Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric mercury species over the Adriatic Sea

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Fluid Mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Field measurements of atmospheric mercury and related species were carried out during an intensive cruise campaign performed over the Adriatic sea from October 26th to November 12th, 2004 on board the R/V Urania. Hg0 ranged between 0.8 and 3.3 ng/m3 with an average of 1.6  ±  0.4 ng/m3 over the entire period. Hg(II) concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 62.8 pg/m3 with an average of 6.7  ±  11.7 pg/m3 whereas Hg-p levels were in a range of 0.04 and 51 pg/m3 with an average of 4.5  ±  8 pg/m3. Higher Hg0 and Hg-p concentrations were observed in the Gulf of Venice and Gulf of Trieste due primarily to air masses transported from the mainland reflecting the contribution from anthropogenic sources. In contrast, higher Hg(II) concentrations observed during the first period of the cruise campaign were likely due to the occurrence of photo-oxidants production which are the main players of the gas phase oxidation of \({\rm H}{\rm g}^{0}_{({\rm g})}\) to Hg(II)(g). These findings have been confirmed by the backward trajectories analysis of air masses crossing the studied area during selected days.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Pacyna EG, Pacyna JM and Pirrone N (2001). European emissions of atmospheric mercury from anthropogenic sources in 1995. Atmos Environ 35: 2987–2996

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pirrone N, Ferrara R, Hedgecock IM, Kallos G, Mamane Y, Munthe J, Pacyna JM, Pytharoulis I, Sprovieri F, Voudouri A and Wangberg I (2003). Dynamic processes of mercury over the Mediterranean region: results from the Mediterranean Atmospheric Mercury Cycle System (MAMCS) project. Atmos Environ 37-S1: 21–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Pirrone N, Sprovieri F, Hedgecock IM, Trunfio A, Cinnirella S (2005) Dynamic processes of atmospheric mercury in the Mediterranean region. In: Pirrone N, Mahaffey K (eds) Dynamics of mercury pollution on regional and global scales. Springer, Norwell, Chapter 23, pp 541–579

  4. Pirrone N (2007) Special issue on biogechemical cycling of mercury and other trace contaminants in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar chem. 107:1–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lindberg SE, Bullock R, Ebinghaus R, Engstrom D, Feng X, Fitzgerald W, Pirrone N, Presto E and Seigneur C (2007). A synthesis of progress and uncertainties in attributing the sources of mercury in deposition. Ambio 36: 19–32

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hedgecock IM and Pirrone N (2004). Chasing quicksilver: modeling the atmospheric lifetime of Hg0 (g) in the marine boundary layer at various latitudes. Environ Sci Technol 38: 69–76

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lindberg SE, Brooks S, Lin CJ, Scott KJ, Landis MS, Stevens RK, Goodsite M and Richter A (2002). Dynamic oxidation of gaseous mercury in the arctic troposphere at polar sunrise. Environ Sci Technol 36: 1245–1256

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Lu JY, Schroeder WH, Barrie LA, Steffen A, Welch HE, Martin K, Lockhart L, Hunt RV, Boila G and Richter A (2001). Magnification of atmospheric mercury deposition to polar regions in springtime: the link to tropospheric ozone depletion chemistry. Geophys Res Lett 28(17): 3219–3222

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Sprovieri F, Pirrone N, Hedgecock IM, Landis MS and Stevens RK (2002). Intensive atmospheric mercury measurements at Terra Nova Bay in Antarctica during November and December 2000. J Geophys Res 107(D23): 4722

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ebinghaus R, Kock HH, Temme C, Einax JW, Löwe A, Richter A, Burrows J and Schroeder WH (2002). Antarctic springtime depletion atmospheric mercury. Environ Sci Technol 36: 1238–1244

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sprovieri F, Pirrone N, Landis MS and Stevens RK (2005a). Oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury to gaseous divalent mercury during 2003 polar sunrise at Ny-Alesund. Environ Sci Technol 39(23): 9156–9165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Sprovieri F, Pirrone N, Landis MS and Stevens RK (2005b). Atmospheric mercury behavior at different altitudes at Ny Alesund during Spring 2003. Atmos Environ 39: 7646–7656

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Horvat M, Kotnik J, Fajon V, Logar M, Zvonaric T and Pirrone N (2001). Speciation of mercuryin waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Mater Geoenviron 48: 224–252

    Google Scholar 

  14. Horvat M, Kotnik J, Fajon V, Logar M, Zvonaric T and Pirrone N (2003). Speciation of mercury in surface and deep-sea waters in the Mediterranean Sea. Atmos Environ 37/S1: 93–108

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gardfeldt K, Sommar J, Ferrara R, Ceccarini C, Lanzillotta E, Munthe J, Wangberg I, Lindqvist O, Pirrone N., Sprovieri F and Pesenti E (2003). Evasion of mercury from coastal and open waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Atmos Environ 37-S1: 73–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Kotnik J, Horvat M, Tessier E, Ogrinc N, Monperrus M, Amouroux D, Fajon V, Gibicar D, Zizek S, Horvat N, Sprovieri F and Pirrone N (2007). Mercury speciation in surface and deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Chem 107: 13–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Pirrone N, Costa P, Pacyna JM and Ferrara R (2001). Mercury emissions to the atmosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources in the Mediterranean region. Atmos Environ 35: 2997–3006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Hedgecock IM and Pirrrone N (2001). Mercury and photochemistry in the marine boundary layer-modelling studies suggest the in situ production of reactive gas phase mercury. Atmos Environ 35: 3055–3062

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hedgecock I, Pirrone N, Sprovieri F and Pesenti E (2003). Reactive gaseous mercury in the marine boundary layer: modeling and experimental evidence of its formation in the Mediterranean. Atmos Environ 37/S1: 41–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Ariya PA, Khalizov A and Gidas A (2002). Reactions of gaseous mercury with atomic and molecular halogens: kinetics, product studies, and atmospheric implications. J Phys Chem A 106: 7310–7320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mason RP, Lawson NM and Sheu G-R (2001). Mercury in the Atlantis Ocean: factors controlling air–sea exchange of mercury and its distribution in the upper waters. Deep-Sea Res II 48: 2829–2853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Laurier FJG, Mason RP, Whalin L, Kato S (2003) Reactive gaseous mercury formation in the North Pacific Ocean’s marine boundary layer: a potential role of halogen chemistry. J Geophys Res 108(D17):4529, doi: 10.1029/2003JD003625

  23. Lamborg CH, Fitzgerald WF, O’Donnell J and Torgersen T (2002). A nonsteady state compartmental model of global-scale mercury biogeochemistry with interhemispheric atmospheric gradients. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 66: 1105–1118

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Faganeli J, Horvat M, Covelli S, Fajon V, Logar M, Lipej L and Cermelj B (2001). Mercury in the waters of the gulf of trieste (northern Adriatic). RMZ—Mater Geoenviron 48(1): 144–150

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ferrara R, Lanzillotta E and Ceccarini C (2001). Dissolved gaseous mercuryconcentration and mercuryevasional flux from seawater in front of a chlor-alkali plant. Environ Technol 22: 971–978

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Landis MS, Stevens RK, Schaedlich F and Prestbo EM (2002). Development and characterization of an annular denuder methodology for the measurement of divalent inorganic reactive gaseous mercury in ambient air. Environ Sci Technol 36: 3000–3009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Draxler RR, Rolph GD (2003) HYSPLIT (HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) Model access via NOAA ARL READY, Website (http://www.arl.noaa.gov/ready/hysplit4.html). NOAA Air Resources Laboratory, Silver Spring, MD

  28. Wängberg I, Munthe J, Pirrone N, Iverfeldt Å, Bahlman E, Costa P, Ebinghaus R, Feng X, Ferrara R, Gårdfeldt K, Kock H, Lanzillotta E, Mamane Y, Mas F, Melamed E, Osnat Y, Prestbo E, Sommar J, Schmolke S, Spain G, Sprovieri F and Tuncel G (2001). Atmospheric mercury distributions in North Europe and in the Mediterranean region. Atmos Environ 35: 3019–3025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sprovieri F, Pirrone N, Gärdfeldt K and Sommar J (2003). Mercury speciation in the marine boundary layer along a 6000 km cruise path around the Mediterranean Sea. Atmos Environ 37: S6371

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Costa M and Liss P (2000). Photoreduction and evaluation of mercury from seawater. Sci Total Environ 261: 125–135

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Anderson M, Gardfeldt K, Wangberg I, Sprovieri F, Pirrone N and Lindqvist O (2007). Seasonal and daily variation of mercury evasion at coastal and off-shore sites at the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Chem 107: 104–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Fantozzi L, Ferrara R, Frontini FP and Dini F (2007). Factors influencing the daily behaviour of dissolved gaseous mercury concentration in the Mediterranean Sea. Mar Chem 107: 4–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Pirrone N, Hedgecock I and Forlano L (2000). The role of the ambient aerosol in the atmospheric processing of semi-volatile contaminants: a parameterised numerical model (GASPAR). J Geophys Res D105(8): 9773–9790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Hedgecock IM, Pirrone N, Trunfio GA, Sprovieri F (2006) Integrated mercury cycling, transport, and air–water exchange (MECAWEx) model. J Geophys Res 111 (D20302), doi: 10.1029/2006JD007117

  35. Hedgecock IM, Pirrone N (2005) Modelling chemical and physical processes of Hg compounds in the marine boundary layer. In: Pirrone N, Mahaffey K (eds) Dynamics of mercury pollution on regional and global scales. Springer, Norwell, Chapter 13, pp 295–317

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR, Institute for Atmospheric Pollution (IIA), c/o UNICAL, Polifunzionale, 87036, Rende, Cosenza, Italy

    Francesca Sprovieri & Nicola Pirrone

Authors
  1. Francesca Sprovieri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nicola Pirrone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francesca Sprovieri.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sprovieri, F., Pirrone, N. Spatial and temporal distribution of atmospheric mercury species over the Adriatic Sea. Environ Fluid Mech 8, 117–128 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-007-9045-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10652-007-9045-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation