A note on elevated total gaseous mercury concentrations downwind from an agriculture field during tilling

Abstract

Elevated mercury concentrations were measured at the University of Connecticut's mercury forest flux tower during spring agricultural field operations on an adjacent corn field. Concentrations at the tower were elevated, a peak of 7.03 ng m − 3 over the background concentration of 1.74 ± 0.26 ng m − 3 , during times when the prevailing wind was from the direction of the corn field and during periods when the soil was disturbed by tilling. Strong deposition to the forest was recorded at the point of measurement when atmospheric mercury concentrations were elevated. The strongest deposition rate was a 1 hour maximum of − 4011 ng m − 2 h − 1 following the initial peak in atmospheric concentrations, Analyses of the meteorological conditions and mercury content in agricultural soil, manure and the diesel consumed in the tilling operation indicate that the source of the mercury was from the agricultural tilling operations and it was advected over the tower enriching the atmospheric concentrations above the forest canopy leading to deposition. These results indicate that agriculture operations resulting in a disturbed soil surface may be a source of atmospheric mercury originating from the pool of mercury bound in the soil. This represents a previously undocumented source of mercury emissions resulting from anthropogenic activities.