High Time Resolution Measurements of Gaseous Oxidized Mercury from Ground and Aircraft Platforms

Atmospheric mercury fractions (gaseous elemental, gaseous oxidized, and fine particulate-bound mercury) have been measured in many different environmental conditions, primarily with the Tekran 2537/1130/1135 speciation system, and these measurements have greatly enhanced scientific understanding of atmospheric mercury dynamics. However, measurements of gaseous oxidized mercury, the most reactive, soluble, and bioavailable mercury fraction, have low time resolution with the Tekran system and have been mostly unchecked by calibration standards. We have developed an alternative technique for measuring gaseous oxidized mercury that provides higher resolution (2.5 minute) measurements, and have built a permeation tube-based oxidized mercury (HgCl2, HgBr2, and HgO) calibrator. The system measures oxidized mercury based on the difference between elemental mercury and total mercury measured with two Tekran 2537 analyzers, and has a 2.5 minute detection limit sufficient to quantify high oxidized mercury events (~80 pg m-3). Additionally, in laboratory tests it outperforms measurements made with KCl-coated denuders in terms of percent recovery and time-averaged detection limit. We have used this system in aircraft and at Mount Bachelor Observatory to observe the origins and dynamics of high oxidized mercury air in the Pacific Northwest, and are preparing it for deployment in the NCAR C-130 for detailed assessment of atmospheric mercury fractions in North America.