Relationship between atmospheric mercury vapour concentration measured in a rural site in southern Quebec (Canada) with some environmental factors

Conference · Sun Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1995

OSTI ID:214849

Poissant, L; Casimir, A; Rancourt, P ^[1]

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1. Environment Canada, St. Laurent, Quebec (Canada)

Mercury is one of the most toxic chemicals in the environment. Even in small quantities it can be environmentally significant. The analytical train of the Automatic Mercury Vapour Analyzer used within the study is based oil the amalgam of mercury on gold trap, thermo-desorption and analysis by Cold Vapour Atomic Fluorescence Spectrophotometry (CVAFS) ({lambda}-253,7 nm). The instrument continuously measures with a high sampling resolution period (15 minutes) and a detection limit below 0,2 ng/m{sup 3}. The data collected in rural site (Saint-Anicet, Qc, Canada) showed that local and regional sources are added to a background level of about 1,4 ng/m{sup 3} within the corresponding monitored period. Episodes from the N-E and S-E wind sector impact the sampling area and shift the means background level by about 20%. Maxima concentrations are recorded during daytime period showing some impact of economical activities on the mercury concentration levels. Mercury vapour phase concentration shows significant (R = -0,37) temperature dependency into the S-W sector (Log Hg = A/T + K) whereas it is not for the others wind sectors. Some volatilisation/condensation transport might be involved into the S-W sector. The N-W sector which is the cleanest one, may be representative of global hemispheric transport and related to background level.

• OSTI ID: 214849
• Report Number(s): CONF-950801--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CANADA
ENVIRONMENT
FLUORESCENCE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MERCURY
MONITORING
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
VAPORS