Mercury Wet Deposition and Speciated Air Concentrations from Two Urban Sites in New York State: Temporal Patterns and Regional Context

Kevin L Civerolo,H Dirk Felton,Steven Desantis,Matthew J Hirsch,Oliver V Rattigan

doi:10.4209/aaqr.2014.03.0052

Kevin L Civerolo, H Dirk Felton + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.2014.03.0052

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Abstract

Since 2008, ambient speciated mercury (Hg) concentrations and weekly Hg wet deposition have been measured at two urban locations in New York-Rochester and New York City (borough of Bronx). These measurements were initiated to establish ambient Hg baselines ahead of anticipated emissions reductions, as well as characterize air concentrations and deposition at two different urban settings. In this paper seasonal and regional patterns in Hg wet deposition are presented, as well as seasonal, day of week and diurnal patterns in ambient Hg species at these two sites. The mean (and median) Hg concentration in precipitation was 9.56 ng/L (8.37 ng/L) at the Bronx site, and 9.95 ng/L (8.30 ng/L) at Rochester. Mean ambient air concentrations of gaseous elemental Hg (GEM), reactive gaseous Hg (RGM), and particle-bound Hg (PHM) at the Bronx and Rochester sites were 1.52 and 1.40 ng/m^3, 6.26 and 8.24 pg/m^3, and 7.96 and 13.48 pg/m^3, respectively. Conditional probability function analysis was used to examine potential source regions impacting these two sites. Using these data we were able to examine monthly and diurnal patterns in speciated ambient Hg; however, more research is needed to more fully characterize potential emission sources that impact these sites.

Highlights

IntroductionMercury (Hg) is a highly toxic compound present in many consumer products (e.g., fluorescent lighting) and is predominantly released into the atmosphere through combustion of coal, cement production, metal smelting and medical and municipal incineration processes (e.g., Pirrone et al, 2010)
Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic compound present in many consumer products and is predominantly released into the atmosphere through combustion of coal, cement production, metal smelting and medical and municipal incineration processes (e.g., Pirrone et al, 2010)
Hg wet deposition samples are collected in an N-CON 00125-2 automatic precipitation sampler (N-CON Systems Co., Inc., Crawford GA), and precipitation is monitored with an ETI NOAH IV total precipitation gauge (ETI Instrument Systems, Inc., Fort Collins carbon monoxide (CO)), as per Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) protocols

Summary

Introduction

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic compound present in many consumer products (e.g., fluorescent lighting) and is predominantly released into the atmosphere through combustion of coal, cement production, metal smelting and medical and municipal incineration processes (e.g., Pirrone et al, 2010). In New York more than 130 water bodies, many of which have no known direct inputs of Hg other than atmospheric deposition, have specific sport fish consumption advisories (NYSDOH, 2013). To address this problem, several states – including New York – have implemented rules for reducing Hg emissions from coal-fired electric generating units (EGUs). By 2015, emissions from this sector in New York are expected to be

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