Collaborative Research: Refining and Testing Methods for Identifying and Quantifying Gaseous Oxidized Mercury in Air

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This project is focused on improving the measurement methods for gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) in the atmosphere. Development will continue on a simple, calibrated system for passive sampling of GOM followed by thermal desorption. Mass spectrometric analysis will be used to identify specific GOM compounds in the environment. A variety of collection and pre-concentration materials and configurations will be tested. A field-ready calibrator for oxidized mercury compounds will be built that will allow for routine verification of GOM measurements by Tekran and other measurement systems. Gaseous oxidized mercury compounds are easily converted to methyl mercury, the form of mercury that is of most concern for human and ecosystem health. These compounds are also of concern because they can become efficiently taken up by ecosystems. This project will improve our understanding of the chemistry and fate of mercury in the environment.