Biomethylation and volatilization of trace elements may contribute to their redistribution in the environment. However, quantification of volatile, methylated species in the environment is complicated by a lack of straightforward and field-deployable air sampling methods that preserve element speciation. This paper presents a robust and versatile gas trapping method for the simultaneous preconcentration of volatile selenium (Se), sulfur (S), and arsenic (As) species. Using HPLC-HR-ICP-MS and ESI-MS/MS analyses, we demonstrate that volatile Se and S species efficiently transform into specific non-volatile compounds during trapping, which enables the deduction of the original gaseous speciation. With minor adaptations, the presented HPLC-HR-ICP-MS method also allows for the quantification of 13 non-volatile methylated species and oxyanions of Se, S, and As in natural waters. Application of these methods in a peatland indicated that, at the selected sites, fluxes varied between 190–210 ng Se·m−2·d−1, 90–270 ng As·m−2·d−1, and 4–14 µg S·m−2·d−1, and contained at least 70% methylated Se and S species. In the surface water, methylated species were particularly abundant for As (>50% of total As). Our results indicate that methylation plays a significant role in the biogeochemical cycles of these elements.
Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland;Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland;Department of Environmental Toxicology, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland;Department of Thin Films and Photovoltaics, Swiss Federal Institute for Material Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland;Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Science, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland;Department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands;Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland;Department of Water Resources and Drinking Water, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland;Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland
Recommended Citation:
Bas Vriens,Adrian A. Ammann,Harald Hagendorfer,et al. Quantification of Methylated Selenium, Sulfur, and Arsenic in the Environment[J]. PLOS ONE,2014-01-01,9(7)