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Climate Change and Future Scenarios in the Arctic Region Venice International University, Isola di San Servolo 11-12 December 2014 The Polar Mercury Cycle in a changing climate Ian M. Hedgecock1 and Nicola Pirrone2 [email protected] 1 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy 2 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it Recent Progress towards limiting Mercury in the Environment CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it Hg Species in the Environment Elemental Mercury, Hg0 Unreactive, not very soluble, transported long distances, makes up most of the Hg in the atmosphere, and the major part of anthropogenic and almost all natural emissions Oxidised Inorganic Mercury, HgII The major component in mercury deposition fluxes, soluble, can be methylated in the water column, lasts a few days in the atmosphere Methyl Mercury, MeHgX Deadly Dimethyl Mercury Hg(CH3)2 – practically irrelevant CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it The impact of methylmercury on health The fox on the left lives on the coast and feeds on sea birds, and sometimes seal carcasses. The one on the right lives Inland and eats rodents and non-marine birds. Bocharova et al., Correlation between Feeding Ecology and Mercury Levels in Historical and Modern Arctic Foxes (Vulpes lagopus). PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (5): e60879 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it The processes influencing Mercury fluxes in the Arctic • Atmospheric transport via the atmosphere of Hg0 • In-situ oxidation of Hg0 to HgII by Br, during the Bromine explosion • Deposition of HgII, but also subsequent reduction followed by re-emission of Hg • Methylation of HgII in (lakes, sediments, ocean) • Uptake by biota and subsequent bio-magnification through the food web All of which are likely to influenced by climate change CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it The chemistry behind the Bromine explosion is complex Bromine is derived from sea-salt present both in sea-ice and because seasalt aerosol deposits on the snow. Acidification of the snow (nitrate), solar radiation and wind blowing through the snow layers release Br compounds to the atmosphere. Pratt et al., Photochemical production of molecular bromine in Arctic surface snowpacks, Nature Geoscience 6, 351–356 (2013) CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it Recent studies show that it isn’t that simple Cloud plumes from cracks of open water in the Arctic sea ice cover. Image credit: University of Hamburg, Germany CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it The age and salinity of sea-ice • The chemistry behind the Bromine explosion is influenced by, temperature, solar radiation and salinity • Perennial sea-ice is less saline and less prone to form leads than seasonal sea-ice • The boundary layer over ice is often low, hence the quantity of Hg available to be oxidised is limited • When leads form they produce significant convection and therefore act to pump Hg down from higher in the troposphere than when they are not present. • The increased salinity of seasonal ice rather than perennial ice can lead to increased Bromine production especially during cold spells Nghiem, S. V., et al. (2012), Field and satellite observations of the formation and distribution of Arctic atmospheric bromine above a rejuvenated sea ice cover, J. Geophys. Res., 117, D00S05 Moore et al., (2014), Covective forcing if mercury and ozone in the Arctic boundary layer induced by leads in sea ice, Nature, 506, 81–84 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it And Chlorine too Scientists studying the atmosphere above Barrow, Alaska, have discovered unprecedented levels of molecular chlorine in the air, a new study reports. Researcher Jin Liao checks the instrumentation in Barrow, Alaska, during a research trip to measure molecular chlorine in the atmosphere. (Photo: Georgia Institute of Technology) Jin Liao et al., (2014) High levels of molecular chlorine in the Arctic atmosphere, Nature Geoscience 7, 91–94 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it “We don’t really know the mechanism. It’s a mystery to us right now,” Huey said. “But the sea ice is changing dramatically, so we’re in a time where we have absolutely no predictive power over what’s going to happen to this chemistry. We’re really in the dark about the chlorine.” Rivers A recent study suggests that riverine input of Hg to the Arctic is significantly higher than once thought, and that input from rivers is twice that from the atmosphere. Which rivers is a good question as another study has shown that the burbot fish in two Russian rivers, the Lena and the Mezen, are safe to eat. Leandro et al., (2013), Low and Declining Mercury in Arctic Russian Rivers, ES&T, 48, 747-752 From Fisher et al., (2012), Riverine source of Arctic Ocean mercury inferred from atmospheric observations, Nature Geoscience 5, 499– 504 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it And the less known unknowns While the impact of changing sea ice age and coverage are being studied and becoming better understood, the impact of riverine inputs is less well studied. However as pointed out in a review by Stern et al., a number of consequences of climate change really are unquantifiable: Permafrost melting – mercury release, more microbial activity? Ocean stratification – more oligotrophic waters increasing the rate of Hg methylation in the ocean? Animal behaviour and animal feeding habits are likely to change, will they be more or less exposed to Hg contamination? Stern et al., (2012), How does climate change influence arctic mercury? STOTEN, 414, 22–42 CNR – Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rende, Italy http://www.iia.cnr.it Further details The Global Mercury Observation System www.gmos.eu http://www.cnrmerc.org/ National Reference Centre for Mercury (CNRM) Thank you