TY  - JOUR
AU  - Dommergue, A.
AU  - Ferrari, C. P.
AU  - Gauchard, P-A
AU  - Boutron, C. F.
AU  - Poissant, L.
AU  - Pilote, M.
AU  - Jitaru, P.
AU  - Adams, F. C.
PY  - 2003//
TI  - The fate of mercury species in a sub-arctic snowpack during snowmelt
JO  - Geophysical research letters
VL  - 30
PB  - American Geophysical Union
KW  - 0330 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Geochemical cycles
KW  - 0322 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Constituent sources and sinks
KW  - 1863 Hydrology: Snow and ice
KW  - 1065 Geochemistry: Trace elements
N2  - An extensive mercury study was conducted in April 2002 prior to and during the annual melting of a snowpack in a sub-arctic site along the Hudson Bay (Canada). Gas-phase measurements show that the snowmelt coincides with an elemental mercury (Hg°) pulse in the snowpack air far above ambient levels. Additional measurements of inorganic mercury (Hg2+) and methylmercury (MeHg+) in snow pits, in surface snow and in a meltwater sample clearly reveal that most of Hg is removed from the snow during the first days of snowmelt. We estimate that gas-phase exchanges contribute poorly to remove Hg from the snowpack; consequently during a snowmelt day more than 90% of Hg present in the snow surface is likely released with the meltwater. In arctic areas, where Hg accumulates at an accelerated rate in the snow surfaces [Lu et al., 2001] during mercury depletion events (MDE), the discharge of this toxic and bio-accumulating pollutant in water systems could be a threat to ecosystems and local indigenous populations.
SN  - 0094-8276
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2003GL017308
N1  - exported from refbase (http://publi.ipev.fr/polar_references/show.php?record=5642), last updated on Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:39:57 +0200
ID  - Dommergue_etal2003
ER  -