Natural emissions of mercury to the atmosphere in Canada

2003 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
G M Richardson ◽  
I A Mitchell ◽  
M Mah-Paulson ◽  
T Hackbarth ◽  
R G Garrett
Keyword(s):  
Salt Spray ◽  
Probabilistic Methods ◽  
Natural Source ◽  
Confidence Limits ◽  
Terrestrial Vegetation ◽  
Volcanic Emissions ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Natural Emissions ◽  
Global Inventory

The only Canadian inventory of natural source emissions of mercury (Hg) was prepared in 1981, but is now considered unreliable. As a result, the primary reference relied upon by Canadian regulators concerning the relative contribution of natural sources to environmental Hg contamination is a global inventory that was published in 1989. The relevance to Canada of a global inventory that included volcanic emissions is questionable. Therefore, a new inventory of natural Hg emissions in Canada was undertaken. Consistent with earlier inventories, natural Hg emission sources included wind erosion of soil, sea salt spray, forest and brush fires, biogenic Hg vapour emissions from terrestrial vegetation, and evasion of vapour from soil, ocean surfaces (within territorial limits) and lakes and rivers. Meteoritic dust was also considered. Recognizing the variability and uncertainty in available data, probabilistic methods were employed to derive mean estimates with 90% confidence limits. Estimated total annual natural source emissions of Hg in Canada averaged 1.1 × 106 kg with lower and upper 90% confidence limits of 0.54 × 106 and 2.3 × 106 kg. Evasion of Hg vapour from terrestrial vegetation and evasion from soil predominated as natural sources of Hg in Canada; other sources were minor or insignificant. The estimated mean annual emission was approximately one third of that estimated in 1981. It was impossible with currently-available data to quantitatively differentiate natural emissions of Hg from those that are re-emitted following previous anthropogenic release and deposition. Therefore, the estimates provided herein include an unquantifiable contribution by re-emitted anthropogenic Hg.Key words: natural, mercury, emissions, atmosphere, Canada.

Early Jurassic phytotoxicity due to Hg-remobilization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Remco Bos ◽  
Sofie Lindström ◽  
Hamed Sanei ◽  
Irene Waajen ◽  
Appy Sluijs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dominant Role ◽  
Early Jurassic ◽  
Intermediate Step ◽  
Terrestrial Vegetation ◽  
Volcanic Emissions ◽  
Ecological Stress ◽  
Alternative Sources ◽  
Initial Deposition ◽  
Local Impacts ◽  
Extreme Seasonality

<p>The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) eruptions are generally regarded as the main driver of major environmental change and mass-extinction across the Triassic-Jurassic (TJ) boundary (~201.3 Ma), but the exact mechanisms linking volcanism and extinction, resilience, and recovery remain poorly constrained. Volcanogenic mercury (Hg) has been implicated as the cause for mutations in spores/pollen indicating severe ecological stress in terrestrial vegetation. Indeed, elevated sedimentary Hg concentrations coincide with the extinction interval at multiple sites across Europe. Here we show, palynological and geochemical records that gives insight in the dynamics between the Hg cycle and terrestrial vegetation, indicating repeated phytotoxicity in Early Jurassic deposits.</p><p>The abundance of mutagenic spores and the concentration of Hg are quantified in shallow marine sediments in the Schandelah-1 core (northern Germany) across the T/J boundary and the Early Jurassic (Hettangian). The results show increased mutagenic spore abundances with accompanying Hg/TOC anomalies across the end-Triassic extinction and within the lowermost Hettangian. This is consistent with studies from Sweden and Denmark and therefore confirming synchronous mutagenesis in and around coastal European margins. In addition, the Hettangian of Schandelah contains a record of long-term vegetational disturbance in the form of recurrent fern spikes and elevated mutagenic spore intervals, accompanied by Hg/TOC anomalies of similar magnitude. This suggests an overall link between volcanogenic pollution and vegetational disturbance. Based on qualitative analyses of organic matter (OM), which show an overall positive correlation between Hg concentration and terrestrial indicators, alternative sources for sedimentary Hg-enrichment such as vegetation reservoirs should be considered. This characterization of OM indicates an intermediate step in the Hg cycle, likely mediated by vegetation and/or climate feedbacks.</p><p>Atmospheric Hg-loading via volcanism can explain the synchronous enrichments of Hg concentrations at the TJ boundary interval in multiple sites across the globe. In contrast, the Hettangian anomalies of Schandelah-1, appear to be mainly driven by environmental/ecological perturbations corresponding to intensifying warm/humid conditions. Extreme seasonality alternating between high rainfall and droughts, perhaps due to eccentricity maxima, leading to increased soil erosion, wildfires and transport/degradation of terrestrial OM could potentially recycle and redistribute Hg long after initial deposition. These implications suggest a more dominant role of climate-induced Hg-remobilization, rather than direct volcanic emissions, to the mutagenesis in terrestrial vegetation. This could, in addition, lead to asynchronous and local impacts mainly in the proximity of landmasses.</p>

scholarly journals Estimating 2010–2015 anthropogenic and natural methane emissions in Canada using ECCC surface and GOSAT satellite observations

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 18101-18121
Author(s):  
Sabour Baray ◽  
Daniel J. Jacob ◽  
Joannes D. Maasakkers ◽  
Jian-Xiong Sheng ◽  
Melissa P. Sulprizio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
National Inventory ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Surface Data ◽  
Natural Emissions

Abstract. Methane emissions in Canada have both anthropogenic and natural sources. Anthropogenic emissions are estimated to be 4.1 Tg a−1 from 2010–2015 in the National Inventory Report submitted to the United Nation's Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Natural emissions, which are mostly due to boreal wetlands, are the largest methane source in Canada and highly uncertain, on the order of ∼ 20 Tg a−1 in biosphere process models. Aircraft studies over the last several years have provided “snapshot” emissions that conflict with inventory estimates. Here we use surface data from the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in situ network and space-borne data from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) to determine 2010–2015 anthropogenic and natural methane emissions in Canada in a Bayesian inverse modelling framework. We use GEOS-Chem to simulate anthropogenic emissions comparable to the National Inventory and wetlands emissions using an ensemble of WetCHARTS v1.0 scenarios in addition to other minor natural sources. We conduct a comparative analysis of the monthly natural emissions and yearly anthropogenic emissions optimized by surface and satellite data independently. Mean 2010–2015 posterior emissions using ECCC surface data are 6.0 ± 0.4 Tg a−1 for total anthropogenic and 11.6 ± 1.2 Tg a−1 for total natural emissions. These results agree with our posterior emissions of 6.5 ± 0.7 Tg a−1 for total anthropogenic and 11.7 ± 1.2 Tg a−1 for total natural emissions using GOSAT data. The seasonal pattern of posterior natural emissions using either dataset shows slower to start emissions in the spring and a less intense peak in the summer compared to the mean of WetCHARTS scenarios. We combine ECCC and GOSAT data to characterize limitations towards sectoral and provincial-level inversions. We estimate energy + agriculture emissions to be 5.1 ± 1.0 Tg a−1, which is 59 % higher than the national inventory. We attribute 39 % higher anthropogenic emissions to Western Canada than the prior. Natural emissions are lower across Canada. Inversion results are verified against independent aircraft data and surface data, which show better agreement with posterior emissions. This study shows a readjustment of the Canadian methane budget is necessary to better match atmospheric observations with lower natural emissions partially offset by higher anthropogenic emissions.

scholarly journals Holocene electrical and chemical measurements from the EPICA–Dome C ice core

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Udisti ◽  
S. Becagli ◽  
E. Castellano ◽  
R. Mulvaney ◽  
J. Schwander ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Accumulation Rate ◽  
Ice Core ◽  
Conductivity Measurement ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Snow Accumulation ◽  
Transport Processes ◽  
Ionic Balance ◽  
Volcanic Emissions ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Chloride Profiles

AbstractThe comparison between electric (electric-conductivity measurement (ECM) and dielectric profiling (DEP)) and chemical sulphate and chloride) depth profiles along the first 400 m of the EPICA-Dome C ice core revealed a very good fit, especially for peaks related to volcanic emissions. From the comparison between these profiles, a dominant contribution of sulphuric acid to the ionic balance of Antarctic ice for the Holocene was confirmed. A progressive increase with depth was observed for chloride concentrations, showing a change of relative contribution between sulphate and chloride. A higher increase of chloride was evident between 270 and 360 m depth, probably due to a change in source or transport processes or to an increase of the annual snow-accumulation rate. The DEP, ECM and sulphate ice signatures of Tambora (AD 1816) and El Chichon (?) (AD 1259) eruptions are described in detail. A characteristic peak series, due to HCl deposition, was identified at 103–109 m depth from the ECM, DEP and chloride profiles.

scholarly journals Could the Three Be Edible and Natural Sources of Levodopa? Morphological Characterization of Three Taxa of Mucuna (Fabaceae) in Ebonyi State, Southeastern Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
O.E. Nwankwo ◽  
S.A. Odewo ◽  
B.A. Ajani ◽  
L.T. Soyewo ◽  
M.S. Nwefuru
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Natural Source ◽  
Southeastern Nigeria ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Standard Methods ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Flower Colours ◽  
Testa Colour

Background: There were reports that M. pruriens was edible and natural source of Levodopa used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but the identity of the variety used for the treatment is uncertain. Hence, the present study is important to provide their diagnostic characters for further studies by prospective researchers. Methods: The qualitative study was carried out by observing and recording the features of the taxa while the quantitative was obtained as the leaflet length and width were measured using a metre rule. From each specimen, leaves were randomly selected and measured using metre rule. Standard methods were used in this study. Result: The three taxa possess trifoliate leaves in common and the flower colours are as follows: Yellow in M. flagellipes, purple in M. puriens var. pruriens and white in M. pruriens var. utilis. Testa colours are black, black and white in the M. flagellipes, M. pruriens var. pruriens and M. pruriens var. utilis, respectively. The highest average leaflet length was 17.5 recorded in M. pruriens var. pruriens while the lowest average leaflet length of 8.4 was recorded in M. pruriens var. utilis. The three taxa could be eaten based on review. Petal and testa colour could be used to distinguish the taxa studied.

scholarly journals Quantifying the contributions of natural emissions to ozone and total fine PM concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 16775-16830 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Zare ◽  
J. H. Christensen ◽  
A. Gross ◽  
P. Irannejad ◽  
M. Glasius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Fine Particles ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Sea Salt ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Model Domain ◽  
Natural Emissions

Abstract. Accurate estimates of emissions from natural sources are needed for reliable predictions of ozone and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) using air quality models. In this study, the large-scale atmospheric chemistry transport model, DEHM (the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model) is further developed, evaluated and applied to study and quantify the contributions of natural emissions of VOCs, NOx, NH3, SO2, CH4, PM, CO and sea salt to the concentration of ozone and formation of PM2.5 for the year 2006. Natural source categories adopted in the recent model are vegetation, lightning, soils, wild animals and oceans. In this study, the model has been further developed to include more biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and to implement a scheme for secondary organic aerosol as well as an updated description of sea-salt emissions. Our simulations indicate that at Northern Hemisphere the contribution from natural emissions to the average annual ozone concentrations over land is between 4–30 ppbV. Among the natural emissions, BVOCs are found to be the most significant contributors to ozone formation, enhancing the average ozone concentration by about 11% over the land areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The relative contribution of all the natural emissions to ozone is found to be highest in the northern part of South America by about 42%. Similarly, the highest contribution of all the natural sources to total fine particles over land is found to be in South America by about 74% and sea-salt aerosols demonstrated to play the most important role. However, over the rest of regions in the model domain the largest contribution from the natural sources to PM2.5 is due to wildfires. The contribution from natural emissions to the mean PM2.5 concentration over the land areas in the model domain is about 34%.

A Review on Natural Dyes: Raw Materials, Extraction Process, and their Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayem ANM ◽  
◽  
Ahmed F ◽  
Saha P ◽  
Talukder B ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Extraction Process ◽  
Uv Protection ◽  
Natural Dyes ◽  
Natural Source ◽  
Synthetic Dyes ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Fastness Property ◽  
Materials Used

Synthetic dyes and all the processing used in general dyeing is harmful to our health. Dye from natural sources can reduce the risk of synthetic dyes. As indigo has been used for thousands of years for the coloration of textiles as a natural source. This review is aimed at a discussion of different raw materials used for the extraction of natural dyes, the extraction process for different natural dyes, and the properties of fabric dyed by those dyestuffs. Most of the natural dyes showed a very good fastness property in researches. The dyes can be extracted from trees, bark, leaves, flowers, and many more sources. Most of the natural dyes exhibit special properties like anti-microbial, less toxicity, less allergenic, UV protection.

Study of the impact of natural sources on the air quality – Evaluation of a natural emissions model

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Liora ◽  
Anastasia Poupkou ◽  
Theodore M. Giannaros ◽  
Dimitrios Melas
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Natural Emissions ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Identification of potential sources of thymoquinone and related compounds in Asteraceae, Cupressaceae, Lamiaceae, and Ranunculaceae families

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1899-1906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Taborsky ◽  
Miroslav Kunt ◽  
Pavel Kloucek ◽  
Jaromir Lachman ◽  
Vaclav Zeleny ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Source ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Aerial Parts ◽  
Potential Sources ◽  
Related Compounds

AbstractIn this study, forty-seven plant species belonging to seven families were analysed by GC and GC-MS for the contents of pharmacologically effective quinones: dithymoquinone (DTQ), thymohydroquinone (THQ), and thymoquinone (TQ). The results showed that detectable amounts (≥1 mg kg−1) of at least one of these compounds have been found in three species of both Monarda (M. didyma, M. media, and M. menthifolia) and Thymus (T. pulegioides, T. serpyllum, and T. vulgaris) genera, two Satureja (S. hortensis and S. montana) species, and in single representatives of Eupatorium (E. cannabinum), Juniperus (J. communis), and Nigella (N. sativa) genera. The maximum contents of THQ and TQ were found in M. media aerial parts and M. didyma inflorescences (2674 and 3564 mg kg−1 of dried weight, respectively) in amounts significantly exceeding their maximum contents in N. sativa seeds (THQ = 530 mg kg−1 and TQ = 1881 mg kg−1), which are generally considered as the main natural source of both of these compounds. As a conclusion, M. didyma (bergamot) and M. media (purple bergamot) can be recommended as new prospective natural sources of THQ and TQ for pharmaceutical or food industries.

scholarly journals THE PHYLLOSPHERE, INDOOR MICROBIOME AND HUMAN HEALTH Authors

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-259
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Diversity ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Natural Source ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Indoor Microbiome

A healthy indoor environment is very vital as humans spend a greater percentage of their life within built environments. A healthy and quality environment is determined by the biodiversity of and features of the natural environment. The indoor environment just like every other environment possesses a unique community of microorganism which depends on the level of contact between the environment and natural sources. Plants are significant sources of microbial diversity in an environment. There is an interplay between the phyllosphere and the troposphere where the microorganisms released from the phyllosphere perform several beneficial effects consequently, improving human health. The indoor environment must however be enriched with natural sources of microbial release to enhance its biodiversity. This paper therefore focuses on the phyllosphere as a natural source for enhancing indoor biodiversity, the interplay between the phyllosphere and its surrounding environment and its implication on human health.

scholarly journals Estimating 2010–2015 Anthropogenic and Natural Methane Emissions in Canada using ECCC Surface and GOSAT Satellite Observations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabour Baray ◽  
Daniel J. Jacob ◽  
Joannes D. Massakkers ◽  
Jian-Xiong Sheng ◽  
Melissa P. Sulprizio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Methane Emissions ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Process Models ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Natural Sources ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Surface Data ◽  
Atmospheric Observations ◽  
Natural Emissions

Abstract. Methane emissions in Canada have both anthropogenic and natural sources. Anthropogenic emissions are estimated to be 4.1 Tg a−1 from 2010–2015 in the Canadian Greenhouse Gas Inventory. Natural emissions, which are mostly due to Boreal wetlands, are the largest methane source in Canada and highly uncertain, on the order of ~20 Tg a−1 in biosphere process models. Top-down constraints on Canadian methane emissions using atmospheric observations have been limited by the sparse coverage of both surface and satellite observations. Aircraft studies over the last several years have provided snapshot emissions that have been conflicting with inventory estimates. Here we use surface data from the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in situ network and space borne data from the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) to determine 2010–2015 anthropogenic and natural methane emissions in Canada in a Bayesian inverse modelling framework. We use GEOS-Chem to simulate anthropogenic emissions comparable to the Canadian inventory and wetlands emissions using an ensemble of WetCHARTS v1.0 scenarios in addition to other minor natural sources. We conduct a comparative analysis of the monthly natural emissions and yearly anthropogenic emissions optimized by surface and satellite data independently. Mean 2010–2015 posterior emissions using ECCC surface data are 6.0 ± 0.4 Tg a−1 for total anthropogenic and 10.5 ± 1.9 Tg a−1 for total natural emissions, where the error intervals represent the 1-σ spread in yearly posterior results. These results agree with our posterior using GOSAT data of 6.5 ± 0.7 Tg a−1 for total anthropogenic and 11.7 ± 1.2 Tg a−1 for total natural emissions. The seasonal pattern of posterior natural emissions using either dataset shows slower to start emissions in the spring and a less intense peak in the summer compared to the mean of WetCHARTS scenarios. We combine ECCC and GOSAT data to evaluate capabilities for sectoral and provincial level inversions and identify limitations. We estimate Energy + Agriculture emissions to be 5.1 ± 1.0 Tg a−1 which is 59 % higher than the National GHG Inventory. We attribute 39 % higher anthropogenic emissions to Western Canada than the prior. Natural emissions are lower across Canada with large downscaling in the Hudson Bay Lowlands. Inversion results are verified against independent aircraft data in Saskatchewan and surface data in Quebec which show better agreement with posterior emissions. This study shows a readjustment of the Canadian methane budget is necessary to better match atmospheric observations with higher anthropogenic emissions partially offset by lower natural emissions.

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