Seasonal Evolution of Size-Segregated Particulate Mercury in the Atmospheric Aerosol Over Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica

• Published in: Molecules
• Main Authors: Silvia Illuminati, Anna Annibaldi, Sébastien Bau, Claudio Scarchilli, Virginia Ciardini, Paolo Grigioni, Federico Girolametti, Flavio Vagnoni, Giuseppe Scarponi, Cristina Truzzi
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2020
• Subjects: particulate mercury; mercury size-resolved distribution; dry deposition; meteorological parameter; backward trajectories; Antarctica; Antarctic; Terra Nova Bay; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Sea ice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25173971

Size-fractionated particulate mercury (PHg) measurements were performed from November 2017 to January 2018 at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica) for the first time. Samples were collected every 10 days by a six-stage high-volume cascade impactor with size classes between 10 μm and 0.49 μm. Total PHg concentrations were maxima (87 ± 8 pg m−3) in November, then decreased to values ~40% lower and remained almost constant until the end of the sampling period (~30 pg m−3). The trimodal aerosol mass distribution reveals that from 30% to 90% of the total PHg came in the size > 1.0 μm. Hg in the two coarse fractions was probably produced by the adsorption of oxidized Hg species transported by air masses from the Antarctic plateau or produced locally by sea ice edges. PHg in accumulation mode seemed to be related to gas–particle partitioning with sea salt aerosol. Finally, average dry deposition fluxes of PHg were calculated to be 0.36 ± 0.21 ng m−2 d−1 in the accumulation mode, 47 ± 44 ng m−2 d−1 in the first coarse mode, and 37 ± 31 ng m−2 d−1 in the second coarse mode. The present work contributed to the comprehension of the Hg biogeochemical cycle, but further research studies are needed.