US: Waste incinerators contribute to mercury deposition in Adirondack Mountains

[Guest guest]

Choi et al., 2008. Mercury deposition in the Adirondacks: A comparison

between precipitation and throughfall. Atmospheric Environment 42 (2008)

1818–1827. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.11.036

Abstract

The volume-weighted mean (VWM) Hg concentrations and the total cumulative

fluxes in deciduous throughfall (6.6 ng L-1 and 12.0 m g m-2,

respectively) were statistically higher than in precipitation (4.9 ng

L-1and 11.6

m g m-2, respectively) during 2 years of sampling at the Huntington

Wildlife Forest in Newcomb, NY. Seasonally, the VWM Hg concentrations and

the Hg fluxes in both precipitation and throughfall were lowest in winter

and highest in summer. Due to the wash-off of dry deposition and foliar

leaching, concentrations in throughfall were almost 50% higher than those in

precipitation during the leaf-on period, while concentrations in throughfall

were slightly higher than (or similar to) those in precipitation during the

leaf-off period. During the 2 years of sampling, the total deposited

cumulative flux in precipitation and deciduous throughfall were very similar

(11.6 m g Hg m-2 and 12.0 m g Hg m-2, respectively), because the higher

concentrations in throughfall were offset by smaller throughfall depths.

Meteorological analysis indicated that the precipitation events resulting in

the highest Hg fluxes were associated with trajectories that passed through

regions of Midwest where major Hg sources including coal/oil-fired power

plants and waste incinerators are located.