On the Behavior of Mercury in the Rain Water
Effect of the Acidity of Rain Water on the Uptake of Atmospheric Mercury
1984 Volume 19 Issue 4 Pages 276-282
Details
1984 Volume 19 Issue 4 Pages 276-282
Total mercury concentrations in the rain water collected in Kobe for one year were measured by using reduction-aeration, gold amalgamation and AAS.
The concentrations averaged 26.6 ng/l for 300 determinations (range 1-136 ng/l) and the order of their magnitude was winter, spring-autumn, summer. And they were able to be treated as a lognormal distribution.
The decreasing mode of mercury concentrations with increasing of rainfall amounts was compared with those of sulphate and nitrate concentrations.
As a result of regression analysis between mercury concentration and each component, a significant correlation between mercury concentration and H+ concentration was found.
Authors proposed on the basis of the experiments that there were following three pathways for the uptake of mercury species from air to rainwater;(1) washout of particles adsorbed and dissolved mercury, (2) dissolution of HgCl2 and (3) dissolution of Hg° and successive oxidation to Hg (II).
