Seasonal impact of vegetation on atmospheric elemental mercury dry deposition

Research Project
|
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2021

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant of great concern for human and ecosystem health. The UNEP Minamata Convention on Hg aims to curb global anthropogenic Hg emissions, yet has to balance economic and environmental interests. Major knowledge gaps on the role of terrestrial surfaces in the complex global Hg cycling however hamper a science-based assessment of Hg emission reduction scenarios. This in turn undermines the effectiveness of the UNEP Minamata Convention and calls for new scientific approaches to address this prevailing uncertainty associated with terrestrial Hg cycling.The current paradigm suggests that anthropogenic gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) emissions are oxidized in the atmosphere to reactive HgII forms before depositing through rain, snow and dust to Earth surfaces. Hg stable isotope fingerprint studies however revealed that Hg in continental vegetation and soils corresponds to the isotopic fingerprints of GEM rather than HgII in precipitation. There is now increasing evidence that GEM uptake by vegetation represents a massive, overlooked deposition pathway. The latter would imply that vegetation as a GEM pump could significantly affect the GEM lifetime in the atmosphere and change our understanding of global atmospheric Hg cycling. The goal of this project is to resolve this apparent paradox and better understand the importance of GEM uptake by vegetation relative to HgII deposition by rain and snowfall.The short-term balance between Hg deposition and (re)-emission processes governs the seasonal GEM variations. In Europe, GEM concentrations peak in wintertime and are generally attributed to higher anthropogenic GEM emissions from fossil fuel burning in winter. This conclusion is however unconstrained and seasonal variations in GEM deposition (e.g. less plant uptake during the winter) or oxidation processes have been suggested as alternative explanations. This project aims to assess the impact of GEM uptake by vegetation on global Hg cycling and quantify this unconstrained flux to terrestrial ecosystems using a combination of novel stable Hg isotope analysis, remote sensing data and modeling approaches. The objectives are to:(1)Understand the processes controlling seasonal GEM variation by investigating the isotopic fingerprint of GEM at six European sites to differentiate between the role of foliar GEM uptake and primary anthropogenic GEM emissions.(2)Quantify the flux of GEM uptake by foliage and assess its relevance for total Hg deposition in comparison to HgII wet deposition for continental Europe by analyzing seasonal evolution and spatial variability of the Hg pool in foliage at 10 sites along a transect through Europe.(3)Assess the magnitude of the foliar GEM uptake flux for Europe by extrapolating the site-based measurements to a continental scale using satelite-based remote sensing data on vegetation coverage.(4)Improve the parameterization of foliar GEM uptake in global mercury models and to quantify the global foliar GEM uptake flux with a global isotope mass balance. This project will provide for the first time quantitative insights on the seasonality of GEM uptake by vegetation on a continental and global scale. The results will lead to a substantial reduction of current uncertainties associated with terrestrial Hg fluxes and will improve the implementation of the Minamata convention.

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Funding

Seasonal impact of vegetation on atmospheric elemental mercury dry deposition

SNF Ambizione / PRIMA (GrantsTool), 11.2017-10.2021 (48)

PI : Jiskra, Martin.

Publications

Lim, Artem G. et al. (2020) ‘A revised pan-Arctic permafrost soil Hg pool based on Western Siberian peat Hg and carbon observations’, BIOGEOSCIENCES, 17(12), pp. 3083–3097. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3083-2020.

URLs

Osterwalder, Stefan et al. (2020) ‘Eddy covariance flux measurements of gaseous elemental mercury over a grassland’, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 13(4), pp. 2057–2074. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2057-2020.

URLs

Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso et al. (2020) ‘Photochemistry of oxidized Hg(I) and Hg(II) species suggests missing mercury oxidation in the troposphere’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(49), pp. 30949–30956. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1922486117.

URLs

Wohlgemuth, Lena et al. (2020) ‘Concurrently measured concentrations of atmospheric mercury in indoor (household) and outdoor air of Basel, Switzerland’, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 7(4), pp. 234–239. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00110.

URLs

Wohlgemuth, Lena et al. (2020) ‘A bottom-up quantification of foliar mercury uptake fluxes across Europe’, Biogeosciences, 17(24), pp. 6441–6456. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6441-2020.

URLs

Jiskra, Martin et al. (2019) ‘Automated Stable Isotope Sampling of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (ISO-GEM): Insights into GEM Emissions from Building Surfaces’, Environmental Science and Technology, 53(8), pp. 4346–4354. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06381.

URLs

Jiskra, Martin et al. (2019) ‘Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial-atmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra’, Biogeosciences, 16(20), pp. 4051–4064. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4051-2019.

URLs

Olson, Christine L. et al. (2019) ‘Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: Spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns’, Science of the Total Environment, 660, pp. 1502–1512. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.058.

URLs

Sun, Ruoyu et al. (2019) ‘Modelling the mercury stable isotope distribution of Earth surface reservoirs: Implications for global Hg cycling’, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 246, pp. 156–173. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.036.

URLs

Yang, Xu, Jiskra, Martin and Sonke, Jeroen E. (2019) ‘Experimental rainwater divalent mercury speciation and photoreduction rates in the presence of halides and organic carbon’, Science of the Total Environment, 697, p. 133821. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133821.

URLs

Obrist, Daniel et al. (2018) ‘A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: Changes of emissions, climate, and land use’, Ambio, 47(2), pp. 116–140. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-1004-9.

URLs

Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso et al. (2018) ‘Photoreduction of gaseous oxidized mercury changes global atmospheric mercury speciation, transport and deposition’, Nature communications, 9(1), p. 4796. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07075-3.

URLs

Seasonal impact of vegetation on atmospheric elemental mercury dry deposition

Research Project
|
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2021

Funding

Seasonal impact of vegetation on atmospheric elemental mercury dry deposition

SNF Ambizione / PRIMA (GrantsTool), 11.2017-10.2021 (48)

PI : Jiskra, Martin.

Publications

Lim, Artem G. et al. (2020) ‘A revised pan-Arctic permafrost soil Hg pool based on Western Siberian peat Hg and carbon observations’, BIOGEOSCIENCES, 17(12), pp. 3083–3097. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3083-2020.

Osterwalder, Stefan et al. (2020) ‘Eddy covariance flux measurements of gaseous elemental mercury over a grassland’, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 13(4), pp. 2057–2074. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2057-2020.

Wohlgemuth, Lena et al. (2020) ‘Concurrently measured concentrations of atmospheric mercury in indoor (household) and outdoor air of Basel, Switzerland’, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 7(4), pp. 234–239. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00110.

Wohlgemuth, Lena et al. (2020) ‘A bottom-up quantification of foliar mercury uptake fluxes across Europe’, Biogeosciences, 17(24), pp. 6441–6456. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6441-2020.

Jiskra, Martin et al. (2019) ‘Automated Stable Isotope Sampling of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (ISO-GEM): Insights into GEM Emissions from Building Surfaces’, Environmental Science and Technology, 53(8), pp. 4346–4354. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06381.

Jiskra, Martin et al. (2019) ‘Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial-atmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra’, Biogeosciences, 16(20), pp. 4051–4064. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4051-2019.

Olson, Christine L. et al. (2019) ‘Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: Spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns’, Science of the Total Environment, 660, pp. 1502–1512. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.058.

Sun, Ruoyu et al. (2019) ‘Modelling the mercury stable isotope distribution of Earth surface reservoirs: Implications for global Hg cycling’, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 246, pp. 156–173. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.036.

Yang, Xu, Jiskra, Martin and Sonke, Jeroen E. (2019) ‘Experimental rainwater divalent mercury speciation and photoreduction rates in the presence of halides and organic carbon’, Science of the Total Environment, 697, p. 133821. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133821.

Obrist, Daniel et al. (2018) ‘A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: Changes of emissions, climate, and land use’, Ambio, 47(2), pp. 116–140. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-1004-9.

Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso et al. (2018) ‘Photoreduction of gaseous oxidized mercury changes global atmospheric mercury speciation, transport and deposition’, Nature communications, 9(1), p. 4796. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07075-3.

Members (4)

Martin Jiskra

Principal Investigator

Emanuel Glauser

Project Member

Fabienne Bracher

Project Member

Lena Wohlgemuth

Project Member

Research Groups

Environmental Geosciences

Seasonal impact of vegetation on atmospheric elemental mercury dry deposition

Research Project | 01.01.2018 - 31.12.2021

Funding

Seasonal impact of vegetation on atmospheric elemental mercury dry deposition

SNF Ambizione / PRIMA (GrantsTool), 11.2017-10.2021 (48)

PI : Jiskra, Martin.

Publications

Lim, Artem G. et al. (2020) ‘A revised pan-Arctic permafrost soil Hg pool based on Western Siberian peat Hg and carbon observations’, BIOGEOSCIENCES, 17(12), pp. 3083–3097. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3083-2020.

Osterwalder, Stefan et al. (2020) ‘Eddy covariance flux measurements of gaseous elemental mercury over a grassland’, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques, 13(4), pp. 2057–2074. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-13-2057-2020.

Wohlgemuth, Lena et al. (2020) ‘Concurrently measured concentrations of atmospheric mercury in indoor (household) and outdoor air of Basel, Switzerland’, Environmental Science and Technology Letters, 7(4), pp. 234–239. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00110.

Wohlgemuth, Lena et al. (2020) ‘A bottom-up quantification of foliar mercury uptake fluxes across Europe’, Biogeosciences, 17(24), pp. 6441–6456. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6441-2020.

Jiskra, Martin et al. (2019) ‘Automated Stable Isotope Sampling of Gaseous Elemental Mercury (ISO-GEM): Insights into GEM Emissions from Building Surfaces’, Environmental Science and Technology, 53(8), pp. 4346–4354. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b06381.

Jiskra, Martin et al. (2019) ‘Insights from mercury stable isotopes on terrestrial-atmosphere exchange of Hg(0) in the Arctic tundra’, Biogeosciences, 16(20), pp. 4051–4064. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4051-2019.

Olson, Christine L. et al. (2019) ‘Mercury in tundra vegetation of Alaska: Spatial and temporal dynamics and stable isotope patterns’, Science of the Total Environment, 660, pp. 1502–1512. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.058.

Sun, Ruoyu et al. (2019) ‘Modelling the mercury stable isotope distribution of Earth surface reservoirs: Implications for global Hg cycling’, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 246, pp. 156–173. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2018.11.036.

Yang, Xu, Jiskra, Martin and Sonke, Jeroen E. (2019) ‘Experimental rainwater divalent mercury speciation and photoreduction rates in the presence of halides and organic carbon’, Science of the Total Environment, 697, p. 133821. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133821.

Obrist, Daniel et al. (2018) ‘A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: Changes of emissions, climate, and land use’, Ambio, 47(2), pp. 116–140. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-017-1004-9.

Saiz-Lopez, Alfonso et al. (2018) ‘Photoreduction of gaseous oxidized mercury changes global atmospheric mercury speciation, transport and deposition’, Nature communications, 9(1), p. 4796. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-07075-3.

Members (4)

Martin Jiskra

Principal Investigator

Emanuel Glauser

Project Member

Fabienne Bracher

Project Member

Lena Wohlgemuth

Project Member

Research Groups

Environmental Geosciences

Research Project
|
01.01.2018
- 31.12.2021