Mercury isotope signatures of seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant equipped with a seawater flue gas desulfurization system

Application of an Isotope Binary Mixing Model for Determination of Precise Mercury Isotopic Composition in Samples with Low Mercury Concentration

“…The δ 202 Hg and Δ 199 Hg were 0.00 ± 0.06 (2SD, n = 52) and 0.00 ± 0.01 (2SD, n = 52) for NIST SRM 3133, respectively, and were −0.55 ± 0.09 (2SD, n = 8) and 0.06 ± 0.05 (2SD, n = 8) for NIST RM 8610, respectively (Table ). These results were in agreement with previous studies. ,,− Three standard samples (NIST SRM 1646a, NIST SRM 1575a, and BCR 482) were digested for mercury isotope analysis. The standard samples were analyzed repeatedly over two separate measuring sessions on different days, with constant mercury concentration in the solutions of 3.0 ng/mL.…”

“…21 Since then, binary mixing models have been developed to trace and quantify mercury sources in various environmental systems (e.g., soils, lichens, and seawater) by numerous studies. 15,16,22−25 For example, mercury isotopic anomalies in lichens were due to mixing between the atmospheric reservoir and direct anthropogenic sources; 15 the fractions of mercury sources from desulfurization seawater and local background seawater were evaluated, 23 distribution of mercury isotope compositions in mineral soils across North American forests assumed atmospheric Hg(II), atmospheric Hg(0), and geogenic mercury as major sources. 25 With the development and coupling of sample introduction systems to MC-ICPMS analysis, the volume and mercury concentration required for analysis by MC-ICPMS was reduced to 5−10 mL and 0.5−3.0 ng/mL, respectively.…”

“…The use of binary mixing models was first proposed by Faure and successfully used for tracing lead sources in a river in Northern Germany . Since then, binary mixing models have been developed to trace and quantify mercury sources in various environmental systems (e.g., soils, lichens, and seawater) by numerous studies. ,,− For example, mercury isotopic anomalies in lichens were due to mixing between the atmospheric reservoir and direct anthropogenic sources; the fractions of mercury sources from desulfurization seawater and local background seawater were evaluated, and the spatial distribution of mercury isotope compositions in mineral soils across North American forests assumed atmospheric Hg­(II), atmospheric Hg(0), and geogenic mercury as major sources …”

Online determination of mercury isotopic compositions at ultratrace levels by automated purge and trap coupled with multicollector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

“…64 The highest concentration was found in one sample from Ya-Er Lake (LW-Y1, 46.1 AE 0.8 ng L −1 ), consistent with the reported data. 63 The isotopic compositions in these water samples ranged from −1.61& to 0.42& for d 202 Hg and from −0.20& to 0.17& for D 199 Hg (Table 2), roughly in the range of published values of natural water (lake and stream water in Canada, d 202 Hg −2.22 to −1.27& and D 199 Hg 0.21-1.91&; 22 coastal seawater worldwide, d 202 Hg −2.85-0.12& and D 199 Hg −0.19-0.56& 13,21,65,66 ). The combined results from the CRMs and natural water suggested high sensitivity with accurate results of the proposed method, which provides the ability to directly measure Hg isotopic compositions in natural water samples and other matrices at low Hg levels.…”

Continuous Flow–Double Purge and Trap Method for Preconcentrating Mercury in Large Volumes of Seawater for Stable Isotope Analysis

“…15,16 The Hg isotopic composition of seawater is still poorly constrained. Although recent studies documented a distinct Hg isotopic composition of particulate Hg in seawater in the North Pacific Ocean (δ 202 Hg: −0.12 ± 0.26‰; Δ 199 Hg: 0.16 ± 0.18‰; n = 12, 2SD), 17 the Atlantic Ocean (δ 202 Hg: −0.61‰; Δ 199 Hg: −0.21‰), 15 the Mediterranean Sea (δ 202 Hg: −0.22‰; Δ 199 Hg: −0.06‰), 15 and coastal areas in the East China Sea (δ 202 Hg: −1.53‰ to −0.30‰; Δ 199 Hg: −0.20‰ to −0.11‰), 18 the total Hg isotopic composition of seawater remains rarely studied. 15 The low Hg concentrations in seawater, 19−22 typically ranging from 10 −2 to 10 ng/L, present a challenge to measuring the Hg isotopic composition directly.…”