Back to Search Start Over

Trend, seasonal and multivariate analysis study of total gaseous mercury data from the Canadian atmospheric mercury measurement network (CAMNet)

Authors :
S. Beauchamp
B. Wiens
Christian Temme
C. M. Banic
Alexandra Steffen
Pierrette Blanchard
R. Tordon
Laurier Poissant
Source :
Atmospheric Environment. 41:5423-5441
Publication Year :
2007
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2007.

Abstract

Long-term monitoring data of total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations from the Canadian Atmospheric Mercury Measurement Network (CAMNet) were analysed for temporal trends, seasonality and comparability within the network and compared to other network and model results. Data collected from 11 Canadian measurement sites between 1995 and 2005 were analysed. Sites within CAMNet were characterized by principle component analysis (PCA) into four main categories. For the first time since automated TGM measurements have been made within CAMNet, this paper reveals statistically significant decreasing TGM concentrations from rural locations in Canada during this time period. The largest declines were observed close to the urban areas of Toronto and Montreal, where levels fell by 17% at Point Petre, and 13% at St. Anicet, respectively. Many of the TGM changes are comparable with the overall trends observed in total mercury concentrations in precipitation, for similar time periods, at co-located or nearby National Atmospheric Deposition programme's Mercury Deposition Network (NADP-MDN) sites. The results show that these changes are mostly driven by local or regional changes in mercury emissions. Other sites within CAMNet reflect reported changes in hemispherical global background concentrations of airborne mercury, where slight decreases or no statistically significant trend in TGM concentrations exist over the same time period.

Details

ISSN :
13522310
Volume :
41
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Atmospheric Environment
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........76a3bdc4568a29485487d0fd5663d602
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.02.021