Gaseous oxidized mercury dry deposition measurements in the Four Corners area and Eastern Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) dry deposition measurements using surrogate surface passive samplers were collected in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma from August, 2009–August, 2011. Using data from a six site area network, a characterization of the magnitude and spatial extent of ambient mercury pollution in the arid Four Corners area was accomplished, which included the observation of a strong regional signature in the GOM dry deposition data set. GOM dry deposition rate estimates ranged from 0.4–1.0 ng/mh at the six Four Corners area monitoring sites, while the GOM dry deposition rate estimate at the eastern Oklahoma monitoring site was lower at 0.2 ng/mh. The highest GOM dry deposition estimates were recorded during the spring and summer while the lowest GOM dry deposition estimates were recorded during the fall and winter. During the second year of this study the highest annual GOM dry deposition estimate so far measured in the United States (U.S.) with smooth–edge surrogate surface passive samplers, 10 889 ng/m, was recorded at the Mesa Verde National Park site, a site at which the two– year cumulative GOM dry deposition estimate exceeded the mercury wet deposition estimate. GOM dry deposition estimates during the second year of the study were statistically significantly higher than the first year of the study at six of the seven sites. The data from this study provide a two–year baseline of GOM dry deposition data in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma immediately before the current implementation of new U.S. power plant and boiler mercury control regulations which will significantly reduce mercury emissions from those two sectors of local and regional anthropogenic mercury emission sources.

 Click following link to download copy of the report: APR-13-017

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Two Mercury and Dental Reports

Attached are two recent reports by two different NGOs:

  1. 1.       “Occupational Exposure to Elemental Mercury in Odontology/Dentistry” – This was produced under an EPA/OPPT grant by UMass Lowell, in collaboration with an NGO in Ecuador and a university in Mexico.
  2. 2.       “Mercury in Dental Amalgam and Resin-Based Alternatives: A Comparative Health Risk Evaluation” – This was produced by Health Care Without Harm and others.

 

  1. 2012-06 Report Hg_in_Dental_Amalgam Health Risk Evaluation HCWH
  2. 2012-04 Report Reducing Hg in Dental Clinics UMassLowell

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Gaseous oxidized mercury dry deposition measurements in the Four Corners area and Eastern Oklahoma, U.S.A.

Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) dry deposition measurements using surrogate surface passive samplers were collected in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma from August, 2009–August, 2011. Using data from a six site area network, a characterization of the magnitude and spatial extent of ambient mercury pollution in the arid Four Corners area was accomplished, which included the observation of a strong regional signature in the GOM dry deposition data set. GOM dry deposition rate estimates ranged from 0.4–1.0 ng/m2h at the six Four Corners area monitoring sites, while the GOM dry deposition rate estimate at the eastern Oklahoma monitoring site was lower at0.2 ng/mh. The highest GOM dry deposition estimates were recorded during the spring and summer while the lowest GOM dry deposition estimates were recorded during the fall and winter. During the second year of this study the highest annual GOM dry deposition estimate so far measured in the United States (U.S.) with smooth–edge surrogate surface passive samplers, 10 889 ng/m, was recorded at the Mesa Verde National Park site, a site at which the two– year cumulative GOM dry deposition estimate exceeded the mercury wet deposition estimate. GOM dry deposition estimates during the second year of the study were statistically significantly higher than the first year of the study at six of the seven sites. The data from this study provide a two–year baseline of GOM dry deposition data in the Four Corners area and eastern Oklahoma immediately before the current implementation of new U.S. power plant and boiler mercury control regulations which will significantly reduce mercury emissions from those two sectors of local and regional anthropogenic mercury emission sources.

The full paper may be found at http://www.atmospolres.com/articles/Volume4/issue2/APR-13-017.pdf

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The Genetic Basis for Bacterial Mercury Methylation

A report was recently published which identifies genes required for microbial mercury (Hg) methylation.  You may find the report at http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2013/02/06/science.1230667.full

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USGS’s Mercury in Stream Ecosystems study

The USGS’s Mercury in Stream Ecosystems study has recently been published two papers.



The first paper, by Paul Bradley and others, examines mercury and methylmercury supply to McTier Creek, a Coastal Plain stream in South Carolina. Shallow groundwater routes of transport from riparian wetlands to McTier Creek were determined to be of greater importance than surface drainage.
Reference: Bradley, P.M., M.A. Lowery, M.E. Brigham, D.A. Burns, D. Button, F.H. Chapelle, M.A. Lutz, M.C. Marvin-DiPasquale, K. Riva-Murray. C.A. Journey. Shallow groundwater methylmercury transport in a Coastal Plain Stream. Environmental Science and Technology.payday loans 46(14): 7503-7511. Available at:
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es301540g

The second paper, by Doug Burns and others, examines the relationship of filtered (“dissolved”) mercury to specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) in the Upper Hudson and Fishing Brook basins in New York. They find that SUVA values reflect spatial and temporal variation in source areas and sink processes that affect the transport of mercury in the Upper Hudson. SUVA is an inexpensive indicator of certain components of dissolved organic matter that bind with dissolved mercury and facilitate mercury transport.
Reference: Burns, D.A., G.R. Aiken, P.M. Bradley, C.A. Journey, and J. Schelker, 2012, Specific ultra-violet absorbance as an indicator of mercury sources in an Adirondack River basin. Published in Online First section of Biogeochemistry. Available at:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m18310uq1tqu84r6/

Both papers are open access — you do not need to subscribe to the respective journals to download them.


All papers and reports from the Mercury in Stream Ecosystems study are available under the Publications link from team’s web site,
http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/mercury/

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New FDA and CDC Fact Sheets

The FDA has published a fact sheet on mercury amalgam fillings which may be found at http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgam/ucm171094.htm

The CDC has published a Q & A document on thimerosal which may be found at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Concerns/thimerosal/thimerosal_faqs.htmlpayday loans

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Report: The Real Cost of Dental Mercury

2012-03 Report The Real Cost of Dental Mercury MPP

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UNEP Global Mercury Assessment

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has released a report titled “Global Mercury Assessment 2013″.  The report summarizes global mercury emissions for 2010 (1960 metric tons).  The report may be accessed at http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Portals/9/Mercury/GMA%20Report/GlobalMercuryAssessment2013.pdf

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Economic benefits of methylmecury exposure control in Europe: Monetary value of neurotoxicity prevention

Background

Due to global mercury pollution and the adverse health effects of prenatal exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), an assessment of the economic benefits of prevented developmental neurotoxicity is necessary for any cost-benefit analysis.

Conclusions

These estimates document that efforts to combat mercury pollution and to reduce MeHg exposures will have very substantial economic benefits in Europe, mainly in southern countries. Some data may not be entirely representative, some countries were not covered, and anticipated changes in mercury pollution all suggest a need for extended biomonitoring of human MeHg exposure.

 

 

Click Here for Report

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Environmental Integrity Project Report on Power Plant Emissions

The Environmental Integrity Project released a short report listing the top ten emitters for select pollutants, including mercury.  2013-01-03.Report.Top 10 power plant emissions of Hg.EIP report

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