title: Influences on and patterns in total gaseous mercury (TGM) at Harwell, England.
abstract: Total gaseous mercury (TGM) was monitored during 2013 at the rural monitoring site, Harwell, England using the Tekran 2537A monitoring system. Average TGM for the year was 1.45 ± 0.24 ng m(-3). This is comparable to other northern hemisphere studies, but on average 0.5 ng m(-3) higher than at its sister monitoring station at Auchencorth Moss, Scotland, but 14% lower than that found in a similar study at the same location of 1.68 ng m(-3) in 1995/6. Using wind sector analysis we show the important influence of local emissions, with our data showing that the largest influence on TGM observed is that of the adjacent Science & Innovation campus, making the site more a 'suburban background'. By using co-located measurements of black carbon and sulphur dioxide as tracers, we present an initial investigation into the impact of the closure of Didcot A coal fired power station, which ceased operating in March 2013. Further analysis using air mass back trajectories shows the long-range contribution to TGM from continental Europe, and that the lowest levels are associated with marine air masses from the west.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, EH26 0QB, UK. jkbeer@ceh.ac.uk.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kentisbeer
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Leeson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Malcolm
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Cape
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D004739:England; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D014919:Wind
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D008628:Mercury