Total Gaseous Mercury Concentrations Research Articles

An estimation of mercury concentrations in the local atmosphere of Almadén (Ciudad Real Province, South Central Spain) during the twentieth century.

We show the first estimations of long-term (100years, 1900 to 2000) total gaseous mercury concentrations (TGM) in the urban area of Almadén. The estimation was carried out by comparing data on known metallic mercury production with measured TGM concentrations. The estimated diurnal background level ranges from 60 to 120ngm(-3) and corresponds to periods when the metallurgical complex (cinnabar roasting plant) was shut down. The average TGM concentration during the period from 1900 to 2000 was about 600ngm(-3) (with peaks above 1,200ngm(-3)). Additionally, a 24-h-based TGM monitoring program has highlighted significant differences between the diurnal and nocturnal concentrations, particularly during the warmer months. In this regard, given that the average nocturnal to diurnal ratio is 2.12, we suggest that the average nocturnal concentrations must have exceeded 1,200ngm(-3), and peak nocturnal concentrations could have reached levels up to 2,400ngm(-3). Our estimations indicate that most parts of the town of Almadén were generally exposed to TGM concentrations in air that exceed the World Health Organization air quality guideline for Hg (1,000ngm(-3)) for countryside and urban areas.

Sources and Dynamic Processes Controlling Background and Peak Concentrations of TGM in Nanjing, China

Total gaseous mercury (TGM) data from urban Nanjing, at the western edge of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in China, over nine months, were analyzed for peak and background mercury concentrations. The background concentration of TGM was found to be 2.2 ng∙m−3. In examining episodic influences of free tropospheric air masses on the surface TGM concentrations in Nanjing, we hypothesize heterogeneity in the global distribution of TGM concentrations in the free troposphere. The nine-month averaged diurnal cycles of TGM indicate a strong co-emission with SO2 and an underestimation of greater than 80% TGM emissions in current inventories. Regular peak concentrations of mercury were investigated and the major causes were YRD emissions, transport from rural areas, and monsoonal transport. Transport of rural emissions is hypothesized to be from illegal artisanal small-scale gold mining that are currently missing in the emission inventories. Enhancement of TGM associated with summer monsoon contributed to a maximum TGM concentration in mid-May–early June, an inverse seasonality in comparison to most other observations in China, North America, and Europe.

Seasonal variation and spatial distribution of atmospheric mercury and its gas-particulate partition in the vicinity of a semiconductor manufacturing complex

This study investigated the tempospatial variation of atmospheric mercury and its gas-particulate partition in the vicinity of a semiconductor manufacturing complex, where a plenty of flat-monitor manufacturing plants using elemental mercury as a light-initiating medium to produce backlight fluorescence tubes and may fugitively emit mercury-containing air pollutants to the atmosphere. Atmospheric mercury speciation, concentration, and the partition of total gaseous mercury (TGM) and particulate mercury (Hgp) were measured at four sites surrounding the semiconductor manufacturing intensive district/complex. One-year field measurement showed that the seasonal averaged concentrations of TGM and Hgp were in the range of 3.30-6.89 and 0.06-0.14ng/m(3), respectively, whereas the highest 24-h TGM and Hgp concentrations were 10.33 and 0.26ng/m(3), respectively. Atmospheric mercury apportioned as 92.59-99.01% TGM and 0.99-7.41% Hgp. As a whole, the highest and lowest concentrations of TGM were observed in the winter and summer sampling periods, respectively, whereas the concentration of Hgp did not vary much seasonally. The highest TGM concentrations were always observed at the downwind sites, indicating that the semiconductor manufacturing complex was a hot spot of mercury emission source, which caused severe atmospheric mercury contamination over the investigation region.

Field Measurement of Total Gaseous Mercury and Its Correlation with Meteorological Parameters and Criteria Air Pollutants at a Coastal Site of the Penghu Islands

This study investigated the seasonal and daily variations of the total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration in the ambient atmosphere, the correlation of TGM concentration with meteorological parameters (e.g., temperature, humidity, and wind speed) and criteria air pollutant concentrations (e.g., SO2, NOx, CO, O3, PM10, and PM2.5), as well as the transportation routes, at the Penghu Islands. The field measurement results showed that the average TGM concentration during the monitoring period was 3.17 ± 1.17 ng/m3, within the range of 1.17–8.63 ng/m3, with the highest concentration being observed in spring, while the TGM concentration typically increased in the morning, reached its peak concentration, and then started to decrease at nightfall. Moreover, the lowest average TGM concentration of 1.81 ± 0.15 ng/m3 was observed in summer, and this figure is close to the background TGM concentration of the Northern Hemisphere (1.6–1.8 ng/m3). The correlation analysis indicated that TGM concentration correlated positively with SO2, NOx, CO, O3, PM10, and PM2.5 and negatively with ambient temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. In addition, the transportation route analysis showed that elevated TGM concentrations could be transported from either North China, East China, or South China to the Penghu Islands, while those originating from the South China Sea had the lowest contribution to the TGM levels at the Penghu Islands. Therefore, local sources and open burning might be mainly influenced by the long-range transportation of air masses, as the prevailing wind direction and air mass transportation routes potentially play critical roles in the variation of TGM concentration at the Penghu Islands.

Analytical performances of nanostructured gold supported on metal oxide sorbents for the determination of gaseous mercury.

Nanostructured gold supported TiO2, ZnO, and Al2O3 materials (1% w/w Au) were tested as sorbents for gaseous mercury (Hg) trapping and preconcentration. Their analytical performances were first compared with the one of traditional gold wool trap for the quantification of Hg standards injected into the argon flow followed by thermal desorption at 600°C and CVAFS detection. Good linearity and reproducibility were obtained, especially for Au/TiO2 material (R 2 = 0.995; slope: 1.39) in the volume range of 10 to 60 µL (132–778 pg Hg). This latter even showed a better performance compared to pure Au in the volume range of 10 to 100 µL (132–1329 pg Hg) when the carrier gas flow was increased from 60 to 100 mL min−1. The method detection limit (MDL) obtained with Au/TiO2 trap (0.10 pg Hg0 L−1) was suitable for total gaseous mercury (TGM) determination. Au/TiO2 was, therefore, used in trapping and determining TGM in collected air samples. TGM values in the samples ranged from 6 to 10 ng m−3. Similar results were obtained with the commercial gold-coated sand trap which showed an average TGM concentration of 7.8 ± 0.9 ng m−3.

Total Gaseous Mercury Concentration Measurements at Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Observations are described from total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations measured at the Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA) Fort McMurray—Patricia McInnes air quality monitoring station—from 21 October 2010 through 31 May 2013, inclusively. Fort McMurray is approximately 380 km north-northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, and approximately 30 km south of major Canadian oil sands developments. The average TGM concentration over the period of this study was 1.45 ± 0.18 ng∙m−3. Principal component analysis suggests that observed TGM concentrations are correlated with meteorological conditions including temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation, and also ozone concentration. There is no significant correlation between ambient concentrations of TGM and anthropogenic pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOX) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Principal component analysis also shows that the highest TGM concentrations observed are a result of forest fire smoke near the monitoring station. Back trajectory analysis highlights the importance of long-range transport, indicating that unseasonably high TGM concentrations are generally associated with air from the southeast and west, while unseasonably low TGM concentrations are a result of arctic air moving over the monitoring station. In general, TGM concentration appears to be driven by diel and seasonal trends superimposed over a combination of long-range transport and regional surface-air flux of gaseous mercury.

Model analyses of atmospheric mercury: present air quality and effects of transpacific transport on the United States

Abstract. Atmospheric mercury is a toxic air and water pollutant that is of significant concern because of its effects on human health and ecosystems. A mechanistic representation of the atmospheric mercury cycle is developed for the state-of-the-art global climate-chemistry model, CAM-Chem (Community Atmospheric Model with Chemistry). The model simulates the emission, transport, transformation and deposition of atmospheric mercury (Hg) in three forms: elemental mercury (Hg(0)), reactive mercury (Hg(II)), and particulate mercury (PHg). Emissions of mercury include those from human, land, ocean, biomass burning and volcano related sources. Land emissions are calculated based on surface solar radiation flux and skin temperature. A simplified air–sea mercury exchange scheme is used to calculate emissions from the oceans. The chemistry mechanism includes the oxidation of Hg(0) in gaseous phase by ozone with temperature dependence, OH, H2O2 and chlorine. Aqueous chemistry includes both oxidation and reduction of Hg(0). Transport and deposition of mercury species are calculated through adapting the original formulations in CAM-Chem. The CAM-Chem model with mercury is driven by present meteorology to simulate the present mercury air quality during the 1999–2001 period. The resulting surface concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) are then compared with the observations from worldwide sites. Simulated wet depositions of mercury over the continental United States are compared to the observations from 26 Mercury Deposition Network stations to test the wet deposition simulations. The evaluations of gaseous concentrations and wet deposition confirm a strong capability for the CAM-Chem mercury mechanism to simulate the atmospheric mercury cycle. The general reproduction of global TGM concentrations and the overestimation on South Africa indicate that model simulations of TGM are seriously affected by emissions. The comparison to wet deposition indicates that wet deposition patterns of mercury are more affected by the spatial variability of precipitation. The sensitivity experiments show that 22% of total mercury deposition and 25% of TGM concentrations in the United States result from domestic anthropogenic sources, but only 9% of total mercury deposition and 7% of TGM concentrations are contributed by transpacific transport. However, the contributions of domestic and transpacific sources on the western United States levels of mercury are of comparable magnitude.

Mercury emission from coal seam fire at Wuda, Inner Mongolia, China

The underground coal seam fire in the Wuda, Inner Mongolia of china is one of the most serious coal fires in the world with a history over 50 years and endangers the neighboring downwind urban area. To investigate the potential mercury emission and migration from the coal seam fire, in situ real-time measurement of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration using Lumex RA-915 + mercury analyzer were implemented on the fire zone and the urban area. The results show an average TGM concentration of 464 ng m−3 in the fumes released from surface vents and cracks on the fire zone, which leads to an elevated TGM concentration of 257 ng m−3 (211–375 ng m−3) in the near-surface air at the fire zone and 89 ng m−3 (23–211 ng m−3) at the peripheral area. The average TGM concentration in the adjoining downwind urban area of Wuda is 33 ng m−3. This result suggests that the coal seam fire may not only contribute to the global mercury inventory but also be a novel source for mercury pollution in the urban areas. The scenario of urban areas being adjacent to coal seam fires is not limited to Wuda but relatively common in northern China and elsewhere. Whether there are other cities under influence of coal seam fires merits further investigation.

Impact of Closing Canada’s Largest Point-Source of Mercury Emissions on Local Atmospheric Mercury Concentrations

The Flin Flon, Manitoba copper smelter was Canada's largest point source of mercury emissions until its closure in 2010 after ~80 years of operation. The objective of this study was to understand the variables controlling the local ground-level air mercury concentrations before and after this major point source reduction. Total gaseous mercury (TGM) in air, mercury in precipitation, and other ancillary meteorological and air quality parameters were measured pre- and postsmelter closure, and mercury speciation measurements in air were collected postclosure. The results showed that TGM was significantly elevated during the time period when the smelter operated (4.1 ± 3.7 ng m(-3)), decreased only 20% during the year following its closure, and remained ~2-fold above background levels. Similar trends were observed for mercury concentrations in precipitation. Several lines of evidence indicated that while smelter stack emissions would occasionally mix down to the surface resulting in large spikes in TGM concentrations (up to 61 ng m(-3)), the largest contributor to elevated TGM concentrations before and after smelter closure was from surface-air fluxes from mercury-enriched soils and/or tailings. These findings highlight the ability of legacy mercury, deposited to local landscapes over decades from industrial activities, to significantly affect local air concentrations via emissions/re-emissions.

Variation trends and influencing factors of total gaseous mercury in the Pearl River Delta—A highly industrialised region in South China influenced by seasonal monsoons

Studies on atmospheric mercury in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region are important because of the economic relevance of this region to China, because of its economic developmental pattern and because it is a highly industrialised area influenced by the strong seasonal monsoons. Total gaseous mercury (TGM), meteorological parameters and criteria pollutant concentrations were measured at Mt. Dinghu (DH, a regional monitoring site) and Guangzhou (GZ, an urban monitoring site) in the PRD region from October 2009 to April 2010 and from November 2010 to November 2011, respectively. The ranges of daily average TGM concentrations at the DH and GZ sites were 1.87–29.9 ng m−3 (5.07 ± 2.89 ng m−3) and 2.66–11.1 ng m−3 (4.60 ± 1.36 ng m−3), respectively, which were far more significant than the background values in the Northern Hemisphere (1.5–1.7 ng m−3), suggesting that the atmosphere in the PRD has suffered from mercury pollution. Similar TGM seasonal distributions at the two sites were observed, with a descending order of spring, winter, autumn and summer. The different seasonal monsoons were the dominant factor controlling the seasonal variability of the TGM, with variations in the boundary layer and oxidation also possibly partially contributing. Different diurnal patterns of the TGM at two sites were observed. TGM levels during the daytime were higher than those during the nighttime and were predominantly influenced by mountain and valley winds at the DH site, whereas the opposite trend was evident at the GZ site, which was primarily influenced by the boundary-layer height and O3 concentration. During the monitoring period, the correlations between the daily TGM levels and the SO2 and NO2 levels at the DH site were significant (r = 0.36, p < 0.001; r = 0.29, p < 0.001), suggesting that coal-fired emission is an important source of mercury for this regional monitoring site. At the GZ site, the correlations between the daily TGM level and the NO, NO2, CO levels were significant (r = 0.501, p < 0.001; r = 0.579, p < 0.001; r = 0.358, p < 0.001). However, TGM was partially correlated with SO2, suggesting that the combined vehicle emissions and coal combustion were the dominant mercury sources for this urban monitoring site. The TGM distribution figure, which related to the wind-rose pattern and the distribution figure of emission sources, indicated significant contributions from anthropogenic emission sources.

Simultaneous monitoring of total gaseous mercury at four urban monitoring stations in Seoul, Korea

The monitoring of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations together with other trace gases and meteorological parameters was made at hourly intervals over 2-year period (1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011) at four urban monitoring sites: Guro-gu (G), Nowon-gu (N), Songpa-gu (S), and Yongsan-gu (Y) in Seoul, Korea. The mean concentrations of TGM at these sites were found to span the range of 3.28 (Y) to 3.47ngm−3 (N). Inspection of the seasonal patterns indicates that the maximum concentrations (ngm−3) occur at different times of year across the four sites: winter at N (3.67±1.77), fall at S (3.64±1.12), summer at G (3.61±1.51), and spring at Y (3.40±1.26). The long-term trend in Hg concentrations, when also considering data sets from previous studies, suggests modest reductions in concentrations at all four sites, from 2.89 to 4.49ngm−3 in 2004 and from 2.49 to 3.42ngm−3 in 2011.

Ten-year trends of atmospheric mercury in the high Arctic compared to Canadian sub-Arctic and mid-latitude sites

Abstract. Global emissions of mercury continue to change at the same time as the Arctic is experiencing ongoing climatic changes. Continuous monitoring of atmospheric mercury provides important information about long-term trends in the balance between transport, chemistry, and deposition of this pollutant in the Arctic atmosphere. Ten-year records of total gaseous mercury (TGM) from 2000 to 2009 were analyzed from two high Arctic sites at Alert (Nunavut, Canada) and Zeppelin Station (Svalbard, Norway); one sub-Arctic site at Kuujjuarapik (Nunavik, Québec, Canada); and three temperate Canadian sites at St. Anicet (Québec), Kejimkujik (Nova Scotia) and Egbert (Ontario). Five of the six sites examined showed a decreasing trend over this time period. Overall trend estimates at high latitude sites were: −0.9% yr−1 (95% confidence limits: −1.4, 0) at Alert and no trend (−0.5, +0.7) at Zeppelin Station. Faster decreases were observed at the remainder of the sites: −2.1% yr−1 (−3.1, −1.1) at Kuujjuarapik, −1.9% yr−1 (−2.1, −1.8) at St. Anicet, −1.6% yr−1 (−2.4, −1.0) at Kejimkujik and −2.2% yr−1 (−2.8, −1.7) at Egbert. Trends at the sub-Arctic and mid-latitude sites agree with reported decreases in background TGM concentration since 1996 at Mace Head, Ireland, and Cape Point, South Africa, but conflict with estimates showing an increase in global anthropogenic emissions over a similar period. Trends in TGM at the two high Arctic sites were not only less negative (or neutral) overall but much more variable by season. Possible reasons for differences in seasonal and overall trends at the Arctic sites compared to those at lower latitudes are discussed, as well as implications for the Arctic mercury cycle. The first calculations of multi-year trends in reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and total particulate mercury (TPM) at Alert were also performed, indicating increases from 2002 to 2009 in both RGM and TPM in the spring when concentrations are highest.

Tempospatial Variation and Partition of Atmospheric Mercury during Wet and Dry Seasons at Sensitivity Sites within a Heavily Polluted Industrial City

This study investigated the seasonal variation and spatial distribution of total gaseous mercury (TGM) and particulate mercury (Hgp) in the ambient atmosphere of Kaohsiung City, the largest industrial city in Taiwan, located at the coastal region of southern Taiwan. TGM and Hgp were measured at six sensitivity sites and one coastal background site, from June to December, 2010. Field measurement results showed that the seasonal averaged concentrations of TGM and Hgp were in the range of 2.38–9.41 and 0.02–0.59 ng/m3 with the highest concentrations of 9.41 and 0.59 ng/m3, respectively. Moreover, the partition of atmospheric mercury was found to be 92.71–99.17% TGM and 0.83–7.29% Hgp. As a whole, the concentrations of mercury species in the dry season were higher than those in the wet season, for both TGM or Hgp concentrations. The TGM and Hgp concentrations at the Hsiao-kang site was the highest in Kaohsiung City. Hot spots of atmospheric mercury were found at two regions in Kaohsiung City, including a steel industrial complex in the south and a petrochemical industrial complex in the north. The correlation of atmospheric mercury with meteorological parameters (e.g., ambient temperature, relative humidity, and UV intensity) and air pollutants (e.g., CO, SO2, NOx, and O3) was further discussed. The results indicated that TGM and Hgp concentrations correlated positively with SO2, NOx, CO, ambient temperature, and UVB, and negatively with relative humidity, O3, and wind speed.

Decreasing trends in total gaseous mercury observations in baseline air at Mace Head, Ireland from 1996 to 2011

The Mace Head dataset comprises the longest existing time series of atmospheric mercury measurements with high time resolution in the temperate marine background atmosphere, starting in September 1995. For this study, the concentrations of total gaseous mercury in baseline air masses arriving at Mace Head, Ireland have been analyzed for possible trends in the atmospheric mercury background concentration over a 16-year period (i.e., 1996-2011). Statistical analyses have revealed a significant negative (downwards) trend of -0.027 +/- 0.01 ng/m 3 yr -1 , or -1.4 to 1.8% per year. Furthermore, evidence of a seasonal cycle was found with somewhat higher concentrations during the winter time and somewhat lower concentrations during summer.

CARIBIC observations of gaseous mercury in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

A unique set of gaseous mercury measurements in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) has been obtained during the monthly CARIBIC (www.caribic-atmospheric.com) flights since May 2005. The passenger Airbus 340-600 of Lufthansa covered routes to the Far East, North America, India, and the southern hemisphere. The accompanying measurements of CO, O3, NOy, H2O, aerosols, halocarbons, hydrocarbons, greenhouse gases, and several other parameters as well as backward trajectories enable a detailed analysis of these measurements. Speciation tests have shown that the CARIBIC measurements represent a good approximation of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations. Above the tropopause TGM always decrease with increasing potential vorticity (PV) and O3 which implies its conversion to particle bound mercury. The observation of the lowest TGM concentrations at the highest particle concentrations in the stratosphere provides further evidence for such conversion. We will show how a seasonally dependent conversion rate could be derived using concomitantly measured SF6 mixing ratios as a timer. Tropospheric mercury data suggest the existence of a decreasing trend in the northern hemisphere whose size is comparable with the trend derived from long-term measurements by ship cruises, at Cape Point (South Africa) and Mace Head (Ireland).

First Measurements of Ambient Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) at the EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory in Nepal

As part of the Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project, a global-scale network of ground-based atmospheric monitoring sites is being developed with the objective of expanding the global coverage of atmospheric mercury (Hg) measurements and improving our understanding of global atmospheric Hg transport. An important addition to the GMOS monitorng network has been the high altitude EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory, located at an elevation of 5,050 meters a.s.l. in the eastern Himalaya Mountains of Nepal. Monitoring of total gaseous mercury (TGM) using the Tekran 2537A Mercury Vapor Analyzer began at the EvK2CNR Pyramid Observatory in November 2011. From 17 November 2011 to 23 April 2012, the mean concentration of TGM at the Pyramid was 1.2 ng m−3. A range of concentrations from 0.7 to 2.6 ng m−3 has been observed. These are the first reported measurements of atmospheric Hg in Nepal, and currently this is the highest altitude monitoring station for atmospheric Hg in the world. It is anticipated that these high quality measurements, in combination with the other continuous atmospheric measurments being collected at the Pyramid station, will help to further our understanding of Hg concentrations in the free troposphere and the transport of atmospheric Hg on the global scale.

Characteristics of atmospheric Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) observed in urban Nanjing, China

Abstract. Long-term continuous measurements of total gaseous mercury (TGM = gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) + reactive gaseous mercury (RGM)) were conducted simultaneously along with meteorological variables and a suite of trace gases at an urban site in Nanjing, China from 18 January to 31 December 2011. Measurements were conducted using a high resolution mercury vapor analyzer (Tekran 2537B) with 5-min time resolution. The average concentration of TGM was 7.9 ± 7.0 ng m−3 with a range of 0.8–180 ng m−3 over the study period. TGM concentrations followed a typical lognormal pattern dominated by a range of 3–7 ng m−3, which was significantly higher than the continental background values (~1.5 ng m−3) in Northern Hemisphere. The mean seasonal TGM concentrations decreased in the following order: summer, spring, fall, and winter. This seasonal pattern was quite different from measurements at most other sites around the world. We attributed high monthly average concentrations to the re-volatilization of deposited mercury during the warm season due to high temperatures and greater solar radiation. Previous modeling studies suggested that Nanjing and the surrounding region have the largest Chinese natural emissions during the summer. Positive correlations between temperature, solar radiation, and TGM concentration combined with no correlation between CO and TGM in summer provide a strong indication that natural sources are important in Nanjing while most sharp peaks were caused by anthropogenic sources. TGM concentrations in Nanjing exhibited a noticeable diurnal pattern with a sharp increase after sunrise and peak of greater than 8 ng m−3 during 7–10 a.m. local time. Further, seasonally averaged diurnal cycles of TGM exhibited considerably different patterns with the largest variation in spring and insignificant fluctuations in winter. Using HYSPLIT backwards trajectories from six clusters, it was indicated that the highest TGM concentrations, 11.9 ng m−3, was derived from local air masses. The cleanest air masses, with an average TGM concentration of 4.7 and 5.9 ng m−3, were advected from the north via fast transport facilitated by sweeping synoptic flows.

Total Mercury and Particulate-Bound Mercury Concentrations and Content in Ambient Air in Central Taiwan

Total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration in ambient air, particulate-bound mercury concentrations and particulate-bound mercury contents in total suspended particles (TSP) from locations in Central Taiwan were measured and discussed relative to their ranges and potential sources. Meteorological conditions in terms of average temperature, wind direction, wind speed, and humidity were also monitored at a traffic sampling site in Sha-Lu central Taiwan from July 2011 to November 2011. The results revealed that the average concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) and particulate-bound mercury in TSP were 8.73±5.53 (ng/m3) and 0.000164±0.00007 (ng/m3), respectively. The monthly average TGM concentrations were highest in July (17.50±4.79 ng/m3) and lowest in November (4.10±0.72 ng/m3). The monthly average particulate-bound mercury concentrations were highest in July (0.000293±0.00021 ng/m3) and lowest in November (0.000109±0.00002 ng/m3). The average particulate-bound mercury Hg(p) contents were 0.15 (ng/g), while the monthly average particulate-bound mercury contents were highest in July (0.26 ng/g) and lowest in November (0.11 ng/g). In summer, industrial activities, especially smelting activities, were an important source of atmospheric Hg (Fu et al., 2009). Therefore, high mercury concentrations were observed in July and August. Several main sources of Hg emissions have also been identified in the study area.

Sources of atmospheric mercury in the tropics: continuous observations at a coastal site in Suriname

Abstract. Mercury measurements at a coastal site in Nieuw Nickerie (5°56' N, 56°59' W), Suriname, provide the only continuous records of atmospheric mercury in the tropics. Here we evaluate observations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) during 2007. Nieuw Nickerie typically samples marine air from the Atlantic Ocean, with occasional influence from continental South America. Over the year, average concentrations are 1.40 ng m−3. As the intertropical convergence zone passes over Suriname twice each year, the site samples both northern and southern hemispheric air masses. We use back trajectories to classify each measurement by hemisphere, as well as continental or ocean. For air passing over ocean before sampling, TGM concentrations are 10% higher in air coming from the Northern Hemisphere (1.45 ng m−3) than from the Southern Hemisphere (1.32 ng m−3). Air from the South American continent also carries higher TGM (1.43 ng m−3) than air from the South Atlantic Ocean, with most of these trajectories occurring in August and September. Biomass burning in Brazil peaks in the same months and likely contributes significantly to elevated concentrations seen in Nickerie. We also compare the observed seasonal cycle to two atmospheric mercury chemistry and transport models (GRAHM and GEOS-Chem). Both models simulate transition between northern and southern hemispheric air, thus capturing the seasonal cycle; however the models overestimate the TGM concentrations during months when Nickerie samples Northern Hemisphere air. It is difficult to determine whether the models' sources or sinks in the Northern Hemisphere tropics are responsible.

Determination Of The Mercury Content Of Lichens and Comparison To Atmospheric Mercury Levels In The South African Highveld Region

The concentration of mercury vapour in ambient air is routinely determined using specialised instruments.As an economical alternative, actively pumped Hopcalite sorbent tubes can be used to trap atmosphericmercury, which is subsequently analysed by cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy. Plant materialsare also readily available in most regions and can be analysed to obtain information on time averagedatmospheric mercury levels.Lichen and tree bark samples were collected in the cities of Pretoria and Witbank, dried and acid digestedwith subsequent cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy. Average mercury concentrations rangingfrom 74 to 193 μg.kg-1 were found in lichens from three Pretoria suburbs, whilst average Hg levels of 228μg.kg-1 were determined in lichens collected in Witbank. The average mercury concentration in tree barkwas consistently lower than in lichens, with concentrations between 28 and 72 μg.kg-1 determined insamples from three Pretoria suburbs and 75 μg.kg-1 determined in samples taken in Witbank. This study isthe first in South Africa to determine mercury levels in lichens and tree bark.Average total gaseous mercury concentrations in ambient air at the three Pretoria suburban sites, asdetermined by a semi-continuous spectroscopic method using Hopcalite sampling, ranged between 1.6and 2.5 ng.m-3, while an average of 1.7 ng.m-3 was measured in Witbank over the sampling interval.