Collaborative Research: Mercury Oxidation Pathways in a Continental Atmosphere: High Temporal Resolution Measurements of Mercury and Oxidants at Storm Peak Laboratory

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This project focuses on the study of atmospheric mercury. Mercury in the atmosphere exists in the gas-phase elemental form, as gas-phase oxidized mercury compounds, and bound to particles. The primary effort of this research will be on processes and mechanisms that govern oxidation reactions in the remote continental atmosphere. Mercury is a toxin that impacts neurological health and development in humans. A more thorough understanding of the atmospheric concentrations and chemical pathways of oxidized mercury is central to fully determining its fate. There are three objectives to this project: (1) Generate a high-quality dataset with accurate concentrations of elemental and oxidized mercury, halogen oxide radicals, aerosol size distribution, and other oxidants at a remote mountaintop site over the continental U.S.; (2) Identify the chemical mechanisms and physical processes that influence elemental and oxidized mercury in the free troposphere and the planetary boundary layer air masses; and (3) Bolster existing long-term measurements at Storm Peak Laboratory (e.g., to inform sources of new particle formation) and facilitate dialogue with researchers at other mountain observatories by sharing data analysis tools and expertise on best practices for sampling oxidized mercury, nanoparticles, and halogens from high elevation ground-based platforms.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.