Correlation of the methylating capacity of river and marine sediments to their organic sediment index

Methylation experiments of the metals Sn, Pb and Hg were carried out using representative terrestrial and marine sediment samples from the Axios river and Thermaikos Gulf in northern Greece. GC-FID, GC-TCD and GC-MS were used. The experiments were carried out on sterilised and bioactive samples by adding pure metals and metal salts (chloride, nitrate, oxalate, acetic, penicillaminic, methioninic and cysteinic). Except for sterilised HgCl2, methylated derivatives of Sn, Pb and Hg were produced only from bioactive sediments, and therefore higher yields were measured when nutrients were added to the sediments. Volatile products (CH4, CO2, H2S) of biological activity range between 35 and 250 mg l-. The correlation of methylation yield with organic sediment index (OSI), determined as the wt% product of organic carbon] × organic nitrogen], is positive for all the metals and metal salts added in the sediments. Methylation yields for Hg are found to be four orders of magnitude higher than those of Pb and Sn. In low OSI (terrestrial) sediments, the rate of Hg-methylation is higher than those of Pb and Sn. In high OSI (marine) sediments, where methylation of most of the contained Hg has taken place, methylation of Pb is slightly faster than Sn.