Characteristics and potential sources of atmospheric particulate mercury in Jinan, China

Yaxin Li; Yan Wang; Yan Li; Tao Li; Huiting Mao; Robert Talbot; Xiaoling Nie; Chen Wu; Yanfang Zhao; Chenxiao Hou; Guirong Wang; Jie Zhou; Guanghao Qie

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.069

Characteristics and potential sources of atmospheric particulate mercury in Jinan, China

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Jan 1:574:1424-1431. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.069. Epub 2016 Aug 14.

Authors

Yaxin Li¹, Yan Wang², Yan Li³, Tao Li¹, Huiting Mao⁴, Robert Talbot⁵, Xiaoling Nie¹, Chen Wu¹, Yanfang Zhao⁶, Chenxiao Hou⁶, Guirong Wang⁷, Jie Zhou⁸, Guanghao Qie¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China.
² School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China. Electronic address: wy@sdu.edu.cn.
³ Shandong Provincial Environmental Information and Monitoring Centre, Jinan 250101, China. Electronic address: atmosphere2016@163.com.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
⁵ Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
⁶ Environmental Monitoring Central Station of Shandong Province, Jinan 250101, China.
⁷ Department of Surgery, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
⁸ Shandong Provincial Environmental Information and Monitoring Centre, Jinan 250101, China.

PMID: 27531466
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.08.069

Abstract

Measurements of atmospheric particulate mercury (PHg) were conducted at a suburban site in Jinan, China from June 2014 to December 2015. The average PHg concentration was 508.5±402.7pgm^-3, and the average Hg content in PM_2.5 (particles with a diameter of 2.5μm or less) was 6.60±5.82μgg^-1. Both PHg and Hg content in PM_2.5 aerosols were comparable to levels in some cities in China and were much higher than in cities in North America and Europe. Weak correlations were found between PHg and meteorological parameters. The correlations between PHg and other pollutants in ambient air, including SO₂, CO and NO_χ, together with their wind dependence were used for source analysis, which suggested coal-fired industries, cement plants and traffic emissions as potential local sources for the site. Cluster analysis of 36-h backward trajectories suggested that the regional transport from southwestern Shandong Province also contributed to PHg in Jinan.

Keywords: Atmospheric particulate mercury; Cluster analysis; Jinan; Meteorological parameter; Source analysis.