title: Total mercury and methylmercury in high altitude surface snow from the French Alps.
abstract: Surface snow samples were collected weekly from the 31st of December 2008 to the 21st of June 2009 from Lake Bramant in the French Alps. Total mercury (THg), total dissolved mercury (THgD), methylmercury (MeHg) and particle distributions in surface snow were analyzed. Results showed that THg concentrations, MeHg concentrations and particle load increased with snow surface temperature, which is an indicator of rising temperatures as the season progresses. Significant correlations between MeHg and snow surface temperature and MeHg and total particles greater than 10 μm were observed. This suggests that the MeHg found in the snow originates from atmospheric deposition processes rather than in situ snowpack sources. This study suggests that an important post-winter atmospheric deposition of MeHg and THg occurs on summital zones of the French Alps and it is likely that this contamination originates from the surrounding valleys.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de l'Environnement (LGGE) CNRS UMR 5183, 54, rue Molière, Domaine Universitaire, B.P. 96, 38402 Saint Martin d'Hères, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marusczak
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Larose
authors.forename: Aurélien
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dommergue
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yumvihoze
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lean
authors.forename: Rachid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nedjai
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferrari
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008767:Methylmercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D010316:Particle Size; D012621:Seasons; D012914:Snow / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D008767:Methylmercury Compounds; D008628:Mercury