Abstract
Mercury is a toxic pollutant emitted from both natural sources and through human activities. A global interest in atmospheric mercury has risen ever since the discovery of the Minamata disease in 1956. Properties of gaseous elemental mercury enable long range transport, which can cause pollution even in pristine environments. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) was measured from winter 2016 to spring 2017 over the Baltic Sea. A Tekran 2357A mercury analyser was installed aboard the research and icebreaking vessel Oden for the purpose of continuous measurements of gaseous mercury in ambient air. Measurements were performed during a campaign along the Swedish east coast and in the Bothnian Bay near Lulea during the icebreaking season. Data was evaluated from Gothenburg using plotting software, and back trajectories for air masses were calculated. The GEM average of 1.36 ± 0.054 ng/m3 during winter and 1.29 ± 0.140 ng/m3 during spring was calculated as well as a total average of 1.36 ± 0.16 ng/m3. Back trajectories showed a possible correlation of anthropogenic sources elevating the mercury background level in some areas. There were also indications of depleted air, i.e., air with lower concentrations than average, being transported from the Arctic to northern Sweden, resulting in a drop in GEM levels.
Highlights
Mercury is a toxic pollutant which is naturally abundant in the earth’s crust
Continuous Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) measurements in ambient air above the surface of the Baltic Sea were conducted during a campaign aboard icebreaker vessel Oden (IB Oden)
The measured average values were comparable to normal background concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) in the northern hemisphere which is approximately 1.5–1.7 ng/m3 [20]
Summary
Mercury is a toxic pollutant which is naturally abundant in the earth’s crust. It can be released to the atmosphere through volcanic and geothermal activities and the weathering of rocks. Emissions of mercury from anthropogenic sources come from mining, metal production, coal combustion, cement production and oil refining, among other sources [1]. The combustion of wood and refined petroleum products releases mercury to the atmosphere [2]. Mercury is toxic in both inorganic and organic form. As methylated mercury, it is a neurotoxin and can damage a human’s central and peripheral nervous system [3,4]. Methyl-mercury (MeHg) poisoning, called the Minamata disease, was officially discovered in 1956 in Minamata, Japan [5]. Because MeHg bioaccumulates in the aquatic food chain, humans consuming large amounts of fish and shellfish are thought to be at the highest risk for MeHg-poisoning [4,6]
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