Mercury isotope fractionation during transfer from post-desulfurized seawater to air.
Samples of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in the post-desulfurized seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant together with samples of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) over the post-desulfurized seawater surface were collected and analyzed to study the mercury isotope fractionation during transfer from post-desulfurized seawater to air. Experimental results showed that when DGM in the seawater was converted to GEM in the air, the δ202Hg and Δ199Hg values were changed, ranging from -2.98 to -0.04‰ and from -0.31 to 0.64‰, respectively. Aeration played a key role in accelerating the transformation of DGM to GEM, and resulted in light mercury isotopes being more likely to be enriched in the GEM. The ratio Δ199Hg/Δ201Hg was 1.626 in all samples, suggesting that mercury mass independent fractionation occurred owing to the nuclear volume effect during the transformation. In addition, mass independent fractionation of mercury even isotopes was found in the GEM above the post-desulfurized seawater surface in the aeration pool.
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
Shuyuan
S
Huang
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
Kunning
K
Lin
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China. Electronic address: yuandx@xmu.edu.cn.
Dongxing
D
Yuan
State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China.
Yaqin
Y
Gao
Tan Kah Kee College, Xiamen University, Zhangzhou 363105, China.
Lumin
L
Sun
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D002681:China; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008629:Mercury Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011210:Power Plants; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D000393:Air Pollutants; D008628:Mercury; D008629:Mercury Isotopes; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Dissolved gaseous mercury; Gaseous elemental mercury; Isotope fractionation; Post-desulfurized seawater