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Chen D, Luo Y, Yang X, Si F, Dou K, Zhou H, Qian Y, Hu C, Liu J, Liu W. Study of an Arctic blowing snow-induced bromine explosion event in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 839:156335. [PMID: 35654197 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bromine explosion events (BEEs) are important processes that influence the atmospheric oxidation capacity, especially in the polar troposphere during spring. Although sea ice surface is thought to be a significant bromine source, bromine release mechanisms remain unclear. High-resolution ground-based observations of reactive bromine, such as BrO, are important for assessing the potential impacts on tropospheric ozone and evaluating chemical models. However, previous model studies paid little attention to Svalbard, which is surrounded by both open ocean and sea ice. In this paper, we present continuous BrO slant column densities and vertical column densities derived by Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy deployed at Ny-Ålesund (78.92°N, 11.93°E) in March 2017. We focused on one BEE in mid-March, during which the vertical column densities of BrO surged from 4.26 × 1013 molecular cm-2 to the peak at 1.23 × 1014 molecular cm-2 on March 17, surface ozone depleted from a background level of 46.25 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) to 13.9 ppbv. This case study indicates that the BEE was strongly associated with blowing snow induced by the cyclone systems that approached Svalbard from March 14 to 18. By considering meteorological conditions, sea ice coverage, and airmass trajectory history, we demonstrate that sea salt aerosols (SSAs) from blowing snow on sea ice, rather than from open ocean, are attributed to the occurrence of this BEE. Model results from a parallelized-tropospheric offline model of chemistry and transport (p-TOMCAT) indicate that this BEE was mainly triggered by a blowing snow event associated with a low-pressure cyclone system. The concentration of blowing-snow-sourced SSAs surged to peak when the airmass pass across the sea-ice-covered area under high wind speed, which is a critical factor in the process of bromine explosion observed in Ny-Ålesund. Due to the coarse resolution, the possible delayed timing of bromine release from SSA and the model-data discrepancies still exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douxing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Yuhan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China.
| | - Xin Yang
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - Fuqi Si
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Ke Dou
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Haijin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Yuanyuan Qian
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Chunqiao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China; University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Jianguo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
| | - Wenqing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Optics and Technology, Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, China
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Sharma Ghimire P, Tripathee L, Zhang Q, Guo J, Ram K, Huang J, Sharma CM, Kang S. Microbial mercury methylation in the cryosphere: Progress and prospects. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 697:134150. [PMID: 32380618 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is one of the most toxic heavy metals, and its cycle is mainly controlled by oxidation-reduction reactions carried out by photochemical or microbial process under suitable conditions. The deposition and accumulation of methylmercury (MeHg) in various ecosystems, including the cryospheric components such as snow, meltwater, glaciers, and ice sheet, and subsequently in the food chain pose serious health concerns for living beings. Unlike the abundance of knowledge about the processes of MeHg production over land and oceans, little is known about the sources and production/degradation rate of MeHg in cryosphere systems. In addition, processes controlling the concentration of Hg and MeHg in the cryosphere remains poorly understood, and filling this scientific gap has been challenging. Therefore, it is essential to study and review the deposition and accumulation by biological, physical, and chemical mechanisms involved in Hg methylation in the cryosphere. This review attempts to address knowledge gaps in understanding processes, especially biotic and abiotic, applicable for Hg methylation in the cryosphere. First, we focus on the variability in Hg concentration and mechanisms of Hg methylation, including physical, chemical, microbial, and biological processes, and transportation in the cryosphere. Then, we elaborate on the mechanism of redox reactions and biotic and abiotic factors controlling Hg methylation and biogeochemistry of Hg in the cryosphere. We also present possible mechanisms of Hg methylation with an emphasis on microbial transformation and molecular function to understand variability in Hg concentration in the cryosphere. Recent advancements in the genetic and physicochemical mechanisms of Hg methylation are also presented. Finally, we summarize and propose a method to study the unsolved issues of Hg methylation in the cryosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakriti Sharma Ghimire
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Lekhendra Tripathee
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal.
| | - Qianggong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Junming Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Kirpa Ram
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India
| | - Jie Huang
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chhatra Mani Sharma
- Himalayan Environment Research Institute (HERI), Kathmandu, Nepal; Central Department of Environmental Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.
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Steffen A, Lehnherr I, Cole A, Ariya P, Dastoor A, Durnford D, Kirk J, Pilote M. Atmospheric mercury in the Canadian Arctic. Part I: a review of recent field measurements. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 509-510:3-15. [PMID: 25497576 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 10/31/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Long-range atmospheric transport and deposition are important sources of mercury (Hg) to Arctic aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. We review here recent progress made in the study of the transport, transformation, deposition and reemission of atmospheric Hg in the Canadian Arctic, focusing on field measurements (see Dastoor et al., this issue for a review of modeling studies on the same topics). Redox processes control the speciation of atmospheric Hg, and thus impart an important influence on Hg deposition, particularly during atmospheric mercury depletion events (AMDEs). Bromine radicals were identified as the primary oxidant of atmospheric Hg during AMDEs. Since the start of monitoring at Alert (NU) in 1995, the timing of peak AMDE occurrence has shifted to earlier times in the spring (from May to April) in recent years, and while AMDE frequency and GEM concentrations are correlated with local meteorological conditions, the reasons for this timing-shift are not understood. Mercury is subject to various post-depositional processes in snowpacks and a large portion of deposited oxidized Hg can be reemitted following photoreduction; how much Hg is deposited and reemitted depends on geographical location, meteorological, vegetative and sea-ice conditions, as well as snow chemistry. Halide anions in the snow can stabilize Hg, therefore it is expected that a smaller fraction of deposited Hg will be reemitted from coastal snowpacks. Atmospheric gaseous Hg concentrations have decreased in some parts of the Arctic (e.g., Alert) from 2000 to 2009 but at a rate that was less than that at lower latitudes. Despite numerous recent advances, a number of knowledge gaps remain, including uncertainties in the identification of oxidized Hg species in the air (and how this relates to dry vs. wet deposition), physical-chemical processes in air, snow and water-especially over sea ice-and the relationship between these processes and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Steffen
- Environment Canada, Air Quality Processes Research, Toronto M3H 5T4, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Igor Lehnherr
- University of Waterloo, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amanda Cole
- Environment Canada, Air Quality Processes Research, Toronto M3H 5T4, Ontario, Canada
| | - Parisa Ariya
- McGill University, Department of Chemistry, 801 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal H3A 2K6, Quebec, Canada; McGill University, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, 801 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal H3A 2K6, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ashu Dastoor
- Environment Canada, National Prediction Development Division, Dorval H9P 1J3, Quebec, Canada
| | - Dorothy Durnford
- Environment Canada, National Prediction Development Division, Dorval H9P 1J3, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jane Kirk
- Environment Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Burlington L7R 4A6, Ontario, Canada
| | - Martin Pilote
- Environment Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Montreal H2Y 2E7, Quebec, Canada
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A Survey of Mercury in Air and Precipitation across Canada: Patterns and Trends. ATMOSPHERE 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos5030635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Oltmans SJ, Johnson BJ, Harris JM. Springtime boundary layer ozone depletion at Barrow, Alaska: Meteorological influence, year-to-year variation, and long-term change. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jd016889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Douglas TA, Domine F, Barret M, Anastasio C, Beine HJ, Bottenheim J, Grannas A, Houdier S, Netcheva S, Rowland G, Staebler R, Steffen A. Frost flowers growing in the Arctic ocean-atmosphere-sea ice-snow interface: 1. Chemical composition. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011jd016460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Durnford D, Dastoor A. The behavior of mercury in the cryosphere: A review of what we know from observations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jd014809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Mahajan AS, Shaw M, Oetjen H, Hornsby KE, Carpenter LJ, Kaleschke L, Tian-Kunze X, Lee JD, Moller SJ, Edwards P, Commane R, Ingham T, Heard DE, Plane JMC. Evidence of reactive iodine chemistry in the Arctic boundary layer. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009jd013665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Jacobi HW, Morin S, Bottenheim JW. Observation of widespread depletion of ozone in the springtime boundary layer of the central Arctic linked to mesoscale synoptic conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010jd013940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Zhao TL, Gong SL, Bottenheim JW, McConnell JC, Sander R, Kaleschke L, Richter A, Kerkweg A, Toyota K, Barrie LA. A three-dimensional model study on the production of BrO and Arctic boundary layer ozone depletion. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008jd010631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Narukawa M, Kawamura K, Li SM, Bottenheim JW. Stable carbon isotopic ratios and ionic composition of the high-Arctic aerosols: An increase inδ13C values from winter to spring. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007jd008755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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