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Liu N, Cai X, Jia L, Wang X, Yuan W, Lin CJ, Wang D, Feng X. Quantifying Mercury Distribution and Source Contribution in Surface Soil of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Using Mercury Isotopes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5903-5912. [PMID: 36976750 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Long-range transport and atmospheric deposition of gaseous mercury (Hg0) result in significant accumulation of Hg in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). However, there are significant knowledge gaps in understanding the spatial distribution and source contribution of Hg in the surface soil of the QTP and factors influencing Hg accumulation. In this study, we comprehensively investigated Hg concentrations and isotopic signatures in the QTP to address these knowledge gaps. Results show that the average Hg concentration in the surface soil ranks as follows: forest (53.9 ± 36.9 ng g-1) > meadow (30.7 ± 14.3 ng g-1) > steppe (24.5 ± 16.1 ng g-1) > shrub (21.0 ± 11.6 ng g-1). Hg isotopic mass mixing and structural equation models demonstrate that vegetation-mediated atmospheric Hg0 deposition dominates the Hg source in the surface soil, with an average contribution of 62 ± 12% in forests, followed by 51 ± 10% in shrub, 50 ± 13% in steppe, and 45 ± 11% in meadow. Additionally, geogenic sources contribute 28-37% of surface soil Hg accumulation, and atmospheric Hg2+ inputs contribute 10-18% among the four types of biomes. The Hg pool in 0-10 cm surface soil over the QTP is estimated as 8200 ± 3292 Mg. Global warming, permafrost degradation, and anthropogenic influences have likely perturbed Hg accumulation in the soil of QTP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nantao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xinyuan Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Longyu Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Xun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Che-Jen Lin
- Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas 77710, United States
| | - Dingyong Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
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Chai L, Zhou Y, Wang X. Impact of global warming on regional cycling of mercury and persistent organic pollutants on the Tibetan Plateau: current progress and future prospects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1616-1630. [PMID: 35770617 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00550b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Global warming profoundly affects not only mountainous and polar environments, but also the global and regional cycling of pollutants. Mercury (Hg) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have global transport capacity and are regulated by the Minamata Convention and Stockholm Convention, respectively. Since the beginning of this century, understanding of the origin and fate of Hg and POPs on the Tibetan Plateau (TP, also known as the third pole) has been deepening. In this paper, the existing literature is reviewed to comprehensively understand the atmospheric transport, atmospheric deposition, cumulative transformation and accumulation of Hg and POPs on the TP region under the background of global warming. The biogeochemical cycle of both Hg and POPs has the following environmental characteristics: (1) the Indian summer monsoon and westerly winds carry Hg and POPs inland to the TP; (2) the cold trapping effect causes Hg and POPs to be deposited on the TP by dry and wet deposition, making glaciers, permafrost, and snow the key sinks of Hg and POPs; (3) Hg and POPs can subsequently be released due to the melting of glaciers and permafrost; (4) bioaccumulation and biomagnification of Hg and POPs have been examined in the aquatic food chain; (5) ice cores and lake cores preserve the impacts of both regional emissions and glacial melting on Hg and POP migration. This implies that comprehensive models will be needed to evaluate the fate and toxicity of Hg and POPs on larger spatial and longer temporal scales to forecast their projected tendencies under diverse climate scenarios. Future policies and regulations should address the disrupted repercussions of inclusive CC such as weather extremes, floods and storms, and soil sustainable desertification on the fate of Hg and POPs. The present findings advocate the strengthening of the cross-national programs aimed at the elimination of Hg and POPs in polar (Arctic, Antarctic and TP) and certain mountainous (the Himalaya, Rocky Mountains, and Alps) ecosystems for better understanding the impacts of global warming on the accumulation of Hg/POPs in cold and remote areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yunqiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Huang J, Kang S, Wang L, Liu K, Ram K, Sillanpää M, Tang W, Guo J, Zhang Q, Ma M, Tripathee L, Wang F. Anthropogenic and natural drivers of seesaw-like spatial patterns in precipitation mercury over western China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 307:119525. [PMID: 35618142 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Investigation of mercury (Hg) from atmospheric precipitation is important for evaluating its ecological impacts and developing mitigation strategies. Western China, which includes the Tibetan Plateau and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is one of the most remote region in the world and is understudied in regards to Hg precipitation. Here we report seesaw-like patterns in spatial variations of precipitation Hg in Western China, based on Hg speciation measurements at nine stations over this remote region. The Hg fraction analyzed included total Hg (HgT), particulate-bound Hg (HgP) and methylmercury (MeHg). Spatially, HgT concentrations and percentage of HgP in precipitation were markedly greater in the westerlies domain than those in the monsoon domain, but the higher wet HgT flux, MeHg concentration and percentage of MeHg in precipitation mainly occurred in the monsoon domain. Similar spatial patterns of wet Hg deposition were also obtained from GEOS-Chem modeling. We show that the disparity of anthropogenic and natural drivers between the two domains are mainly responsible for this seesaw-like spatial patterns of precipitation Hg in Western China. Our study may provide a baseline for assessment of environmental Hg pollution in Western China, and subsequently assist in protecting this remote alpine ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Long Wang
- Institute of Atmospheric Environment, Guangdong Provincial Academy of Environmental Science, Guangzhou, 510045, China
| | - Kaiyun Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kirpa Ram
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Mining, Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, 17011, South Africa; Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wenjun Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ming Ma
- College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Feiyue Wang
- Center for Earth Observation Science, And Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2, Canada
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Huang J, Kang S, Tang W, He M, Guo J, Zhang Q, Yin X, Tripathee L. Contrasting changes in long-term wet mercury deposition and socioeconomic development in the largest city of Tibet. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 804:150124. [PMID: 34517315 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Information about the long-term trends of wet mercury (Hg) deposition is important for assessing the impact of atmospheric pollution on environmental health. As the most populated and capital city of Tibet, Lhasa is isolated far away from the heavily-polluted urban clusters in China. In this study, a 10-year observation was conducted in Lhasa to establish the long-term trend of wet Hg deposition and investigate the possible causes of this variation trend. Our study showed no significant increase in wet Hg deposition while Lhasa has achieved rapid population and economic growth during the study period. The contrasting changes in long-term wet Hg deposition and socioeconomic development (e.g., GDP growth) could be greatly attributed to the efforts in preventing and controlling air pollution at regional and local levels. This trend in Lhasa differs greatly from those observed by a rapid increase of Hg trend in the remote areas of the Tibetan Plateau. Our findings indicate that the remote cryospheric areas over the Tibetan Plateau are prone to be affected by transboundary Hg pollution, and more attention should be paid to its environmental and health effects for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Wenjun Tang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Maosheng He
- Leibniz-Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Rostock University, Kühlungsborn 18225, Germany
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast 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; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiufeng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Eom S, Lee H, Kim J, Park K, Kim Y, Sheu GR, Gay DA, Schmeltz D, Han S. Potential sources, scavenging processes, and source regions of mercury in the wet deposition of South Korea. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:143934. [PMID: 33360451 PMCID: PMC9434598 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the potential sources, scavenging processes, and emission regions for Hg in wet deposition were investigated in rural (Jeju), suburban (Gwangju), and urban sites (Incheon and Seoul) of South Korea. The annual volume-weighted mean concentrations of Hg in wet deposition were four to five times higher in Incheon (16.6 ng L-1) and Seoul (22.5 ng L-1) than in Jeju (4.0 ng L-1) and Gwangju (4.1 ng L-1). The variations in the Hg concentrations in wet deposition of Jeju and Gwangju were related to Cl-, Na+, Mg2+, and K+ originating from marine and crustal sources, and those in Incheon and Seoul were related to SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ emitted from anthropogenic sources. The below-cloud scavenging was considered a major inclusion process of Hg in Jeju and Gwangju, while the within-cloud scavenging was suggested in Incheon and Seoul, based on the results of correlation analysis with Hg and major ions in wet deposition, and meteorological data. The cluster analysis of backward trajectories demonstrated that the Hg concentration in wet deposition was highest in the cluster transported from Hebei and Shandong of China in Gwangju, but in Seoul, the Hg concentrations of each cluster were comparable. This suggests that regional transport is the major source of Hg in the wet deposition of Gwangju while local transport provides substantial amount of Hg in the wet deposition of Seoul. This was further supported by the results of concentration-weighted trajectories: the most probable source region was east China for Gwangju, and the mid-west of South Korea and east China for Seoul. It is noted that the peak methylmercury concentrations were found every spring with simultaneous increases in atmospheric Al, Ca, Mg, and Fe concentrations, indicating a concurrence with Asian dust. The formation process of methylmercury in Asian dust should be confirmed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangwoo Eom
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Haebum Lee
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihee Kim
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Kihong Park
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea
| | - Younghee Kim
- National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER), Incheon 22689, Republic of Korea
| | - Guey-Rong Sheu
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, National Central University, Jhongli 320, Taiwan
| | - David A Gay
- National Atmospheric Deposition Program, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53718, USA
| | - David Schmeltz
- Office of Atmospheric Programs, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Seunghee Han
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea.
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6
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Liu HW, Yu B, Yang L, Wang LL, Fu JJ, Liang Y, Bu D, Yin YG, Hu LG, Shi JB, Jiang GB. Terrestrial mercury transformation in the Tibetan Plateau: New evidence from stable isotopes in upland buzzards. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 400:123211. [PMID: 32593022 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the geochemical cycle of mercury (Hg) in the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau is of great value for studying the long-range transport of Hg. Herein, speciation and isotopic compositions of Hg in the muscle and feathers of upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) were studied to trace the terrestrial transformation of Hg in the Tibetan Plateau. Very low Hg content and relatively low δ202Hg values (feather: -0.77 ± 0.50‰, n = 9, muscle: -1.29 ± 0.29‰, n = 13, 1SD) were observed in upland buzzards. In contrast, the Δ199Hg values could be as high as 2.89‰ in collected samples. To our knowledge, this is the highest Δ199Hg value reported in avian tissues. Moreover, upland buzzards showed significantly different Δ199Hg values from fish collected from the same region, suggesting different generation and transformation processes of methylmercury (MeHg) in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We speculated that different percentages of Hg undergoing photochemical reactions and contributions of atmospheric MeHg were possible reasons for observed differences. The results provide new clues for different circulation histories of Hg in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, which will be critical for further study of geochemical cycle and ecological risk of Hg in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Wei Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ben Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lin Yang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lin-Lin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Jian-Jie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310000, China
| | - Yong Liang
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Duo Bu
- Science Faculty, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Li-Gang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Jian-Bo Shi
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; School of Environment, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, 310000, China.
| | - Gui-Bin Jiang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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7
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Brown RJC, Goddard SL, Harris PM, Malcolm HM, Thacker SA, Lawlor AJ, Guyatt HJ. Consistency and uncertainty of UK measurements of mercury in precipitation. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 258:127330. [PMID: 32540538 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A novel method to assess the uncertainty of measurement of mercury in precipitation for the UK's Heavy Metals Monitoring Network is presented. The method makes use of the fact that, because of the high risk of sample contamination, samples are taken in duplicate in order to ensure valid data is available for as many sampling periods as possible. Where both samples are valid a good opportunity is afforded to use the statistical differences in the rain volumes sampled and the mercury concentrations measured to assess the overall uncertainty of the measurement. This process has produced estimated uncertainties in good agreement with previous studies and well within the limits specified by European legislation. The work also highlighted an effective method to spot outliers in the paired samples at the data ratification stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J C Brown
- Environment Department, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK.
| | - Sharon L Goddard
- Environment Department, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
| | - Peter M Harris
- Data Science Department, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, TW11 0LW, UK
| | - Heath M Malcolm
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Penicuik, Scotland, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - Sarah A Thacker
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Alan J Lawlor
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Hayley J Guyatt
- UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
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Li C, Sun J, Shi J, Liang H, Cao Q, Li Z, Gao Y. Mercury sources in a subterranean spontaneous combustion area. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 201:110863. [PMID: 32544749 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a toxic, persistent, and mobile contaminant. Coal spontaneous combustion are widely distributed in the world and releases a great deal of Hg. Identifying the burning coal seam is crucial for quickly extinguishing a coalfield fire. Mercury isotopes can be effective for identifying burning coal seams and beneficial for combating coal spontaneous combustion. In this study, Hg isotopic ratios of coal, topsoil, dustfall, sand, coal fire sponges (CFS), and n-topsoil (topsoil near the CFS) from coal fire area No. 9 in the Wuda coalfield were determined using multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICPMS). Analysis of the correlation coefficients between the δ202Hg and Hg concentrations and the low-temperature ashes indicate that the higher mineral concentration in coal seam No. 9 not only increases the Hg concentration but also leads to more positive δ202Hg values compared to those for coal seam No. 10. By analyzing the Hg isotope characterizations in coal seam No. 9 and No. 10, we determined that Hg isotope characterizations can be useful for discriminating different coal seam Hg values in a coalfield. Significant mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) occur in the coal burning. The fractionation effect of burning and absorption process can play a key role in the δ202Hg more negative of ground surface samples. If Hg isotopes is added, the effect of coal-fire monitoring may be better. In addition, these finding could be used to better understand the transport and cycling of Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Jiacong Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jiyan Shi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Handong Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Qingyi Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zhiwei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Resources and Safe Mining, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yu Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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Huang J, Kang S, Yin R, Guo J, Lepak R, Mika S, Tripathee L, Sun S. Mercury isotopes in frozen soils reveal transboundary atmospheric mercury deposition over the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 256:113432. [PMID: 31662270 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The concentration and isotopic composition of mercury (Hg) were studied in frozen soils along a southwest-northeast transect over the Himalaya-Tibet. Soil total Hg (HgT) concentrations were significantly higher in the southern slopes (72 ± 54 ng g-1, 2SD, n = 21) than those in the northern slopes (43 ± 26 ng g-1, 2SD, n = 10) of Himalaya-Tibet. No significant relationship was observed between HgT concentrations and soil organic carbon (SOC), indicating that the HgT variation was not governed by SOC. Soil from the southern slopes showed significantly negative mean δ202Hg (-0.53 ± 0.50‰, 2SD, n = 21) relative to those from the northern slopes (-0.12 ± 0.40‰, 2SD, n = 10). The δ202Hg values of the southern slopes are more similar to South Asian anthropogenic Hg emissions. A significant correlation between 1/HgT and δ202Hg was observed in all the soil samples, further suggesting a mixing of Hg from South Asian anthropogenic emissions and natural geochemical background. Large ranges of Δ199Hg (-0.45 and 0.24‰) were observed in frozen soils. Most of soil samples displayed negative Δ199Hg values, implying they mainly received Hg from gaseous Hg(0) deposition. A few samples had slightly positive odd-MIF, indicating precipitation-sourced Hg was more prevalent than gaseous Hg(0) in certain areas. The spatial distribution patterns of HgT concentrations and Hg isotopes indicated that Himalaya-Tibet, even its northern part, may have been influenced by transboundary atmospheric Hg pollution from South Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Ryan Lepak
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Sillanpää Mika
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, School of Engineering Science, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Mikkeli, FI-50130, Finland
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Shiwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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10
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Huang J, Kang S, Ma M, Guo J, Cong Z, Dong Z, Yin R, Xu J, Tripathee L, Ram K, Wang F. Accumulation of Atmospheric Mercury in Glacier Cryoconite over Western China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:6632-6639. [PMID: 31117527 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b06575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cryoconite is a granular aggregate, comprised of both mineral and biological material, and known to accumulate atmospheric contaminants. In this study, cryoconite was sampled from seven high-elevation glaciers in Western China to investigate the spatial and altitudinal patterns of atmospheric mercury (Hg) accumulation in the cryoconite. The results show that total Hg (HgT) concentrations in cryoconite were significant with relatively higher Hg accumulation in the southern glaciers (66.0 ± 29.3 ng g-1), monsoon-influenced regions, than those in the northern glaciers (42.5 ± 20.7 ng g-1), westerlies-influenced regions. The altitudinal profile indicates that HgT concentrations in the northern glaciers decrease significantly with altitude, while those in the southern glaciers generally increase toward higher elevations. Unexpectedly high accumulation of methyl-Hg (MeHg) with an average of 1.0 ± 0.4 ng g-1 was also detected in the cryoconite samples, revealing the surface of cryoconite could act as a potential site for Hg methylation in alpine environments. Our preliminary estimate suggests a storage of ∼34.3 ± 17.4 and 0.65 ± 0.28 kg of HgT and MeHg from a single year of formation process in the glacier cryoconite. Therefore, glacier cryoconite could play an important role in Hg storage and transformation, which may result in downstream effects on glacier-fed ecosystems under climate warming scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Ming Ma
- College of Resources and Environment , Southwest University , Chongqing 400715 , China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , China
| | | | - Zhiwen Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , China
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang , 550002 , China
| | - Jianzhong Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northeast Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000 , China
| | - Kirpa Ram
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development , Banaras Hindu University , Varanasi , 221005 , India
| | - Feiyue Wang
- Center for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography , University of Manitoba , Winnipeg , Manitoba R3T 2N2 , Canada
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11
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Gong P, Wang X, Pokhrel B, Wang H, Liu X, Liu X, Wania F. Trans-Himalayan Transport of Organochlorine Compounds: Three-Year Observations and Model-Based Flux Estimation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:6773-6783. [PMID: 31122015 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
High mountains can trap semivolatile chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and hinder their dispersion. However, both deep convection and mountain valleys can facilitate POPs' transport over mountains, which have not been investigated before. In this study, a three-year sampling campaign along a south-north altitudinal transect (100-5200m) across the central Himalayas, coupled with a multicompartment contaminant fate model, was conducted for describing the transport processes of POPs. The results show that POPs emitted in the lowlands of the Himalayas can be transported to high altitudes and further to the inner part of the Tibetan Plateau. Modeling suggests that more than 90% of POPs are trapped along the way due to gaseous deposition to soil/foliage and rainfall scavenging; while 2 × 10-3 to 1 × 10-1 Giga-grams/year of POPs are transported across the Himalayas. The transport flux along valleys is 2-3 times higher than that across the mountain ridge. However, due to the limited spatial coverage of mountain valleys, the amount of POPs transported through valleys only accounts for a small part of the total transport. This study shows that POPs can overcome the blocking effect of the Himalayas, and high altitude transport across the mountain ridge is the dominant transport pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Gong
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Process , Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100101 , China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101 , China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Process , Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100101 , China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101 , China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049 , China
| | - Balram Pokhrel
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Process , Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100101 , China
- School of Science , Kathmandu University , Dhulikhel 45200 , Nepal
| | - Hailong Wang
- Atmospheric Sciences and Global Change Division , Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) , Richland , Washington 99352 , United States
| | - Xiande Liu
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences , Beijing 100012 , China
| | - Xiaobo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environmental Changes and Land Surface Process , Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) , Beijing 100101 , China
- Kathmandu Center for Research and Education, CAS-TU , Kathmandu 44618 , Nepal
| | - Frank Wania
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences , University of Toronto Scarborough , 1265 Military Trail , Toronto , ON M1C 1A4 , Canada
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12
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Paudyal R, Kang S, Tripathee L, Guo J, Sharma CM, Huang J, Niu H, Sun S, Pu T. Concentration, spatiotemporal distribution, and sources of mercury in Mt. Yulong, a remote site in southeastern Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:16457-16469. [PMID: 30980371 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-05005-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The unique geographic location of Mt. Yulong in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) makes it a favorable site for mercury (Hg) study. Various snow samples, such as surface snow, snow pit, and snowmelt water were collected from Mt. Yulong in the southeastern TP. The average concentration of Hg was found to be 37 ± 26 ng L-1 (mean ± SD), comparable to Hg concentration from other parts of TP in the same year, though it was comparatively higher than those from previous years, suggesting a possible increase of Hg concentration over the TP. The concentration of Hg was higher in the lower elevation of the glaciers possibly due to the surface melting concentration of particulates. Higher concentration of Hg was observed in the fresh snow, suggesting the possibility of long-range transportation. The average concentration of Hg from the snow pit was 1.49 ± 0.78 ng L-1, and the concentration of Hg in the vertical profile of the snow pit co-varied with calcium ion (Ca2+) supporting the fact that the portion of Hg is from the crustal origin. In addition, the principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed that the source of Hg is from the crustal origin; however, the presence of anthropogenic source in the Mt. Yulong was also observed. In surface water around Mt. Yulong, the concentration of HgT was found in the order of Lashihai Lake > Reservoirs > Rivers > Swamps > Luguhu Lake. In lake water, the concentration of HgT showed an increasing trend with depth. Overall, the increased concentration of Hg in recent years from the TP can be of concern and may have an adverse impact on the downstream ecosystem, wildlife, and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukumesh Paudyal
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Chhatra Mani Sharma
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
- Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Jie Huang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hewen Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- Yulong Snow Mountain Glacier and Environmental Observation Research Station, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Shiwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Tao Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Rd. 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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Tripathee L, Guo J, Kang S, Paudyal R, Huang J, Sharma CM, Zhang Q, Chen P, Ghimire PS, Sigdel M. Spatial and temporal distribution of total mercury in atmospheric wet precipitation at four sites from the Nepal-Himalayas. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 655:1207-1217. [PMID: 30577113 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The studies on global pollutant mercury (Hg), which is of public concern due to its high toxicity and capacity to long-range transport via atmospheric circulation, is poorly characterized in wet deposition over the Nepal-Himalayas region. Therefore, in order to understand the concentration levels, spatial distribution and seasonal variation of total Hg, 333 precipitation samples were collected from south to north: Kathmandu (1314 m a.s.l.), Dhunche (2065 m a.s.l.), Dimsa (3078 m a.s.l.) and Gosainkunda (4417 m a.s.l.) characterized as urban, rural, remote forest and remote alpine sites, respectively, for over one-year period. The highest Hg concentration was found in Kathmandu comparable to the urban sites worldwide, and significantly lower concentrations at other three sites demonstrated similar levels as in rural and remote alpine sites worldwide. Higher wet deposition fluxes of 34.91 and 15.89 μg m-2 year-1 were found in Kathmandu and Dhunche respectively, due to higher precipitation amount. Clear and distinct seasonal differences were observed with higher concentrations in non-monsoon and lower values in monsoon periods due to less scavenging and high pollutant concentration loadings during the dry period. The positive correlation of Hg flux and precipitation amount with Hg concentration suggested that both precipitation amount and Hg concentration plays a vital role in Hg deposition in the central Himalayan region. Enrichment factor (EFHg) indicated that the anthropogenic emission sources play a significant role for Hg enrichment and a high ratio of EFmonsoon to EFnon-monsoon (>2.18) suggested that the anthropogenic atmospheric mercury could likely be long-range transported from south Asian regions to the Himalayas during the monsoon season. In addition, our results showed that the major ionic compositions (e.g., SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, K+, Ca2+) could influence Hg concentration in wet precipitation. The anthropogenic sources of Hg such as biomass and fossil fuel combustion, crustal aerosols may contribute to the Hg concentration in wet precipitation over the central Himalayas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rukumesh Paudyal
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Chhatra Mani Sharma
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal; Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Pengfei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Prakriti Sharma Ghimire
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Madan Sigdel
- Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
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14
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Fang GC, Huang WC, Zhuang YJ, Huang CY, Tsai KH, Xiao YF. Wet depositions of mercury during plum rain season in Taiwan. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2018; 40:1601-1607. [PMID: 29435703 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-018-0074-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The plum rain season in Taiwan is in May and June. The severest plum rain season over the last 21 years was in 2017. This study involves the collection of mercury wet depositions in the plum rain season of May-June in 2017. A DMA-80 (Direct Mercury Analyzer) was used to analyze the precipitated mercury concentrations and calculate the wet depositions of mercury in the plum rain season. The results indicate that the highest wet depositions of mercury in the aqueous phase were on 6/16, reaching 209.04 μg/m2 * day, while the lowest were on 5/15, at 0.18 μg/m2 * day. The mercury wet depositions in the particulate phase were highest on 6/17, when it exceeded 100 μg/kg, and lowest on particulate phase were occurred in 6/11, when it was 3.64 μg/m2 * day. The relationship between the wet depositions of mercury in the aqueous phase and rainfall was insignificant, while that between the wet depositions of mercury in the particulate phase and rainfall was significant. The wet depositions of mercury in this study were second highest (30.73 μg/m2 day) when compared with those in studies in the years 2007-2017. Although the rainfall in this study was only 564 mm H2O, high mercury concentrations obtained from the plum rain season result in the high wet depositions of mercury in Taichung, Taiwan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guor-Cheng Fang
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung, 433, Taiwan.
| | - Wen-Chuan Huang
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung, 433, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Jie Zhuang
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung, 433, Taiwan
| | - Chao-Yang Huang
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung, 433, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Hsiang Tsai
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung, 433, Taiwan
| | - You-Fu Xiao
- Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Hung Kuang University, Sha-Lu, Taichung, 433, Taiwan
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15
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Li T, Wang Y, Mao H, Wang S, Talbot RW, Zhou Y, Wang Z, Nie X, Qie G. Insights on Chemistry of Mercury Species in Clouds over Northern China: Complexation and Adsorption. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:5125-5134. [PMID: 29630344 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b06669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cloud effects on heterogeneous reactions of atmospheric mercury (Hg) are poorly understood due to limited knowledge of cloudwater Hg chemistry. Here we quantified Hg species in cloudwater at the summit of Mt. Tai in northern China. Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in cloudwater were on average 70.5 and 0.15 ng L-1, respectively, and particulate Hg (PHg) contributed two-thirds of THg. Chemical equilibrium modeling simulations suggested that Hg complexes by dissolved organic matter (DOM) dominated dissolved Hg (DHg) speciation, which was highly pH dependent. Hg concentrations and speciation were altered by cloud processing, during which significant positive correlations of PHg and MeHg with cloud droplet number concentration ( Nd) were observed. Unlike direct contribution to PHg from cloud scavenging of aerosol particles, abiotic DHg methylation was the most likely source of MeHg. Hg adsorption coefficients Kad (5.9-362.7 L g-1) exhibited an inverse-power relationship with cloud residues content. Morphology analyses indicated that compared to mineral particles, fly ash particles could enhance Hg adsorption due to more abundant carbon binding sites on the surface. Severe particulate air pollution in northern China may bring substantial Hg into cloud droplets and impact atmospheric Hg geochemical cycling by aerosol-cloud interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , China
| | - Yan Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , China
| | - Huiting Mao
- Department of Chemistry, College of Environmental Science and Forestry , State University of New York , Syracuse , New York 13210 , United States
| | - Shuxiao Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex and State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment , Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084 , China
| | - Robert W Talbot
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204 , United States
| | - Ying Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, College of Environmental Science and Forestry , State University of New York , Syracuse , New York 13210 , United States
| | - Zhe Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , The Hong Kong Polytechnic University , Hong Kong , China
| | - Xiaoling Nie
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , China
| | - Guanghao Qie
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Jinan 250100 , China
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16
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Paudyal R, Kang S, Huang J, Tripathee L, Zhang Q, Li X, Guo J, Sun S, He X, Sillanpää M. Insights into mercury deposition and spatiotemporal variation in the glacier and melt water from the central Tibetan Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 599-600:2046-2053. [PMID: 28558426 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Long-term monitoring of global pollutant such as Mercury (Hg) in the cryosphere is very essential for understanding its bio-geochemical cycling and impacts in the pristine environment with limited emission sources. Therefore, from May 2015 to Oct 2015, surface snow and snow-pits from Xiao Dongkemadi Glacier and glacier melt water were sampled along an elevation transect from 5410 to 5678m a.s.l. in the central Tibetan Plateau (TP). The concentration of Hg in surface snow was observed to be higher than that from other parts of the TP. Unlike the southern parts of the TP, no clear altitudinal variation was observed in the central TP. The peak Total Hg (HgT) concentration over the vertical profile on the snow pits corresponded with a distinct yellowish-brown dust layer supporting the fact that most of the Hg was associated with particulate matter. It was observed that only 34% of Hg in snow was lost when the surface snow was exposed to sunlight indicating that the surface snow is less influenced by the post-depositional process. Significant diurnal variation of HgT concentration was observed in the river water, with highest concentration observed at 7pm when the discharge was highest and lowest concentration during 7-8am when the discharge was lowest. Such results suggest that the rate of discharge was influential in the concentration of HgT in the glacier fed rivers of the TP. The estimated export of HgT from Dongkemadi river basin is 747.43gyr-1, which is quite high compared to other glaciers in the TP. Therefore, the export of global contaminant Hg might play enhanced role in the Alpine regions as these glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate under global warming which may have adverse impact on the ecosystem and the human health of the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rukumesh Paudyal
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Xiaofei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Tanggula Cryosphere and Environment Observation Station, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shiwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaobo He
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Tanggula Cryosphere and Environment Observation Station, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli, Finland
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17
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Sun S, Kang S, Huang J, Chen S, Zhang Q, Guo J, Liu W, Neupane B, Qin D. Distribution and variation of mercury in frozen soils of a high-altitude permafrost region on the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:15078-15088. [PMID: 28493191 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-9088-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is home to the largest permafrost bodies at low- and mid-latitudes, yet little is known about the distribution and variation of mercury (Hg) in frozen soil of the permafrost regions. In this study, extensive soil sampling campaigns were carried out in 23 soil pits from 12 plots in a high-altitude permafrost region of the Shule River Basin, northeastern TP. Hg distribution, variation, and their dependences on soil properties were analyzed. The results have revealed that total Hg (THg) concentrations were low ranging from 6.3 to 29.1 ng g-1. A near-surface peak of THg concentrations followed by a continuous decrease were observed on the vertical profiles of most soil pits. Significant positive relationships among THg concentrations, soil organic carbon (SOC) contents, and silty fractions were observed, indicating that SOC content and silty fraction are two dominant factors influencing the spatial distribution of THg. THg concentrations in soils showed a decreasing trend with altitude, which was probably attributed to a lower soil potential to Hg accumulation under the condition of lower SOC contents and silty fractions at high altitudes. Approximately, 130.6 t Hg in soils (0-60 cm) was estimated and a loss of 64.2% of Hg from the highly stable and stable permafrost (H-SP) region via permafrost degradation was expected in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin, indicating that the large areas of permafrost regions may become an important source of global Hg emission as a result of the ongoing widespread permafrost degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiwei Sun
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Jie Huang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130, Mikkeli, Finland
| | - Shengyun Chen
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Junming Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130, Mikkeli, Finland
| | - Wenjie Liu
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Bigyan Neupane
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dahe Qin
- Qilian Shan Station of Glaciology and Ecologic Environment, State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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18
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Guo J, Kang S, Huang J, Sillanpää M, Niu H, Sun X, He Y, Wang S, Tripathee L. Trace elements and rare earth elements in wet deposition of Lijiang, Mt. Yulong region, southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. J Environ Sci (China) 2017; 52:18-28. [PMID: 28254037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In order to investigate the compositions and wet deposition fluxes of trace elements and rare earth elements (REEs) in the precipitation of the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, 38 precipitation samples were collected from March to August in 2012 in an urban site of Lijiang city in the Mt. Yulong region. The concentrations of most trace elements and REEs were higher during the non-monsoon season than during the monsoon season, indicating that the lower concentrations of trace elements and REEs observed during monsoon had been influenced by the dilution effect of increased precipitation. The concentrations of trace elements in the precipitation of Lijiang city were slightly higher than those observed in remote sites of the Tibetan Plateau but much lower than those observed in the metropolises of China, indicating that the atmospheric environment of Lijiang city was less influenced by anthropogenic emissions, and, as a consequence, the air quality was still relatively good. However, the results of enrichment factor and principal component analysis revealed that some anthropogenic activities (e.g., the increasing traffic emissions from the rapid development of tourism) were most likely important contributors to trace elements, while the regional/local crustal sources rather than anthropogenic activities were the predominant contributors to the REEs in the wet deposition of Lijiang city. Our study was relevant not only for assessing the current status of the atmospheric environment in the Mt. Yulong region, but also for specific management actions to be implemented for the control of atmospheric inputs and the health of the environment for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junming Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Mikkeli 50130, Finland; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering of Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Mikkeli 50130, Finland
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Mikkeli 50130, Finland
| | - Hewen Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering of Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xuejun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yuanqing He
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering of Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Shijing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering of Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering of Research Institute, CAS, Lanzhou 730000, China; Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Mikkeli 50130, Finland
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Guo J, Kang S, Huang J, Zhang Q, Rupakheti M, Sun S, Tripathee L, Rupakheti D, Panday AK, Sillanpää M, Paudyal R. Characterizations of atmospheric particulate-bound mercury in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, South Asia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 579:1240-1248. [PMID: 27913014 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.11.110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The Kathmandu Valley, located in the Himalayan foothills in Nepal, is heavily polluted. In order to investigate ambient particulate-bound mercury (Hg) in the Kathmandu Valley, a total 64 total suspended particulates (TSP) samples were collected from a sub-urban site in the Kathmandu Valley, the capital region of Nepal during a sampling period of an entire year (April 2013-April 2014). They were analyzed for ambient particulate-bound Hg (PBM) using thermal desorption combined with cold vapor atomic spectroscopy. In our knowledge, it is the first study of ambient PMB in the Kathmandu Valley and the surrounding broader Himalayan foothill region. The average concentration of PBM over the entire sampling period of a year was found to be 850.5 (±962.8) pg m-3 in the Kathmandu Valley. This is comparable to those values reported in the polluted cities of China and significantly higher than those observed in most of urban areas in Asia and other regions of world. The daily average Hg contents in TSP (PBM/TSP) ranges from 269.7 to 7613.0ngg-1 with an average of 2586.0 (±2072.1) ng g-1, indicating the high enrichment of Hg in TSP. The average concentrations of PBM were higher in the winter and pre-monsoon season than in the monsoon and post-monsoon season. The temporal variations in the strength of anthropogenic emission sources combined with other influencing factors, such as ambient temperature and the removal of atmospheric aerosols by wet scavenging are attributable to the seasonal variations of PBM. The considerably high dry deposition flux of PBM estimated by using a theoretical model was 135μgm-2yr-1 at the Kathmandu Valley. This calls for an immediate attention to addressing ambient particulate Hg in the Kathmandu Valley, including considering it as a key component of future air quality monitoring activities and mitigation measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junming Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changs and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, 50130 Mikkeli, Finland; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changs and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changs and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | | | - Shiwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changs and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, 50130 Mikkeli, Finland
| | - Dipesh Rupakheti
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changs and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Arnico K Panday
- International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, 50130 Mikkeli, Finland
| | - Rukumesh Paudyal
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
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20
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Wang X, Luo J, Yin R, Yuan W, Lin CJ, Sommar J, Feng X, Wang H, Lin C. Using Mercury Isotopes To Understand Mercury Accumulation in the Montane Forest Floor of the Eastern Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:801-809. [PMID: 27951639 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b03806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury accumulation in montane forested areas plays an important role in global Hg cycling. In this study, we measured stable Hg isotopes in soil and litter samples to understand Hg accumulation on the forest floor along the eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). The low atmospheric Hg inputs lead to the small Hg pool size (23 ± 9 mg m-2 in 0-60 cm soil horizon), up to 1 order of magnitude lower than those found at sites in Southwest China, North America, and Europe. The slightly negative Δ199Hg (-0.12 to -0.05‰) in the litter at low elevations (3100 to 3600 m) suggests an influence of local anthropogenic emissions, whereas the more significant negative Δ199Hg (-0.38 to -0.15‰) at high elevations (3700 to 4300 m) indicates impact from long-range transport. Hg input from litter is more important than wet deposition to Hg accumulation on the forest floor, as evidenced by the negative Δ199Hg found in the surface soil samples. Correlation analyses of Δ199Hg versus total carbon and leaf area index suggest that litter biomass production is a predominant factor in atmospheric Hg inputs to the forest floor. Precipitation and temperature show indirect effects on Hg accumulation by influencing litter biomass production in the eastern TP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ji Luo
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ministry of Water Conservancy , Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Runsheng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081, China
- Environmental Chemistry and Technology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Wei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China
| | - Che-Jen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081, China
- Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality, Lamar University , Beaumont, Texas 77710, United States
| | - Jonas Sommar
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Xinbin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Haiming Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ministry of Water Conservancy , Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Cynthia Lin
- The McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas 78712, United States
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Nguyen DL, Kim JY, Shim SG, Ghim YS, Zhang XS. Shipboard and ground measurements of atmospheric particulate mercury and total mercury in precipitation over the Yellow Sea region. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 219:262-274. [PMID: 27814543 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 09/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The first ever shipboard measurements for atmospheric particulate mercury (Hg(p)) over the Yellow Sea and ground measurements for atmospheric Hg(p) and total mercury (THg) in precipitation at the remote sites (Deokjeok and Chengshantou) and the urban sites (Seoul and Ningbo) surrounding the Yellow Sea were carried out during 2007-2008. The Hg(p) regional background concentration of 56.3 ± 55.6 pg m-3 over the Yellow Sea region is much higher than the typical background concentrations of Hg(p) in terrestrial environments (<25 pg m-3) which implies significant impact of anthropogenic mercury emission sources from East Asia. The episodes of highly elevated Hg(p) concentrations at the Korean remote site were influenced through long-range transport from source regions in the Liaoning Province - one of China's most mercury-polluted regions and in the western region of North Korea. Interestingly, wet scavenging of atmospheric Hg(p) is the predominant mechanism regulating concentration of THg in precipitation at the Chinese sites; whereas, wet scavenging of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) might play the more important role than that of Hg(p) at the Korean sites. The highest annual wet and dry deposition fluxes of Hg were found at the Ningbo site. The comparison between wet and dry deposition fluxes suggested that dry deposition might play the more important role than wet deposition in Chinese urban areas (source regions); whereas, wet deposition is more important in Korean areas (downwind regions).
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Luong Nguyen
- Department of Environmental Technology and Management, National University of Civil Engineering (NUCE), Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Green City Technology Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Shang-Gyoo Shim
- Green City Technology Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Sung Ghim
- Department of Environmental Science, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - Xiao-Shan Zhang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Huang J, Kang S, Tian L, Guo J, Zhang Q, Cong Z, Sillanpää M, Sun S, Tripathee L. Influence of long-range transboundary transport on atmospheric water vapor mercury collected at the largest city of Tibet. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 566-567:1215-1222. [PMID: 27265735 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Monsoon circulation is an important process that affects long-range transboundary transport of anthropogenic contaminants such as mercury (Hg). During the Indian monsoon season of 2013, a total of 92 and 26 atmospheric water vapor samples were collected at Lhasa, the largest city of the Tibet, for Hg and major ions analysis, respectively. The relatively low pH/high electronic conductivity values, together with the fact that NH4(+) in atmospheric water vapor was even higher than that determined in precipitation of Lhasa, indicated the effects of anthropogenic perturbations through long-range transboundary atmospheric transport. Concentrations of Hg in atmospheric water vapor ranged from 2.5 to 73.7ngL(-1), with an average of 12.5ngL(-1). The elevated Hg and major ions concentrations, and electronic conductivity values were generally associated with weak acidic samples, and Hg mainly loaded with anthropogenic ions such as NH4(+). The results of principal component analysis and trajectory analysis suggested that anthropogenic emissions from the Indian subcontinent may have largely contributed to the determined Hg in atmospheric water vapor. Furthermore, our study reconfirmed that below-cloud scavenging contribution was significant for precipitation Hg in Lhasa, and evaluated that on average 74.1% of the Hg in precipitation could be accounted for by below-cloud scavenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI 50130, Finland
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Lide Tian
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Junming Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, 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; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhiyuan Cong
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI 50130, Finland
| | - Shiwei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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23
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Kang S, Huang J, Wang F, Zhang Q, Zhang Y, Li C, Wang L, Chen P, Sharma CM, Li Q, Sillanpää M, Hou J, Xu B, Guo J. Atmospheric Mercury Depositional Chronology Reconstructed from Lake Sediments and Ice Core in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:2859-2869. [PMID: 26878654 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Alpine lake sediments and glacier ice cores retrieved from high mountain regions can provide long-term records of atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic contaminants such as mercury (Hg). In this study, eight lake sediment cores and one glacier ice core were collected from high elevations across the Himalaya-Tibet region to investigate the chronology of atmospheric Hg deposition. Consistent with modeling results, the sediment core records showed higher Hg accumulation rates in the southern slopes of the Himalayas than those in the northern slopes in the recent decades (post-World War II). Despite much lower Hg accumulation rates obtained from the glacier ice core, the temporal trend in the Hg accumulation rates matched very well with that observed from the sediment cores. The combination of the lake sediments and glacier ice core allowed us to reconstruct the longest, high-resolution atmospheric Hg deposition chronology in High Asia. The chronology showed that the Hg deposition rate was low between the 1500s and early 1800, rising at the onset of the Industrial Revolution, followed by a dramatic increase after World War II. The increasing trend continues to the present-day in most of the records, reflecting the continuous increase in anthropogenic Hg emissions from South Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology , Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI-50130, Finland
| | - Feiyue Wang
- Center for Earth Observation Science, and Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba , Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yulan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000, China
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology , Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI-50130, Finland
| | - Chaoliu Li
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology , Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI-50130, Finland
| | - Long Wang
- School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pengfei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chhatra Mani Sharma
- Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, School of Science, Kathmandu University , Kathmandu 6250, Nepal
| | - Qing Li
- School of Geography Science, Southwest University , Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology , Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI-50130, Finland
| | - Juzhi Hou
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
| | - Baiqing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
| | - Junming Guo
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, China
- Laboratory of Green Chemistry, Lappeenranta University of Technology , Sammonkatu 12, Mikkeli FI-50130, Finland
- Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, China
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Liu YR, He ZY, Yang ZM, Sun GX, He JZ. Variability of heavy metal content in soils of typical Tibetan grasslands. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra23868h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Relatively high contents of heavy metals were recently reported in the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau (TP) environment, but the source and distribution characteristics of heavy metals in grassland environments of the TP remain unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Beijing 100085
- China
| | - Zi-Yang He
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Beijing 100085
- China
| | - Zi-Ming Yang
- Department of Chemistry
- Oakland University
- Rochester Hills
- USA 48309
| | - Guo-Xin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Beijing 100085
- China
| | - Ji-Zheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Beijing 100085
- China
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