Summary of Part B: Mercury Nicola Pirrone CNR Institute of - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Summary of Part B: Mercury Nicola Pirrone CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research Rome, Italy 6 th Meeting of the TF HTAP Mercure Brussels Center Louise, Brussels 14-16 June 2010 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B1 - Conceptual Overview (30 pages) Lead Author: Robert Mason Contributing Authors: Ian Hedgecock, Nicola Pirrone, Noriyuki Suzuki, Leonard Levin B2 – Observations (57 pages) Lead Author: Ralf Ebinghaus Contributing Authors: Aurélien Dommergue, Dan Jaffe, Gerald J. Keeler, Hans Herbert Kock, Nicola Pirrone, David Schmeltz, Francesca Sprovieri B3 – Emissions (24 pages) Lead Author: Nicola Pirrone Contributing Authors: Sergio Cinnirella, Xinbin Feng, Hans Friedli, Leonard Levin, Jozef Pacyna, Elisabeth G. Pacyna, David Streets, Kyrre Sundseth B4 - Global and Regional Modeling (50 pages) Lead Authors: Oleg Travnikov, Che-Jen Lin, Ashu Dastoor Contributing Authors: O. Russell Bullock, Ian M. Hedgecock, Christopher Holmes, Ilia Ilyin, Lyatt Jaeglé, Gerlinde Jung, Li Pan, Pruek Pongprueksa, Christian Seigneur, Henrik Skov B5 – Impacts (39 pages) Lead Author: Elsie Sunderland Contributing Authors: Elizabeth Corbitt, Daniel Cossa, David Evers, Hans Friedli, David Krabbenhoft, Leonard Levin, Nicola Pirrone, Glenn Rice B6 – Executive Summary (10 pages) Authors: Nicola Pirrone, Ian M. Hedgecock Part B = 210 pages CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

The Mercury Cycle B1 - Conceptual Overview A: Major Ecosystem Inputs and Outputs of Mercury A: Major Ecosystem Inputs and Outputs of Mercury Wet Deposition and Dry Deposition of Gaseous Wet Deposition and Dry Deposition of Gaseous Evasion from Evasion from and Particulate Hg and Particulate Hg Soil and Vegetation Soil and Vegetation Evasion Evasion Watershed Retention Watershed Retention and Transport/Runoff of and Transport/Runoff of Hg and CH 3 Hg Hg and CH 3 Hg Bioaccumulation Bioaccumulation of CH 3 Hg of CH 3 Hg B: Major Aquatic Mercury Pathways B: Major Aquatic Mercury Pathways Biota evasion evasion evasion Burial Burial reduction reduction reduction in Sediments in Sediments demethylation demethylation demethylation CH 3 Hg(II) CH 3 Hg(II) CH 3 Hg(II) Hg(II) Hg(II) Hg(II) Hg(0) Hg(0) Hg(0) methylation methylation methylation oxidation oxidation oxidation diffusion diffusion diffusion sedimentation sedimentation sedimentation diffusion diffusion diffusion resuspension resuspension resuspension resuspension resuspension resuspension Source: Sunderland & Mason, 2007 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

Major Findings B1 - Conceptual Overview  Mercury impact is not directly related to its atmospheric burden, which is mostly as Hg 0 , which has a low deposition velocity and is relatively insoluble. Oxidized forms of Hg are removed from the atmosphere more readily. Given the long residence time of Hg 0 in the atmosphere, this is the major  transport pathway for the global redistribution of Hg.  Levels of MeHg in fish are used as the major environmental impact indicator of Hg contamination, and they respond both to changes in atmospheric Hg inputs and composition, and changes in environmental conditions in the atmosphere and in aquatic ecosystems. The response time to changes in atmospheric oxidized Hg (RGHg) input is most rapid, with the response to changes in Hg 0 , and to other environmental variables being much slower.  The current lack of understanding of a number of important processes in the environmental cycling of Hg between the earth's surface and the atmosphere, and the transformations which take place in the atmosphere, make it almost impossible to predict the changes that might occur due to climate change. Without detailed information from a monitoring network, it will be very difficult to estimate the changes that may occur and to make accurate predictions of future trends. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B1 - Conceptual Overview Recommendations  Studies are needed on possible measures to reduce the global atmospheric Hg pool. Efforts to control the inputs of oxidized Hg will have more immediate benefit but long term reduction in the Hg 0 content of the atmosphere is also needed to achieve the required health and environmental thresholds.  More studies of the mechanisms of exchange of atmospheric Hg with the aquatic environment are needed, and these fluxes need to be better quantified and constrained.  Further studies of the atmospheric oxidation mechanisms of Hg 0 are needed as, in the absence of oxidized emissions; this is a critical process step between atmospheric Hg and its environmental impact. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Worldwide Mercury Measurements CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Worldwide Mercury Measurements CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Past Trends Chemical analysis of lake sediments, ice cores and peat deposits from both hemispheres indicates about a threefold increase of mercury deposition since pre-industrial times from: Lindberg, S., Bullock, R., Ebinghaus, R., Engstrom, D., Feng, X., Fitzgerald, W., Pirrone, N., Prestbo, E. and Seigneur C. (2007) A Synthesis of Progress and Uncertainties in Attributing the Sources of Mercury in Deposition. Ambio, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp.19-32. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Monitoring of More Recent Change • Asian mercury emissions are suggested to be rapidly increasing at least in the past decade • In principal, an increase of the global atmospheric Hg pool should also be reflected in the background Hg concentration in ambient air. • Regional differences, temporal trends and potential sources and source regions can be identified by monitoring networks. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Monitoring Network in the framework of MAMCS, MOE, MERCYMS 1. Mallorca (39 ° 40’30” N, 2 ° 41’36”E); 2. Calabria (39 ° 25’N, 16 ° 00’E); 3. Sicily (36 ° 40’N, 15 ° l0’E); 4. Turkey (36 ° 28’12”N, 30 ° 20’24”E); 5. Israel (32 ° 40’N, 34 ° 56’E); 6. Germany (53 ° 08’34”N, 13 ° 02’00”); 7. Germany (54 ° 26’14”N, 12 ° 43’30”E); 8. Sweden (57 ° 24’48”N, ll ° 56’06”E); 9. Sweden (58 ° 48’00”, 17 ° 22’54”E); 10.Ireland (53 ° 20’N, 9 ° 54’W) CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Source: Sprovieri et al. ACPD, 2010 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

Atmospheric and Air-Water Interface Studies B2 – Measurements since 2000 2000 2003 2004 See special issue in: Atmospheric Environment 2001, 2003, 2005 Marine Chemistry 2007 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2010 2005 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Source: Sprovieri et al. ACPD, 2010 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Source: Sprovieri et al. ACPD, 2010 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Spatial characteristics of atmospheric Hg in U.S. Source: Sprovieri et al. ACPD, 2010 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements Spatial characteristics of atmospheric Hg in U.S. Precip. Hg 0 RGM Hgp [Hg T ] Range of Means Mean - Max Mean - Max (ng/m3) (pg/m3) (pg/m3) Mean - Max (ng/L) Sites near point sources (urban areas 2.3 - 4.4 7 - 385 16 - 1285 10 - 50 and mines (< 50 km) Sites influenced by 1.7 - 2.6 2 - 113 10 - 50 6 - 30 regional point sources (< 500 km) 1.5 - 1.7 2 - 30 2 - 63 4 - 20 “Background” sites High altitude site 1.4 - 1.5 40 - 600 4 - 11 NA (3 km) CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it

B2 – Measurements CAMNet Alert CAMNet active other CAMNet closed Little Fox Lake Kuujjuarapik Fort Chipewyan Mingan South Hampton Whistler Bratts Lake Kejimkujik Esther ELA Reifel Island St. Anicet St. Andrews Burnt Island Pt. Petre Egbert Source: Sprovieri et al. ACPD, 2010 CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it