

The Xunyang Hg mine (XMM) situated in Shaanxi Province is an active Hg mine in China. Gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) concentrations in ambient air were determined to evaluate its distribution pattern as a consequence of the active mining and retorting in the region. Total Hg (HgT) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in riparian soil, sediment and rice grain samples (polished) as well as Hg speciation in surface water samples were measured to show local dispersion of Hg contamination. As expected, elevated concentrations of GEM were found, ranging from 7.4 to 410 ng m−3. High concentrations of HgT and MeHg were also obtained in riparian soils, ranged from 5.4 to 120 mg kg−1 and 1.2 to 11 μg kg−1, respectively. Concentrations of HgT and MeHg in sediment samples varied widely from 0.048 to 1600 mg kg−1 and 1.0 to 39 μg kg−1, respectively. Surface water samples showed elevated HgT concentrations, ranging from 6.2 to 23,500 ng L−1, but low MeHg concentrations, ranging from 0.022 to 3.7 ng L−1. Rice samples exhibited high concentrations of 50–200 μg kg−1 in HgT and of 8.2–80 μg kg−1 in MeHg. The spatial distribution patterns of Hg speciation in the local environmental compartments suggest that the XMM is the source of Hg contaminations in the study area.