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Atmospheric mercury distribution in Northern Europe and in the Mediterranean region
Abstract
Mercury species in air have been measured at five sites in Northwest Europe and at five coastal sites in the Mediterranean region during measurements at four seasons. Observed concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM), total particulate mercury (TPM) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were generally slightly higher in the Mediterranean region than in Northwest Europe. Incoming clean Atlantic air seems to be enriched in TGM in comparison to air in Scandinavia. Trajectory analysis of events where high concentrations of TPM simultaneously were observed at sites in North Europe indicate source areas in Central Europe and provide evidence of transport of mercury on particles on a regional scale.
... 13,18,22,and 27) and the next one in the SE part of Albania (Fig. 4). A relatively uniform distribution should be the goal, because the total Hg predominately depend on the relatively stable global/hemispheric background concentration, and only the influence from major sources may result in higher values (Wangberg et al. 2001). Similar distribution view of Hg in Albania was reported by the EMEP maps obtained by the EMEP gridded emission data (EMEP Report 2015). ...
... The years 1991-2010 was reported as the longest drought period in Mediterranean area (Spinoni et al. 2015(Spinoni et al. , 2017. The average concentrations of airborne mercury was generally lower in northwest Europe than in the Mediterranean region where the mercury-enriched minerals are abundant (Wangberg et al. 2001). Lower Hg values of the northern Europe compared with that in the south may be due to the washout process being more efficient in the removal process of Hg during long period of wet weather (Wangberg et al. 2001). ...
... The average concentrations of airborne mercury was generally lower in northwest Europe than in the Mediterranean region where the mercury-enriched minerals are abundant (Wangberg et al. 2001). Lower Hg values of the northern Europe compared with that in the south may be due to the washout process being more efficient in the removal process of Hg during long period of wet weather (Wangberg et al. 2001). It may indicate that different climatic factors that may change year after year have an important contribution to the total atmospheric flux of trace metals. ...
The air quality of Albania is evaluated by trace metals atmospheric deposition using moss biomonitoring method. Bryophyte moss (Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw.) samples were collected during August and September 2015 from 55 sampling points distributed over the entire territory of Albania. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn in moss samples was determined by ICP-AES, ETAAS (As and Cd), and CVAAS (Hg) analysis. Spatial distribution and temporal trend of the moss elements is discussed in this study. Different variability was found in moss metal concentrations that may reflect their spatial distribution patterns and may identify the location of the areas with high contamination of each element. Compared with the measurements of moss collected in 2010, significant differences were found in the concentrations of As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The differences between two moss surveys may reflect changes in the bioavailability of the elements resulting from wet and dry deposition respectively during 2015 and 2010 moss biomonitoring survey. The pollution loading index that was applied to judge the content of metal contamination indicated moderate pollution throughout Albania. Examination of the potential ecological risk found that As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, and Pb pose the highest potential ecological risks particularly in the areas with high metal contents. Factor analysis applied to investigate the probable sources of metals in the environment suggested that Al and Fe likely originated from natural sources. As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cr likely originated from anthropogenic sources associated with long-range transport, transboundary pollution and local emission sources.
... Today, mercury is classified to be a pollutant of global concern (e.g. Nriagu, 1989;Mason et al., 1994;Pleijel and Munthe, 1995;Pacyna and Keeler, 1995;Pirrone et al., 1996 a,b,c;Pirrone et al., 1998;Petersen et al., 1998;Pirrone et al., 2000;Wängberg et al., 2001;Munthe et al., 2001;Horvat, 2002;Pacyna et al., 2010). ...
... methylmercury), studies on the bioaccumulation of mercury in the aquatic food chain as well as exposure and risk assessments has driven the scientific and political communities to consider this toxic element as a pollutant of global concern (i.e. Nriagu, 1989;Mason et al., 1994;Pleijel and Munthe, 1995;Pacyna and Keeler, 1995;Pirrone et al., 1996 a,b,c;Pirrone et al., 1998;Petersen et al., 1998;Pirrone et al., 2000;Wängberg et al., 2001;Munthe et al., 2001;Horvat, 2002;Pacyna et al., 2010). ...
... Tab. 2-10 TGM, RGM, and TPM average values observed at the selected coastal sites during the four seasonal campaigns of the MOE, MAMCS, and MERCYMS projects. NA: data not available; D: day; N: night.Wängberg et al., 2001Pirrone et al.,2003Ebinghaus et al., 2009Sprovieri et al., 2010b Calabria, I N39°25'/E16°0'Fig. 2-10 Sampling sites of the European projects MOE, MAMCS, and MERCYMS.2.9.2 Monitoring Networks in Northern AmericaLong-term monitoring of atmospheric Hg with high time resolution started at Alert, Canada in January 1995. This was the first sit ...
... The speciation of mercury compounds and the conversion in the environment between different mercury compounds are also the subject of much investigation [16,17]. Regional studies of mercury pollution are reported, e.g., in [18][19][20][21]. Transboundary transport makes the mercury pollution a true global problem [22]. ...
... In contrast, remote-sensing devices interrogate the free gas over ranges extending to 1 km or more. Highly sensitive monitoring devices are needed, since the global background concentration of mercury is only 1-2 ng/m 3 [21,39]. ...
Mercury is a serious neurotoxic agent, and the control and monitoring of emissions are important. Optical spectroscopy is a powerful technique for measurement of mercury, which in the atmosphere predominantly appears in atomic form. The mercury resonance line close to 254 nm can be utilized in long-path absorption measurements of average concentrations or in light detection and ranging (lidar) studies, where range-resolved concentration values can be obtained. In addition, point monitors often use optical detection, frequently after pre-concentration, as well as for mercury compounds in conjunction with denuders, which transfer the compounds into atomic mercury. The present review discusses mercury measurement methods with respect to merits and sensitivity to interference. The main focus is on remote-sensing techniques, and many examples from industrial and mining monitoring are given. Further, mercury emissions related to the extraction of geothermal energy are discussed. Finally, an example from archaeology—the Qin tomb in Xi’an—is presented. Advanced measurement techniques can help in shaping an environment largely free from mercury contamination. Further, the aspect of mercury being an important geophysical tracer gas can also be exploited.
... In the last decades, several studies have focused on the determination of PHg levels at different sites of the Europe [15][16][17][18][19][20][21], but data on levels of PHg in PM 10 at Atlantic coastal European regions studies are scarce [22][23][24][25][26]. Measurements of PHg in APM generally fell in the range of few pg m −3 to ng m −3 at rural and urban areas; thus, high and selective techniques, such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry [27], cold vapour atomic absorption/fluorescence spectrometry [28,29], and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry [30], are required. ...
... Average 10 samples and 0.8-0.9 ng m −3 in PM 2.5 samples at several urban, suburban and industrial sites of the Cantabria region (Northern Spain) [22,23]. Frietas et al. reported PHg levels in the range of 0.14 to 1.5 and 0.07 to 2.3 ng m −3 in PM 10 and PM 2.5 samples, respectively in several inland sites of Portugal [25]. ...
Atmospheric particle-bound mercury (PHg) quantification, at a pg m−3 level, has been assessed in particulate matter samples (PM10) at several sites (industrial, urban and sub-urban sites) of Atlantic coastal European region during 13 months by using a direct thermo-desorption method. Analytical method validation was assessed using 1648a and ERM CZ120 reference materials. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.25 pg m−3 and 0.43 pg m−3, respectively. Repeatability of the method was generally below 12.6%. PHg concentrations varied between 1.5–30.8, 1.5–75.3 and 2.27–33.7 pg m−3 at urban, sub-urban and industrial sites, respectively. PHg concentration varied from 7.2 pg m−3 (urban site) to 16.3 pg m−3 (suburban site) during winter season, while PHg concentrations varied from 9.9 pg m−3 (urban site) to 19.3 pg m−3 (suburban site) during the summer. Other trace elements, major ions, black carbon (BC) and UV-absorbing particulate matter (UV PM) was also assessed at several sites. Average concentrations for trace metals (Al, As, Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Si, Sr, V and Zn) ranged from 0.08 ng m−3 (Bi) at suburban site to 1.11 µg m−3 (Fe) at industrial site. Average concentrations for major ions (including Na+, K+, Ca2+, NH4+, Mg2+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42−) ranged from 200 ng m−3 (K+) to 5332 ng m−3 (SO42−) at urban site, 166 ng m−3 (Mg2+) to 4425 ng m−3 (SO42−) at suburban site and 592 ng m−3 (K+) to 5853 ng m−3 (Cl−) at industrial site. Results of univariate analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) suggested crustal, marine and anthropogenic sources of PHg in PM10 at several sites studied. Toxicity prediction of PHg, by using hazard quotient, suggested no non-carcinogenic risk for adults.
... A maior média encontrada na Ásia foi de 13,5 ng/m 3 , em Guangzhou, China (WANG et al., 2007) e o maior valor máximo (225 ng/m 3 ) em Seul, Coréia (KIM et al., 2006). No noroeste europeu e na região do Mediterrâneo, os níveis de mercúrio elementar gasoso (Hg 0 ) variam de 1,3 a 2,1 ng/m 3 , com concentrações acima de 10 ng/m 3 nas proximidades de cidades que sofrem influência de fontes de emissão (WANGBERG et al., 2001). ...
... O Hemisfério Norte, que é responsável por quantidades maiores de emissões antrópicas e naturais, apresenta maior concentração (em torno de 1,7 ng/m 3 ) do que o hemisfério sul (média de 1,2 ng/m 3 ), ainda que estes valores sejam muito próximos (TEMME et al., 2003). Alguns autores consideram que a concentração de 1,5 ng/m 3 é um valor basal médio de mercúrio elementar gasoso que pode ser adotado para a atmosfera global (IVERFELDT, 1991;SLEMR e LANGER, 1992e WANGBERG et al., 2001. ...
The consequences of elemental mercury vapors emissions into the atmosphere are one of the major environmental challenges faced today. Among the several anthropogenic sources, artisanal or small-scale mining (ASM) is responsible for the release of substantial amounts of mercury to the atmosphere, reaching in 2010, 35% of total global emissions according to the UNEP (2013). In order to find solutions to mitigate and control these emissions, two contemporary international agreements converge with each other on this issue: The Minamata Convention and Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development of the United Nations. The Minamata Convention is a global treaty agreed in 2013 by 128 countries including Brazil, aiming to protect human health and the environment against mercury harmful effects. One of the highlights of the agreement (Article 7) are measures to control air emissions and international regulations on the ASM informal sector, and development of best environmental practices and alternative technologies that are environmental, technical , social and economically sustainable. Meanwhile, the twelfth goal of Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development of the United Nations, has the general purpose: "To ensure sustainable production and consumption patterns." In addition, one of the goals to be achieved by the year 2020, according to that purpose "is to achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all waste, throughout their life cycle, according to the international frameworks agreed, and significantly reduce these emissions into the air, water and soil, in order to minimize their negative impacts on human health and the environment." It can be asserted that these two agreements generate strong pressure on the governments of countries where there is artisanal mining of gold, especially in those where the control and inspection of mines are deficient, as in Brazil. Hence, the updating (and new records) of data, enabing a better understanding of the use of mercury in mining areas and their influence on human health, become increasingly necessary. Based on the guiding principles and seeking to contribute to the results of these two agreements, the present work intends to measure the gaseous mercury levels (ng /m3) in a gold mining community in the the state of Mato Grosso. And, to evaluetad the risk to human health stemming from both the direct emanations of mercury and the risk associated with the percentage of mercury vapor not retained by the technologies commonly used to contain it.
... stations located in Europe (between 5 and 10 μg m -3 for OC) (Lonati et al., 2007;Godec et al., 2012 (Pérez et al., 2008;Godec et al., 2012). Mean concentration of mercury (12.7 ± 16.7 pg m -3 ) was on a level that was typical for Central Europe (from 5 to 200 pg m -3 ) (Wängberg et al., 2001(Wängberg et al., , 2003. Year-long (December 2007-December 2008 measurements of mercury concentrations conducted in Gdynia by Bełdowska et al. (2012) in ultrafine particles (collected on filters with pore size of 0.4 µm) showed Hg(p) concentrations one order of magnitude lower (on average 1.3 pg m -3 ) than those presented in this study. ...
... On the contrary, Hg(p) concentration in coarser particles (sampled on filters with pore size of 2 µm) was higher than obtained in PM1 (20 pg m -3 ). Studies conducted in other parts of Europe indicated similar concentrations of Hg(p) in small aerosol varied from 5 to 200 pg m -3 (Wängberg et al., 2001(Wängberg et al., , 2003. ...
... Urba et al. (1995) have used the Gardis instrument which is based on gold amalgamation and operated with ambient air as carrier gas followed by its CVAAS detection. In Charcoal adsorbents-INAA method, activated charcoal is used for the collection of GEM which is subsequently analyzed by neutron activation analysis (Munthe et al., 2001; Wangberg et al., 2001). ...
... The collected mercury is detected by SnCl 2 -CVAFS method. In the denuder methods, either tubular (Shiqiang et al., 1997; Sommar et al., 1999; Munthe et al., 2001; Wangberg et al., 2001) or annular denuder (Munthe et al., 1999Munthe et al., , 2001 Lindberg et al., 2002) is used to trap mercury species.Fig. 3 shows a typical annular denuder for automated methods. ...
Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic metal, which is known as a global pollutant due to its ability to undergo long-range transport in the atmosphere. Methylated mercury can pose serious adverse effects on human health and environment. Mercury is emitted into the atmosphere by various natural and anthropogenic sources. The largest anthropogenic source of mercury is coal combustion, which contributes ~62% of global emissions. Total global emissions of atmospheric mercury are estimated to be 5600 Mg/year from natural and anthropogenic sources, respectively, contributing around 37% and 63% of total atmospheric mercury. About 40% of global anthropogenic emissions are contributed by East and Southeast Asia with the largest emissions from China (75%) followed by South America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Latter regions are mainly responsible due to increase in artisanal and small scale gold mining. The present estimates of mercury emissions have large uncertainties in global budget, which are mainly due to lack of knowledge of mercury exchange between various components of ecosystem with its speciation in spatial and temporal distribution. Special efforts are needed in the regions of growing economy especially in South Asia where atmospheric mercury is almost unattempted. In order to reduce uncertainties and get more realistic emission figures, there is need to develop an extensive monitoring network to measure various forms of mercury in air, soil and aquatic systems in south Asia. Controlling the emissions of global atmospheric mercury is a big challenge to the scientists and policymakers. Probably, it can be achieved by focusing on implementation of the available technologies and by developing new technologies for mercury removal through developing an extensive partnership between industries and governmental organizations.
... Mercury is an atmospheric pollutant of global concern. Its biogeochemical cycle includes various physical, chemical and photochemical interactions, both wet and dry deposition, and reemission from environmental surfaces Wängberg et al. 2001). In the atmosphere, mercury occurs mainly as Hg 0 (elemental mercury vapour), along with reactive gaseous mercury ((RGM)-Hg 2+ divalent mercury compounds) and mercury associated with particulate matter. ...
... The presence of methylated mercury species has also been reported (Slemr et al. 1981(Slemr et al. , 1985Fitzgerald et al. 1991;Lin and Pehkonen 1999). Hg 0 is stable and its residence time of 6-24 months allows its transport over large distances on a global scale William et al. 1998;Wängberg et al. 2001). The rate of deposition is largely affected by Hg 0 to Hg 2+ conversion, since RGM includes highly surface-reactive species and is rapidly deposited through both wet and dry deposition (Lindberg and Stratton 1998). ...
The study was designed to investigate the content and distribution of selected heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Fe, Pb and Zn) in samples of fruticose macrolichen Usnea antarctica from James Ross Island. A special emphasis was devoted to mercury and its species (elemental mercury and methylmercury). It was found that mercury contents were relatively high (up to 2.73 mg kg(-1) dry weight) compared to other parts of the Antarctic Peninsula region, while the concentrations of most other elements were within reported ranges. Mercury contents in lichens originating from the interior were higher than those from the coast, which is probably the result of local microclimate conditions. Similar trends were observed for Hg(0) and MeHg(+), whose contents were up to 0.14 and 0.098 mg kg(-1) dry weight, respectively. While mercury did not show a significant correlation with any other element, the mutual correlation of some litophile elements probably refers to the influence on thalli of resuspended weathered material. The influence of habitat and environmental conditions could play an essential role in the bioaccumulation of contaminants rather than just the simple presence of sources. Thus, the study of the thalli of this species can bring a new perspective on the interpretation of contaminant accumulation in lichens of the polar region.
... on quartz fibre filters (Wa¨ngberg et al., 2001(Wa¨ngberg et al., , 2003. This experimentally determined speciation was compared with results from a thermodynamic equilibrium model, simulating the atmospheric dilution and cooling of Etna's magmatic gases in the plume. ...
... The fact that this mean is approximately equal to the arithmetic mean implies that S n¼n n¼1 ðF n SO 2 Â x n Þ % F mean SO 2 Â S n¼n n¼1 x n and that the data are displaying no significant systematic co-dependence between SO 2 flux and Hg/SO 2 ratio. 1998), which consisted of a quartz fibre filter of 7-mm diameter, housed in a quartz glass tube of 140-mm length and supported by a pure Ni-screen grid (Wa¨ngberg et al., 2001(Wa¨ngberg et al., , 2003. This device served as both a particulate trap and a pyrolyser for atmospheric particulate mercury. ...
There is an urgent need to better constrain the global rates of mercury degassing from natural sources, including active volcanoes. Hitherto, estimates of volcanic fluxes have been limited by the poorly determined speciation of Hg in volcanic emissions. Here, we present a systematic characterisation of mercury partitioning between gaseous (Hg (g)) and particulate (Hg (p)) forms in the volcanic plume of Mount Etna, the largest open-vent passively degassing volcano on Earth. We demonstrate that mercury transport is predominantly in the gas phase, with a mean Hg (p) /Hg (g) ratio of $0.01 by mass. We also present the first simultaneous measurement of divalent gaseous mercury (Hg II ðgÞ) and total gaseous mercury (Hg (g)) in a volcanic plume, which suggests that Hg 0 ðgÞ is the prevalent form of mercury in this context. These data are supported by the results of model simulations, carried out with HSC thermodynamic software. Based on a mean ''bulk plume'' Hg/SO 2 mass ratio of 8.7 Â 10 À6 , and a contemporaneous volcanic SO 2 flux of 0.8 Mt yr À1 , we estimate an Hg emission rate from Mt. Etna during passive degassing of 5.4 t yr À1 (range, 1.1–10 t yr À1). This corresponds to $0.6% of global volcanic Hg emissions, and about 5% of Hg released from industrial activities in the Mediterranean area.
... Comparison of our measurements of gaseous Hg with other studies (short and long-term) over different urban and coastal areas around the world is provided in Table 1. Our results are higher than those reported in 1.6 ng/ m 3 of the USA (Liu et al., 2010), 1.9 ng/m 3 in France , 1.6 to 2.4 ng/m 3 in Northern Europe and Mediterranean region (Wängberg et al., 2001), 1.1-1.6 ng/m 3 in New Hampshire, USA (Mao et al., 2008), and 1.7 ng/m 3 in Zingst, Germany (Kock et al., 2005). The current observations are attributable to possible high industrialization and urbanization in Mumbai, a coastal city, though, lower than the Shanghai and Mexico City. ...
Mercury cycling in coastal metropolitan areas on the west coast of India becomes complex due to the combined effects of both intensive domestic anthropogenic emissions and marine air masses. The present study is based on yearlong data of continuous measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentration concurrent with meteorological parameters and some air pollutants at a coastal urban site in Mumbai, on the west coast of India, for the first time. The concentration of GEM was found in a range between 2.2 and 12.3 ng/m³, with a mean of 3.1 ± 1.1 ng/m³, which was significantly higher than the continental background values in the Northern Hemisphere (~ 1.5 ng/m³). Unlike particulates, GEM starts increasing post-winter to peak during the monsoon and decrease towards winter. July had the highest concentration of GEM followed by October, and a minimum in January. GEM exhibited a distinct diurnal cycle, mainly with a broad peak in the early morning, a narrow one by nightfall, and a minimum in the afternoon. The peaks and their timing suggest the origin of urban mobility and the start of local activities. A positive correlation between SO2, PM2.5, temperature, relative humidity, and GEM indicates that emissions from local industrial plants in the Mumbai coastal area. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) confirm this fact. Monthly back trajectory analysis showed that air mass flows are predominantly from the Arabian Sea and local human activities. Assessment of human health risks by USEPA model reveals that the hazardous quotient, HQ < 1, implies negligible carcinogenic risk. GEM observations in Mumbai during the study period are below the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limit (200 ng/m³) for long-term inhalation.
... Unlike other pollutants, mercury is present in the atmosphere mainly as free atoms [16,43,44], which makes optical spectroscopic techniques especially suited for sensitive, real-time measurements (see, e.g., [45]). Mercury can be concentrated from the ambient air by amalgamation in exposed gold foils over some times, followed by rapid heating and detection of the released mercury cloud through atomic absorption or fluorescence spectroscopy. ...
Atmospheric levels of atomic mercury pollution were measured using spectroscopic techniques in the city of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Assessments were mainly performed at ground level using a portable (vehicle mounted or hand carried) Zeeman modulation correlation spectrometer (Lumex RA-915M), and the results are given in easily comprehensible diagrams. Measurements were made with continuous recording in car traverses along major roads which cross the city, but also at selected spots, such as at a university campus with laboratory buildings. Further, pollution levels at different locations were recorded when walking through a major and a small hospital. While concentrations in the city in the range 3–10 ng/m3 were typical, and strongly dependent on the traffic situation, very high concentrations (up to 1300 ng/m3) were found at certain indoor hospital locations, again drawing attention to the fact that high mercury levels due to inadequate handling routines can remain undetected but could readily be eliminated by adequate measurements and subsequent sanitation.
... Current methodologies, however, have a limited ability to monitor Hg on a truly global scale. Indeed, the use of active automated sampling systems based on sorbent traps with gold amalgamation, which are desorbed at relatively fine time resolution (3-5 min) for Hg quantification (Brown et al., 2010;Landis et al., 2002;Munthe et al., 2001;Steffen et al., 2012;Wängberg et al., 2001), may be limited by cost and the need for reliable electricity, consumables, and maintenance by well-trained operators (Huang et al., 2014;McLagan et al., 2016b;Pirrone et al., 2013). Given these constraints, passive sampling has been proposed as a viable alter-native or supplemental system to fill the gaps in worldwide Hg monitoring. ...
Passive air samplers (PASs), which provide time-averaged concentrations of gaseous mercury over the timescale of weeks to months, are promising for filling a gap in the monitoring of atmospheric mercury worldwide. Their usefulness will depend on their ease of use and robustness under field conditions, their availability and affordability, and most notably, their ability to provide results of acceptable precision and accuracy. Here we describe a comparative evaluation of three PASs with respect to their ability to precisely and accurately record atmospheric background mercury concentrations at sites in both southern Italy and southern Ontario, Canada. The study includes the CNR-PAS with gold nanoparticles as a sorbent, developed by the Italian National Research Council, the IVL-PAS using an activated carbon-coated disk, developed by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and the MerPAS® using a sulfur-impregnated activated carbon sorbent, developed at the University of Toronto and commercialized by Tekran. Detection limits are deduced from the variability in the amount of mercury quantified in more than 20 field blank samples for each PAS. Analytical and sampling precision is quantified through 22 triplicate deployments for each PAS, ranging in duration from 2 to 12 weeks. Accuracy and bias are assessed through comparison with gaseous elemental mercury concentrations recorded by Tekran 2537 automated mercury analyzers operating alongside the PASs at both locations. The performance of the PASs was significantly better in Italy, with all of them providing concentrations that are not significantly different from the average concentrations of the Tekran 2537 instruments. In Canada, where weather conditions were much harsher and more variable during the February through April deployment period, there are differences amongst the PASs. At both sites, the MerPAS® is currently the most sensitive, precise, and accurate among the three PASs. A key reason for this is the larger size and the radial configuration of the MerPAS®, which results in lower blank levels relative to the sequestered amounts of mercury when compared to the other two PASs, which rely on axial diffusion geometries. Since blank correction becomes relatively smaller with longer deployments, performance tends to be closer amongst the PASs during deployments of 8 and 12 weeks.
... A similar trend was also observed for the total particulate mercury (TPM). In northern Poland, the TPM concentrations (Korejwo et al. 2020) were similar to those measured in the Swedish coastal zone (around 10 pg m -3 ) (Wängberg et al. 2001), while in southern Poland Hg concentration in the particulate matter oscillated around 30 pg m -3 (Pyta et al. 2020). TGM can be oxidised to Hg 2? , which is much more reactive, hence it is removed from the atmosphere with dry and wet deposition. ...
The goal of this paper is to assess the current status and trends of total mercury (THg) contamination of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland. The study shows that the reduced domestic and worldwide atmospheric emission of Hg resulted in decreased THg level in the terrestrial biotope and biosphere. Considering that Poland is one of the main Hg emitters in Europe, the THg concentrations in its abiotic environment are still elevated. However, the THg level in terrestrial organisms is relatively low, which is because a large proportion of Hg deposited on land is accumulated in organic-rich soils. Regarding the THg concentration, consumption of wildlife and livestock from Poland is safe for humans. Nevertheless, the authors indicate the need for effective environmental monitoring, based on selected bioindicators, which is crucial considering the slowing reduction of Hg emission combined with the consequences of the changing climate.
... The anthropogenic emission from iron and steel metallurgy and waste burning was evident from two outlier points with extremely high Hg content, positioned at St. 24, in Elbasan region, and St. 29, in Kruja region (Fig. 2.12c). In general, the total Hg predominately depend on the relatively stable global/hemispheric background concentration, and only the influence from major sources may have been resulted in higher values (Wangberg et al. 2001). Beside these two points, the rest of the moss samples showed lower Hg content but still higher than that of 2015. ...
Toxic metals are among the main threats to environmental pollution as they pose risk to the human health via different exposure pathways and to the environment. This chapter is focused on spatial series and multivariate analysis in assessing the toxic metals linked with health risk (As, Cd, Cr, Co, Hg, Pb, Ni and Zn) and ecological effects of atmospheric deposition by using mosses as bioindicator. It is based on the concentration data onto eight elements in moss samples collected during the 2015 moss biomonitoring survey conducted at the same time with the European moss biomonitoring. The elements under investigation were determined by ICP-AES and CVAAS (only Hg) analytical techniques performed in the Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia, and Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tirana, Albania. Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw) spp. have been used as bioindicators of trace toxic metals in atmospheric deposition in Albania. The spatial analysis of each element performed by a space series model, adapted to the time-series linear model, was used to investigate the spatial distribution of the elements. It may visualize the areas characterized by a high concentration level of the toxic elements, particularly of As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni and Pb, that are classified as human carcinogens. Multivariate analysis is used to identify the most probable sources of the elements in moss samples. Significant differences were found in the concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Co, Hg, Ni and Pb in moss samples, and diverse patterns for different elements were found by presenting diverse geographical variabilities in moss metal concentrations. Good correlations were found between the concentration data and the normalized concentration data that indicate higher effects of anthropogenic sources of these elements compared to the natural one. High Ni and Cr contents were found in all territory of Albania. The highest Ni and Cr contents were found in the eastern part that could be classified as highly polluted zone mostly by geological and anthropogenic emission sources. The elements Cr, Ni and Hg exceeded the corresponding median values of European moss. The spatial analysis of the elements (linear model) is possible to identify the areas with a high concentration of certain metals which could suggest for being under control. Wide ranges of metal concentrations were found for As, Hg, Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, Cr and Zn which are characterized by high variations (CV% > 75%). The highest content of Cr, Ni and Co was found in the eastern part of the country. The anthropogenic factors and soil dust associated with the windblown fine mineral dust particles were pointed as another possibility of local emitting factors affecting the accumulation of these metals in mosses. The median value of CR (1.36 × 10⁻⁶) is higher than the carcinogenic target risk value (1 × 10⁻⁶) and lower than the Cr unacceptable value (CR > 1 × 10⁻⁴).
... ng/m 3 ], Changchun [18.4 ng/m 3 ]). [30][31][32] Kumari et al. 30 attributed much higher Hg levels in Indian cities (e.g., Bhilai, 140-1830 ng/m 3 ) than the others (e.g., those in China, Korea, and Japan) to the reason that most of the studies on Hg concentrations in Indian cities were carried out in the vicinity of coal-fired power plants. The present study also finds higher Hg levels at the locations closer to the CHPP, but still not as elevated as in some of the cities mentioned. ...
Coal‐fired combined heat and power plants (CHPPs) serving large districts are among the major sources of mercury (Hg) emissions globally, including Central Asia. Most CHPPs reside on the outskirts of urban areas, thus creating risk zones. The impact of atmospheric Hg levels on health is complex to establish due to the site‐specific nature of the relationship between CHPP emissions and hotspots (i.e., localized areas where Hg concentrations greatly exceed its background value). However, a methodological identification of “emission impact zones” for atmospheric Hg emissions from CHPPs with potential adverse public health outcomes has not yet been fully studied. The present work suggests an easy‐to‐use and cost‐free impact zone identification method based on HYSPLIT dispersion modeling for atmospheric Hg emissions from CHPPs. The dispersion modeling based impact zone assessment, DiMIZA, merges short‐term dispersion runs (e.g., hourly) into long‐term emission impacts (e.g., yearly), which allows to identify the source impact zones. To perform a case study using the suggested method, a CHPP plant in Nur‐Sultan (capital of Kazakhstan) was selected. First, traditional ad‐hoc measurements were performed to identify the level of dispersions at ground level in different atmospheric stability characteristics. Then, HYSPLIT dispersion model was run for the same days and times of those particular periods when the field measurements were performed. The model results were evaluated via a comparison with the ground measurements and assessed for their atmospheric stability and diel conditions. Due to different emission loads in heating and non‐heating periods, two separate pairs of impact zone maps were generated, and public Hg exposure health risks (acute and chronic) were assessed.
... The atmosphere plays a key role in mercury transformation, removal, and transport to various ecosystems, even to remote areas through long-range processes [1][2][3]. Sources of mercury in the atmosphere are both natural (volcanoes, forest fire, geothermal vents, evaporation from soil and waters) and anthropogenic (fossil fuel combustion, mining and extraction of minerals, production of aspects, e.g., the role of the Antarctic continent in the global biogeochemical cycle of Hg and the mechanisms characterizing the deposition of Hg to the coastal ecosystems [3]. ...
Size-fractionated particulate mercury (PHg) measurements were performed from November 2017 to January 2018 at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica) for the first time. Samples were collected every 10 days by a six-stage high-volume cascade impactor with size classes between 10 μm and 0.49 μm. Total PHg concentrations were maxima (87 ± 8 pg m−3) in November, then decreased to values ~40% lower and remained almost constant until the end of the sampling period (~30 pg m−3). The trimodal aerosol mass distribution reveals that from 30% to 90% of the total PHg came in the size > 1.0 μm. Hg in the two coarse fractions was probably produced by the adsorption of oxidized Hg species transported by air masses from the Antarctic plateau or produced locally by sea ice edges. PHg in accumulation mode seemed to be related to gas–particle partitioning with sea salt aerosol. Finally, average dry deposition fluxes of PHg were calculated to be 0.36 ± 0.21 ng m−2 d−1 in the accumulation mode, 47 ± 44 ng m−2 d−1 in the first coarse mode, and 37 ± 31 ng m−2 d−1 in the second coarse mode. The present work contributed to the comprehension of the Hg biogeochemical cycle, but further research studies are needed.
... Industrial activities in Yeosu and Gwangyang industrial areas were intensified and continued since late 1970s (Figure 3a). In general, atmospheric Hg levels are influenced by wind flow [37]. Mercury is highly volatile. ...
Historical changes of mercury (Hg) concentrations in tree rings of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) and the role of dendrochemistry over the last 50 years in Yeosu and Gwangyang National Industrial Complexes of South Korea were evaluated. Mercury uptake in trees were found to be bidirectional and variable depending on atmospheric Hg conditions. With low atmospheric Hg concentrations, Hg concentrations in tree rings were significantly influenced by soil Hg concentrations via roots. With high atmospheric Hg concentrations, Hg concentrations in tree rings were dominated by atmospheric Hg uptake via foliage. Patterns of Hg concentration in sampling sites were divided into: (1) a linear increase in low concentration of Hg originated from soils via roots during 1967–1977 and (2) an elevated and constant concentration with spatial variation of Hg concentration due to foliar uptake from atmosphere during 1978–2014. Between 1967 and 1977, when shrubs and vegetation senesced each year, there was an annual source of Hg in soils due to continued deposition of Hg to soil via litterfall and debris. Thus, Hg concentration was increased over time. During these periods, Hg concentrations in tree rings reflected uptakes of Hg through roots under young forest and low atmosphere Hg conditions. Whether tree rings can serve as reliable proxies for atmosphere Hg concentrations remain unclear due to Hg uptakes from soils and limits from atmosphere under low atmospheric Hg conditions. Intensified chemical plants and steel mills have continued throughout Yeosu and Gwangyang industrial areas since late 1970s, resulting in high Hg emissions. Hg concentrations in tree rings during 1978–2014 showed elevated and constant levels. In addition, tree ring Hg concentrations at study sites were increased gradually with decreasing distance from industrial areas, with a high concentration of 11.15 ng/g at the Yeosu site located the nearest to industrial areas and a low concentration of 4.34 ng/g at the Suncheon site which was the farthest away from industrial areas.
... Europe and Mediterranean region (Wangberg et al., 2001). In comparison with cluster 1, cluster 2 represents the continental pollution sources with majority of data being recorded when westerly winds prevailed over the study site. ...
Continuous measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) play a key role in identifying mercury sources and its behavior in the atmosphere. In order to investigate the characteristics of GEM during the year when Minamata Convention on Mercury has entered into force in China, concentrations of GEM along with other pollutants were continuously measured at a coastal site in Ningbo, China. Hourly mean concentration of GEM at the study site ranged from 0.64 to 13.58 ng m⁻³ and showed an annual mean of 2.44 ± 0.95 ng m⁻³. The atmospheric GEM showed obvious seasonal variations, with the highest seasonal average concentration in winter (2.62 ± 1.05 ng m⁻³) and the lowest value in summer (2.26 ± 0.78 ng m⁻³). The monthly variation of GEM/TGM ratios ranged from 72.6% to 98.0% and clear inverse trends for monthly GEM/TGM and O3 were found during the entire period. Higher O3 concentration promote the photochemical oxidation of GEM into divalent mercury. Additionally, a high GEM episode that lasted >3 days was analyzed, and it showing high correlation with PM2.5 and SO2. The dilution of marine airflow and enhanced oxidation of GEM over sea are important for GEM depletion at the coastal site. Smoothed concentration weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis revealed that the GEM at the study site was mainly impacted by anthropogenic emissions from coastal provinces (Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang) and inland provinces (Jiangxi, Anhui and Hubei). Coordinated inter-regional control on pollutant emissions is essential for the mercury reduction in the study area.
... A légkörbe kerülő toxikus nehézfém-szennyezőkkel az 1990-es évektől foglalkoztak az akkor már jó ideje működő páneurópai megfigyelő hálózat (EMEP) keretében. A mérési adatok és a terjedési modellek segítségével egyértelművé vált, hogy ezen anyagok több száz kilométeres távolságra is eljuthatnak, és fejthetik ki ott hatásaikat (Wangberg et al., 2001). ...
A nagy kiterjedésű vagy akár globális léptékű környezeti folyamatok feltárása, sokrétű ok-okozati összefüggéseinek, lehetséges káros hatásainak azonosítása és emiatt a megfelelő válaszlépések megalapozása nagy kihívást jelent a környezettudománnyal foglalkozók számára. A tanulmányban néhány olyan jelentős környezeti probléma kapcsán tekintjük át a tudományos felismerés és a politikai elismerés kritikus szakaszait, amelyek kialakulásához különböző emberi tevékenységek¬ből eredő, növekvő mértékű környezeti kibocsátások járultak hozzá. A bemutatott esetek közös jellemzője az okokkal, a terjedéssel, a hatásokkal összefüggő érvek ütköztetése, a tudományos bizonyosság fokozatos erősödése és fordulópontjai. Bizonyos tanulságaik is általánosíthatóak, azaz, hogy mennyire lényeges a széles körben elterjedő társadalmi-gazdasági tevékenységek, ipari eljárások kapcsán is a minél teljesebb hatásfelmérés vagy akár az utólagos belátás és korrekció, ha kiderül a nem szándékolt, de súlyos „mellékhatások” lehetősége vagy megléte.
... Oxidized Hg species (gaseous oxidized mercury or GOM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) contribute significantly to dry and wet deposition fluxes to terrestrial and aquatic receptors (Brooks et al., 2006;Goodsite et al., 2004Goodsite et al., , 2012Hedgecock et al., 2006;Skov et al., 2006;Gencarelli et al., 2015;De Simone et al., 2015). Although in the past 2 decades a number of Hg monitoring sites have been established (in Europe, Canada, USA and Asia) as part of regional networks and/or European projects (i.e., MAMCS, MOE, MERCYMS) Wängberg et al., 2001Wängberg et al., , 2008Pirrone et al., 2003;Steffen et al., 2008), the need to establish a global network to assess likely southernnorthern hemispheric gradients and long-term trends has long been considered a high priority for policy and scientific purposes. The main reason is to make consistent and globally distributed Hg observations available that can be used to validate regional and global-scale models for assessing global patterns of Hg concentrations and deposition and re-emission fluxes. ...
Long-term monitoring data of ambient mercury (Hg) on a global scale to assess its emission, transport, atmospheric chemistry, and deposition processes is vital to understanding the impact of Hg pollution on the environment. The Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) started in November 2010 with the overall goal to develop a coordinated global observing system to monitor Hg on a global scale, including a large network of ground-based monitoring stations, ad hoc oceanographic cruises and measurement flights in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. To date, more than 40 ground-based monitoring sites constitute the global network covering many regions where little to no observational data were available before GMOS. This work presents atmospheric Hg concentrations recorded worldwide, analyzing Hg measurement results in terms of temporal trends, seasonality and comparability within the network. Major findings highlighted a clear gradient of atmospheric Hg concentrations between the Northern and Southern hemispheres, confirming that the gradient observed is mostly driven by local and regional sources, which can be anthropogenic, natural or a combination of both. In order to understand the atmospheric cycling and seasonal depositional characteristics of Hg, wet deposition samples were also collected at 17 selected GMOS monitoring sites providing new insight into baseline concentrations of THg concentrations in precipitation particularly in regions, such as the Southern Hemisphere and tropical areas where wet deposition were never investigated before, opening the way for additional measurements across the GMOS network and new findings in future modeling studies highlighting the need of integrated measurements in ambient air and rainwater samples to improve our understanding of deposition processes and oxidation mechanisms. These new observations in fact, give scientists and modelers some insight into baseline concentrations of Hg concentrations in air and precipitation with the overarching benefit which clearly consists in the advancement of knowledge about Hg processes on global scale.
... In general, atmospheric Hg levels are influenced by wind-flow (Wängberg et al. 2001). Winds in Yeosu City which located in fertilizer production plant vary but are predominantly from the north-west, north-east, south-west, and east (Fig. 1). ...
This study aimed to determine mercury concentrations in tree rings and surface soils at distances of 4, 26 and 40 km from a fertilizer plant located in Yeosu City, Korea. Mercury concentrations in all tree rings were low prior to the establishment of the plant in 1977 and became elevated thereafter. The highest average mercury concentration in the tree rings was 11.96 ng g(-1) at the Yeosu site located nearest to the plant, with the lowest average mercury concentration of 4.45 ng g(-1) at the Suncheon site furthest away from the plant. In addition, the highest mercury content in the surface soil was 108.51 ng cm(-3) at the Yeosu site, whereas the lowest mercury content in the surface soil was 31.47 ng cm(-3) at the Suncheon site. The mercury levels decreased gradually with increasing distance from the plant.
... Hg is an atmospheric pollutant with a complex biogeochemical cycle. The atmospheric cycling includes chemical oxidation/reduction in both gaseous and aqueous phases, deposition and reemission from natural surfaces in addition to emissions from both natural and anthropogenic sources (Wängberg et al. 2001). The toxicity of Hg and its compounds for humans such as ataxia, constriction of vision, impaired hearing and death was first described in 1865 (Grandjean et al. 2010). ...
The present and future air contamination by mercury is and will continue to be a serious risk for human health. This publication presents a review of the literature dealing with the issues related to air contamination by mercury and its transformations as well as its natural and anthropogenic emissions. The assessment of mercury emissions into the air poses serious methodological problems. It is particularly difficult to distinguish between natural and anthropogenic emissions and re-emissions from lands and oceans, including past emissions. At present, the largest emission sources include fuel combustion, mainly that of coal, and “artisanal and small-scale gold mining” (ASGM). The distinctly highest emissions can be found in South and South-East Asia, accounting for 45% of the global emissions. The emissions of natural origin and re-emissions are estimated at 45–66% of the global emissions, with the largest part of emissions originating in the oceans. Forecasts on the future emission levels are not unambiguous; however, most forecasts do not provide for reductions in emissions. Ninety-five percent of mercury occurring in the air is Hg⁰—GEM, and its residence time in the air is estimated at 6 to 18 months. The residence times of its HgII—GOM and that in Hgp—TPM are estimated at hours and days. The highest mercury concentrations in the air can be found in the areas of mercury mines and those of ASGM. Since 1980 when it reached its maximum, the global background mercury concentration in the air has remained at a relatively constant level.
... Oxidized Hg species (gaseous oxidized mercury or GOM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) contribute significantly to dry and wet deposition fluxes to terrestrial and aquatic receptors (Brooks et al., 2006;Goodsite et al., 2004Goodsite et al., , 2012Hedgecock et al., 2006;Skov et al., 2006;Gencarelli et al., 2015;De Simone et al., 2015). Although in the past 2 decades a number of Hg monitoring sites have been established (in Europe, Canada, USA and Asia) as part of regional networks and/or European projects (i.e., MAMCS, MOE, MERCYMS) Wängberg et al., 2001Wängberg et al., , 2008Pirrone et al., 2003;Steffen et al., 2008), the need to establish a global network to assess likely southernnorthern hemispheric gradients and long-term trends has long been considered a high priority for policy and scientific purposes. The main reason is to make consistent and globally distributed Hg observations available that can be used to validate regional and global-scale models for assessing global patterns of Hg concentrations and deposition and re-emission fluxes. ...
Long-term monitoring of data of ambient mercury (Hg) on a global scale to assess
its emission, transport, atmospheric chemistry, and deposition processes is
vital to understanding the impact of Hg pollution on the environment. The Global
Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project was funded by the European
Commission (http://www.gmos.eu) and started in November 2010
with the overall goal to develop a coordinated global observing system to
monitor Hg on a global scale, including a large network of ground-based
monitoring stations, ad hoc periodic oceanographic cruises and measurement
flights in the lower and upper troposphere as well as in the lower
stratosphere. To date, more than 40 ground-based monitoring sites constitute
the global network covering many regions where little to no observational
data were available before GMOS. This work presents atmospheric Hg
concentrations recorded worldwide in the framework of the GMOS project
(2010–2015), analyzing Hg measurement results in terms of temporal trends,
seasonality and comparability within the network. Major findings highlighted
in this paper include a clear gradient of Hg concentrations between the
Northern and Southern hemispheres, confirming that the gradient observed is
mostly driven by local and regional sources, which can be anthropogenic,
natural or a combination of both.
... The research carried out during 2005-2013 has shown that, in the Polish coastal zone, mercury concentrations both in aerosols and in rains [23,24] were comparable to the values obtained at other stations within the Baltic [29,30,32,33]. The mean annual Hg concentration in aerosols (Hgp) (Figure 2) was 1% of total Hg concentration in the air, which is typical of unpolluted areas [22,31]. ...
... Mercury (Hg) is a persistent hazardous pollutant with adverse effects on human health and wildlife due mainly to bioaccumulation and biomagnification in aquatic food webs (Lindqvist et al. 1991;Schroeder and Munthe 1998). Mercury is also regarded as a global pollutant for its tendency to migrate through the atmosphere to oceanic systems and remote regions, where it tends to be converted to methylmercury, a more toxic and bioavailable form (Wängberg et al. 2001;Poissant et al. 2005;Aspmo et al. 2006). ...
Continuous measurements of speciated atmo- spheric mercury (Hg), including gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate mercury (PHg), and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were conducted in Guizhou Province, southwestern China. Guiyang Power Plant (GPP), Guiyang Wujiang Cement Plant, Guizhou Aluminum Plant (GAP), and Guiyang Forest Park (GFP) in Guiyang were selected as study sites. Automatic Atmospheric Mercury Speciation Analyzers (Tekran 2537A) were used for GEM analysis. PHg and RGM were simultaneously collected by a manual sampling system, including elutriator, coupler/ impactor, KCl-coated annular denuder, and a filter holder. Results show that different emission sources dominate different species of Hg. The highest average GEM value was 22.2 ± 28.3 ng·m-3 and the lowest 6.1 ± 3.9 ng·m-3, from samples collected at GPP and GAP, respectively. The maximum average PHg was 1984.9 pg·m-3 and the mini- mum average 55.9 pg·m-3, also from GPP and GAP, respectively. Similarly, the highest average RGM of 68.8 pg·m-3 was measured at GPP, and the lowest level of 20.5 pg·m-3 was found at GAP. We conclude that coal combustion sources are still playing a key role in GEM; traffic contributes significantly to PHg; and domestic pollution dominates RGM.
... Oxidized Hg species (gaseous oxidized mercury or GOM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) contribute significantly to dry and wet deposition fluxes to terrestrial and aquatic receptors (Brooks et al., 2006;Goodsite et al., 2004Goodsite et al., , 2012Hedgecock et al., 2006;Skov et al., 2006;Gencarelli et al., 2015;De Simone et al., 2015). Although in the past 2 decades a number of Hg monitoring sites have been established (in Europe, Canada, USA and Asia) as part of regional networks and/or European projects (i.e., MAMCS, MOE, MERCYMS) Wängberg et al., 2001Wängberg et al., , 2008Pirrone et al., 2003;Steffen et al., 2008), the need to establish a global network to assess likely southernnorthern hemispheric gradients and long-term trends has long been considered a high priority for policy and scientific purposes. The main reason is to make consistent and globally distributed Hg observations available that can be used to validate regional and global-scale models for assessing global patterns of Hg concentrations and deposition and re-emission fluxes. ...
Long-term monitoring data of ambient mercury (Hg) on a global scale to assess its emission, transport, atmospheric chemistry, and deposition processes is vital to understanding the impact of Hg pollution on the environment. The Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project was funded by the European Commission (www.gmos.eu), and started in November 2010 with the overall goal to develop a coordinated global observing system to monitor Hg on a global scale, including a large network of ground-based monitoring stations, ad-hoc periodic oceanographic cruises and measurement flights in the lower and upper troposphere, as well as in the lower stratosphere. To date more than 40 ground-based monitoring sites constitute the global network covering many regions where little to no observational data were available before GMOS. This work presents atmospheric Hg concentrations recorded worldwide in the framework of the GMOS project (2010–2015), analyzing Hg measurement results in terms of temporal trends, seasonality and comparability within the network. Major findings highlighted in this paper include a clear gradient of Hg concentrations between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, confirming that the gradient observed is mostly driven by local and regional sources, which can be anthropogenic, natural or a combination of both.
... By comparison to the fairly similar estimated background accumulation rates in peat and lake-sediment records of 0.5-5 µg m − 2 yr − 1 , the late-twentieth century deposition rates calculated from lake-sediment records from sites located far from point sources are about 10-30 µg m − 2 yr − 1 , a range comparable to that obtained from direct measurements of atmospheric mercury deposition (Engstrom et al. 1994;Iverfeldt et al. 1995;Wängberg et al. 2001;Lamborg et al. 2002; National Atmospheric Deposition Program database). However, for most peat records mercury accumulation rates thus far largely exceed the deposition rates suggested by lakesediment records and those measured in direct deposition (Biester et al. 2007 and references therein). ...
Over the last decades, scientists throughout Europe and beyond have been increasingly using peat as archives of past atmospheric metal deposition. Since the pioneering studies using herbaria moss collections to evidence atmospheric metal pollution in the late sixties, the improvements in analytical techniques, as well as chronological controls, have allowed investigations of a variety of scientific questions in various fields, e.g. elemental biogeochemical cycles, atmospheric pollution and archaeology. In this chapter we summarize the various applications and usage of peat cores as archives of past atmospheric metal deposition. The chapter contains an introduction followed by a section addressing the state of the art in the field, providing examples of various elements and a variety of study sites. We then continue with a brief description of the application of metal records stored in peat, i.e. applications to archaeology. To end we present some confounding factors affecting the integrity of the peat record, which must be carefully considered, and lastly we give a few examples of challenges and perspectives for future generations of peat geochemists.
... In connection with the completion of this research programme, the first international conference on mercury in the environment was organised in Sweden in 1990 (Lindqvist, 1991). Recently, a second integrated research programme was completed, this time focussing on heavy metals, including mercury, in urban and forest environments (Iverfeldt, 2001). The atmospheric cycling of mercury has been a special focus in Swedish mercury research for more than two decades. ...
... Background concentrations of different TGM averaging about 1.5 ng m -3 in background air throughout the world [9][10], the area characterized to higher emission register the higher concentration. The concentration of other monitored form, such as RGM (Reactive Gas phase Mercury) and TPM (Particulate Mercury as Total), vary from 1 to 600 pg m -3 ([11]; [12]; [13]; [14]; [15]). The rainy event allow the removal of RGM compounds that are water-soluble, the lifetime of RGM is in fact of days or some weeks [16]. ...
The chemistry of mercury, in reference to its behavior in the atmosphere, is more complex compared to other heavy metals. Main forms are: elemental mercury vapor (Hg0, called even or zerovalent metallic mercury), mercury vapor divalent (Hg22+ mercurous, or Hg2+ mercuric), organic mercury (especially methylmercury, MeHg). A fourth form could be considered, different under the chemical profile, whose characteristic is physical: mercury bound to particulate (HgP), in the form of Hg0 and Hg2+. In general, analyses on ambient air are performed on the Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) which is defined as the fraction passing a 0.45 μm filter; TGM is mainly composed of elemental Hg0 vapour, with minor fractions of other volatile forms as HgCl2, CH3HgCl or (CH3)2Hg. Measurements carried out at background sites reveal that the TGM corresponds almost to total mercury (>99%) in atmosphere. Global anthropogenic emission for North America, Europe and East Europe areas data indicate that stationary combustion processes, are responsible of about 60-75% of all mercury emitted, mainly because of its content in coal, for a total of 2000 tons/year. About 50 % of emissions from combustion of fossil fuels is constituted by Hg0, 40 % of Hg2+ and 10 % of HgP. Mercury is therefore assumed as a tracer of coal combustion emission. The official Italian sampling and analysis procedure (DLgs 155/10 - UNI EN 15852) has been tested as is, and modified in order to improve the analytical performance, reduce the timing requirement and reduce the related cost. All the variations introduced have been thoroughly investigated in order to exclude any negative effect on the standard performances.
... During the non-heating period, correlations of 0.81 and 0.75 were observed between the variations in the Hg content and the coarse and fine particles, respectively. Wangberg et al. (2001) reported that the concentration of Hg from natural atmospheric sources was higher in Mediterranean countries such as Turkey than in Northern Europe. It is possible that the Hg in the coarse particles might have been sourced from a natural origin in Istanbul; obviously, more studies should be done to prove it in future. ...
In this study, arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in total suspended particulate matter (TSP) fractioned at nine different sizes (> 8, 8-6.5, 6.5-5.2, 5.2-3.5, 3.5-2.6, 2.6-1.7, 1.7-1, 1-0.43, and < 0.43 mu m) at five sampling stations (four urban stations and a background station) in Istanbul. A total of 80 TSP samples were collected using an Andersen 8-stage cascade impactor from July 2008 to August 2010. The mean As and Hg concentrations varied between 2.23 +/- 2.78 and 5.55 +/- 3.14 ng/m(3) and 0.59 +/- 0.09 and 1.25 +/- 0.10 ng/m(3), respectively. The highest total As concentration was measured at the AvcA +/- lar station, which is located in an industrial area. The lowest concentrations were measured at Kilyos station, which is a rural area of Istanbul. The highest enrichment factor (EF) values (> 10) of As were observed within the fine particle size (< 1 mu m) at all stations. The EF values of As generally decreased with increasing particle size. A significant negative correlation was observed between the size of the particles and the As concentration in the heating period at the BeAYiktaAY and Rasathane stations, which are located in residential areas. Higher Hg concentrations were found in fine particles (< 2.6 mu m) at stations near the sea, specifically during non-heating periods.
... A number of reviews have summarised published data concerning the long-range atmospheric transportation of mercury from industrial areas, and concluded that there is scientific evidence of a linkage between anthropogenic mercury emissions and elevated mercury concentrations in remote areas (Petersen et al. 1995;Jackson 1997a;Pai et al. 1997;Fitzgerald et al. 1998;Xu et al. 2000a;Xu et al. 2000b;Petersen et al. 2001;Wangberg et al. 2001). Measurements of mercury concentrations in ambient air support the conclusion that mercury deposited in remote areas may originate from anthropogenic sources far away. ...
... Os valores de Hg 0 no hemisfério norte (~ 1,7 ng.m -3 ) são maiores que no hemisfério sul (~ 1,2 ng.m -3 ) como resultado das maiores emissões naturais e antrópicas do hemisfério norte (Temme et al., 2003). Muitos autores consideram 1,5 ng.m -3 como uma média de nível base de mercúrio elementar gasoso para atmosfera global (Iverfeldt, 1991;Slemr & Langer, 1992;Wangberg et al., 2001). Curiosamente, (Magarelli & Fostier, 2005) encontraram concentrações de Hg 0 menores em área desmatada da bacia do Rio Negro do que no interior da floresta. ...
Erosion and leaching are important processes of mercury release from
superficial soil. However, experimental studies have shown that mercury emissions by
degassing of contaminated and non-contaminated soils play an important role on
mercury transfer from soil to air. Therefore, the objective of this work was to estimate
the emission of Hg0 from soils under different uses (pasture and forest). And yet,
compare the emission of Hg0 by degassing quantified, with an estimated loss of
mercury in soil of forest converted to pasture. The study was conducted in farm in the
municipality of Candeias do Jamarí. The concentration in the atmosphere and the
emission of Hg0 soil of the forest was 0.9 ± 0.1 ng.m-3 and 10 ng.m-2.h-1 at 05:00 PM,
respectively. In the pasture, the concentration in the atmosphere and the emission of
Hg0 were respectively 1.5 ± 0.1 ng.m-3 and 33 ng.m-2.h-1 at 03:00 PM. Finally, it appears
that the emission of Hg0 directly from the soil to air, accounts for only a small portion of
the loss of mercury found in the change forest to pasture, and leaching to deep, or even
out of the system has an important role in that balance.
... La segunda monitorización fue realizada durante el mes de junio de 2002, obteniéndose valores ligeramente inferiores a los de marzo, tanto en promedio (195,7 ng m -3 ) como en media geométrica (29,1 ng m -3 ) (Tabla 1). Las concentraciones obtenidas en ambas monitorizaciones pueden ser consideradas como "anómalas" si las comparamos con los 2-3 ng m -3 , obtenidos para áreas de fondo (Wängberg et al., 2001), o con los valores de 2-4 ng m -3 , medidos en Puertollano (Ciudad Real), a 70 km de Almadén. ...
Los yacimientos de mercurio del Distrito minero de Almadén representan una singularidad mundial, al ser el único caso de un metal, el mercurio (Hg), que ha sido obtenido en una tercera parte de su producción mundial a partir de un solo yacimiento.
El Distrito está formado por una serie de yacimientos de cinabrio (HgS), entre los que la mina de Almadén constituye el mayor de ellos. Los yacimientos se habrían formado como consecuencia de procesos geológicos actuando a lo largo del Paleozoico superior, pudiendo ser agrupados en dos tipos: los yacimientos de “Tipo Almadén” y los
yacimientos de “Tipo Las Cuevas”.
Los yacimientos habrían estado expuestos a la erosión atmosférica desde tiempo antes de la llegada de la actividad minera, lo que implica que tanto antes de esta actividad como evidentemente durante ésta se produciría la diseminación en el medio ambiente de los productos de este proceso, en forma de lixiviados naturales y antropogénicos, de partículas de polvo conteniendo el mineral, así como de vapor de mercurio emitido a la atmósfera desde suelos conteniendo el elemento, escombreras, labores mineras, instalaciones metalúrgicas, etc.
Este trabajo presenta los diversos estudios llevados a cabo hasta la fecha sobre las implicaciones medioambientales y sobre la salud humana que se derivan de la presencia del metal disperso en el Distrito minero de Almadén (Ciudad Real).
Background
We aimed to verify the exposure to mercury in the air and its effect on cardiovascular disorders.
Methods
The review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and national databases (such as SID) from 1995–2022.
Results
Mercury exposure can cause many disorders in humans, including neurodevelopmental disorders in fetuses and children, adverse cardiovascular outcomes, hypertension, and diabetes. Mercury is a human neurotoxin, and in recent years its potentially harmful effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) have raised concerns, mainly due to mercury’s role in reducing oxidative stress.
Conclusion
Possible mechanisms of mercury toxicity in CVD include mercury-selenium interaction, increased lipid peroxidation, and oxidative stress. In this article, we review studies that have investigated the relationship between mercury and CVD.
Heavy metal air pollution poses a serious threat to human health and the environment in Chinese tourist cities. In this study, we investigated the temporal and spatial variations of atmospheric heavy metal pollution using moss bags in Xichang, a tourist destination in Southwest China. The biomonitoring investigation used an indigenous moss (Taxiphyllum taxirameum) transplanted into bags. Moss bags were exposed to 22 sites including industrial, agricultural, urban/residential, tourist, and high-traffic sites, across four different seasons in 2019–2020. The results showed that T. taxirameum was a good biomonitor of air pollution in Xichang. Among the 22 sample points, air pollution was the worst along the G102 motorway. Heavy metal emissions varied in different regions and directions. Temporal changes significantly influenced the heavy metals accumulated in moss bags, with low deposition of most elements observed at nearly all sampling sites in summer. Different seasons and regions were important factors affecting atmospheric heavy metal pollution. Based on the correlation analysis and the positive matric factorization model, the results revealed that heavy metals in moss bags in Xichang were mainly derived from anthropogenic sources and atmospheric deposition. Overall, this research provides an important reference for air pollution monitoring in urban areas.
Based in the values of the median concentrations, the order of the distribution of calcophile and biophile elements in moss samples was Cd < Hg < As < Mo < Pb < V, Cu < Ni < Zn. The concentration data of Cu, Zn, Mo and V in moss samples showed moderate variation, while the concentration data of As, Hg, Cd, Ni and Pb showed high variation by indicating high geographical variation of these elements. This is probably linked with the local enrichment of these elements and the effects of different factors.
Passive air samplers (PASs), providing time-averaged concentration of gaseous mercury over the time scale of weeks to months, are promising to fill a gap in the monitoring of atmospheric mercury worldwide. Their usefulness will depend on their ease-of-use and robustness under field conditions, their availability and affordability, and most notably, their ability to provide results of acceptable precision and accuracy. Here we describe a comparative evaluation of three PASs with respect to their ability to record precisely and accurately atmospheric background concentrations at sites in both southern Italy and southern Ontario. The study includes the CNR-PAS with gold nanoparticles as a sorbent, developed by the Italian National Research Council, the IVL-PAS using an activated carbon-coated disk, developed by the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and the MerPAS® using a sulfur-impregnated activated carbon sorbent, developed at the University of Toronto and commercialized by Tekran. Detection limits are deduced from the variability in the amount of mercury quantified in more than 20 field blank samples for each PAS. Analytical and sampling precision is quantified through 22 triplicated deployments for each PAS ranging in length from two to twelve weeks. Accuracy and bias are assessed through comparison with gaseous elemental mercury concentrations recorded by Tekran 2537 automated mercury analyzers operating alongside the PASs at both locations. The performance of the PASs was significantly better in Italy, with all of them providing concentrations that are not statistically significantly different from the average of the active sampling results. In Canada, where weather conditions were much harsher and more variable during the February through April deployment period, differences were observed amongst PASs. At both sites, the MerPAS® is currently the most sensitive, precise and accurate among the three PASs. A key reason for this is the larger size and the radial configuration of the MerPAS®, which results in blank levels that are lower relative to the sequestered amounts of mercury than in the other two PASs, which rely on axial diffusion geometries. Because the blank-correction becomes relatively smaller with longer deployment, sampler performance tends to be better during deployments of 8 and 12 weeks.
Measurements of the atmospheric concentration of polluting atomic mercury were performed using the differential absorption lidar (DIAL) technique in the Lintong district, about 35 km northeast of Xi’an, the capital of the Shaanxi province, China. Concentrations ranging from 2 to 13 ng/m3 were observed. As uniquely enabled by the lidar technique, representative average concentrations, integrated over a considerable volume, were recorded and put in relation to weather conditions, and vertical concentration profiles were measured. Considerable local non-uniformities were also observed, which may indicate the presence of localized hot-spots in the area, possibly related to ancient tombs.
The results of the long-term study of atmospheric mercury concentrations in the rain water carried out at the Aukštaitija and Žemaitija integrated monitoring stations are presented in this work. The bulk precipitation samples at both stations were collected every week during the 2007–2017 period. The mercury measurement method is based on the absorption of radiation by mercury vapour at the 253.7 nm line. The monthly samples of precipitation after preparation were analysed using a mercury analyzer ‘Gardis’ developed at our institution. The average annual concentrations, deposition amounts and trends of mercury in the precipitation over the period of 2007–2017 were analysed. The tendency of average monthly mercury concentrations in the precipitation at the Žemaitija station was continuously increasing before 2011, however, after 2012 it has a decreasing tendency which was contrary to that at the Aukštaitija station. At the same time, the tendencies of average monthly amounts of mercury deposited with precipitation showed decreasing amounts, especially at the Žemaitija station. Explanation of the above-mentioned phenomenon is complicated and the main reason is very changeable air mass trajectories and irregularity of precipitation.
Dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) was measured continuously using two newly developed techniques and a manual technique. The continuous techniques were based on the equilibrium between the aqueous and gaseous phase (DGM = Hgextr / H', Hgextr is the measured mercury concentration in the gas phase, H' is the Henry's Law coefficient at the desired temperature). In order to calculate the annual mercury evasion from the Mediterranean Sea, diurnal and seasonal measurements of DGM, total gaseous mercury in air (TGM), water temperature and wind speed were performed. During August 2003, March–April 2004 and October–November 2004 measurements of these parameters were conducted on board the RV Urania. The continuous measurements of DGM showed a diurnal variation in concentration, at both coastal and off shore sites, with higher concentrations during daytime than nighttime. The concentration difference could be as large as 130 fM between day and night. The degree of saturation was calculated directly from the measurements, S = Hgextr / TGM and was found to vary between the different seasons. The highest average degree of saturation (850%) and the largest variation in saturation (600–1150%) was observed during the summer. The spring showed the lowest variation (260–360%) and the lowest average degree of saturation (320%). The autumn also showed a large variation in saturation (500–1070%) but a lower average (740%) compared to the summer cruise. This might be explained by the temperature difference between the different seasons, since that parameter varied the most. The flux from the sea surface was calculated using the gas exchange model developed by Nightingale et al. [Nightingale, P.D., Malin, G., Law, C.S., Watson, A.J., Liss, P.S., Liddicoat, M.I., Boutin, J., Upstill-Goddard, R. C., 2000. In situ evaluation of air–sea gas exchange parameterization using novel conservative and volatile tracers. Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 14(1):373–387]. The evasion varied between the different seasons with the highest evasion during the autumn, 24.6 pmol m− 2 h− 1. The summer value was estimated to 22.3 pmol m− 2 h− 1 and the spring to 7.6 pmol m− 2 h− 1. Using this data the yearly evasion from the Mediterranean Sea surface was estimated to 77 tons.
Measurements of atmospheric particulate mercury (PHg) were conducted at a suburban site in Jinan, China from June 2014 to December 2015. The average PHg concentration was 508.5±402.7pgm(-3), and the average Hg content in PM2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5μm or less) was 6.60±5.82μgg(-1). Both PHg and Hg content in PM2.5 aerosols were comparable to levels in some cities in China and were much higher than in cities in North America and Europe. Weak correlations were found between PHg and meteorological parameters. The correlations between PHg and other pollutants in ambient air, including SO2, CO and NOχ, together with their wind dependence were used for source analysis, which suggested coal-fired industries, cement plants and traffic emissions as potential local sources for the site. Cluster analysis of 36-h backward trajectories suggested that the regional transport from southwestern Shandong Province also contributed to PHg in Jinan.
Reliable quantification of air–surface fluxes of elemental Hg vapor (Hg0) is crucial for understanding mercury (Hg) global biogeochemical cycles. There have been extensive measurements and modeling efforts devoted to estimating the exchange fluxes between the atmosphere and various surfaces (e.g., soil, canopies, water, snow, etc.) in the past three decades. However, large uncertainties remain due to the complexity of Hg0 bidirectional exchange, limitations of flux quantification techniques and challenges in model parameterization. In this study, we provide a critical review on the state of science in the atmosphere–surface exchange of Hg0. Specifically, the advancement of flux quantification techniques, mechanisms in driving the air–surface Hg exchange and modeling efforts are presented. Due to the semi-volatile nature of Hg0 and redox transformation of Hg in environmental media, Hg deposition and evasion are influenced by multiple environmental variables including seasonality, vegetative coverage and its life cycle, temperature, light, moisture, atmospheric turbulence and the presence of reactants (e.g., O3, radicals, etc.). However, the effects of these processes on flux have not been fundamentally and quantitatively determined, which limits the accuracy of flux modeling.
We compile an up-to-date global observational flux database and discuss the implication of flux data on the global Hg budget. Mean Hg0 fluxes obtained by micrometeorological measurements do not appear to be significantly greater than the fluxes measured by dynamic flux chamber methods over unpolluted surfaces (p = 0.16, one-tailed, Mann–Whitney U test). The spatiotemporal coverage of existing Hg0 flux measurements is highly heterogeneous with large data gaps existing in multiple continents (Africa, South Asia, Middle East, South America and Australia). The magnitude of the evasion flux is strongly enhanced by human activities, particularly at contaminated sites. Hg0 flux observations in East Asia are comparatively larger in magnitude than the rest of the world, suggesting substantial re-emission of previously deposited mercury from anthropogenic sources. The Hg0 exchange over pristine surfaces (e.g., background soil and water) and vegetation needs better constraints for global analyses of the atmospheric Hg budget. The existing knowledge gap and the associated research needs for future measurements and modeling efforts for the air–surface exchange of Hg0 are discussed.
Mercury (Hg) is a globally dispersed compound. In the atmosphere, it can be deposited onto snowpacks, which constitute a temporary reservoir of this toxic compound. We do not know what is the role of these reservoirs in the global cycle of Hg. We thus developed a new tool dedicated to the measurements of Hg° concentrations in the air of snowpacks. We investigated Hg° reactivity at the polar sunrise, during springtime and during the snowmelt in Greenland and in Canada. We then discriminated the main factors governing Hg reactivity in the snow. Here we show that snowpacks are both a sink and a source of atmospheric Hg°. Hg° can be oxidised by radicals and be accumulated in the snow during low irradiation periods. During springtime, Hg° can be produced by photochemical reactions. During the snowmelt, more than 85% of Hg present in the snow is discharged into snowmelt waters leading to a potential contamination of the surrounding ecosystems.
This investigation studied the concentrations of ambient air total gaseous mercury (TGM) during the rainy periods at the Hung-Kuang traffic sampling site in central Taiwan from May 26 to June 16, 2014. The results were compared with those of a previous study for ambient air TGM during non-rainy daytime and nighttime periods at the Hung-Kuang traffic sampling site, which was conducted during March 21 to July 20, 2012. The observed mean concentration of ambient air TGM was 1.16 ng/m3 during the rainy periods at the Hung-Kuang traffic sampling site. The mean ambient air TGM concentrations were higher in the non-rainy sampling period in daytime than in the rainy sampling period from this study. The mean ratio of non-rainy sampling period in daytime to that of rainy sampling period for ambient air TGM were 3.15. Furthermore, the mean ambient air TGM concentrations were higher in the non-rainy sampling period in nighttime in than in the rainy sampling period for this study. The mean rations for non-rainy sampling period in nighttime to that of the rainy sampling period for ambient air TGM were 2.70. The results obtained in this study also revealed that the ambient air TGM concentrations during the rainy period had the lowest concentrations when compared with the other sampling sites in other world regions.
The aim of this paper was to assess the influence of diet on the concentrations of total mercury (HgTOT) in the eggs of aquatic birds. Trophic level was determined using stable isotopes (δ(15)N, δ(13)C). Analysis was carried out on eggs (laid in 2010-2012) belonging to two species of terns nesting at the River Vistula outlet on the Gulf of Gdansk and on herring gulls nesting both in Gdynia harbour and on the Vistula dam in Wloclawek. The results show that seafood diet causes the highest load of mercury, that which is transferred into terns eggs. The amounts of accumulated mercury obtained were found to be different in the particular egg components with Hgalbumen > Hgyolk > Hgmembrane > Hgshell. In the herring gull eggs, three stages of embryo development with varying levels of mercury were determined. It was observed that mercury received from the albumen and yolk was most effectively removed when developing embryo into down.
The present paper provides an overview of mercury studies performed in the Mediterranean Sea region in the framework of several research projects funded by the European Commission and on-going national programmes carried out during the last 15 years. These studies investigated the temporal and spatial distribution of mercury species in air, in the water column and sediments, and the transport mechanisms connecting them. It was found that atmospheric concentrations of Hg compounds, particularly oxidised Hg species observed at five coastal sites in the Mediterranean Sea Basin, are significantly higher compared with those recorded at five coastal sites distributed across N Europe, most probably due to natural emissions. Hg levels in water are comparable to other oceans. Anthropogenic and natural point sources show locally limited enrichments, while natural diffusive sources influence Hg speciation over larger areas. Results and statistic comparison of mercury species concentrations within Mediterranean compartments will be presented and discussed.
Speciated atmospheric mercury observations collected over the period
from 2008 to 2010 at the Environmental Protection Agency and National
Atmospheric Deposition Program Atmospheric Mercury Network sites (AMNet)
were analyzed for its spatial, seasonal, and diurnal characteristics
across the US Median values of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous
oxidized mercury (GOM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) at 11
different AMNet sites ranged from 148-226 ppqv (1.32-2.02 ng
m-3), 0.05-1.4 ppqv (0.47-12.4 pg m-3) and
0.18-1.5 ppqv (1.61-13.7 pg m-3), respectively. Common
characteristics of these sites were the similar median levels of GEM as
well as its seasonality, with the highest mixing ratios occurring in
winter and spring and the lowest in fall. However, discernible
differences in monthly average GEM were as large as 30 ppqv, which may
be caused by sporadic influence from local emission sources. The largest
diurnal variation amplitude of GEM occurred in the summer. Seven rural
sites displayed similar GEM summer diurnal patterns, in that the lowest
levels appeared in the early morning, and then the GEM mixing ratio
increased after sunrise and reached its maxima at noon or in the early
afternoon. However, sites in Utah (UT96, UT97) and New York (NY95)
showed a distinctly different pattern, with the lowest mixing ratios
appearing in the afternoon and the highest mixing ratios at night.
Unlike GEM, GOM exhibited higher mixing ratios in spring and summer. The
largest diurnal variation amplitude of GOM occurred in spring for most
AMNet sites. GOM diurnal minima appeared before sunrise and maxima
appeared in the afternoon, and the variation in magnitude for all
seasons at most monitoring sites fell in the range of 0 to 2 ppqv,
except the Utah sites (up to 5 ppqv). The increased GOM mixing ratio in
the afternoon indicated a photochemically driven oxidation of GEM
resulting in GOM formation. PBM exhibited diurnal fluctuations in
summertime instead of wintertime, although the PBM mixing ratio in
summer was not as high as in winter. The summertime PBM diurnal pattern
displayed a daily maximum in the early afternoon and lower mixing ratios
at night, implying photochemical production of PBM in summer. The marine
sea salt aerosol uptake of GEM and GOM was not apparent in the PBM data
collected at coastal sites, with PBM being higher at inland sites.
A possibility to build a mercury (Hg) analyzer based on the cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) with a sub-picogram detection limit was investigated. Construction of the gold traps and the optical cell, carrier gas flow rate and gold traps heating power were chosen in order to effectively concentrate sampled Hg vapor and to obtain highest possible response in the optical and electronic system. The newly created analyzer is able to detect 0.5 pg of elemental Hg vapor. Optimization of construction resulted in stable performance and good selectivity for gaseous Hg of the analyzer. The instrument is commercially available.
An intercomparison for sampling and analysis of atmospheric mercury species was held in Tuscany, June 1998. Methods for sampling and analysis of total gaseous mercury (TGM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) and total particulate mercury (TPM) were used in parallel sampling over a period of 4 days. The results show that the different methods employed for TGM compared well whereas RGM and TPM showed a somewhat higher variability. Measurement results of RGM and TPM improved over the time period indicating that activities at the sampling site during set-up and initial sampling affected the results. Especially the TPM measurement results were affected. Additional parallel sampling was performed for two of the TPM methods under more controlled conditions which yielded more comparable results.
A chemical scheme based upon current knowledge of physicochemical forms and transformation reactions of atmospheric mercury has been implemented into a regional pollutant dispersion model for Europe. Existing databases for anthropogenic mercury emissions in Europe have been updated for 1987 and 1988 using new information on source data from eastern European countries including the former German Democratic Republic. Concentrations of total gaseous and particle associated mercury in air and mercury in precipitation calculated by the model are compared with observed values at Roervik in southwestern Sweden, Aspvreten, south of Stockholm and other locations of the Nordic network, on a daily basis. The results show that the model is capable of simulating long-range transport of mercury from Central Europe to Scandinavia including discrete events with peak concentrations in air and precipitation in the range of 10 ng m−3 and 100 ng −1, respectively. Coinciding observed and calculated peak concentrations indicate that exceptionally high mercury emissions, most probably from chlor-alkali industry and lignite coal combustion in East Germany and Czechoslovakia, must have occurred in 1987 and 1988.
Eleven laboratories from North America and Europe met at Mace Head, Ireland for the period 11–15 September 1995 for the first international field intercomparison of measurement techniques for atmospheric mercury species in ambient air and precipitation at a marine background location. Different manual methods for the sampling and analysis of total gaseous mercury (TGM) on gold and silver traps were compared with each other and with new automated analyzers. Additionally, particulate-phase mercury (Hgpart) in ambient air, total mercury, reactive mercury and methylmercury in precipitation were analyzed by some of the participating laboratories. Whereas measured concentrations of TGM and of total mercury in precipitation show good agreement between the participating laboratories, results for airborne particulate-phase mercury show much higher differences. Two laboratories measured inorganic oxidized gaseous mercury species (IOGM), and obtained levels in the low picogramm-3 range.
Over a distance of approximately 800 km simultaneous measurements of total gaseous mercury (TGM) were performed at four sampling sites between Stockholm and Berlin. The time resolution of mercury concentration measurements was 5 min. During the sampling period from 26 June to 7 July 1995, event sampling for precipitation was carried out using bulk samplers. In addition to the mercury data, the most common meteorological and air-quality parameters were determined. Comparing the TGM background concentrations at the four sites, a weak but statistically significant south-to-north declining TGM gradient was found. From the most southern sampling site to the northern most site median values of 1.93, 1.78, 1.53 and 1.54ngm-3 TGM were detected. Compared with the median TGM concentration observed at the two Swedish sites, the regional background concentration near Berlin was elevated by about 25%. Whereas the 0.5h average TGM concentration varies at the Swedish sampling sites in a very narrow range of only 0.69ngm-3, a much broader range of 3.28ngm-3 was observed at the southern sites. The increased TGM variability near Berlin was characterised by a diurnal cycle with a distinct maximum in the early morning hours (about 4:00a.m.) before sun rise. The short time variability of the TGM concentration measured at the four sites on the south-to-north transect shows regional differences. A decreasing variability from the most southern to the most northern site became evident.
Annual emissions of anthropogenic Hg to the atmosphere in different regions of the world during the last decade show an interesting dichotomy: the emissions in the developed countries increased at the rate of about 4.5–5.5% yr−1 up to 1989 and have since remained nearly constant, while in developing countries the emissions continue to rise steadily at the rate of 2.7–4.5% yr−1. On a global basis, however, the total anthropogenic emissions of Hg increased by about 4% yr−1 during the 1980s, peaked in 1989 at about 2290 t and are currently decreasing at the rate of about 1.3% yr−1. Solid waste disposal through incineration processes is the dominant source of atmospheric mercury in North America (∼ 40%), Central and South America (∼34%), western Europe (∼28%) and Africa (∼30%), whereas coal combustion remains the dominant source in Asia (∼42%) and eastern Europe and the former USSR (∼40%). Mining and smelting of Zn and Pb represent the major industrial source of Hg in Oceania (∼35%).
A PROPER inventory of atmospheric emissions from natural sources is basic to our understanding of the atmospheric cycle of the trace metals (and metalloids), and is also needed for assessing the extent of regional and global pollution by toxic metals1. It is generally presumed that the principal natural sources of trace metals in the atmosphere are wind-borne soil particles, volcanoes, seasalt spray and wild forest fires2–6. Recent studies have shown, however, that particulate organic matter is the dominant component of atmospheric aerosols in non-urban areas7–10 and that over 60% of the airborne trace metals in forested regions can be attributed to aerosols of biogenic origin11,12. Here I estimate that biogenic sources can account for 30–50% of the global baseline emissions of trace metals. For most of the toxic metals, the natural fluxes are small compared with emissions from industrial activities, implying that mankind has become the key agent in the global atmospheric cycle of trace metals and metalloids.
A seasonal variation of both particle and gaseous Hg concentrations in the atmosphere is present in south-western Sweden.
An average gaseous Hg level of 3.7 ng m−3 is found in winter, compared to 2.8 ng m−3 in summer. A weak decreasing south-north gradient for gaseous Hg in air over the Nordic countries is also present, with yearly
average values from 3.2 to 2.8 ng m−3. A gradient for particulate Hg is less clear. An air parcel trajectory sector classification of gaseous Hg levels in air,
and to some extent the particulate associated Hg, clearly demonstrates the increased concentrations in the southern sectors,
especially in south-western Sweden where the gaseous Hg increase is about I ng m−3. These observations are consistent with an influence from the European continent. The average concentrations of Hg in precipitation
at the various stations show a pronounced decreasing south-north gradient. A major portion of the total Hg present in precipitation
is associated with particles. For the southern stations, a strong correlation between Hg and sulfate, or pH, is present suggesting
a connection between Hg in precipitation and anthropogenic activities.
As part of current efforts to understand the cycling of mercury (Hg) in the atmosphere, information is needed on its atmospheric speciation. Almost no data exists on water-soluble Hg(II) species in ambient air. A new technique for measuring gas phase water soluble Hg(II) species has been developed, utilizing a high-flow refluxing mist chamber. Extensive testing has been carried out, including attempts to rule out production of artifact Hg(II). Measurements at two locations (East-Central Tennessee and the Ohio-Indiana border) found approximately 0.05–0.15 ng/m3 of reactive Hg(II), representing ca. 3 to 5% of the total gaseous Hg. Limited tests of artifact Hg(II) production in the mist chamber by ozone oxidation and co-sampled aerosol Hg(II) suggest that the majority of the collected Hg(II) exists in ambient air in the gas phase.
In an earlier paper (Brosset, 1982) the total Hg in air over Sweden was discussed. The present paper is mainly devoted to oxidized Hg, its origin, transportation and reaction with water. A new nomenclature has been introduced based on the physical properties of Hg-compounds which determine their distribution between air and water and also, as has been the custom hitherto, on their oxidation-reduction properties. It has been established that precipitation contains Hg-salts which are formed through oxidation of metallic vapor in an acid water phase. Rather stable Hg-compounds which seem to be anthropogenic and of the same origin as soot particles are also found in the precipitation.
This paper presents a broad overview and synthesis of current knowledge and understanding pertaining to all major aspects of mercury in the atmosphere. The significant physical, chemical, and toxicological properties of this element and its environmentally relebant species encountered in the atmosphere are examined. Atmospheric pathways and processes considered herein include anthropogenic as well as natural sources of Hg emissions to the atmosphere, aerial transport and dispersion (including spatial and temporal variability), atmospheric transformations (both physical and chemical types), wet and dry removal/deposition processes to Earth's surface. In addition, inter-compartmental (air-water/soil/vegetation) transfer and biogeochemical cycling of mercury are considered and discussed. The section on numerical modelling deals with atmospheric transport models as well as process-oriented models. Important gaps in our current knowledge of mercury in the atmospheric environment are identified, and suggestions for future areas of research are offered.
Gold and silver production in North America (included United States, Canada and Mexico) released a large amount of mercury to the atmosphere until well into this century when mercury (Hg) amalgamation was replaced by cyanide concentration. Since then, emissions from industries have been the dominant anthropogenic sources of atmospheric Hg in North America as a whole. Past Hg emissions from gold and silver extractions in North America during the 1800s do not show a clear evidence of atmospheric deposition occurred at the coring sites considered in this study. Estimated atmospheric emissions of Hg in North America peaked in 1879 (at about 1708 t yr−1) and 1920 (at about 940 t yr−1), primarily due to Hg emissions from gold and silver mining. After the Great Economic Depression (1929) Hg emissions peaked again in the 1947 (274 t yr−1), in 1970 (325 t yr−1) and in 1989 (330 t yr−1) as result of increased Hg emissions from industrial sources, though improvements in the emissions control technology in United States and Canada have been substantial. Estimates of total atmospheric deposition fluxes of Hg to water and terrestrial receptors were in the range of 14.3–19.8 μg m−2 yr−1 in North America as a whole, and averaged 135 μg m−2 yr−1 (global background + local emissions) in the Great Lakes. These values were in good agreement with recent estimates reported in literature. The comparison of atmospheric Hg deposition fluxes with Hg accumulation rates in sediment cores suggests that atmospheric deposition was the major source of Hg entering the lakes system at coring sites, however, important contributions to Lake Ontario sediment cores sites from 1940 to 1970 were likely originated from local point sources (i.e. direct discharges).
Alkylmercury compounds were preconcentrated from air on a Carbotrap (graphitized carbon black) column at room temperature. The species were then transferred by thermal desorption to a U-tube chromatographic column packed with 15% OV-3 on Chromosorb WAW-DMSC, held at −196°C in liquid nitrogen. The compounds were clearly separated and eluted in order of increasing polarity using a simple, ramped heating step to 180°C over 20 min. After thermal decomposition of the eluant, the resultant mercury vapour was detected by cold-vapour atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The detection limits (as Hg) for the system were approximately 0.3 pg for mercury and dimethylmercury, 0.4 pg for diethylmercury, and 2.0 pg for methylmercury chloride. A study of the Long Island Sound atmosphere showed Hg0 to account for 95–100% of the total mercury present, with the remainder being monomethylmercury.
This report discusses past, current and projected mercury emissions to the atmosphere from major industrial sources, and presents a first assessment of the contribution to the regional mercury budget from selected natural sources. Emissions (1995 estimates) from fossil fuels combustion , cement production and incineration of solid wastes , all together account for about 82% of the regional anthropogenic total . Other industrial sources in the region are smelters , iron–steel plants and other minor sources (chlor-alkali plants, crematoria, chemicals production) that have been considered together in the miscellaneous category . Regional emissions from anthropogenic sources increased at a rate of from 1983 to 1995 and are projected to increase at a rate of in the next 25 years, if no improvement in emission control policy occurs. On a country-by-country basis, France is the leading emitter country with followed by Turkey , Italy , Spain , the former Yugoslavia , Morocco , Bulgaria , Egypt , Syria , Libya , Tunisia and Greece , whereas the remaining countries account for less than 7% of the regional total. The annual emission from natural sources is , although this figure only includes the volatilisation of elemental mercury from surface waters and emissions from volcanoes, whereas the contribution due to the degassing of mercury from top soil and vegetation has not been included in this first assessment. Therefore, natural and anthropogenic sources in the Mediterranean region release annually about of mercury, which represents a significant contribution to the total mercury budget released in Europe and to the global atmosphere.
A miniaturized device, which serves as both particulate trap and pyrolyzer for airborne particulate mercury species, is described. It has been used in combination with amalgamation/thermal desorption/cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry detection for the determination of total particulate mercury (TPM) associated with atmospheric aerosols. A standard reference material (SRM 1633b, NIST) has been used for validating of the pyrolysis technique, and a relative error smaller than 3% has been obtained. Contrary to most methods currently employed, this new technique does not require any sample preparation (e.g., extraction/digestion), no manual sample transfer or sample handling, and no addition of chemicals or reagents. Hence the risk of contamination is low. The time for complete analysis is less than 10 min per sample. The concentrations of TPM determined in metropolitan Toronto ranged from 3 to 91 pg m(-)(3) with standard deviations of <±2 pg m(-)(3) for simultaneous sets of four samples. These atmospheric TPM concentration values fall within the range reported in the literature. Good agreement was obtained by the three methods compared in a field study at Ny-Ålesund (78°54'N, 11°53'E), Svalbard. The elevated values of TPM concentrations obtained using the method developed in this work may arise from the Arctic springtime conversion of atmospheric mercury from gas-phase to particulate-phase Hg species.
To determine the extent of comparability of sampling and analytical procedures for atmospheric mercury (Hg) being used by different scientific groups around the world and hence the compatibility of measurement results, the Atmospheric Environment Service (AES) co-ordinated a field intercomparison study in Windsor, Ontario, over a period of 5 days- during Sept./Oct.,1993. This study brought together 2 groups (University of Michigan Air Quality Laboratory; Chemistry Institute of GKSS) which performed conventional (manual) sample collection procedures for total gaseous mercury (TGM) and for particulate-phase mercury (PPM), followed by cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrophotometric (CVAFS) analysis in the respective laboratories. Two other groups (Ontario Hydro, and the Ontario Ministry of Environment & Energy) each operated a novel mercury vapor analyzer produced by Tekran Inc. of Toronto. As is the case for the manual methods, this analyzer also uses gold amalgamation and CVAFS. During the intercomparison, meteorological parameters (air temperature, barometric pressure, wind speed/direction and relative humidity) were obtained at the study site. Peer Reviewed http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43915/1/11270_2005_Article_BF01189713.pdf
Mercury evasion from seawaters is considered to be one of the main natural sources of mercury released to the atmosphere. The temporal evolution of this mechanism is related to biotic and abiotic processes that produce mercury in its elemental form and as DGM. The efficiency of these processes depends upon the intensity of the solar radiation, the ambient temperature of the air parcel above the seawater, and the water temperature. In the Mediterranean region, the magnitude of these mechanisms are particularly significant, due to favorable climate conditions and to the presence of large cinnabar deposits that cross the whole region; all these synergic factors yield significant evasional fluxes of mercury from the surface water during most of the annual period. In this work, mercury fluxes were measured by using a floating flux chamber connected to an atomic absorption analyzer. Photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) and UV components of the solar radiation were measured using the same system adopted in the EC 'ELDONet project'. The measurements of the mercury evasional fluxes were carried out at three sites of the northern Tyrrhenian Sea during 1998. Two sites were located at unpolluted and polluted coastal areas, and the third was an offshore site. The evasional flux showed a typical daily trend, highest at midday when the ambient temperature and solar radiation were at the maximum, and lowest, near to zero, during the night. Besides the day-night behavior, a seasonal trend was also observed, with minimum values during the winter period (0.7-2.0 ng/m2 h) and maximum values during the summer (10-13 ng/m2 h).
Emissions from volcanoes, fumaroles and solfataras as well as contributions from widespread geological anomalies could represent an important source of mercury released to the atmosphere in the Mediterranean basin. Volcanoes located in this area (Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano) are the most active in Europe; therefore, it is extremely important to know their mercury contributions to the regional atmospheric budget. Two main methods are used for the evaluation of volcanic mercury flux: a direct determination of the flux (by measuring in the plume) and an indirect one derived from the determination of the Hg/SO2 (or Hg/S) ratio value, as SO2 emissions are constantly monitored by volcanologists. An attempt to estimate mercury flux from the Vulcano volcano and to establish the Hg/S ratio value has been made along three field campaigns carried out in October 1998, in February and May 1999 sampling several fumaroles. Traditional sampling methods were used to collect both total Hg and S. The average Hg/S ratio value resulted to be 1.2 x 10(-7). From the Hg/S value we derived the Hg/SO2 value, and by assuming that all the volcanoes located in this area have the same Hg/SO2 ratio, mercury emissions from Vulcano and Stromboli were estimated to be in the range 1.3-5.5 kg/year and 7.3-76.6 kg/year respectively, while for Etna mercury flux ranged from 61.8 to 536.5 kg/year. Data reported in literature appear to be overestimated (Fitzgerald WF. Mercury emission from volcanos. In: 4th International conference on mercury as a global pollutant, August 4-8 1996, Hamburg, Germany), volcanic mercury emission does not constitute the main natural source of the metal.
International field intercomparison and other measurements of total gaseous mercury at Preila, Lithuania
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Urba, A., Kvietkus, K., Schmolke, S., Munthe, J., 1999. International field intercomparison and other measurements of total gaseous mercury at Preila, Lithuania, during 1996– 1997.
Comparison of a manual method and an automated analyser for determining total gaseous mercury in ambient air
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Schroeder, W.H., Lamborg, C., Schneeberger, D., Fitzgerald, W.F., Srivastava, B., 1995b. Comparison of a manual method and an automated analyser for determining total gaseous mercury in ambient air. In: Wilken, R.-D., F. orstner, U., Kn. ochel, A. (Eds.), Proceedings of 10th Inter-national Conference on Heavy Metals in the Envir-onment, Vol. 2. CEP Consultants Ltd, Edinburgh, UK, pp. 57–60.
International field intercomparison and other measurements of total gaseous mercury at Preila, Lithuania, during 1996–
- A Urba
- K Kvietkus
- S Schmolke
- J Munthe
Urba, A., Kvietkus, K., Schmolke, S., Munthe, J., 1999.
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of total gaseous mercury at Preila, Lithuania, during 1996–
1997. In: Borrel, P.M., Borrel, P. (Eds.), Proceedings of
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364–368.
Protocol to the 1979 convention on long-range transboundry air pollution on heavy metals
- Un-Ece
Comparison of a manual method and an automated analyser for determining total gaseous mercury in ambient air
- Schroeder
International field intercomparison and other measurements of total gaseous mercury at Preila, Lithuania, during 1996–1997
- Urba