The study of the mercury cycle in polar regions: An international study in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard

• Main Authors: Ferrari,Christophe, Gauchard,Pierre-Alexis, Magand,Olivier, Aspmo,Katrine, Temme,Christian, Steffen,Alexandra, Berg,Torunn, Strom,Johan, Dommergue,Aurelien, Bahlmann,Enno, Planchon,Frederic, Ebinghaus,Ralf, Banic,Cathy, Nagorski,Sonia, Baussand,Patrick, Amato,Pierre, Fain,Xavier, Hennebelle,Raphaelle, Delort,Anne-Marie, Sancelme,Martine, Cairns,Warren, Barbante,Carlo, Cescon,Paolo, Kaleschke,Lars, Boutron,Claude
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)/Institute for Coastal Research, GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht/Air Quality Research Branch, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada/Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU)/Institute of Applied Environmental Research (ITM)/Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Institute for Coastal Research, GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht/Environmental Sciences Department, University of Venice/Institute for Coastal Research, GKSS Research Centre Geesthacht/Air Quality Research Branch, Meteorological Service of Canada, Environment Canada/Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Groupe de Recherche sur l'Environnement et la Chimie Atmospherique/Laboratoire de Meteorologie Physique du CNRS, Universite Blaise Pascal/Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S./Laboratoire de Synthese Et Etudes de Systemes a Interets Biologiques (SEESIB)/Laboratoire de Synthese Et Etudes de Systemes a Interets Biologiques (SEESIB)/Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali del CNR/Environmental Sciences Department, University of Venice/Environmental Sciences Department, University of Venice/Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen/Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'Environnement du C.N.R.S. 2006
• Subjects: mercury; Arctic; deposition; snow; exchanges; accumulation; Svalbard; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=2517; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00002517/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=2517&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic pollutant and it can be strongly accumulated in the food chain, especially in Polar Regions. This paper presents a part of the work that has been on-going for 3-4 years in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard within the frame of an international collaboration. In Ny-Alesund in spring 2003, the atmospheric chemistry of mercury has been studied so as to better understand the formation of oxidized mercury species in the atmosphere that could be deposited onto snow surfaces. The role of snow as a potential source of mercury to the atmosphere or as a sink has also been approached to better understand the behavior of this metal. Chemical and biological processes seem to play a major role in Hg storage in snow. When melting, snow could be a major source of Hg into the various ecosystems and this toxin could therefore be accumulated into the food chain.