title: A device for sampling and determination of total particulate mercury in ambient air.
abstract: A miniaturized device, which serves as both particulate trap and pyrolyzer for airborne particulate mercury species, is described. It has been used in combination with amalgamation/thermal desorption/cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry detection for the determination of total particulate mercury (TPM) associated with atmospheric aerosols. A standard reference material (SRM 1633b, NIST) has been used for validating of the pyrolysis technique, and a relative error smaller than 3% has been obtained. Contrary to most methods currently employed, this new technique does not require any sample preparation (e.g., extraction/digestion), no manual sample transfer or sample handling, and no addition of chemicals or reagents. Hence the risk of contamination is low. The time for complete analysis is less than 10 min per sample. The concentrations of TPM determined in metropolitan Toronto ranged from 3 to 91 pg m(-)(3) with standard deviations of <±2 pg m(-)(3) for simultaneous sets of four samples. These atmospheric TPM concentration values fall within the range reported in the literature. Good agreement was obtained by the three methods compared in a field study at Ny-Ålesund (78°54'N, 11°53'E), Svalbard. The elevated values of TPM concentrations obtained using the method developed in this work may arise from the Arctic springtime conversion of atmospheric mercury from gas-phase to particulate-phase Hg species.
authors.affiliation: Environment Canada:  AES, 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, Ontario M3H 5T4, Canada, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), P.O. Box 100, N-2007 Kjeller, Norway, Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL), P.O. Box 47086, S-402 58 Göteborg, Sweden, and Tekran Inc., 132 Railside Road, Unit 1, Toronto, Ontario M3A 1A3, Canada.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Munthe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schneeberger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schaedlich