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FATE OF MERCURY IN THE ARCTIC Michael Evan ... - COGCI

FATE OF MERCURY IN THE ARCTIC Michael Evan ... - COGCI

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Abstract<br />

2<br />

The conditional sampling or relaxed eddy accumulation, REA, technique represents the first<br />

opportunity to directly measure fluxes of the divalent, gaseous mercury compounds HgXY to the<br />

snowpack in the Arctic. Using a micrometeorological relaxed eddy accumulation system, with a<br />

heated sampling system specifically designed for Arctic use, the dry deposition of reactive gaseous<br />

mercury, RGM, is quantified for the first time after polar sunrise, in Barrow, Alaska. Heated KCl<br />

coated manual RGM annular denuders were used as the accumulators with an impactor, elutriator<br />

inlet allowing only fine (cut-off = 2.5 µm) particles to pass. At 3 m above the snow pack significant<br />

RGM fluxes measured during March 29 th – April 12 th 2000 were directed toward the snow surface.<br />

Overall mean flux was found to be - 0.4 ± 0.2 pg m -2 s -1 ; N=9, ± 1 SE, where the negative sign<br />

convention denotes deposition. Using measured total RGM concentrations; depositional velocities<br />

were then computed and averaged 1 cm s -1 .<br />

Keywords: Arctic; Conditional sampling; Divalent Gaseous Mercury; Emission; Snow–air<br />

exchange.

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