Trophic distribution of mercury from an abandoned cinnabar mine within the Záskalská reservoir ecosystem (Czech Republic).

The distribution of mercury species was studied in all aquatic ecosystem components (i.e., water, sediment, emergent aquatic plants, invertebrates and omnivorous and piscivorous fish) of the Záskalská water reservoir (Central Bohemia, Czech Republic) which is in the vicinity of an abandoned cinnabar mine.

Evaluation of mercury bioavailability and phytoaccumulation by means of a DGT technique and of submerged aquatic plants in an aquatic ecosystem situated in the vicinity of a cinnabar mine.

The ability of submerged aquatic plants (Elodea canadensis, Myriophyllum spicatum, Ceratophyllum demersum) and a natant plant (Eichhornia crassipes) to bioaccumulate mercury was evaluated in a laboratory experiment as well as in a real aquatic ecosystem situated in the vicinity of a cinnabar mine. Moreover, the ability of the diffusive gradients in the thin films technique (DGT) to predict mercury bioavailability for selected aquatic plants was tested. The submerged plants had sufficient bioaccumulation capacity for long-term phytoaccumulation of mercury in a real aquatic ecosystem.

Swarming Aqua Sperm Micromotors for Active Bacterial Biofilms Removal in Confined Spaces.

Microscale self-propelled robots show great promise in the biomedical field and are the focus of many researchers. These tiny devices, which move and navigate by themselves, are typically based on inorganic microstructures that are not biodegradable and potentially toxic, often using toxic fuels or elaborate external energy sources, which limits their real-world applications. One potential solution to these issues is to go back to nature.

Evaluation of mercury bioavailability to vegetables in the vicinity of cinnabar mine.

Knowledge of the concentration of the bioavailable forms of mercury in the soil is necessary, especially, if these soils contain above-limit total mercury concentrations. The bioavailability of mercury in soil samples collected from the vicinity of abandoned cinnabar mines was evaluated using diffusive gradients in the thin films technique (DGT) and mercury phytoaccumulation by vegetables (lettuce, spinach, radish, beetroot, carrot, and green peas). Mercury was accumulated primarily in roots of vegetables.

Fractionation Analysis of Mercury in Soils: A Comparison of Three Techniques for Bioavailable Mercury Fraction Determination.

Knowledge of the fractionation of mercury in soils in the vicinity of abandoned cinnabar mines is essential for assessing the usability of soils for the cultivation of agriculturally important crops. Two different sequential extraction methods and the technique of diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) were applied and compared for fractionation of mercury in soils from mercury-contaminated sites intended for farming purposes. The mercury found in these soils was primarily in the form of mercury sulfide (58.

Development and evaluation of the iron oxide-hydroxide based resin gel for the diffusive gradient in thin films technique.

An ion-exchange resin Lewatit FO 36 was used for the preparation of a new resin gel for the diffusive gradient in thin films technique (DGT). The DGT method was optimized for the accumulation of four bioavailable arsenic species (As, As, monomethylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid) in the aquatic environment. The total sorption capacity of Lewatit FO 36 resin gel was 535 μg As disc.