Mercury wet deposition in rural Korea: concentrations and fluxes

Abstract

The characteristics of Hg wet deposition were investigated in a rural area of Korea from August 2006 to July 2008. The volume weighted mean (VWM) Hg(T) concentration and cumulative Hg(T) flux were 8.8 ng L⁻¹ and 9.4 μg m⁻² per year, respectively. The VWM Hg(T) concentration varied seasonally, similar to the seasonal pattern in atmospheric Hg(p) concentration. The enhancement of both VWM Hg(T) and atmospheric Hg(p) concentrations in spring and winter was likely caused by the long-range transport of Hg from China. Monthly VWM Hg(T) and atmospheric Hg(p) concentrations were well correlated (R² = 0.36); however, there was no correlation between VWM Hg(T) and RGM (reactive gaseous mercury) concentrations, suggesting that Hg(p) was responsible for the majority of the Hg in wet deposition at this site. The VWM Hg(T) concentration in snow was statistically higher than in rain. In addition, the atmospheric Hg(p) concentration appeared to be elevated for snow events as well. This suggests that both elevated Hg(p) concentrations and the enhanced scavenging efficiency of snow for Hg(p) were responsible for the elevated VWM Hg(T) concentrations measured during snow events.