@article{fdi:010062346,
  title = {{B}aseline investigation of (methyl)mercury in waters, soils, sediments and key foodstuffs in the {L}ower {M}ekong {B}asin : the rapidly developing city of {V}ientiane ({L}ao {PDR})},
  author = {{G}u{\'e}dron, {S}t{\'e}phane and {T}isserand, {D}. and {G}arambois, {S}. and {S}padini, {L}. and {M}olton, {F}. and {B}ounvilay, {B}. and {C}harlet, {L}. and {P}olya, {D}. {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{W}e report here the first inventory of mercury ({H}g) contamination in the ecosystem of {V}ientiane city, a representative emerging city bordering the {M}ekong {R}iver. {T}otal {H}g ({TH}g) concentration in soil and sediments of both contrasting non-urbanized (wetland, rice paddy, {M}ekong {R}iver) and urbanized areas (wastewater canal and associated wastewater irrigated wetland) was low (8 to 101 ng g(-1)), reflecting the essentially non-industrialized status of the capital. {D}issolved {TH}g (2.2 +/- 2.2 ng l(-1)) and monomethyl-mercury ({MMH}g) concentrations (0.06 +/- 0.09 ng l(-1)) were also low in both surface and soil or sediment pore water with higher concentrations (up to 9 ng g(-1), {TH}g and 0.53 ng g(-1) {MMH}g) measured in wetland and rice paddy suboxic waters. {D}issolved organic carbon was identified as the main carrier in surface water for dissolved {H}g transport towards the {M}ekong {R}iver. {T}he measurement of low {TH}g concentrations in rice (6.4 +/- 1.0 ng g(-1)) and fish (51 +/- 40 ng g(-1)) sampled in rice paddies and in the {M}ekong {R}iver confirmed the pristine state of the ecosystem of {V}ientiane area. {B}ased on these data, we evaluated a low environmental {H}g-attributable health risk for the local population whose diet relies on both fish and rice.},
  keywords = {({M}ethyl)mercury ; {M}ekong {R}iver ; {S}oil ; {S}ediment ; {F}ish ; {L}ao {PDR} ; {LAOS} ; {MEKONG} {BASSIN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {G}eochemical {E}xploration},
  volume = {143},
  numero = {},
  pages = {96--102},
  ISSN = {0375-6742},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.gexplo.2014.03.020},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062346},
}