Mercury-DOC Interactions: Cinnabar Dissolution

- Cinnabar (HgS) is a sink for Hg in sulfidic (anoxic) environments.

- DOC enhanced the solubility of cinnabar, a highly insoluble solid, releasing significant quantities of Hg into solution.

- The hydrophobic organic acids were the most reactive fractions of the DOC.

- DOC from the F1 site dissolved more Hg than the DOC from the 2BS site.

- DOC dissolved more Hg than some of the most strongly binding ligands such as mercaptoacetic acid and EDTA.