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Abstract Eutrophication is a major environmental concern in lake systems, impacting the ecological risks of contaminants and drinking water safety. It has long been believed that eutrophication and thus algal blooms would reduce methylmercury (MeHg) levels in water, as well as MeHg bioaccumulation and trophic transfer (e.g., by growth dilution). In this study, however, we demonstrated that algae settlement and decomposition after algal blooms increased MeHg levels in sediments (54–514% higher), as evidenced by the results from sediments in 10 major lakes in China. These could in turn raise concerns about enhanced trophic transfer of MeHg and deterioration of water quality after algal blooms, especially considering that 9 out of the 10 examined lakes also serve as drinking water sources. The enhanced microbial MeHg production in sediments could be explained by the algal organic matter (AOM)-enhanced abundances of microbial methylators as well as the input of algae-inhabited microbes into sediments, but not Hg speciation in sediments: (1) Several AOM components (e.g., aromatic proteins and soluble microbial by product-like material with generally low molecular weights), rather than the bulk AOM, played key roles in enhancing the abundances of microbial methylators. The copies of Archaea- hgcA methylation genes were 51–397% higher in algae-added sediments; thus, MeHg production was also higher. (2) Input of algal biomass-inhabited microbial methylators contributed to 2–21% of total Archaea- hgcA in the 10 lake sediments with added algal biomass. (3) However, AOM-induced changes in Hg speciation, with implications on Hg availability to microbial methylators, played a minor role in enhancing microbial Hg methylation in sediments as seen in X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) data. Our results suggest the need to better understand the biogeochemistry and risks of contaminants in eutrophic lakes, especially during the period of algae settlement and decomposition following algal blooms. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Algae settlement and decomposition enhanced net MeHg production in lake sediments. • Low molecular weight algal organic matter (AOM) increased the abundances of methylators. • Input of algae-inhabited microbes into sediments enhanced microbial MeHg production. • AOM-induced changes in Hg speciation played a minor role in Hg methylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mangrove ecosystems serve as an important carbon sink but also could be a hotspot that produces neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg). Although many studies have focused on mercury (Hg) contamination in this carbon-rich ecosystem, our understanding of the effects and mechanisms of the organic matter (OM) regulation of MeHg production in mangrove sediments is still limited. Here, we examined the effects of Hg contamination and OM enrichment on MeHg production in anoxic mangrove sediments and identified the major microbial guilds attending this process. The mangrove sediments possessed a high potential for producing MeHg, but this was counterbalanced by its rapid degradation. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) such as Desulfobacterales , Desulfovibrionales , and Syntrophobacterales were the major methylators. OM diagenesis significantly changed the biogeochemical conditions, accelerating MeHg degradation in the sediments. The enhanced MeHg degradation could be attributed to the abundant sulfide produced during OM decomposition, which could potentially inhibit the Hg methylation by immobilization of inorganic Hg, abiotically degrade MeHg, and favor the non- mer -mediated degradation of MeHg by SRB. Our study provides both geochemical and microbial clues that can partly explain the low MeHg levels widely observed in mangrove sediments. [Display omitted] • Geochemistry and microbial analysis explain the low MeHg in mangrove sediments. • Hg methylation counterbalanced with MeHg degradation in mangrove sediments. • OM enrichment facilitated MeHg degradation in the sediments. • SRB played critical roles in both Hg methylation and MeHg demethylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]