Gaseous and particulate atmospheric mercury concentrations in the Campinas Metropolitan Region (São Paulo State, Brazil)

Abstract

As concentrações de Mercúrio Gasoso Total (MGT) e Mercúrio Particulado Total (MPT) foram monitoradas durante as estações seca e úmida de 2002-2003 em dois pontos (industrial e residencial) da Região Metropolitana de Campinas. Não foi observada diferença significativa entre as concentrações dos pontos de amostragem e as concentrações médias foram 7,0 ± 5,8 ng m -3 (MGT) e 0,4 ± 0,3 ng m -3 (MPT). A análise da variação nictemeral mostrou maior concentração de MGT durante o dia, que poderia estar relacionada com maior atividade antrópica durante o dia. Processos de dispersão atmosférica também poderiam explicar algumas variações sazonais observadas na concentração de MGT. Para o MPT foi observada uma tendência de diminuição da concentração durante a estação úmida, o que poderia ser explicado pela remoção das partículas por deposição úmida. As concentrações de MGT e MPT encontradas neste estudo são da mesma ordem de magnitude das encontradas em regiões industrializadas do hemisfério norte. Estes resultados mostram que as emissões das regiões mais industrializadas do Brasil, e provavelmente de vários outros pais do hemisfério sul, deveriam também ser inventariadas e levadas em conta nos cálculos das emissões globais de mercúrio de origem antrópica. The concentrations of Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) and Total Particulate Mercury (TPM)were monitored during the 2002-2003 rainy and dry seasons at two sampling points (industrial and residential areas) of the Campinas Metropolitan Region. No significant difference was observed between the concentrations found at the two sampling areas and the mean values were 7.0 ± 5.8 ng m -3 (TGM) and 0.4 ± 0.3 ng m -3 (TPM). The analysis of the diel variability showed higher TGM concentrations during the day, which could be related to more intense anthropogenic activity during the day. Atmospheric dispersion processes could also explain some seasonal variation observed in TGM concentrations. For TPM concentrations a decreasing trend was observed during the rainy season, which could be explained by the removal of particles by wet deposition. The concentrations of TGM and TPM found in this study were of the same order of magnitude of those recorded in some highly industrialized regions of the northern hemisphere. These data show that emissions from the most industrialized Brazilian regions, and probably from similar regions in other countries of the southern hemisphere, should also be assessed and integrated into the global anthropogenic mercury emission assessment.

Annual atmospheric mercury species in Downtown Toronto, Canada

“…There were only a few, mostly short-term, measurements of mercury species in the urban atmosphere. [11][12][13][14][15] The results from these studies showed higher levels of mercury species in the urban atmosphere than in rural and non-urban airsheds, suggesting anthropogenic sources of mercury in urban areas. 11,15 When urban sites with and without impacts from industrial activities were compared, there was no significant difference in the concentrations of atmospheric mercury species between the two sites, 12 and the values are much higher than those observed in a rural area.…”

A review of worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements

“…Higueras et al (2005) observed very high TGM concentrations near historical mining regions along roads in the Coquimbo region of Northern Chile, reaching extremely high TGM values, up to 100 µg m −3 at some gold recovery operations (milling and amalgamation). Fostier and Michelazzo (2006) performed TGM measurements at two sites in Sao Paulo State, Brazil, near an industrial area. An average TGM concentration of 7.0 ng m −3 was observed at both sites.…”

A very simple and fast analytical method for atmospheric particulate-bound mercury determination

“…The concentrations of PHg measured in this study range from 6.5 to 29.3 pg m À3 , which are in the same range as those reported in the literature for total particulate mercury in suburban areas. 9,18 In Brazil, the only PHg concentrations were reported by Fostier and Michelazzo, 19 who found 465 AE 252 pg m À3 at Unicamp. Nevertheless, in this study, air sampling was performed at 2 m, which could have signicantly increased the PHg concentration because of the soil dust inuence.…”