Atmospheric deposition of mercury over Sepetiba Bay, SE Brazil.

Abstract

Atmospheric deposition of mercury over Sepetiba Bay was estimated through collection of bulk precipitation during one year. Mercury concentrations in monthly samples ranged from 30 ng.L-1 to 164 ng.L -1 resulting in a total annual deposition of 76 μg.m -2.yr -1. This is in agreement with published results from other industrialized areas in Europe and North America. In comparison with the total mercury deposition in the bay, estimated through sediment core analysis, the atmospheric component is responsible for 54 to 84% of the total annual deposition of mercury in the bay. The solubility of different mercury species in rain water suggests that particulate Hg is the major form of this element in the bulk atmospheric deposition.