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

A two-year study in the Four Corners area, including Mesa Verde National Park, and eastern Oklahoma revealed unprecedented levels of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) dry deposition, with the highest annual estimate recorded in the U.S. using passive samplers at 10,889 ng/m². This finding underscores significant regional mercury pollution, particularly during spring and summer, with deposition rates ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 ng/m²/h across six sites. The study also noted that GOM dry deposition often exceeded wet deposition at Mesa Verde, highlighting the importance of this pathway in mercury contamination. Conducted before stricter U.S. emissions regulations, the research provides a critical baseline for understanding pre-regulation mercury levels and their spatial variability.

Sather, M. E., Mukerjee, S., Smith, L., Mathew, J., Jackson, C., Callison, R., Scrapper, L., Hathcoat, A., Adam, J., Keese, D., Ketcher, P., Brunette, R., Karlstrom, J., & Van der Jagt, G. (2013). Gaseous oxidized mercury dry deposition measurements in the Four Corners area and Eastern Oklahoma, U.S.A. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 4(2), 168–180. https://doi.org/10.5094/apr.2013.017