Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya
Mercury emitted by anthropogenic and natural sources occurs in the atmosphere mostly in the gaseous elemental form, which has a long lifetime in tropical and temperate regions. Once deposited in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems the metal is partly re-emitted into the air, thus assuming the charact...
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Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/11365/19526 https://doi.org/10.1021/es0507315 |
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ftunivsiena:oai:usiena-air.unisi.it:11365/19526 2024-04-14T08:03:07+00:00 Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya BARGAGLI, R. AGNORELLI, C. BORGHINI, F. MONACI, F. Bargagli, R. Agnorelli, C. Borghini, F. Monaci, F. 2005 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11365/19526 https://doi.org/10.1021/es0507315 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/16294848 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000233078000014 volume:39 issue:21 firstpage:8150 lastpage:8155 numberofpages:6 journal:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY http://hdl.handle.net/11365/19526 doi:10.1021/es0507315 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-27644594249 info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2005 ftunivsiena https://doi.org/10.1021/es0507315 2024-03-21T15:56:21Z Mercury emitted by anthropogenic and natural sources occurs in the atmosphere mostly in the gaseous elemental form, which has a long lifetime in tropical and temperate regions. Once deposited in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems the metal is partly re-emitted into the air, thus assuming the characteristics of global pollutants such as persistent volatile chemicals. In polar regions, during and after the sunrise, the photochemically driven oxidation of gaseous Hg by reactive halogens may result in areas of greatly enhanced Hg deposition. Mercury concentrations in soils, lichens, and mosses collected in a stretch between 74 degrees 30' S and 76 degrees 00' S, in ice-free coastal areas of Victoria Land facing the Terra Nova Bay coastal polynya, were higher than typical Antarctic baselines. The finding of enhanced Hg bioaccumulation in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya strongly supports recent speculations on the role of ice crystals ("frost flowers") growing in polynyas as a dominant source of sea salt aerosols and bromine compounds, which are involved in springtime mercury depletion events (MDEs). These results raise concern about the possible environmental effects of changes in regional climate and sea ice coverage, and on the possible role of Antarctica as a sink in the mercury cycle. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Sea ice Victoria Land Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air Antarctic Terra Nova Bay Victoria Land Environmental Science & Technology 39 21 8150 8155 |
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Open Polar |
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Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air |
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ftunivsiena |
language |
English |
description |
Mercury emitted by anthropogenic and natural sources occurs in the atmosphere mostly in the gaseous elemental form, which has a long lifetime in tropical and temperate regions. Once deposited in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems the metal is partly re-emitted into the air, thus assuming the characteristics of global pollutants such as persistent volatile chemicals. In polar regions, during and after the sunrise, the photochemically driven oxidation of gaseous Hg by reactive halogens may result in areas of greatly enhanced Hg deposition. Mercury concentrations in soils, lichens, and mosses collected in a stretch between 74 degrees 30' S and 76 degrees 00' S, in ice-free coastal areas of Victoria Land facing the Terra Nova Bay coastal polynya, were higher than typical Antarctic baselines. The finding of enhanced Hg bioaccumulation in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya strongly supports recent speculations on the role of ice crystals ("frost flowers") growing in polynyas as a dominant source of sea salt aerosols and bromine compounds, which are involved in springtime mercury depletion events (MDEs). These results raise concern about the possible environmental effects of changes in regional climate and sea ice coverage, and on the possible role of Antarctica as a sink in the mercury cycle. |
author2 |
Bargagli, R. Agnorelli, C. Borghini, F. Monaci, F. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
BARGAGLI, R. AGNORELLI, C. BORGHINI, F. MONACI, F. |
spellingShingle |
BARGAGLI, R. AGNORELLI, C. BORGHINI, F. MONACI, F. Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
author_facet |
BARGAGLI, R. AGNORELLI, C. BORGHINI, F. MONACI, F. |
author_sort |
BARGAGLI, R. |
title |
Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
title_short |
Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
title_full |
Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
title_fullStr |
Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
title_full_unstemmed |
Enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
title_sort |
enhanced deposition and bioaccumulation of mercury in antarctic terrestrial ecosystems facing a coastal polynya |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11365/19526 https://doi.org/10.1021/es0507315 |
geographic |
Antarctic Terra Nova Bay Victoria Land |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Terra Nova Bay Victoria Land |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Sea ice Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Sea ice Victoria Land |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/16294848 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000233078000014 volume:39 issue:21 firstpage:8150 lastpage:8155 numberofpages:6 journal:ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY http://hdl.handle.net/11365/19526 doi:10.1021/es0507315 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-27644594249 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1021/es0507315 |
container_title |
Environmental Science & Technology |
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39 |
container_issue |
21 |
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8150 |
op_container_end_page |
8155 |
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