Abstract
In order to obtain a better perspective of the impacts of brownfields on the land–atmosphere exchange of mercury in urban areas, total gaseous mercury (TGM) was measured at two heights (1.8 m and 42.7 m) prior to 2011–2012 and after 2015–2016 for the remediation of a brownfield and installation of a parking lot adjacent to the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Syracuse, NY, USA. Prior to brownfield remediation, the annual average TGM concentrations were 1.6 ± 0.6 and 1.4 ± 0.4 at the ground and upper heights, respectively. After brownfield remediation, the annual average TGM concentrations decreased by 32% and 22% at the ground and the upper height, respectively. Mercury soil flux measurements during summer after remediation showed net TGM deposition of 1.7 suggesting that the site transitioned from a mercury source to a net mercury sink. Measurements from the Atmospheric Mercury Network (AMNet) indicate that there was no regional decrease in TGM concentrations during the study period. This study demonstrates that evasion from mercury-contaminated soil significantly increased local TGM concentrations, which was subsequently mitigated after soil restoration. Considering the large number of brownfields, they may be an important source of mercury emissions source to local urban ecosystems and warrant future study at additional locations.
Highlights
Atmospheric cycling of mercury in urban landscapes contrasts with that in rural environments.Industrial activities, fossil fuel combustion, and human use release large amounts of mercury directly into the atmosphere increasing local mercury concentrations
This study provides an assessment of mercury emissions before and after brownfield remediation in urban Syracuse, NY
Our measurements showed that evasion from the brownfield contributed to elevated local total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations
Summary
Atmospheric cycling of mercury in urban landscapes contrasts with that in rural environments.Industrial activities, fossil fuel combustion, and human use release large amounts of mercury directly into the atmosphere increasing local mercury concentrations. Mercury soil evasion in urban areas can be lower than rural areas due to an abundance of impervious land cover which limits evasion. Gabriel et al (2006) [1] showed that mercury evasion rate from pavement surface in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (0.02 ng m−2 h−1 ) is much lower than bare soil (6.48 ng m−2 h−1 ). The urban heat island effect can result in local secondary circulation, preventing transport of mercury to the upper atmosphere. Weakened air exchange associated with the heterogeneous distribution of mercury sources can result in the remarkable spatial variation of atmospheric mercury concentrations within areas of a city. Carpi and Chen (2002) and Kim et al (2011) [2,3] observed marked spatial variation of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) within New York City, USA and Seoul, Korea, respectively
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