Journal ArticleDOI
Recent Developments in Mercury Stable Isotope Analysis
Joel D. Blum,Marcus W. Johnson +1 more
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A review of the literature on stable isotope geochemistry of non-traditional stable isotopes can be found in this article, with a focus on the field of mercury (Hg) geochemistry.Abstract:
The first Reviews in Mineralogy volume on the Geochemistry of Non-Traditional Stable Isotopes was compiled before it was appropriate to include a chapter on mercury (Hg) stable isotope geochemistry. At that time there were only a few papers on this new topic (Jackson 2001; Lauretta et al. 2001; Hintelmann and Lu 2003), and there were still some important analytical issues that needed to be resolved. But the field has come a long way in a decade. Now we have a different problem; at our last count there were well over 100 publications utilizing mercury stable isotopes and it is becoming very difficult to synthesize this vast amount of exciting and rapidly developing research. Experimental studies have expanded our knowledge of the mechanisms of mercury isotope fractionation and applications of mercury isotope measurements have touched virtually every area of research in mercury biogeochemistry. There have been a number of previous reviews of the mercury stable isotope literature as it has developed (Ridley and Stetson 2006; Bergquist and Blum 2009; Yin et al. 2010; Blum 2011; Hintelmann 2012; Blum et al. 2014).
It is our view that the field has become too large to comprehensively review the entire literature on mercury stable isotopes. Ten years ago Hg isotope researchers were just beginning to explore the boundaries of natural Hg isotope variation and the mechanisms that cause this variation in the environment. At that time large and relatively easily measured isotope signals were of great interest and mercury isotope researchers were beginning to develop theories to explain mass dependent isotope fractionation (MDF) and mass independent isotope fractionation of the odd mass-numbered isotopes of mercury (odd-MIF). More recently researchers have discovered a wider range of types of isotopic variability (even-MIF), some of which are subtle and …read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: Changes of emissions, climate, and land use
TL;DR: Estimates of gaseous Hg0 emissions to the atmosphere over land, long considered a critical Hg source, have been revised downward, and most terrestrial environments now are considered net sinks of atmospheric Hg due to substantial Hg uptake by plants.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mercury as a proxy for volcanic emissions in the geologic record
TL;DR: The use of sedimentary mercury (Hg) contents has been suggested to be the best tool to fingerprint periods of major volcanism in the sedimentary record (termed here LIP marks).
Journal ArticleDOI
Non-Traditional Stable Isotopes: Retrospective and Prospective
TL;DR: A comprehensive review of non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry can be found in this paper, where Johnson et al. summarized the advances in the field up to 2003 and highlighted some distinctive geochemical features.
Mercury as a proxy for volcanic emissions in the geologic record
TL;DR: The use of sedimentary mercury (Hg) contents has been suggested to be the best tool to fingerprint periods of major volcanism in the sedimentary record (termed here LIP marks) as mentioned in this paper.
Journal ArticleDOI
Evidence for a prolonged Permian-Triassic extinction interval from global marine mercury records.
Jun Shen,Jiubin Chen,Thomas J. Algeo,Thomas J. Algeo,Shengliu Yuan,Qinglai Feng,Jianxin Yu,Lian Zhou,Brennan O'Connell,Noah J. Planavsky +9 more
TL;DR: It is found that mercury enrichment and isotope records in marine sections across the globe can be linked to increased volcanic activity, which resulted in the protracted Permian-Triassic biocrisis.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Guidelines and recommended terms for expression of stable‐isotope‐ratio and gas‐ratio measurement results
TL;DR: The recommendations presented herein are designed to clarify expression of quantities related to measurement of isotope and gas ratios to ensure that quantity equations instead of numerical value equations are used for quantity definitions.
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Mass-Dependent and -Independent Fractionation of Hg Isotopes by Photoreduction in Aquatic Systems
TL;DR: Large variations in MDF and MIF are observed in fish and provide new insights into the sources and bioaccumulation of Hg in food webs and the loss of methylmercury via photoreduction in aquatic ecosytems.
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Reporting of variations in the natural isotopic composition of mercury
TL;DR: High-precision measurements of natural variations in the stable isotopic composition of mercury show great promise as a new tracer of mercury sources and chemical transformations in the environment and it is suggested that all laboratories adopt a common means of data correction, standardization, and nomenclature.
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Mercury Isotopes in Earth and Environmental Sciences
TL;DR: The largest negative MIF of Hg isotopes (odd-mass deficit) is caused by photochemical reduction of inorganic Hg and has been observed in Arctic snow and plant foliage.
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Mercury isotopes in a forested ecosystem: Implications for air‐surface exchange dynamics and the global mercury cycle
TL;DR: In this article, the stable Hg isotopic composition of trees, forest floor, mineral soil, precipitation, and total gaseous mercury (THg(g)) in the atmosphere and in evasion from soil was quantified in 10-year-old aspen forests at the Rhinelander FACE experiment in northeastern Wisconsin, USA.