Elevated mercury accumulation in a peat bog of the Magellanic Moorlands, Chile (53°S) – an anthropogenic signal from the Southern Hemisphere

Biester, Harald; Kilian, Rolf; Franzen, Carola; Woda, Clemens; Mangini, Augusto; Schöler, H. F.

doi:10.1016/s0012-821x(02)00734-3

Cited by 95 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…It was indeed observed from an analysis of lake sediments, ice cores and peat deposits from both hemispheres, a threefold increase of Hg deposition since preindustrial times (Engstrom and Swain, 1997;Bindler et al, 2001;Biester et al, 2002;Lamborg et al, 2002;Lindberg et al, 2007 and references therein).…”

Section: F Sprovieri Et Al: a Review Of Worldwide Atmospheric Mercumentioning

confidence: 86%

A review of worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements

Sprovieri

Pirrone

Ebinghaus³

et al. 2010

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

221

167

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Abstract.A large number of activities have been carried out to characterise the levels of mercury (Hg) species in ambient air and precipitation, in order to understand how they vary over time and how they depend on meteorological conditions. Following the discovery of atmospheric Hg depletion events (AMDEs) in Polar Regions, a significant research effort was made to assess the chemical-physical mechanisms behind the rapid conversion of atmospheric gaseous Hg (Hg 0 ) into reactive and water-soluble forms which are potentially bioavailable. The understanding of the way in which Hg is released into the atmosphere, transformed, deposited and eventually incorporated into biota is of crucial importance not only for the polar regions but also for the marine environment in general. The oceans and seas are both sources and sinks of Hg and play a major role in the Hg cycle. In this work, the available Hg concentration datasets from a number of terrestrial sites (industrial, rural and remote) in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres as well as over oceans and seas have been investigated. The higher Hg species concentration and variability observed in the Northern Hemisphere suggest that the majority of emissions and re-emissions occur there. The inter-hemispherical gradient with higher total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations in the Northern Hemisphere has remained nearly constant over the years for which data are available. The analysis of Hg concentration patterns indicates the differences in regional source/sink characteristics, with increasing variability toward areas strongly influenced by anthropogenic sources. The large increase in Hg emissions in rapidly developing countries (i.e., China, India) over the last decade, due primar-ily to a sharp increase in energy production from coal combustion, are not currently reflected in the long-term measurements of TGM in ambient air and precipitation at continuous monitoring sites in either Northern Europe or North America. The discrepancy between observed gaseous Hg concentrations (steady or decreasing) and global Hg emission inventories (increasing) has not yet been explained, though the potential oxidation of the atmosphere during the last decade is increasing. Currently, however, a coordinated observational network for Hg does not exist.

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Section: F Sprovieri Et Al: a Review Of Worldwide Atmospheric Mercumentioning

confidence: 86%

A review of worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements

Sprovieri

Pirrone

Ebinghaus³

et al. 2010

Atmos. Chem. Phys.

221

167

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mercury is found in virtually all environmental matrices (USEPA, 1997; United Nations Environmental Programme, 2002), including air (Scherbatskoy et al, 1999), wetland soils (Norton et al, 1997), terrestrial vascular plants (Rea et al, 2002), and terrestrial biota (United Nations Environmental Programme 2002; Rimmer et al, 2005). Hg emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources in North America and other continents are well understood to enter the global Hg pool (Pacyna and Pacyna, 2002), depositing in areas worldwide Biester et al, 2002). Aquatic ecosystems serve as sensitive receptors for deposited Hg.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mercury in Freshwater Fish of Northeast North America ? A Geographic Perspective Based on Fish Tissue Monitoring Databases

et al. 2005

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Abstract. As part of an initiative to assemble and synthesize mercury (Hg) data from environmental matrices across northeastern North America, we analyzed a large dataset comprised of 15,305 records of fish tissue Hg data from 24 studies from New York State to Newfoundland. These data were summarized to provide mean Hg concentrations for 40 fish species and associated families. Detailed analyses were carried out using data for 13 species. Hg in fishes varied by geographic area, waterbody type, and waterbody. The four species with the highest mean Hg concentrations were muskellunge (Esox masquinongy), walleye (Sander vitreus), white perch (Morone americana), and northern pike (Esox luscius). Several species displayed elevated Hg concentrations in reservoirs, relative to lakes and rivers. Normalized deviations from mean tissue levels for yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were mapped, illustrating how Hg concentrations in these species varied across northeastern North America. Certain geographic regions showed generally below or above-average Hg concentrations in fish, while significant heterogeneity was evident across the landscape. The proportion of waterbodies exhibiting exceedances of USEPA's criterion for fish methylmercury ranged from 14% for standard-length brook trout fillets to 42% for standard-length yellow perch fillets. A preliminary correlation analysis showed that fish Hg concentrations were related to waterbody acidity and watershed size.

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“…Therefore, mercury is found in the boundary layer, in the free troposphere and stratosphere; and the transport and fate of mercury is determined by the different chemical, physical and meteorological environments presnt in these regions of the atmosphere and also by the exchange between them [9]. Evidence of long-term changes in the atmospheric mercury burden have been derived from chemical analysis of lake sediments, ice cores, peat deposits and firm air records [7,9,[12][13][14]. These studies identify a peak in the atmospheric mercury concentration during the 70s in the Northern Hemisphere.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overview of major processes and mechanisms affecting the mercury cycle on different spatial and temporal scales

Pirrone

Hedgecock

Cinnirella

et al. 2010

EPJ Web of Conferences

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Abstract. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere and its transport, transformation and deposition to and re-emission from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on hemispherical and global scales has received increasing attention from both the scientific and the regulatory communities during the last twenty years. It is well known that the atmosphere is the major transport media through which mercury is redistributed on global scale once it is released from point and diffuse emission sources. A substantial amount of research has been carried out worldwide aiming to assess the relationships between emissions from natural vs. anthropogenic sources, inter-hemispherical atmospheric transport patterns, and atmospheric deposition to and re-emission from oceans, its bioaccumulation in fish, and evaluation of policy strategies to reduce the impact of mercury emissions on human health and ecosystems. This chapter provides a highlight of key aspects related to mercury contamination, including: a) major processes affecting the mercury cycle between the atmosphere and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, b) mercury emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources, c) spatial and temporal distributions and trends of mercury species over the northern and southern hemispheres, d) the chemical and physical processes affecting the transport and fate of atmospheric mercury, and e)major policy frameworks aiming to control the impact of mercury on human health and ecosystems.

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Elevated mercury accumulation in a peat bog of the Magellanic Moorlands, Chile (53°S) – an anthropogenic signal from the Southern Hemisphere

Cited by 95 publications

References 34 publications

A review of worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements

A review of worldwide atmospheric mercury measurements

Mercury in Freshwater Fish of Northeast North America ? A Geographic Perspective Based on Fish Tissue Monitoring Databases

Overview of major processes and mechanisms affecting the mercury cycle on different spatial and temporal scales

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