Author(s)

W.H. Schroeder, K.G. Anlauf, L.A. Barrie, A. Steffen and J.Y. Lu

Abstract

Depletion of Mercury Vapour in the Arctic Troposphere after Polar Sunrise A contribution to subproject MEPOP WH Schroeder, KG Anlauf, LA Barrie, A. Steffen and JY Lu Atmospheric Environment Service, 4905 Dufferin St., Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T4, Canada Introduction In the troposphere, mercury exists predominantly in the gas phase (mostly as Hg°). Hence, by analogy with semi-volatile organic compounds (abbreviated either as SVOCs or SOCs), atmospheric Hg can be regarded as a semi-volatile inorganic substance (SIS, to coin a new acronym). Results derived from measurements and global models (EPRI, 1994) indicate that, over the last 100 to 150 years, there has occurred an - 3-fold increase in air and marine surface water concentrations of this potentially toxic trace element. In the marine boundary layer over the Atlantic Ocean, total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations are generally about 1.

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