Atmospheric mercury emissions and speciation at the sulphur bank mercury mine superfund site, Northern California.

Abstract

One pathway for release of mercury (Hg) from naturally enriched sites is emission to the atmosphere. Elemental Hg, when emitted, will enter the global atmospheric pool. In contrast, if reactive gaseous Hg or Hg2+ (as HgCl2, HgBr2, or HgOH2) is formed, it will most likely be deposited locally. This study focused on the measurement of elemental Hg flux and reactive gaseous Hg concentrations at the Sulphur Bank Superfund Site, an area of natural Hg enrichment with anthropogenic disturbance and ongoing geothermal activity. Mean Hg emissions ranged from 14 to 11000 ng m(-2) h(-1), with the highest emissions from anthropogenically disturbed materials. Reactive gaseous Hg concentrations were the highest ever reported for a natural setting (0.3-76 ng m(-3)). Measured Hg fluxes were used within a Geographic Information System to estimate mercury releases to the atmosphere from the site. Results indicated approximately 17 kg of Hg y(-1) of is emitted to the atmosphere from the 3.8 km2 area, with half from mine waste, ore, and tailing piles and half from relatively undisturbed naturally enriched substrate.