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The deposition of mercury in throughfall and litterfall in a northern mixed hardwood forest

Conference ·
OSTI ID:214851
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
  2. Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States)
As part of an ongoing study of the atmospheric deposition of Hg in the Lake Champlain Basin of Vermont, event precipitation (PCP), event throughfall (TF), green foliage, and litterfall (LF) samples were collected from a mixed hardwood forest in Underhill Center, VT. The Hg concentration in TF was consistently higher than PCP. The average net throughfall flux was 78.6 ng Hg/m{sup 2}. The average Hg concentration in LF (53.2 ng/g) was significantly greater (p<0.0001) than green foliage (34.2 ng/g). In August and September 1994, an estimated 31 kg Hg were deposited in TF (19 kg Hg in PCP) to the hardwood forested areas of the Lake Champlain basin. PCP deposition would underestimate the TF contribution at this site by 55%. Findings indicate that TF and LF play a significant role in the cycling and deposition of Hg in the forested watershed of the Lake Champlain basin.
OSTI ID:
214851
Report Number(s):
CONF-950801--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English