title: Deposition of mercury species in the Ny-Alesund area (79 degrees N) and their transfer during snowmelt.
abstract: Arctic snowpacks are often considered as temporary reservoirs for atmospheric mercury (Hg) deposited during springtime deposition events (AMDEs). The fate of deposited species is of utmost importance because melt leads to the transfer of contaminants to snowmelt-fed ecosystems. Here, we examined the deposition, fate, and transfer of mercury species (total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg)) in an arctic environment from the beginning of mass deposition of Hg during AMDEs to the full melt of the snow. Following these events, important amounts of THg were deposited onto the snow surface with concentrations reaching 373 ng.L(-1) and estimated deposition fluxes of 200-2160 ng.m(-2). Most of the deposited Hg was re-emitted to the atmosphere via photochemical reactions. However, a fraction remained stored in the snow and we estimated that the spring melt contributed to an input of 1.5-3.6 kg.year(-1) of THg to the fjord (i.e., 8-21% of the fjord's THg content). A monitoring of MeHg in snow using a new technique (DGT sensors) is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Universite Joseph Fourier - Grenoble, 38402 Saint Martin d'Heres, France. dommergue@lgge.obs.ujf-grenoble.fr
authors.forename: Aurélien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dommergue
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larose
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Faïn
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Clarisse
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Foucher
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hintelmann
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Christophe P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D001110:Arctic Regions; D001272:Atmosphere; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D012914:Snow; D013997:Time Factors; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury