Distribution of mercury species in soil from a mercury-contaminated site

Tabulated data are presented on the concentrations of total mercury, methylmercury, elemental mercury, and mercuric sulphide in the soil from a mercury-contaminated site at Oak Ridge, Tenn. Mercury contamination was confined mainly to the top 40 cm of soil, and the total concentrations at various sampling points ranged from 0.5 to 3000 ug per g. of this total, 91 per cent was inorganic, 0.01 per cent was organic, and 6 per cent was elemental mercury. Of the total inorganic mercury, 85 per cent was in the form of insoluble mercuric sulphide. The chemical and biological interactions of mercury in the soil are shown diagrammatically.