Mercury methylation in wetlands

In this chapter, I measured methylation potential and determined controls on methylmercury cycling in thermokarst wetlands. The acidic, anoxic, and waterlogged conditions in thermokarst wetlands are ideal environments for methylation; recent studies have identified wetlands of intermediate trophic status (e.g., poor fens) as environments with high net methylmercury formation. However, methylation trends in the Canadian Interior Plains thermokarst wetlands have yet to be studied comprehensively. 

Here, I used isotopically enriched stable isotope tracers to characterize potential mercury methylation rates and investigate controls on methylmercury production in thermokarst wetlands of varying nutrient status and hydrology. This study will identify conditions that lead to potential hotspots of mercury methylation in boreal peatlands, based comprehensively on peat chemistry, porewater chemistry, microbial community composition, and potential rates of microbial methylation. 

Data from this work have been published, while a journal article is in preparation: