Atmospheric Mercury Speciation:  Concentrations and Behavior of Reactive Gaseous Mercury in Ambient Air

1998 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Lindberg ◽  
W. J. Stratton
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Air ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Mercury Speciation ◽  
Reactive Gaseous Mercury ◽  
Gaseous Mercury ◽  
And Behavior

scholarly journals Temporal trend and sources of speciated atmospheric mercury at Waliguan GAW station, northwestern China

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 30053-30089 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. W. Fu ◽  
X. Feng ◽  
P. Liang ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
J. Ji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Range ◽  
Temporal Trend ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Western China ◽  
Long Range Transport ◽  
Gaseous Mercury ◽  
Sampling Campaign ◽  
Regional Sources ◽  
Range Transport

Abstract. Measurements of speciated atmospheric mercury were conducted at a remote mountain-top station (WLG) at the edge of northeastern part of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, western China. Mean concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM), particulate mercury (PHg), and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) during the whole sampling campaign were 1.98 ± 0.98 ng m−3, 19.4 ± 18.1 pg m−3, and 7.4 ± 4.8 pg m−3, respectively. Levels of speciated Hg at WLG were slightly higher than those reported from remote areas of North America and Europe. Both regional emissions and long-rang transport played a remarkable role in the distribution of TGM and PHg in ambient air at WLG, whereas RGM showed major links to the regional sources, likely as well as the in-situ productions by photochemical processes. Regional sources for speciated Hg were mostly located to the east of WLG, which is the most developed areas of Qinghai province and accounted for most of the province's anthropogenic Hg emissions. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) results showed a strong impact of long-range transport from eastern Gansu, western Ningxia and Shanxi Province, with good accordance with locations of urban areas and industrial centers. Moreover, we found that northern India was also an important source region of WLG during the sampling campaign, and this is the first time of direct evidence of long-range transport of atmospheric Hg from India to northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Seasonal and diurnal variations of TGM were in contrast with most of the previous studies in China, with relatively higher levels in warm seasons and night, respectively. The temporal trend of TGM also highlighted the impact of long-range transport on the distribution of TGM in ambient air at WLG.

scholarly journals Worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements: a review and synthesis of spatial and temporal trends

2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1261-1307 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Sprovieri ◽  
N. Pirrone ◽  
R. Ebinghaus ◽  
H. Kock ◽  
A. Dommergue
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Mercury Emissions ◽  
Gaseous Mercury ◽  
National Programs ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Trends

Abstract. A large number of activities have been carried out during the last decade in different regions of the world, including polar regions, aiming to assess the level of mercury (Hg) species in ambient air and in precipitation observing their variation over time and with changing meteorological conditions. Following the discovery of atmospheric Hg depletion events (AMDEs) in Polar Regions several studies have indeed been conducted in order to assess the chemical-physical mechanisms related to AMDEs occurred in polar atmospheres with special attention to the consequences of these phenomena in terms of contamination of polar environment due to the rapid conversion of atmospheric gaseous Hg (Hg0) into reactive and water-soluble forms that may potentially become bioavailable. The understanding of the way in which mercury released to the atmosphere is eventually incorporated into biota is of crucial importance not only for the polar regions but also for the marine environment in general. The world's oceans and seas are in fact both sources and sinks of Hg and although it appears that the atmosphere is the major transport/distribution medium for Hg, because most Hg emissions are to the atmosphere, oceans and seas also play an important role. Currently, however, a coordinated observational network for Hg does not exist. There are a number of state and national programs that are collecting atmospheric Hg data but the parameters monitored, the locations of the monitoring sites and the methods employed may prohibit their utility in assessing Hg long-trend variations. The large increase in mercury emissions in fast developing countries (i.e., China, India) over the last decade due primarily to a sharp increase in energy production from the combustion of coal are not currently reflected in the long-term measurements of total gaseous mercury in ambient air and in precipitation data at several continuous monitoring sites in North Europe and North America. The discrepancy between observed gaseous mercury concentrations (steady or decreasing) and global mercury emission inventories (increasing) is not yet clear however, could be at least in part accounted by the increasing in the potential oxidation of the atmosphere recently documented. Therefore, measurements of other key atmospheric constituents at the global monitoring sites are necessary for us to develop a better understanding of the global redistribution of Hg and to further refine model parameterizations of the key processes. The sharing of data from this network, allowing, in fact, access to comparable and long-term data from a wide array of locations for understanding temporal and spatial patterns of Hg transport, deposition and re-emission process producing thus data that will support the validation of regional and global atmospheric Hg models. This paper presents a detailed overview of atmospheric mercury measurements conducted in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at several terrestrial sites (industrial, rural and remote) during the last decade as well as measurements performed over the world's ocean and seas and in Polar Regions with reference to the monitoring techniques and location of monitoring sites in most of the continents.

scholarly journals Characterization of Atmospheric Mercury in the High-Altitude Background Station and Coastal Urban City in South Asia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manikanda Bharath Karuppasamy ◽  
Srinivasalu Seshachalam ◽  
Usha Natesan ◽  
Karthik Ramasamy
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Mercury Vapour ◽  
Total Gaseous Mercury ◽  
Gaseous Mercury ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Management Approaches

This study is performed to evaluate the potential sources and seasonal variation of atmospheric mercury (Hg) emissions from regional sources and other influences in India. To achieve this, using the gold amalgam technique with an automated continuous mercury vapour analyzer (TekranTM 2537B). To assess the total gaseous mercury in high altitude mountain peak station at Kodaikanal & coastal/urban air in Chennai region, the impact of changing weather conditions is also evaluated. To compare the past and recent reports of mercury at different locations in the world. The average total gaseous mercury value in Chennai is 4.68 ng/m3, which is higher as compared to Kodaikanal, where it is 1.53 ng/m3. The association between TGM with meteorological parameters in ambient air such as temperature, relative humidity, rainfall intensity, the direction of wind and velocity of was studied. The TGM concentration in India are compared with other nations, the TGM levels are similar to the east and Southeast Asian countries, and also Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and North America are the averages and maximum concentration generally smaller. This research will help to establish more effective management approaches to mitigate the impacts of atmospheric mercury on the rural and urban environment.

scholarly journals Two new sources of reactive gaseous mercury in the free troposphere

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 29203-29233 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Timonen ◽  
J. L. Ambrose ◽  
D. A. Jaffe
Keyword(s):  
Source Region ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Anthropogenic Pollution ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Free Troposphere ◽  
Mercury Deposition ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Reactive Gaseous Mercury ◽  
Gaseous Mercury ◽  
The Pacific

Abstract. Mercury (Hg) is a neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in the food chain. Mercury is emitted to the atmosphere primarily in its elemental form, which has a long lifetime allowing global transport. It is known that atmospheric oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) generates reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) which plays an important role in the atmospheric mercury cycle by enhancing the rate of mercury deposition to ecosystems. However, the primary GEM oxidants, and the sources and chemical composition of RGM are poorly known. Using speciated mercury measurements conducted at the Mt. Bachelor Observatory since 2005 we present two previously unidentified sources of RGM to the free troposphere (FT). Firstly, we observed elevated RGM concentrations, large RGM/GEM-ratios, and anti-correlation between RGM and GEM during Asian long-rang transport events, demonstrating that RGM is formed from GEM by in-situ oxidation in some anthropogenic pollution plumes in the FT. During the Asian pollution events the measured RGM/GEM-ratios reached peak values, up to ~0.20, which are significantly larger than ratios typically measured (RGM/GEM < 0.05) in the Asian source region. Secondly, we observed very high RGM levels – the highest reported in the FT – in clean air masses that were processed upwind of Mt. Bachelor Observatory over the Pacific Ocean. The high RGM concentrations (up to 700 pg m−3), high RGM/GEM-ratios (up to 1), and very low ozone levels during these events provide the first observational evidence indicating significant GEM oxidation in the lower FT. The identification of these processes changes our conceptual understanding of the formation and distribution of oxidized Hg in the global atmosphere.

scholarly journals Ship Based Measurements of Seasonal Atmospheric Mercury Concentrations over the Baltic Sea

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Hoeglind ◽  
Sofia Eriksson ◽  
Katarina Gardfeldt
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Background Level ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Back Trajectories ◽  
Gaseous Mercury ◽  
The Baltic

Mercury is a toxic pollutant emitted from both natural sources and through human activities. A global interest in atmospheric mercury has risen ever since the discovery of the Minamata disease in 1956. Properties of gaseous elemental mercury enable long range transport which can cause pollution even in pristine environments. Total gaseous mercury (TGM) was measured from winter 2016 to spring 2017 over the Baltic Sea. A Tekran 2357A mercury analyser was installed aboard the research and icebreaking vessel Oden for the purpose of continuous measurements of gaseous mercury in ambient air. Measurements were performed during a campaign along the Swedish east coast and in the Bothnian Bay near Lulea during the icebreaking season. Data was evaluated from Gothenburg using a plotting software and back trajectories for air masses were calculated. The TGM average of 1.365 &plusmn; 0.054 ng/m3 during winter and 1.288 &plusmn; 0.140 ng/m3 during spring was calculated as well as a total average of 1.362 &plusmn; 0.158 ng/m3. Back trajectories showed a possible correlation of anthropogenic sources elevating the mercury background level in some areas. There were also indications of depleted air, i.e., air with lower concentrations than average, being transported from the Arctic to northern Sweden resulting in a drop in TGM levels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document