Seasonal variations of ambient air mercury species nearby an airport

This study focuses on the collection of ambient air mercury species (total gaseous mercury (TGM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), gaseous element mercury (GEM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) pollutants at airport nearby sampling site during the year of Apr. 2016 to Mar. 2017 by using Four-stage gold amalgamation and denuder. The results indicated that the average TGM, RGM and GEM concentrations were 5.04 ± 2.43 ng/m3, 29.58 ± 80.54 pg/m3, 4.70 ± 2.63 ng/m3, respectively during the year of Apr. 2016 to Mar. 2017 (n = 49) period at this airport sampling site nearby. In addition, the results also indicated that the average PBM concentrations in TSP and PM2.5 were 0.35 ± 0.08 ng/m3 and 0.09 ± 0.03 ng/m3, respectively. And the average PBM in TSP concentrations order follows as summer > autumn > spring > winter, while the average PBM in PM2.5 concentrations order follows as spring > summer > winter > autumn. Moreover, the average TGM, RGM and GEM concentrations order follow as spring > summer > autumn > winter. Finally, the Asian continent has the highest average mercury species concentrations (TGM, RGM, GEM and PBM) when compared with the American and European continents, and the average mercury species concentrations (TGM, RGM, GEM and PBM) displayed declined trends for North America (United States and Canada) and Europe (Spain, Sweden and Southern Baltic) during the years of 2004-2014. Also noteworthy is that the average mercury species concentrations (TGM, RGM, GEM) displayed increasing trends in China and Taiwan during the years of 2008-2016. Japan and Korea are the only two exceptions. Those above two countries mercury species concentrations displayed decreasing trends during years of 2008-2015.