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Antarctic ozone hole modifies iodine geochemistry on the Antarctic Plateau. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5836. [PMID: 34611165 PMCID: PMC8492625 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26109-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Polar stratospheric ozone has decreased since the 1970s due to anthropogenic emissions of chlorofluorocarbons and halons, resulting in the formation of an ozone hole over Antarctica. The effects of the ozone hole and the associated increase in incoming UV radiation on terrestrial and marine ecosystems are well established; however, the impact on geochemical cycles of ice photoactive elements, such as iodine, remains mostly unexplored. Here, we present the first iodine record from the inner Antarctic Plateau (Dome C) that covers approximately the last 212 years (1800-2012 CE). Our results show that the iodine concentration in ice remained constant during the pre-ozone hole period (1800-1974 CE) but has declined twofold since the onset of the ozone hole era (~1975 CE), closely tracking the total ozone evolution over Antarctica. Based on ice core observations, laboratory measurements and chemistry-climate model simulations, we propose that the iodine decrease since ~1975 is caused by enhanced iodine re-emission from snowpack due to the ozone hole-driven increase in UV radiation reaching the Antarctic Plateau. These findings suggest the potential for ice core iodine records from the inner Antarctic Plateau to be as an archive for past stratospheric ozone trends.
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Li C, Chen J, Angot H, Zheng W, Shi G, Ding M, Du Z, Zhang Q, Ma X, Kang S, Xiao C, Ren J, Qin D. Seasonal Variation of Mercury and Its Isotopes in Atmospheric Particles at the Coastal Zhongshan Station, Eastern Antarctica. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:11344-11355. [PMID: 32822538 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a globally spread trace metal due to its long atmospheric residence time. Yet, our understanding of atmospheric processes (e.g., redox reactions and deposition) driving Hg cycling is still limited, especially in polar regions. The Antarctic continent, by virtue of its remoteness, is the perfect location to investigate Hg atmospheric processes in the absence of significant local anthropogenic impact. Here, we present the first 2 year record (2016-2017) of total suspended particulate mercury (PHg) concentrations along with a year-round determination of an Hg stable isotopic composition in particles collected at Zhongshan Station (ZSS), eastern Antarctic coast. The mean PHg concentration is 21.8 ± 32.1 pg/m3, ranging from 0.9 to 195.6 pg/m3, and peaks in spring and summer. The negative mass-independent fractionation of odd Hg isotopes (odd-MIF, average -0.38 ± 0.12‰ for Δ199Hg) and the slope of Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg with 0.91 ± 0.12 suggest that the springtime isotope variation of PHg is likely caused by in situ photo-oxidation and reduction reactions. On the other hand, the increase of PHg concentrations and the observed odd-MIF values in summer are attributed to the transport by katabatic winds of divalent species derived from the oxidation of elemental Hg in the inland Antarctic Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanjin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
| | - Jiubin Chen
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Hélène Angot
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Wang Zheng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Guitao Shi
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences and State Key Lab of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China
- Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Minghu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau and Polar Regions Meteorology, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zhiheng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiangyu Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
| | - Cunde Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jiawen Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
| | - Dahe Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000,China
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Lyman SN, Cheng I, Gratz LE, Weiss-Penzias P, Zhang L. An updated review of atmospheric mercury. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 707:135575. [PMID: 31784172 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere is a key component of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury, acting as a reservoir, transport mechanism, and facilitator of chemical reactions. The chemical and physical behavior of atmospheric mercury determines how, when, and where emitted mercury pollution impacts ecosystems. In this review, we provide current information about what is known and what remains uncertain regarding mercury in the atmosphere. We discuss new ambient, laboratory, and theoretical information about the chemistry of mercury in various atmospheric media. We review what is known about mercury in and on solid- and liquid-phase aerosols. We present recent findings related to wet and dry deposition and spatial and temporal trends in atmospheric mercury concentrations. We also review atmospheric measurement methods that are in wide use and those that are currently under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth N Lyman
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University, 320 N Aggie Blvd., Vernal, UT, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, USA.
| | - Irene Cheng
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lynne E Gratz
- Environmental Studies Program, Colorado College, 14 East Cache la Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Peter Weiss-Penzias
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Leiming Zhang
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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