Meteorological Drivers of Atmospheric Mercury Seasonality in the Temperate Northern Hemisphere

Abstract

AbstractMercury (Hg) is a neurotoxic pollutant that can be transported globally by atmospheric circulation and poses risks to wildlife and humans. Strong atmospheric Hg seasonality has been observed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere and explained by several hypothetical mechanisms. Here, we found that meteorological conditions were important drivers of the seasonality across diverse temperate regions particularly Asia through various indirect effects. Meteorological conditions can explain approximately 47%, 43%, and 67% of the seasonal amplitudes at the North American (NA) remote sites, European remote sites, and Asian monsoon sites, respectively. Surface air temperature, solar radiation, and surface wind collectively contributed significantly to the seasonality at the NA and European sites through vegetation resistance and oceanic evasion, while monsoon wind and precipitation promoted the summertime removal of Hg at the Asian sites through atmospheric transport and wet deposition, respectively. The findings predicted further changes in atmospheric Hg seasonality under future global warming.