Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l’environnement et de l’eau Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l’environnement et de l’eau

Ongoing projects

MetOxiC

The MetOxiC project, as a continuation of the Leman21 project, evaluates the presence and possible formation of methylmercury in suspended particles of a deep lake (Lake Geneva) within an oxygenated water column. The formation of methylmercury from inorganic mercury is mainly due to anaerobic microorganisms, and the presence of non-negligible amounts of MeHg in the settling particles of the oxic water column does not fit the classical model. The project aims to quantify the presence of MeHg in suspended particles and the existence of micro-niches in these particles in which methylating microorganisms could develop.