Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo

Francis Q. Brearley; Giacomo Sellan; David McKendry; Sukaibin Sumail; Antony van der Ent

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo

Francis Q. Brearley^*, Giacomo Sellan, David McKendry, Sukaibin Sumail, Antony van der Ent

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference paper › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg) is an important topic of study due to the health implications of the release of this toxic element in the environment. Tropical ecosystems have been understudied, and examining elevational gradients can provide insights into mechanisms controlling soil Hg concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine soil Hg and its provenance along an elevation gradient (800–4100 m a.s.l.) on two mountains in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We took samples from soil profiles (5 depths) in minimally disturbed tropical forests from Mount Tambuyukon and Mount Kinabalu. The samples were acid-digested then analysed using a hydride generation ICP-OES technique. Mercury concentrations varied between 35.0 and 876 ng g⁻¹ with a mean of 277 ng g⁻¹ that was greater than many other ‘undisturbed’ forests. The highest Hg concentrations were found at mid-elevations where cloud cover was most persistent and Hg:Ti ratios suggested that a greater proportion of Hg at these elevations was from anthropogenic sources—particularly in surface soil horizons. If high Hg concentrations are common in this region, soil degradation in future could be an unanticipated source of future Hg release to the environment.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3
Editors	Amjad Kallel, Maurizio Barbieri, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino, Helder I. Chaminé, Broder Merkel, Haroun Chenchouni, Jasper Knight, Sandeep Panda, Nabil Khélifi, Ali Cemal Benim, Stefan Grab, Hesham El-Askary, Santanu Banerjee, Riheb Hadji, Mehdi Eshagh
Publisher	Springer
Pages	99-102
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Print)	9783031438028
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22
Publication status	Published - 2023
Externally published	Yes
Event	3rd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences, CAJG-3 2020 - Virtual, Online Duration: 2 Nov 2020 → 5 Nov 2020

Publication series

Name	Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation
ISSN (Print)	2522-8714
ISSN (Electronic)	2522-8722

Conference

Conference	3rd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences, CAJG-3 2020
City	Virtual, Online
Period	2/11/20 → 5/11/20

Keywords

Borneo
Mercury
Mountain
Soil

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

Cite this

Brearley, F. Q., Sellan, G., McKendry, D., Sumail, S., & van der Ent, A. (2023). Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo. In A. Kallel, M. Barbieri, J. Rodrigo-Comino, H. I. Chaminé, B. Merkel, H. Chenchouni, J. Knight, S. Panda, N. Khélifi, A. C. Benim, S. Grab, H. El-Askary, S. Banerjee, R. Hadji, & M. Eshagh (Eds.), Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3 (pp. 99-102). (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

Brearley, Francis Q. ; Sellan, Giacomo ; McKendry, David et al. / Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo. Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3. editor / Amjad Kallel ; Maurizio Barbieri ; Jesús Rodrigo-Comino ; Helder I. Chaminé ; Broder Merkel ; Haroun Chenchouni ; Jasper Knight ; Sandeep Panda ; Nabil Khélifi ; Ali Cemal Benim ; Stefan Grab ; Hesham El-Askary ; Santanu Banerjee ; Riheb Hadji ; Mehdi Eshagh. Springer, 2023. pp. 99-102 (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation).

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title = "Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo",

abstract = "The biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg) is an important topic of study due to the health implications of the release of this toxic element in the environment. Tropical ecosystems have been understudied, and examining elevational gradients can provide insights into mechanisms controlling soil Hg concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine soil Hg and its provenance along an elevation gradient (800–4100 m a.s.l.) on two mountains in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We took samples from soil profiles (5 depths) in minimally disturbed tropical forests from Mount Tambuyukon and Mount Kinabalu. The samples were acid-digested then analysed using a hydride generation ICP-OES technique. Mercury concentrations varied between 35.0 and 876 ng g−1 with a mean of 277 ng g−1 that was greater than many other {\textquoteleft}undisturbed{\textquoteright} forests. The highest Hg concentrations were found at mid-elevations where cloud cover was most persistent and Hg:Ti ratios suggested that a greater proportion of Hg at these elevations was from anthropogenic sources—particularly in surface soil horizons. If high Hg concentrations are common in this region, soil degradation in future could be an unanticipated source of future Hg release to the environment.",

keywords = "Borneo, Mercury, Mountain, Soil",

author = "Brearley, {Francis Q.} and Giacomo Sellan and David McKendry and Sukaibin Sumail and {van der Ent}, Antony",

year = "2023",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22",

language = "English",

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series = "Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation",

publisher = "Springer",

pages = "99--102",

editor = "Amjad Kallel and Maurizio Barbieri and Jes{\'u}s Rodrigo-Comino and Chamin{\'e}, {Helder I.} and Broder Merkel and Haroun Chenchouni and Jasper Knight and Sandeep Panda and Nabil Kh{\'e}lifi and Benim, {Ali Cemal} and Stefan Grab and Hesham El-Askary and Santanu Banerjee and Riheb Hadji and Mehdi Eshagh",

booktitle = "Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3",

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note = "3rd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences, CAJG-3 2020 ; Conference date: 02-11-2020 Through 05-11-2020",

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Brearley, FQ, Sellan, G, McKendry, D, Sumail, S & van der Ent, A 2023, Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo. in A Kallel, M Barbieri, J Rodrigo-Comino, HI Chaminé, B Merkel, H Chenchouni, J Knight, S Panda, N Khélifi, AC Benim, S Grab, H El-Askary, S Banerjee, R Hadji & M Eshagh (eds), Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3. Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation, Springer, pp. 99-102, 3rd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences, CAJG-3 2020, Virtual, Online, 2/11/20. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo. / Brearley, Francis Q.; Sellan, Giacomo; McKendry, David et al.
Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3. ed. / Amjad Kallel; Maurizio Barbieri; Jesús Rodrigo-Comino; Helder I. Chaminé; Broder Merkel; Haroun Chenchouni; Jasper Knight; Sandeep Panda; Nabil Khélifi; Ali Cemal Benim; Stefan Grab; Hesham El-Askary; Santanu Banerjee; Riheb Hadji; Mehdi Eshagh. Springer, 2023. p. 99-102 (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference paper › Academic › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo

AU - Brearley, Francis Q.

AU - Sellan, Giacomo

AU - McKendry, David

AU - Sumail, Sukaibin

AU - van der Ent, Antony

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg) is an important topic of study due to the health implications of the release of this toxic element in the environment. Tropical ecosystems have been understudied, and examining elevational gradients can provide insights into mechanisms controlling soil Hg concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine soil Hg and its provenance along an elevation gradient (800–4100 m a.s.l.) on two mountains in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We took samples from soil profiles (5 depths) in minimally disturbed tropical forests from Mount Tambuyukon and Mount Kinabalu. The samples were acid-digested then analysed using a hydride generation ICP-OES technique. Mercury concentrations varied between 35.0 and 876 ng g−1 with a mean of 277 ng g−1 that was greater than many other ‘undisturbed’ forests. The highest Hg concentrations were found at mid-elevations where cloud cover was most persistent and Hg:Ti ratios suggested that a greater proportion of Hg at these elevations was from anthropogenic sources—particularly in surface soil horizons. If high Hg concentrations are common in this region, soil degradation in future could be an unanticipated source of future Hg release to the environment.

AB - The biogeochemical cycling of mercury (Hg) is an important topic of study due to the health implications of the release of this toxic element in the environment. Tropical ecosystems have been understudied, and examining elevational gradients can provide insights into mechanisms controlling soil Hg concentrations. The aim of this study was to determine soil Hg and its provenance along an elevation gradient (800–4100 m a.s.l.) on two mountains in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. We took samples from soil profiles (5 depths) in minimally disturbed tropical forests from Mount Tambuyukon and Mount Kinabalu. The samples were acid-digested then analysed using a hydride generation ICP-OES technique. Mercury concentrations varied between 35.0 and 876 ng g−1 with a mean of 277 ng g−1 that was greater than many other ‘undisturbed’ forests. The highest Hg concentrations were found at mid-elevations where cloud cover was most persistent and Hg:Ti ratios suggested that a greater proportion of Hg at these elevations was from anthropogenic sources—particularly in surface soil horizons. If high Hg concentrations are common in this region, soil degradation in future could be an unanticipated source of future Hg release to the environment.

KW - Borneo

KW - Mercury

KW - Mountain

KW - Soil

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

M3 - Conference paper

AN - SCOPUS:85182006759

SN - 9783031438028

T3 - Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation

SP - 99

EP - 102

BT - Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3

A2 - Kallel, Amjad

A2 - Barbieri, Maurizio

A2 - Rodrigo-Comino, Jesús

A2 - Chaminé, Helder I.

A2 - Merkel, Broder

A2 - Chenchouni, Haroun

A2 - Knight, Jasper

A2 - Panda, Sandeep

A2 - Khélifi, Nabil

A2 - Benim, Ali Cemal

A2 - Grab, Stefan

A2 - El-Askary, Hesham

A2 - Banerjee, Santanu

A2 - Hadji, Riheb

A2 - Eshagh, Mehdi

PB - Springer

T2 - 3rd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences, CAJG-3 2020

Y2 - 2 November 2020 through 5 November 2020

ER -

Brearley FQ, Sellan G, McKendry D, Sumail S, van der Ent A. Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo. In Kallel A, Barbieri M, Rodrigo-Comino J, Chaminé HI, Merkel B, Chenchouni H, Knight J, Panda S, Khélifi N, Benim AC, Grab S, El-Askary H, Banerjee S, Hadji R, Eshagh M, editors, Selected Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Hydrogeosciences - Proceedings of the 3rd Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences CAJG-3. Springer. 2023. p. 99-102. (Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-43803-5_22

Soil Mercury Along an Elevation Gradient in Northern Borneo

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

UN SDGs

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