Observation of Mercury Species Concentration in Atmospheric Deposition in Niigata City in Japan

Abstract

Mercury concentrations in the atmospheric deposits were measured from April 2017 to April 2020 in Niigata City. As a result, total mercury concentration in the weighted average precipitation was 5.7±3.6 ng/L for total mercury, 2.8± 3.0 ng/L for dissolved, and 2.9±2.0 ng/L for particulate. A high concentration of dissolved mercury was observed in June 2017, suggesting an increase in the concentration of gaseous oxidized mercury in the atmosphere. In addition, Asian dust was observed when the concentration of particulate mercury and the concentration of particulate matter increased, which may have affected the concentration of mercury. The amount of atmospheric deposition increased in winter when there was much rainfall and snow, and the concentration of dissolved mercury tended to increase.