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Chen C, Qin X, Li H, Li H, Liu C, Fu M, Wang X, Huo J, Duan Y, Fu Q, Huang K, Deng C. Atmospheric mercury in a developed region of eastern China: Interannual variation and gas-particle partitioning. Heliyon 2023; 9:e19786. [PMID: 37771526 PMCID: PMC10522948 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycle of mercury. This study conducted an intensive measurement of atmospheric mercury from 2015 to 2018 at a regional site in eastern China. During this period, the concentration of particle-bound mercury (PBM) decreased by 13%, which was much lower than those of gaseous elemenral mercury (GEM, 30%) and reactive gaseous mercury (GOM, 62%). The gradual decrease in the correlation between PBM and CO, K, and Pb indicates that the influence of primary emissions on PBM concentration was weakening. Moreover, the value of the partitioning coefficient (Kp) increased gradually from 0.05 ± 0.076 m3/μg in 2015 to 0.16 ± 0.37 m3/μg in 2018, indicating that GOM was increasingly inclined to adsorb onto particulate matter. Excluding the influence of meteorological conditions and the primary emissions, the change in aerosol composition is designated as the main trigger factor for the increasing gas-particle partitioning of reactive mercury (RM). The increasing ratio of Cl-, NO3-, and organics (Org) in the chemical composition of particle matters (PM2.5), as well as the decrease in the proportion of SO42-, NH4+, and K+, are conducive to the adsorption of GOM onto particles, forming PBM, which led to an increase of Kp and a lag of PBM reduction compared to GEM and GOM under the continuous control measures of anthropogenic mercury emissions. The evolution of aerosol compositions in recent years affects the migration and transformation of atmospheric mercury, which in turn can affect the biogeochemical cycle of mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chen
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaofei Qin
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266520, China
| | - Hao Li
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Haiyan Li
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Chengfeng Liu
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Mengxin Fu
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xiaohao Wang
- State Ecologic Environmental Scientific Observation and Research Station for Dianshan Lake, Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Juntao Huo
- State Ecologic Environmental Scientific Observation and Research Station for Dianshan Lake, Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Yusen Duan
- State Ecologic Environmental Scientific Observation and Research Station for Dianshan Lake, Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Qingyan Fu
- State Ecologic Environmental Scientific Observation and Research Station for Dianshan Lake, Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Kan Huang
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Congrui Deng
- Center for Atmospheric Chemistry Study, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- IRDR ICoE on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, 202162, China
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Qin X, Dong X, Tao Z, Wei R, Zhang H, Guo Q. Tracing the transboundary transport of atmospheric Particulate Bound Mercury driven by the East Asian monsoon. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 446:130678. [PMID: 36608578 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Taking Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) with severe atmospheric mercury (Hg) and PM2.5 pollution as a typical region, this study clarified the characteristics and transboundary transport of atmospheric Particulate Bound Mercury (PBM2.5) affected by the East Asian monsoon. Five sampling sites were conducted in rural, suburban, urban, industrial, and coastal areas of BTH from northwest to southeast along the East Asian monsoon direction. PBM2.5 showed increasing concentrations from northwest to southeast and negative δ202Hg values, indicating significant contributions from anthropogenic sources. However, the mean Δ199Hg values of PBM2.5 at the five sites were significantly positive, probably triggered by the photoreduction of Hg(II) during long-range transport driven by the East Asian monsoon. Apart from local anthropogenic emissions as the primary sources, the transboundary transport of PBM2.5, driven by west and northwest air masses originating in Central Asia and Russia, contributed significantly to the PBM2.5 pollution of BTH. Moreover, these air masses reaching BTH would carry elevated PBM2.5 concentrations further transported to the ocean by the East Asian monsoon. In contrast, the southeast air masses transported from the ocean by the East Asian monsoon in summer diluted inland PBM2.5 pollution. This study provides insight into the atmospheric Hg circulation affected by the East Asian monsoon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechao Qin
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Department of Health, Ethics and Society, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6229 HA, the Netherlands
| | - Xinyuan Dong
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhenghua Tao
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rongfei Wei
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Qingjun Guo
- Center for Environmental Remediation, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
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Liu K, Wu Q, Wang S, Chang X, Tang Y, Wang L, Liu T, Zhang L, Zhao Y, Wang Q, Chen J. Improved atmospheric mercury simulation using updated gas-particle partition and organic aerosol concentrations. J Environ Sci (China) 2022; 119:106-118. [PMID: 35934455 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The gaseous or particulate forms of divalent mercury (HgII) significantly impact the spatial distribution of atmospheric mercury concentration and deposition flux (FLX). In the new nested-grid GEOS-Chem model, we try to modify the HgII gas-particle partitioning relationship with synchronous and hourly observations at four sites in China. Observations of gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM), particulate-bound Hg (PBM), and PM2.5 were used to derive an empirical gas-particle partitioning coefficient as a function of temperature (T) and organic aerosol (OA) concentrations under different relative humidity (RH). Results showed that with increasing RH, the dominant process of HgII gas-particle partitioning changed from physical adsorption to chemical desorption. And the dominant factor of HgII gas-particle partitioning changed from T to OA concentrations. We thus improved the simulated OA concentration field by introducing intermediate-volatility and semi-volatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) emission inventory into the model framework and refining the volatile distributions of I/SVOCs according to new filed tests in the recent literatures. Finally, normalized mean biases (NMBs) of monthly gaseous element mercury (GEM), GOM, PBM, WFLX were reduced from -33%-29%, 95%-300%, 64%-261%, 117%-122% to -13%-0%, -20%-80%, -31%-50%, -17%-23%. The improved model explains 69%-98% of the observed atmospheric Hg decrease during 2013-2020 and can serve as a useful tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyun Liu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Qingru Wu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shuxiao Wang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xing Chang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Yi Tang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Long Wang
- Institute of Atmospheric Environment, Guangdong provincial academy of environmental science, Guangzhou 510045, China
| | - Tonghao Liu
- China National Environmental Monitoring Centre, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qin'geng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jinsheng Chen
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmos. Environ., Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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Liu C, Fu X, Xu Y, Zhang H, Wu X, Sommar J, Zhang L, Wang X, Feng X. Sources and Transformation Mechanisms of Atmospheric Particulate Bound Mercury Revealed by Mercury Stable Isotopes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5224-5233. [PMID: 35385257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the isotopic composition of particulate bound mercury (PBM) in 10 Chinese megacities and explored the associated sources and transformation mechanisms. PBM in these cities was characterized by negative δ202Hg (mean: -2.00 to -0.78‰), slightly negative to highly positive Δ199Hg (mean: -0.04 to 0.47‰), and slightly positive Δ200Hg (mean: 0.02 to 0.06‰) values. The positive PBM Δ199Hg signatures were likely caused by physiochemical reactions in aerosols. The Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg ratio varied from 0.94 to 1.39 in the cities and increased with the increase in the corresponding mean Δ199HgPBM value. We speculate that, in addition to the photoreduction of oxidized Hg, other transformation mechanisms in aerosols (e.g., isotope exchange, complexation, and oxidation, which express nuclear volume effects) also shape the Δ199HgPBM signatures in the present study. These processes are likely enhanced in the presence of strong gas-particle partitioning of gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM) and elevated levels of redox active metals (e.g., Fe), halides, and elemental carbon. Based on Δ200HgPBM data presented in this and previous studies, we estimate that large proportions (∼47 ± 22%) of PBM were sourced from the oxidation of gaseous elemental Hg followed by the partitioning of GOM onto aerosols globally, indicating the transformation of Hg(0) to PBM as an important sink of atmospheric Hg(0).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Liu
- 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
| | - Xuewu Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Yue Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- 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
| | - Xian Wu
- 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
| | - Jonas Sommar
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China
| | - Leiming Zhang
- Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto M3H 5T4, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xun Wang
- 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
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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5
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Mao N, Antley J, Cooper M, Shah N, Kadam A, Khalizov A. Heterogeneous Chemistry of Mercuric Chloride on Inorganic Salt Surfaces. J Phys Chem A 2021; 125:3943-3952. [PMID: 33914544 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c02220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) is a major chemical form responsible for deposition of atmospheric mercury, but its interaction with environmental surfaces is not well understood. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the uptake of gaseous HgCl2, used as a GOM surrogate, by several inorganic salts representative of marine and urban aerosols. The process was studied in a fast flow reactor coupled to an ion drift-chemical ionization mass spectrometer, where gaseous HgCl2 was quantitatively detected as HgCl2·NO3-. Uptake curves showed a common behavior, where upon exposure of the salt surface to HgCl2, the gas-phase concentration of the latter dropped rapidly and then recovered gradually. None of the salts produced a full recovery of HgCl2, indicating the presence of an irreversible chemical reaction in addition to reversible adsorption, and all salts showed reactive behavior consistent with the presence of surface sites of a high and a low reactivity. On the basis of the decrease in the uptake coefficient with increasing concentration of gaseous HgCl2, we conclude that the interaction follows the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. The reactivity of a deactivated salt surface after uptake could be partially restored by cycling through an elevated relative humidity at atmospheric pressure. The overall surface reactivity decreased in the series Na2SO4 > NaCl > (NH4)2SO4 > NH4NO3. The uptake on NH4NO3 was nearly fully reversible, with low values of the initial (0.4 × 10-2) and steady-state (3.3 × 10-4) uptake coefficients, whereas Na2SO4 was significantly more reactive (3.1 × 10-2 and 1.7 × 10-3). Depending on the aerosol loading, the lifetimes of gaseous HgCl2 on dry urban and marine particles (as pure (NH4)2SO4 and NaCl, respectively) were estimated to range from half an hour to about a day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Mao
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - John Antley
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Matthew Cooper
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States.,Department of Physics, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Neil Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Anuradha Kadam
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States.,New Jersey School of Architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Alexei Khalizov
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States.,Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
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6
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Abstract
This review focuses on providing the history of measurement efforts to quantify and characterize the compounds of reactive mercury (RM), and the current status of measurement methods and knowledge. RM collectively represents gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and that bound to particles. The presence of RM was first recognized through measurement of coal-fired power plant emissions. Once discovered, researchers focused on developing methods for measuring RM in ambient air. First, tubular KCl-coated denuders were used for stack gas measurements, followed by mist chambers and annular denuders for ambient air measurements. For ~15 years, thermal desorption of an annular KCl denuder in the Tekran® speciation system was thought to be the gold standard for ambient GOM measurements. Research over the past ~10 years has shown that the KCl denuder does not collect GOM compounds with equal efficiency, and there are interferences with collection. Using a membrane-based system and an automated system—the Detector for Oxidized mercury System (DOHGS)—concentrations measured with the KCl denuder in the Tekran speciation system underestimate GOM concentrations by 1.3 to 13 times. Using nylon membranes it has been demonstrated that GOM/RM chemistry varies across space and time, and that this depends on the oxidant chemistry of the air. Future work should focus on development of better surfaces for collecting GOM/RM compounds, analytical methods to characterize GOM/RM chemistry, and high-resolution, calibrated measurement systems.
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Luippold A, Gustin MS, Dunham-Cheatham SM, Castro M, Luke W, Lyman S, Zhang L. Use of Multiple Lines of Evidence to Understand Reactive Mercury Concentrations and Chemistry in Hawai'i, Nevada, Maryland, and Utah, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:7922-7931. [PMID: 32506903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
To advance our understanding of the mercury (Hg) biogeochemical cycle, concentrations and chemistry of gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM), particulate-bound Hg (PBM), and reactive Hg (RM = GOM + PBM) need to be known. The UNR-RMAS 2.0 provides a solution that will advance knowledge. From 11/2017 to 02/2019, the RMAS 2.0 was deployed in Hawai'i, Nevada, Maryland, and Utah to test system performance and develop an understanding of RM at locations impacted by different atmospheric oxidants. Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawai'i, impacted by the free troposphere and the marine boundary layer, had primarily -Br/Cl RM compounds. The Nevada location, directly adjacent to a major interstate highway and experiences inputs from the free troposphere, exhibited -Br/Cl, -N, -S, and organic compounds. In Maryland, compounds observed were -N, -S, and organic-Hg. This site is downwind of coal-fired power plants and located in a forested area. The location in Utah is in a basin impacted by oil and natural gas extraction, multiday wintertime inversion episodes, and inputs from the free troposphere. Compounds were -Br/Cl or -O, -N, and -Br/Cl. The chemical forms of RM identified were consistent with the air source areas, predominant ion chemistry, criterion air pollutants, and meteorology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriel Luippold
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Mae Sexauer Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Sarrah M Dunham-Cheatham
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
| | - Mark Castro
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Frostburg, Maryland 21532, United States
| | - Winston Luke
- Air Resources Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, College Park, Maryland 20740, United States
| | - Seth Lyman
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University, Vernal, Utah 84322, United States
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China
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Tacey SA, Szilvási T, Schauer JJ, Mavrikakis M. Computational Chemistry-Based Evaluation of Metal Salts and Metal Oxides for Application in Mercury-Capture Technologies. Ind Eng Chem Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.0c00902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean A. Tacey
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Tibor Szilvási
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - James J. Schauer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Manos Mavrikakis
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin—Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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Lyman SN, Cheng I, Gratz LE, Weiss-Penzias P, Zhang L. An updated review of atmospheric mercury. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 707:135575. [PMID: 31784172 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The atmosphere is a key component of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury, acting as a reservoir, transport mechanism, and facilitator of chemical reactions. The chemical and physical behavior of atmospheric mercury determines how, when, and where emitted mercury pollution impacts ecosystems. In this review, we provide current information about what is known and what remains uncertain regarding mercury in the atmosphere. We discuss new ambient, laboratory, and theoretical information about the chemistry of mercury in various atmospheric media. We review what is known about mercury in and on solid- and liquid-phase aerosols. We present recent findings related to wet and dry deposition and spatial and temporal trends in atmospheric mercury concentrations. We also review atmospheric measurement methods that are in wide use and those that are currently under development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth N Lyman
- Bingham Research Center, Utah State University, 320 N Aggie Blvd., Vernal, UT, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, USA.
| | - Irene Cheng
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lynne E Gratz
- Environmental Studies Program, Colorado College, 14 East Cache la Poudre St., Colorado Springs, CO, USA
| | - Peter Weiss-Penzias
- Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Leiming Zhang
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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10
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St Louis VL, Graydon JA, Lehnherr I, Amos HM, Sunderland EM, St Pierre KA, Emmerton CA, Sandilands K, Tate M, Steffen A, Humphreys ER. Atmospheric Concentrations and Wet/Dry Loadings of Mercury at the Remote Experimental Lakes Area, Northwestern Ontario, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:8017-8026. [PMID: 31250626 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant released from both natural and human sources. Here we compare long-term records of wet deposition loadings of total Hg (THg) in the open to dry deposition loadings of THg in throughfall and litterfall under four boreal mixedwood canopy types at the remote Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in Northwestern Ontario, Canada. We also present long-term records of atmospheric concentrations of gaseous elemental (GEM), gaseous oxidized (GOM), and particle bound (PBM) Hg measured at the ELA. We show that dry THg loadings in throughfall and litterfall are 2.7 to 6.1 times greater than wet THg loadings in the open. GEM concentrations showed distinct monthly and daily patterns, correlating positively in spring and summer with rates of gross ecosystem productivity and respiration. GOM and PBM concentrations were less variable throughout the year but were highest in the winter, when concentrations of anthropogenically sourced particles and gases were also high. Forest fires, Arctic air masses, and road salt also impacted GEM, GOM, and PBM concentrations at the ELA. A nested GEOS-Chem simulation for the ELA region produced a dry/wet deposition ratio of >5, suggesting that the importance of dry deposition in forested regions can be reasonably modeled by existing schemes for trace gases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent L St Louis
- Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2E9 , Canada
| | - Jennifer A Graydon
- Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2E9 , Canada
| | - Igor Lehnherr
- Department of Geography , University of Toronto-Mississauga , 3359 Mississauga Road , Mississauga , Ontario L5L 1C6 , Canada
| | - Helen M Amos
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Department of Environmental Health , Boston , Massachusetts 02215 , United States
| | - Elsie M Sunderland
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health , Department of Environmental Health , Boston , Massachusetts 02215 , United States
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Cambridge , Massachusetts 02138 , United States
| | - Kyra A St Pierre
- Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2E9 , Canada
| | - Craig A Emmerton
- Department of Biological Sciences , University of Alberta , Edmonton , Alberta T6G 2E9 , Canada
| | - Ken Sandilands
- International Institute of Sustainable Development - Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) , 111 Lombard Avenue, Suite 325 , Winnipeg , Manitoba R3B 0T4 , Canada
| | - Michael Tate
- University of Wisconsin , Aquatic Science Center , 1975 Willow Drive , Madison , Wisconsin 53706 , United States
| | - Alexandra Steffen
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology Branch , Air Quality Research , 4905 Dufferin Street , Toronto , Ontario M3H 5T4 , Canada
| | - Elyn R Humphreys
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies , Carleton University , Ottawa , Ontario K1S 5B6 , Canada
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11
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Long-Term Observation of Atmospheric Speciated Mercury during 2007–2018 at Cape Hedo, Okinawa, Japan. ATMOSPHERE 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos10070362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The concentrations of atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and particle-bound mercury (particles with diameter smaller than 2.5 μm; PBM2.5) were continuously observed for a period of over 10 years at Cape Hedo, located on the north edge of Okinawa Island on the border of the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Regional or global scale mercury (Hg) pollution affects their concentrations because no local stationary emission sources of Hg exist near the observation site. Their concentrations were lower than those at urban and suburban cities, as well as remote sites in East Asia, but were slightly higher than the background concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere. The GEM concentrations exhibited no diurnal variations and only weak seasonal variations, whereby concentrations were lower in the summer (June–August). An annual decreasing trend for GEM concentrations was observed between 2008 and 2018 at a rate of −0.0382 ± 0.0065 ng m−3 year−1 (−2.1% ± 0.36% year−1) that was the same as those in Europe and North America. Seasonal trend analysis based on daily median data at Cape Hedo showed significantly decreasing trends for all months. However, weaker decreasing trends were observed during the cold season from January to May, when air masses are easily transported from the Asian continent by westerlies and northwestern monsoons. Some GEM, GOM, and PBM2.5 pollution events were observed more frequently during the cold season. Back trajectory analysis showed that almost all these events occurred due to the substances transported from the Asian continent. These facts suggested that the decreasing trend observed at Cape Hedo was influenced by the global decreasing GEM trend, but the rates during the cold season were restrained by regional Asian outflows. On the other hand, GOM concentrations were moderately controlled by photochemical production in summer. Moreover, both GOM and PBM2.5 concentrations largely varied during the cold season due to the influence of regional transport rather than the trend of atmospheric Hg on a global scale.
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12
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Zhang H, Wang Z, Wang C, Zhang X. Concentrations and gas-particle partitioning of atmospheric reactive mercury at an urban site in Beijing, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 249:13-23. [PMID: 30877965 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of speciated atmospheric mercury play a key role in identifying mercury behavior in the atmosphere. In this study, we measured speciated atmospheric mercury, including gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and particulate bound mercury (PBM) (<2.5 μm), in 2015 and 2016 at an urban site in Beijing, China. The mean concentrations of GEM, RGM, and PBM were 4.70 ± 3.53 ng m-3, 18.47 ± 22.27 pg m-3, and 85.18 ± 95.34 pg m-3, respectively. The concentration of PM2.5 significantly affected the distribution of reactive mercury between the gaseous and particulate phases. With the raising of PM2.5 levels, PBM concentrations increased, on the contrary, the concentrations of RGM decreased gradually. The mean concentration of PBM during air-pollution events was more than three times that during clear days. During days with air pollution, the relative humidity significantly affected the gas-particle partitioning of reactive mercury. The linear relationships between gas-particle partitioning coefficient and meteorological factors (air temperature and relative humidity) were obtained over the four seasons. The data also showed that the gas-particle partitioning coefficient of reactive mercury was related to particle composition (e.g., Cl-, BC). The data present in this paper suggested the influence of anthropogenic emissions on reactive mercury in Beijing urban. And the findings will contribute to understand the gas-particle partitioning of reactive mercury and its influencing factors with complex urban pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhangwei Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Chunjie Wang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Xiaoshan Zhang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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13
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Tacey SA, Xu L, Szilvási T, Schauer JJ, Mavrikakis M. Quantum chemical calculations to determine partitioning coefficients for HgCl 2 on iron-oxide aerosols. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 636:580-587. [PMID: 29723830 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/21/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Gas-to-particle phase partitioning controls the pathways for oxidized mercury deposition from the atmosphere to the Earth's surface. The propensity of oxidized mercury species to transition between these two phases is described by the partitioning coefficient (Kp). Experimental measurements of Kp values for HgCl2 in the presence of atmospheric aerosols are difficult and time-consuming. Quantum chemical calculations, therefore, offer a promising opportunity to efficiently estimate partitioning coefficients for HgCl2 on relevant aerosols. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are used to predict Kp values for HgCl2 on relevant iron-oxide surfaces. The model is first verified using a NaCl(100) surface, showing good agreement between the calculated (2.8) and experimental (29-43) dimensionless partitioning coefficients at room temperature. Then, the methodology is applied to six atmospherically relevant terminations of α-Fe2O3(0001): OH-Fe-R, (OH)3-Fe-R, (OH)3-R, O-Fe-R, Fe-O3-R, and O3-R (where R denotes bulk ordering). The OH-Fe-R termination is predicted to be the most stable under typical atmospheric conditions, and on this surface termination, a dimensionless HgCl2Kp value of 5.2 × 103 at 295 K indicates a strong preference for the particle phase. This work demonstrates DFT as a promising approach to obtain partitioning coefficients, which can lead to improved models for the transport of mercury, as well as for other atmospheric pollutant species, through and between the anthroposphere and troposphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean A Tacey
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Lang Xu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Tibor Szilvási
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - James J Schauer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Manos Mavrikakis
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, 1415 Engineering Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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14
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Han D, Zhang J, Hu Z, Ma Y, Duan Y, Han Y, Chen X, Zhou Y, Cheng J, Wang W. Particulate mercury in ambient air in Shanghai, China: Size-specific distribution, gas-particle partitioning, and association with carbonaceous composition. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 238:543-553. [PMID: 29605614 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) has a complex atmospheric transformation cycle and acts as a global pollutant. Size-specific particle bound mercury (PBM) was implemented in different functional (industrial, urban and suburban) areas in Shanghai, China. The total concentration of 13-staged PBM (rang of 0.01-18.0 μm) varied of 99.0-611 pg/m3, with an average value of 318 ± 144 pg/m3. The Gaoqiao petrochemical industry (GQPI) site showed the highest concentrations, whereas the suburban Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) displayed the lowest. The PBM in nucleation, accumulation and coarse modes were 7.63-96.7, 69.5-455, and 9.43-176 pg/m3, respectively, and the fractions of 0.56-1.00 and 0.32-0.56 μm were the two most abundant. Both OC and EC displayed unimodal distribution patterns (peak of 0.56-1.00 μm) at GQPI, while bimodal distributions were observed at urban and suburban sites. Statistically positive correlations between the overall PBM and the corresponding PM and carbonaceous compounds (r = 0.38-0.54, p < 0.01), indicating their similar origins and OC/EC enhanced gaseous mercury forming PBM. The gas-particle partition model predicted gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) were 253 ± 133, 237 ± 122, and 257 ± 144 pg/m3 for GQPI, SAES and SJTU, respectively. The particle proportions of divalent mercury in the fraction of 0.32-1.00 μm were substantial (>80%), but smaller (<50%) for nucleation and coarse modes. The fraction of 9.90-18.00 μm occupied nearly 50% of the overall dry deposition fluxes of mercury. These finding highlight the emissions from different mercury and OC/EC origins, caused different size-specific distributions of PBM, which further affect their gas-particle partitioning and dry deposition of mercury species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deming Han
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zihao Hu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Yingge Ma
- Shanghai Academy of Environmental Science, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Yusen Duan
- Shanghai Environmental Monitor Center, Shanghai, 200235, China
| | - Yan Han
- School of Environmental and Safety Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, China
| | - Xiaojia Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Yong Zhou
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Jinping Cheng
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.
| | - Wenhua Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
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15
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Duan L, Cheng N, Xiu G, Wang F, Chen Y. Characteristics and source appointment of atmospheric particulate mercury over East China Sea: Implication on the deposition of atmospheric particulate mercury in marine environment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 224:26-34. [PMID: 28202264 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.10.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2016] [Revised: 10/11/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) samples were collected at Huaniao Island in northern East China Sea (ECS) from March 2012 to January 2013. Chemical analysis were conducted to measure the concentration of total particulate mercury (TPM) and speciated particulate mercury including HCl-soluble particulate mercury (HPM), elemental particulate mercury (EPM) and residual particulate mercury (RPM). The bromine (Br) and iodine (I) on particles were also detected. The mean concentration of TPM during the study period was 0.23 ± 0.15 ng m-3, while the obviously seasonal variation was found that the concentrations of TPM in spring, summer, fall and winter were 0.34 ± 0.20 ng m-3, 0.15 ± 0.03 ng m-3, 0.15 ± 0.05 ng m-3 and 0.27 ± 0.26 ng m-3, respectively. The statistically strong correlation of bromine and iodine to HPM was only found in spring with r = 0.81 and 0.77 (p < 0.01), respectively. While the strongest correlations between EPM and bromine and iodine were found in winter with r = 0.92 (Br) and 0.96 (I) (p < 0.01), respectively. The clustered 72-h backward trajectories of different seasons and the whole sampling period were categorized into 4 groups. In spring, the clusters passed a long distance across the East China Sea and brought about low concentration of mercury due to the deposition of mercury over the sea. The cluster of air mass across the sea had low concentration of HPM in winter, which suggested that the oxidation of mercury in winter might be related to other oxidants. During the whole sampling period, the air mass from the north of China contributed to the higher concentration of TPM in Huaniao Island.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Duan
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Na Cheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Guangli Xiu
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China.
| | - Fujiang Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution Prevention, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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16
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Hong Y, Chen J, Deng J, Tong L, Xu L, Niu Z, Yin L, Chen Y, Hong Z. Pattern of atmospheric mercury speciation during episodes of elevated PM2.5 levels in a coastal city in the Yangtze River Delta, China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:259-268. [PMID: 27431698 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.06.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Measurement of atmospheric mercury speciation was conducted in a coastal city of the Yangtze River Delta, China from July 2013 to January 2014, in conjunction with air pollutants and meteorological parameters. The mean concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate bound mercury (HgP) and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were 3.26 ± 1.63 ng m-3, 659 ± 931 pg m-3, and 197 ± 246 pg m-3, respectively. High percentages of HgP during haze days were found, due to the increase in direct emissions and gas-particle partitioning of RGM. The average gas-particle partitioning coefficients (Kp) during moderate or severe haze days (PM2.5 > 150 μg m-3) were obviously decreased. GEM and HgP were positively correlated with PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and CO, suggesting a significant contribution of anthropogenic sources. Elevated HgP concentrations in cold seasons and in the morning were observed while RGM exhibited different seasonal and diurnal pattern. The ratio of HgP/SO2 and Pearson correlation analysis suggested that coal combustion was the main cause of increasing atmospheric Hg concentrations. The monitoring site was affected by local, regional and interregional sources. The back trajectory analysis suggested that air mass from northwest China and Huabei Plain contributed to elevated atmospheric Hg in winter and autumn, while southeast China with clean air masses were the major contributor in summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youwei Hong
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of the Cause and Prevention of Urban Air Pollution Complex, Shanghai, 200233, PR China
| | - Jinsheng Chen
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China.
| | - Junjun Deng
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China
| | - Lei Tong
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China
| | - Lingling Xu
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China
| | - Zhenchuan Niu
- Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China
| | - Liqian Yin
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China
| | - Yanting Chen
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Ningbo Urban Environment Observation and Research Station-NUEORS, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, 315800, PR China
| | - Zhenyu Hong
- Center for Excellence in Urban Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; Key Lab of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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17
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Tacey SA, Xu L, Mavrikakis M, Schauer JJ. Heterogeneous Reduction Pathways for Hg(II) Species on Dry Aerosols: A First-Principles Computational Study. J Phys Chem A 2016; 120:2106-13. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.5b12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean A. Tacey
- Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Lang Xu
- Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Manos Mavrikakis
- Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - James J. Schauer
- Department of Chemical
and Biological Engineering and ‡Department of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering, University of Wisconsin−Madison, 1415 Engineering Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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18
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Duan L, Xiu G, Feng L, Cheng N, Wang C. The mercury species and their association with carbonaceous compositions, bromine and iodine in PM2.5 in Shanghai. CHEMOSPHERE 2016; 146:263-271. [PMID: 26735726 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2015.11.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
PM2.5 samples were collected in south Shanghai from November 2013 to October 2014. The species of particulate bounded mercury (PBM), including hydrochloric soluble particle-phase mercury (HPM), element soluble particle-phase mercury (EPM) and residual soluble particle-phase mercury (RPM), were determined in PM2.5. The chemical composition of PM2.5 including organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), total bromine and iodine were also analyzed. The results showed that the annual average concentration of PBM was 0.30 ± 0.31 ng m(-3) and 0.34 ± 0.32 ng m(-3) in winter, 0.31 ± 0.19 ng m(-3) in spring, 0.30 ± 0.45 ng m(-3) in fall and 0.28 ± 0.17 ng m(-3) in summer. HPM took the highest fraction 51.2% in PBM, followed by RPM 27.7% and EPM 21.1%. EC positively correlated to particle mercury, especially in winter (r = 0.70), the same for OC in winter (r = 0.72), which indicated that the carbonaceous composition may affect the transformation of Hg in the atmosphere. Mercury species showed different correlations with bromine and iodine in the four seasons. The strongest correlation between bromine, iodine and mercury was found in spring and fall, respectively. Bromine showed the stronger correlation with total mercury and speciated particle mercury than iodine. In addition, the days were classified into haze and non-haze days based on the visibility and relative humidity, while the ratio of HPM in haze days was much higher than that in non-haze days. EC strongly correlated with PBM during haze and non-haze days while OC only positively correlated with PBM in non-haze days, this may indicate that the different carbonaceous part may affect PBM differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Duan
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Guangli Xiu
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China.
| | - Ling Feng
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Na Cheng
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China
| | - Chenggang Wang
- State Environmental Protection Key Lab of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, PR China
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19
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Siudek P, Frankowski M, Siepak J. Atmospheric particulate mercury at the urban and forest sites in central Poland. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:2341-52. [PMID: 26411447 PMCID: PMC4717177 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-5476-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Particulate mercury concentrations were investigated during intensive field campaigns at the urban and forest sites in central Poland, between April 2013 and October 2014. For the first time, quantitative determination of total particulate mercury in coarse (PHg2.2) and fine (PHg0.7) aerosol samples was conducted in Poznań and Jeziory. The concentrations in urban fine and coarse aerosol fractions amounted to < MDL ± 77.1 pg m(-3) and < MDL ± 604.9 pg m(-3), respectively. Aerosol samples collected during the whole study period showed statistically significant differences for particulate mercury concentrations. A strong impact of meteorological conditions (wind velocity, air mass direction, air temperature, and precipitation amount) on particulate mercury concentrations was also observed. In particular, higher variation and concentration range of PHg0.7 and PHg2.2 was reported for wintertime measurements. An increase in atmospheric particulate mercury during the cold season in the study region indicated that coal combustion, i.e., residential and industrial heating, is the main contribution factor for the selected particle size modes. Coarse particulate Hg at the urban site during summer was mainly attributed to anthropogenic sources, with significant contribution from resuspension processes and long-range transport. The highest values of PHg0.7 and PHg2.2 were found during westerly and southerly wind events, reflecting local emission from highly polluted areas. The period from late fall to spring showed that advection from the southern part of Poland was the main factor responsible for elevated Hg concentrations in fine and coarse particles in the investigated region. Moreover, September 2013 could be given as an example of the influence of additional urban activities which occurred approx. 10 m from the sampling site-construction works connected with replacement of the road surface, asphalting, etc. The concentrations of particulate Hg (>600.0 pg m(-3)) were much higher than during the following months when any similar situation did not occur. Our investigations confirmed that Hg in urban aerosol samples was predominantly related to local industrial and commercial emissions, whereas the main source of Hg in particulate matter collected at the forest site was connected with regional anthropogenic processes. This paper provides the results of the first long-term measurements of size-fractionated particulate mercury conducted in central Poland, which could be an important insight into atmospheric Hg processes within such a scarcely investigated part of Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Siudek
- Department of Water and Soil Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89b Street, 61-614, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Marcin Frankowski
- Department of Water and Soil Analysis, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Umultowska 89b Street, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jerzy Siepak
- Hipolit Cegielski State College of Higher Education in Gniezno, 38 ks. Kard. Stefana Wyszynskiego Street, 62-200, Gniezno, Poland
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20
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Ariya PA, Amyot M, Dastoor A, Deeds D, Feinberg A, Kos G, Poulain A, Ryjkov A, Semeniuk K, Subir M, Toyota K. Mercury Physicochemical and Biogeochemical Transformation in the Atmosphere and at Atmospheric Interfaces: A Review and Future Directions. Chem Rev 2015; 115:3760-802. [DOI: 10.1021/cr500667e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc Amyot
- Department
of Biological Sciences, Université de Montréal, 90
avenue Vincent-d’Indy, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3J7
| | - Ashu Dastoor
- Air
Quality Research Division, Environment Canada, 2121 TransCanada Highway, Dorval, Quebec, Canada, H9P 1J3
| | | | | | | | - Alexandre Poulain
- Department
of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 6N5
| | - Andrei Ryjkov
- Air
Quality Research Division, Environment Canada, 2121 TransCanada Highway, Dorval, Quebec, Canada, H9P 1J3
| | - Kirill Semeniuk
- Air
Quality Research Division, Environment Canada, 2121 TransCanada Highway, Dorval, Quebec, Canada, H9P 1J3
| | - M. Subir
- Department
of Chemistry, Ball State University, 2000 West University Avenue, Muncie, Indiana 47306, United States
| | - Kenjiro Toyota
- Air
Quality Research Division, Environment Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3H 5T4
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21
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Huang J, Lyman SN, Hartman JS, Gustin MS. A review of passive sampling systems for ambient air mercury measurements. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2014; 16:374-392. [PMID: 24362622 DOI: 10.1039/c3em00501a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury (Hg) temporal and spatial patterns must be measured accurately in order to adequately understand the role of this pathway as it relates to Hg toxicity and exposure of humans and wildlife to Hg. It is also important to understand the distribution of the different chemical forms (elemental, oxidized, or particle bound) and specific compounds in air (e.g., HgCl2, HgBr2, HgO, Hg(NO3)2, and HgSO4). However, the current automated and passive sampling methods of measurement have limitations and artifacts impacting our ability to achieve this task. Both abiotic and biotic systems have been developed to measure the total gaseous Hg and oxidized Hg compounds (concentration and deposition). This study reviews and compares the performance of previously and currently applied passive sampling systems. Computable fluid dynamic modeling was conducted to gain additional understanding of a gaseous oxidized Hg (GOM) passive sampler. Case studies during which passive samplers were used are also presented to demonstrate the ability of passive samplers to capture atmospheric Hg variation. A network using passive samplers would be useful for monitoring global Hg trends due to the limits of the current automated method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyan Huang
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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Huang J, Chang FC, Wang S, Han YJ, Castro M, Miller E, Holsen TM. Mercury wet deposition in the eastern United States: characteristics and scavenging ratios. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2013; 15:2321-2328. [PMID: 24190422 DOI: 10.1039/c3em00454f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Wet deposition is an important atmospheric mercury (Hg) pathway between air and terrestrial ecosystems. It is measured at numerous locations in the United States (U. S.) as part of the Mercury Deposition Network (MDN). The annual Hg wet deposition flux in 2009 at four locations in the northeastern U. S. (MDN sites MD08, VT99, NY20, and NY43) ranged from 6.4 to 13.4 μg per m(2) year which is higher than modeled reactive Hg (RM) dry deposition for this region. The highest ambient RM concentrations were seen at MD08, which is closest to significant anthropogenic sources; however, the volume-weighted mean Hg concentrations in precipitation were similar at these four sites. Mass based scavenging ratios (SC) of RM ranged from 1700 to 4500. Differences in SCs were likely a result of differences in meteorological conditions, the forms of RM in the atmosphere, vertical concentration variations, and measurement uncertainties, including precipitation depth and RM concentrations. RM SCs were higher than those reported for other soluble species. Multiple linear regression suggests that gaseous oxidized Hg is responsible for the majority of the scavenged RM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyan Huang
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA
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23
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Tong Y, Eichhorst T, Olson MR, McGinnis JE, Turner I, Rutter AP, Shafer MM, Wang X, Schauer JJ. Atmospheric photolytic reduction of Hg(ii) in dry aerosols. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2013; 15:1883-1888. [PMID: 23955120 DOI: 10.1039/c3em00249g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A laboratory reactor system was developed to examine the role of light and aerosol composition in the reduction of oxidized mercury (Hg(ii)) in laboratory-generated aerosols. Aerosolized sodium chloride, doped with mercury chloride, was exposed to light in a fixed-bed flow-through reactor. Three spectral ranges (UV, visible and a simulated solar spectrum) were examined, along with dark experiments, to investigate the role of light conditions in mercury reduction. In addition, the role of iron in the aerosol matrix was examined. The effluent from the reactor was analyzed for Hg(0) as evidence of reduction of Hg(ii) in the reactor. Significant reduction of Hg(ii) (1.5-9.9%) was observed for all three light sources and the rate of mercury reduction was proportional to the light irradiance. The presence of iron in the aerosol matrix inhibited the reduction rate and the degree of inhibition was dependent on the chemical form of the iron in the aerosol. The observed reduction reactions may be important chemical processes in the atmosphere and could be incorporated in atmospheric transport models that are used to understand the fate of atmospheric mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yindong Tong
- Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes//College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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24
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Gustin MS, Huang J, Miller MB, Peterson C, Jaffe DA, Ambrose J, Finley BD, Lyman SN, Call K, Talbot R, Feddersen D, Mao H, Lindberg SE. Do we understand what the mercury speciation instruments are actually measuring? Results of RAMIX. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:7295-7306. [PMID: 23305532 DOI: 10.1021/es3039104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
From August 22 to September 16, 2012, atmospheric mercury (Hg) was measured from a common manifold in the field during the Reno Atmospheric Mercury Intercomparison eXperiment. Data were collected using Tekran systems, laser induced fluorescence, and evolving new methods. The latter included the University of Washington-Detector for Oxidized Mercury, the University of Houston Mercury instrument, and a filter-based system under development by the University of Nevada-Reno. Good transmission of total Hg was found for the manifold. However, despite application of standard protocols and rigorous quality control, systematic differences in operationally defined forms of Hg were measured by the sampling systems. Concentrations of reactive Hg (RM) measured with new methods were at times 2-to-3-fold higher than that measured by Tekran system. The low RM recovery by the latter can be attributed to lack of collection as the system is currently configured. Concentrations measured by all instruments were influenced by their sampling location in-the-manifold and the instrument analytical configuration. On the basis of collective assessment of the data, we hypothesize that reactions forming RM were occurring in the manifold. Results provide a new framework for improved understanding of the atmospheric chemistry of Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mae Sexauer Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States.
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25
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Huang J, Miller MB, Weiss-Penzias P, Gustin MS. Comparison of gaseous oxidized Hg measured by KCl-coated denuders, and nylon and cation exchange membranes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:7307-7316. [PMID: 23651121 DOI: 10.1021/es4012349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The chemical compounds that make up gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in the atmosphere, and the reactions responsible for their formation, are not well understood. The limitations and uncertainties associated with the current method applied to measure these compounds, the KCl-coated denuder, are not known due to lack of calibration and testing. This study systematically compared the uptake of specific GOM compounds by KCl-coated denuders with that collected using nylon and cation exchange membranes in the laboratory and field. In addition, a new method for identifying different GOM compounds using thermal desorption is presented. Different GOM compounds (HgCl2, HgBr2, and HgO) were found to have different affinities for the denuder surface and the denuder underestimated each of these compounds. Membranes measured 1.3 to 3.7 times higher GOM than denuders in laboratory and field experiments. Cation exchange membranes had the highest collection efficiency. Thermodesorption profiles for the release of GOM compounds from the nylon membrane were different for HgO versus HgBr2 and HgCl2. Application of the new field method for collection and identification of GOM compounds demonstrated these vary as a function of location and time of year. Understanding the chemistry of GOM across space and time has important implications for those developing policy regarding this environmental contaminant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyan Huang
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664, N. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
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26
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Wang Y, Huang J, Hopke PK, Rattigan OV, Chalupa DC, Utell MJ, Holsen TM. Effect of the shutdown of a large coal-fired power plant on ambient mercury species. CHEMOSPHERE 2013; 92:360-367. [PMID: 23422172 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Revised: 12/14/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
In the spring of 2008, a 260MWe coal-fired power plant (CFPP) located in Rochester, New York was closed over a 4month period. Using a 2-years data record, the impacts of the shutdown of the CFPP on nearby ambient concentrations of three Hg species were quantified. The arithmetic average ambient concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and particulate mercury (PBM) during December 2007-November 2009 were 1.6ngm(-3), 5.1pgm(-3), and 8.9pgm(-3), respectively. The median concentrations of GEM, GOM, and PBM significantly decreased by 12%, 73%, and 50% after the CFPP closed (Mann-Whitney test, p<0.001). Positive Matrix Factorization (EPA PMF v4.1) identified six factors including O3-rich, traffic, gas phase oxidation, wood combustion, nucleation, and CFPP. When the CFPP was closed, median concentrations of GEM, GOM, and PBM apportioned to the CFPP factor significantly decreased by 25%, 74%, and 67%, respectively, compared to those measured when the CFPP was still in operation (Mann-Whitney test, p<0.001). Conditional probability function (CPF) analysis showed the greatest reduction in all three Hg species was associated with northwesterly winds pointing toward the CFPP. These changes were clearly attributable to the closure of the CFPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yungang Wang
- Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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27
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Driscoll CT, Mason RP, Chan HM, Jacob DJ, Pirrone N. Mercury as a global pollutant: sources, pathways, and effects. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:4967-83. [PMID: 23590191 PMCID: PMC3701261 DOI: 10.1021/es305071v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1124] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2012] [Revised: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects human and ecosystem health. We synthesize understanding of sources, atmosphere-land-ocean Hg dynamics and health effects, and consider the implications of Hg-control policies. Primary anthropogenic Hg emissions greatly exceed natural geogenic sources, resulting in increases in Hg reservoirs and subsequent secondary Hg emissions that facilitate its global distribution. The ultimate fate of emitted Hg is primarily recalcitrant soil pools and deep ocean waters and sediments. Transfers of Hg emissions to largely unavailable reservoirs occur over the time scale of centuries, and are primarily mediated through atmospheric exchanges of wet/dry deposition and evasion from vegetation, soil organic matter and ocean surfaces. A key link between inorganic Hg inputs and exposure of humans and wildlife is the net production of methylmercury, which occurs mainly in reducing zones in freshwater, terrestrial, and coastal environments, and the subsurface ocean. Elevated human exposure to methylmercury primarily results from consumption of estuarine and marine fish. Developing fetuses are most at risk from this neurotoxin but health effects of highly exposed populations and wildlife are also a concern. Integration of Hg science with national and international policy efforts is needed to target efforts and evaluate efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles T Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, United States.
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Yu X, Driscoll CT, Huang J, Holsen TM, Blackwell BD. Modeling and mapping of atmospheric mercury deposition in adirondack park, new york. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59322. [PMID: 23536871 PMCID: PMC3607617 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Adirondacks of New York State, USA is a region that is sensitive to atmospheric mercury (Hg) deposition. In this study, we estimated atmospheric Hg deposition to the Adirondacks using a new scheme that combined numerical modeling and limited experimental data. The majority of the land cover in the Adirondacks is forested with 47% of the total area deciduous, 20% coniferous and 10% mixed. We used litterfall plus throughfall deposition as the total atmospheric Hg deposition to coniferous and deciduous forests during the leaf-on period, and wet Hg deposition plus modeled atmospheric dry Hg deposition as the total Hg deposition to the deciduous forest during the leaf-off period and for the non-forested areas year-around. To estimate atmospheric dry Hg deposition we used the Big Leaf model. The average atmospheric Hg deposition to the Adirondacks was estimated as 17.4 [Formula: see text]g m[Formula: see text] yr[Formula: see text] with a range of -3.7-46.0 [Formula: see text]g m[Formula: see text] yr[Formula: see text]. Atmospheric Hg dry deposition (370 kg yr[Formula: see text]) was found to be more important than wet deposition (210 kg yr[Formula: see text]) to the entire Adirondacks (2.4 million ha). The spatial pattern showed a large variation in atmospheric Hg deposition with scattered areas in the eastern Adirondacks having total Hg deposition greater than 30 μg m(-2) yr(-1), while the southwestern and the northern areas received Hg deposition ranging from 25-30 μg m(-2) yr(-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse Univeresity, Syracuse, New York, United States of America.
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29
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Pancras JP, Vedantham R, Landis MS, Norris GA, Ondov JM. Application of EPA unmix and nonparametric wind regression on high time resolution trace elements and speciated mercury in Tampa, Florida aerosol. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2011; 45:3511-3518. [PMID: 21401082 DOI: 10.1021/es103400h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Intensive ambient air sampling was conducted in Tampa, FL, during October and November of 2002. Fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) was collected at 30 min resolution using the Semicontinuous Elements in Aerosol Sampler II (SEAS-II) and analyzed off-line for up to 45 trace elements by high-resolution ICPMS (HR-ICPMS). Divalent reactive gaseous mercury and particulate bound mercury were also measured semicontinuously (2 h). Application of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Unmix receptor model on the 30 min resolution trace metals data set identified eight possible sources: residual oil combustion, lead recycling, coal combustion, a Cd-rich source, biomass burning, marine aerosol, general industrial, and coarse dust contamination. The source contribution estimates from EPA Unmix were then run in a nonparametric wind regression (NWR) model, which convincingly identified plausible source origins. When the 30 min ambient concentrations of trace elements were time integrated (2 h) and combined with speciated mercury concentrations, the model identified only four sources, some of which appeared to be merged source profiles that were identified as separate sources by using the 30 min resolution data. This work demonstrates that source signatures that can be captured at 30 min resolution may be lost when sampling for longer durations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Patrick Pancras
- Alion Science and Technology , P.O. Box 12313, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States.
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30
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Oil refinery dusts: morphological and size analysis by TEM. Anal Bioanal Chem 2010; 399:3261-70. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-010-4416-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2010] [Revised: 10/25/2010] [Accepted: 11/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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31
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Vijayaraghavan K, Karamchandani P, Seigneur C, Balmori R, Chen SY. Plume-in-grid modeling of atmospheric mercury. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008jd010580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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32
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Seigneur C, Lohman K. Effect of bromine chemistry on the atmospheric mercury cycle. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008jd010262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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33
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Obrist D, Moosmüller H, Schürmann R, Chen LWA, Kreidenweis SM. Particulate-phase and gaseous elemental mercury emissions during biomass combustion: controlling factors and correlation with particulate matter emissions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2008; 42:721-727. [PMID: 18323093 DOI: 10.1021/es071279n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Mercury emissions from wildfires are significant natural sources of atmospheric mercury, but little is known about what controls speciation of emissions important to mercury deposition processes. The goal of this study was to quantify gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and particulate-phase mercury (PHg) emissions from biomass combustion to identify key factors controlling the speciation. Emissions were characterized in an exhaust stack 17 m above fires using a gaseous mercury analyzer and quartz-fiber filters. Fuels included fresh and air-dried leaves, needles, and branches with different fuel moistures (9-95% of dry weight) and combustion properties (e.g., from < 10 to 90% of fire durations characterized by flaming phases). Fuel moisture was the overall driving factor defining emissions, with GEM being the dominant fraction (> or = 95%) in low moisture fuels and substantial PHg contributions--up to 50% of total mercury emissions--in fresh fuels. High PHg emissions were observed during smoldering combustion whereas flaming-dominated fires showed insignificant PHg emissions. PHg mass emissions were correlated with particulate matter (PM; r2 = 0.67), organic carbon (OC; r2 = 0.63) and sulfur (S; r2 = 0.46) mass emissions, but not with elemental carbon (EC) nor with the total mercury emissions. These data suggest that the formation of PHg involves similar processes as the formation of particulate OC, for example condensation of volatile species onto preexisting smoke particles during cooling and dilution. Based on the observed relationship between PM and OC mass concentrations and published emission inventories, we estimate global PHg emissions by wildfires of 4-5 Mg yr(-1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Obrist
- Division of Atmospheric Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada, USA.
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