Photoreduction of gaseous oxidized mercury changes global atmospheric mercury speciation, transport and deposition
Journal Article
·
· Nature Communications
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Madrid (Spain). Inst. of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano. Dept. of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate; DOE/OSTI
- Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Donostia (Spain). Kimika Fakultatea. Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC); Univ. of Valencia (Spain). Inst. de Ciencia Molecular
- Univ. of Valencia (Spain). Inst. de Ciencia Molecular
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Madrid (Spain). Inst. of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano. Dept. of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate
- Univ. de Toulouse (France). Geosciences Environment Toulouse
- Univ. of Manitoba, Winnepeg, MB (Canada). Centre for Earth Observation Science. Dept. of Environment and Geography
- Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States). Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
- Meteorological Synthesizing Centre, Moscow (Russia)
- Univ. of Leeds, Leeds (United Kingdom). School of Chemistry
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States). Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modelling
Anthropogenic mercury (Hg(0)) emissions oxidize to gaseous Hg(II) compounds, before deposition to Earth surface ecosystems. Atmospheric reduction of Hg(II) competes with deposition, thereby modifying the magnitude and pattern of Hg deposition. Global Hg models have postulated that Hg(II) reduction in the atmosphere occurs through aqueous-phase photoreduction that may take place in clouds. Here we report that experimental rainfall Hg(II) photoreduction rates are much slower than modelled rates. We compute absorption cross sections of Hg(II) compounds and show that fast gas-phase Hg(II) photolysis can dominate atmospheric mercury reduction and lead to a substantial increase in the modelled, global atmospheric Hg lifetime by a factor two. Models with Hg(II) photolysis show enhanced Hg (0) deposition to land, which may prolong recovery of aquatic ecosystems long after Hg emissions are lowered, due to the longer residence time of Hg in soils compared with the ocean. Fast Hg(II) photolysis substantially changes atmospheric Hg dynamics and requires further assessment at regional and local scales.
- Research Organization:
- Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0010687
- OSTI ID:
- 1624123
- Journal Information:
- Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 9; ISSN 2041-1723
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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