Diffuse gases in soil of Araro-Simirao geothermal system, Michoacan, Mexico

The Araró-Simirao geothermal system is in the southeast part of the Cuitzeo Lake depression. Physiographically, it is located in the eastern portion of the central part of the TransMexican Volcanic Belt province (TMVB). It is a convective hydrothermal system of dominant liquid, with chlorinated sodium waters and high boron content. The principal gas emitted by the thermal springs is CO2 and, in lower concentrations, H2S, H2 and noble gases (He, Ne, Ar). The aim of this study was to delimit fluid ascent areas in the geothermal system by determining the relationships between diffuse gas emission concentrations in soils and the greatest permeability plausible zones (principal faults). Three sampling campaigns were carried out during 2018 (August and November) and 2019 (May), in which diffuse gas emission measurements (CO2, Rn and mercury vapors) across the soils and soil temperature measurements were carried out. For a sampling campaign, the CO2 flux ranged between 4.38 and 94.61 g m-2 d-1 and the gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) concentration ranged between 0.5 and 365 ng/m3. For the other sampling campaign, the CO2 flux ranged between 0.8 and 1,421 g m-2 d-1 and the GEM values ranged between 0.49 and 2,914ng/m3. In the last sampling campaign the222Rn and 220Rn were also measured, and these values oscillated between 1,060 and 124,100 Bq/m3 and from 0 to 7,511 Bq7m3, respectively. Several anomalous zones of CO2 fluxes, GEM and 222Rn concentrations were found, which match the greatest permeability zones (faults and lineaments). The zone with the highest values in these three parameters is located in the so-called «mud pool», at the crossing of the Araró-Simirao fault with a lineament NW-SE (south zone), which is associated with the upflow zone of the system. Other anomalous zones were also located in the fracture and/or lineaments zones in the central and north parts of the system, which are associated with the outflow zone. According to the data obtained, CO2 could be functioning as a carrier of Hg and 222Rn in the area of vertical rise of gases and, in the outflow zone this gas may be found dissolved in the groundwater.

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Mercury dynamics in the Rocky Mountain, Colorado, snowpack

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-10-3793-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 3793-3807 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

X. Faïn ◽

D. Helmig ◽

J. Hueber ◽

D. Obrist ◽

M. W. Williams

Keyword(s):

Rocky Mountain ◽

Co2 Flux ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Transport Processes ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Air Interface ◽

Surface Snow ◽

Long Term Ecological Research ◽

Interstitial Air

Abstract. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) was monitored at the Niwot Ridge (NWT) Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site (Colorado, USA, 40° N) from interstitial air extracted from the snowpack at depths ranging from the snow surface to 10 cm above the soil. A highly dynamic cycling of mercury (Hg) in this mid-latitude snowpack was observed. Patterns were driven by both GEM production in surface snow and GEM destruction in the deeper snowpack layers. Thorough mixing and vertical transport processes were observed through the snowpack. GEM was photochemically produced near the snow-air interface throughout the entire winter, leading to enhanced GEM levels in interstitial air of surface snow of up to 8 ng m−3. During low-wind periods, GEM in surface snow layers remained significantly above ambient air levels at night as well, which may indicate a potential weak GEM production overnight. Analyses of vertical GEM gradients in the snowpack show that surface GEM enhancements efficiently propagated down the snowpack, with a temporal lag in peak GEM levels observed with increasing depth. Downward diffusion was responsible for much of these patterns, although vertical advection also contributed to vertical redistribution. Destruction of GEM in the lower snowpack layers was attributed to dark oxidation of GEM. Analysis of vertical GEM / CO2 flux ratios indicated that this GEM destruction occurred in the snow and not in the underlying soil. The strong, diurnal patterns of photochemical GEM production at the surface ultimately lead to re-emission losses of deposited Hg back to the atmosphere. The NWT data show that highest GEM surface production and re-emissions occur shortly after fresh snowfall, which possibly resupplies photoreducible Hg to the snowpack, and that photochemical GEM reduction is not radiation-limited as it is strong even on cloudy days.

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Eddy covariance flux measurements of gaseous elemental mercury over a grassland

Atmospheric Measurement Techniques ◽

10.5194/amt-13-2057-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 2057-2074 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Stefan Osterwalder ◽

Werner Eugster ◽

Iris Feigenwinter ◽

Martin Jiskra

Keyword(s):

Detection Limit ◽

Eddy Covariance ◽

Co2 Flux ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Co2 Uptake ◽

Global Networks ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Flux Measurements

Abstract. Direct measurements of the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) are important to improve our understanding of global Hg cycling and, ultimately, human and wildlife Hg exposure. The lack of long-term, ecosystem-scale measurements causes large uncertainties in Hg0 flux estimates. It currently remains unclear whether terrestrial ecosystems are net sinks or sources of atmospheric Hg0. Here, we show a detailed validation of direct Hg0 flux measurements based on the eddy covariance technique (Eddy Mercury) using a Lumex RA-915 AM mercury monitor. The flux detection limit derived from a zero-flux experiment in the laboratory was 0.22 ng m−2 h−1 (maximum) with a 50 % cutoff at 0.074 ng m−2 h−1. We present eddy covariance NEE measurements of Hg0 over a low-Hg soil (41–75 ng Hg g−1 in the topsoil, referring to a depth of 0–10 cm), conducted in summer 2018 at a managed grassland at the Swiss FluxNet site in Chamau, Switzerland (CH-Cha). The statistical estimate of the Hg0 flux detection limit under outdoor conditions at the site was 5.9 ng m−2 h−1 (50 % cutoff). We measured a net summertime emission over a period of 34 d with a median Hg0 flux of 2.5 ng m−2 h−1 (with a −0.6 to 7.4 ng m−2 h−1 range between the 25th and 75th percentiles). We observed a distinct diel cycle with higher median daytime fluxes (8.4 ng m−2 h−1) than nighttime fluxes (1.0 ng m−2 h−1). Drought stress during the measurement campaign in summer 2018 induced partial stomata closure of vegetation. Partial stomata closure led to a midday depression in CO2 uptake, which did not recover during the afternoon. The median CO2 flux was only 24 % of the median CO2 flux measured during the same period in the previous year (2017). We suggest that partial stomata closure also dampened Hg0 uptake by vegetation, resulting in a NEE of Hg0 that was dominated by soil emission. Finally, we provide suggestions to further improve the precision and handling of the “Eddy Mercury” system in order to assure its suitability for long-term NEE measurements of Hg0 over natural background surfaces with low soil Hg concentrations (< 100 ng g−1). With these improvements, Eddy Mercury has the potential to be integrated into global networks of micrometeorological tower sites (FluxNet) and to provide the long-term observations on terrestrial atmosphere Hg0 exchange necessary to validate regional and global mercury models.

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Diffuse emission and transport of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) in the Mapamyum geothermal system, Western Tibet (China)

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research ◽

10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2020.106825 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 397 ◽

pp. 106825

Author(s):

Yutao Sun ◽

Zhengfu Guo ◽

Jianguo Du ◽

Wenbin Zhao

Keyword(s):

Elemental Mercury ◽

Geothermal System ◽

Diffuse Emission ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury

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Degassing and Cycling of Mercury at Nisyros Volcano (Greece)

Geofluids ◽

10.1155/2019/4783514 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

A. L. Gagliano ◽

S. Calabrese ◽

K. Daskalopoulou ◽

J. Cabassi ◽

F. Capecchiacci ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elemental Mercury ◽

Active Volcano ◽

Geothermal System ◽

High Background ◽

Positive Correlation ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

High Enthalpy ◽

Guideline Value ◽

Global Background ◽

Soil Hg

Nisyros Island (Greece) is an active volcano hosting a high-enthalpy geothermal system. During June 2013, an extensive survey on Hg concentrations in different matrices (fumarolic fluids, atmosphere, soils, and plants) was carried out at the Lakki Plain, an intracaldera area affected by widespread soil and fumarolic degassing. Concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), together with H2S and CO2, were simultaneously measured in both the fumarolic emissions and the atmosphere around them. At the same time, 130 samples of top soils and 31 samples of plants (Cistus creticus and salvifolius and Erica arborea and manipuliflora) were collected for Hg analysis. Mercury concentrations in fumarolic gases ranged from 10,500 to 46,300 ng/m3, while Hg concentrations in the air ranged from high background values in the Lakki Plain caldera (10-36 ng/m3) up to 7100 ng/m3 in the fumarolic areas. Outside the caldera, the concentrations were relatively low (2-5 ng/m3). The positive correlation with both CO2 and H2S in air highlighted the importance of hydrothermal gases as carrier for GEM. On the other hand, soil Hg concentrations (0.023-13.7 μg/g) showed no significant correlations with CO2 and H2S in the soil gases, whereas it showed a positive correlation with total S content and an inverse one with the soil pH, evidencing the complexity of the processes involving Hg carried by hydrothermal gases while passing through the soil. Total Hg concentrations in plant leaves (0.010-0.112 μg/g) had no direct correlation with soil Hg, with Cistus leaves containing higher values of Hg with respect to Erica. Even though GEM concentrations in the air within the caldera are sometimes orders of magnitude above the global background, they should not be considered dangerous to human health. Values exceeding the WHO guideline value of 1000 ng/m3 are very rare (<0.1%) and only found very close to the main fumarolic vents, where the access to tourists is prohibited.

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Mercury dynamics in the Rocky Mountain, Colorado, Snowpack

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-9-15423-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 15423-15458

Author(s):

X. Faïn ◽

D. Helmig ◽

J. Hueber ◽

D. Obrist ◽

M. M. Williams

Keyword(s):

Rocky Mountain ◽

Co2 Flux ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Transport Processes ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Air Interface ◽

Surface Snow ◽

Long Term Ecological Research ◽

Interstitial Air

Abstract. Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) was monitored at the Niwot Ridge (NWT) long-term ecological research (LTER) site (Colorado, USA, 40° N) from interstitial air extracted from the snowpack at depths ranging from the snow surface to 10 cm above the soil. A highly dynamic cycling of mercury (Hg) in this mid-latitude snowpack was observed. Patterns were driven by both GEM production in surface snow and GEM destruction in the deeper snowpack layers. Thorough mixing and vertical transport processes were observed through the snowpack. GEM was photochemically produced near the snow-air interface leading to enhanced GEM levels in interstitial air of surface snow of up to 8 ng m−3. During low wind periods, GEM in surface snow layers remained significantly above ambient air levels at night as well, which may indicate a potential weak GEM production over night. Analysis of vertical GEM gradients in the snowpack show that surface GEM enhancements efficiently propagated down the snowpack, with a temporal lag in peak GEM levels observed with increasing depth. Downward diffusion was responsible for much of these patterns, although vertical advection also contributed to vertical redistribution. Destruction of GEM in the lower snowpack layers was attributed to dark oxidation of GEM. Analysis of vertical GEM/CO2 flux ratios indicated that this GEM destruction occurred in the snow and not in the underlying soil. The strong, diurnal patterns of photochemical GEM production at the surface ultimately lead to re-emission losses of deposited Hg back to the atmosphere. The NWT data show that highest of GEM production and emission occur shortly after fresh snowfall, indicating that fresh snow possibly resupplies photoreducible Hg to the snowpack.

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Air Concentrations of Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Vegetation–Air Fluxes within Saltmarshes of the Tagus Estuary, Portugal

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12020228 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 228

Author(s):

Rute Cesário ◽

Nelson J. O’Driscoll ◽

Sara Justino ◽

Claire E. Wilson ◽

Carlos E. Monteiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Leaf Area ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Tagus Estuary ◽

Contaminated Site ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Mercury Flux ◽

Sarcocornia Fruticosa ◽

Air Concentrations

In situ air concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)) and vegetation–atmosphere fluxes were quantified in both high (Cala Norte, CN) and low-to-moderate (Alcochete, ALC) Hg-contaminated saltmarsh areas of the Tagus estuary colonized by plant species Halimione portulacoides (Hp) and Sarcocornia fruticosa (Sf). Atmospheric Hg(0) ranged between 1.08–18.15 ng m−3 in CN and 1.18–3.53 ng m−3 in ALC. In CN, most of the high Hg(0) levels occurred during nighttime, while the opposite was observed at ALC, suggesting that photoreduction was not driving the air Hg(0) concentrations at the contaminated site. Vegetation–air Hg(0) fluxes were low in ALC and ranged from −0.76 to 1.52 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Hp and from −0.40 to 1.28 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Sf. In CN, higher Hg fluxes were observed for both plants, ranging from −9.90 to 15.45 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Hp and from −8.93 to 12.58 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Sf. Mercury flux results at CN were considered less reliable due to large and fast variations in the ambient air concentrations of Hg(0), which may have been influenced by emissions from the nearby chlor-alkali plant, or historical contamination. Improved experimental setup, the influence of high local Hg concentrations and the seasonal activity of the plants must be considered when assessing vegetation–air Hg(0) fluxes in Hg-contaminated areas.

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An Integrated Investigation of Atmospheric Gaseous Elemental Mercury Transport and Dispersion Around a Chlor-Alkali Plant in the Ossola Valley (Italian Central Alps)

Toxics ◽

10.3390/toxics9070172 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. 172

Author(s):

Laura Fantozzi ◽

Nicoletta Guerrieri ◽

Giovanni Manca ◽

Arianna Orrù ◽

Laura Marziali

Keyword(s):

Elemental Mercury ◽

Background Concentration ◽

Dispersion Pattern ◽

Central Alps ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Mercury Transport ◽

Close Proximity ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Hg Accumulation

We present the first assessment of atmospheric pollution by mercury (Hg) in an industrialized area located in the Ossola Valley (Italian Central Alps), in close proximity to the Toce River. The study area suffers from a level of Hg contamination due to a Hg cell chlor-alkali plant operating from 1915 to the end of 2017. We measured gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) levels by means of a portable Hg analyzer during car surveys between autumn 2018 and summer 2020. Moreover, we assessed the long-term dispersion pattern of atmospheric Hg by analyzing the total Hg concentration in samples of lichens collected in the Ossola Valley. High values of GEM concentrations (1112 ng m−3) up to three orders of magnitude higher than the typical terrestrial background concentration in the northern hemisphere were measured in the proximity of the chlor-alkali plant. Hg concentrations in lichens ranged from 142 ng g−1 at sampling sites located north of the chlor-alkali plant to 624 ng g−1 in lichens collected south of the chlor-alkali plant. A north-south gradient of Hg accumulation in lichens along the Ossola Valley channel was observed, highlighting that the area located south of the chlor-alkali plant is more exposed to the dispersion of Hg emitted into the atmosphere from the industrial site. Long-term studies on Hg emission and dispersion in the Ossola Valley are needed to better assess potential impact on ecosystems and human health.

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Oxidation efficiency and reaction mechanisms of gaseous elemental mercury by using CeO2/TiO2 and CuO/TiO2 photo-oxidation catalysts at low temperatures in multi-pollutant environments

Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers ◽

10.1016/j.jtice.2021.06.033 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jun-Zhu Yang ◽

Iau-Ren Ie ◽

Zu-Bei Lin ◽

Chung-Shin Yuan ◽

Huazhen Shen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reaction Mechanisms ◽

Low Temperatures ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Oxidation Catalysts ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Photo Oxidation ◽

Oxidation Efficiency

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Occurrence of Volcanogenic Inorganic Mercury in Wild Mice Spinal Cord: Potential Health Implications

Biological Trace Element Research ◽

10.1007/s12011-021-02890-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

A. Navarro-Sempere ◽

M. García ◽

A. S. Rodrigues ◽

P. V. Garcia ◽

R. Camarinho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Inorganic Mercury ◽

Elemental Mercury ◽

Potential Health ◽

Wild Mice ◽

Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽

Lumbar Level ◽

Quantification Analysis ◽

Spinal Cord Potential ◽

Cord Potential

AbstractMercury accumulation has been proposed as a toxic factor that causes neurodegenerative diseases. However, the hazardous health effects of gaseous elemental mercury exposure on the spinal cord in volcanic areas have not been reported previously in the literature. To evaluate the presence of volcanogenic inorganic mercury in the spinal cord, a study was carried out in São Miguel island (Azores, Portugal) by comparing the spinal cord of mice exposed chronically to an active volcanic environment (Furnas village) with individuals not exposed (Rabo de Peixe village), through the autometallographic silver enhancement histochemical method. Moreover, a morphometric and quantification analysis of the axons was carried out. Results exhibited mercury deposits at the lumbar level of the spinal cord in the specimens captured at the site with volcanic activity (Furnas village). A decrease in axon calibre and axonal atrophy was also observed in these specimens. Given that these are relevant hallmarks in the neurodegenerative pathologies, our results highlight the importance of the surveillance of the health of populations chronically exposed to active volcanic environments.

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