Collaborative Research: Reno Atmospheric Mercury Inter-comparison Experiment

该合作奖将支持对大气汞（Hg）的不同测量系统进行相互比较。 汞是一种重要的神经毒素，可在食物链中生物积累。 它是一种重要的全球污染物，大气层是处理和全球运输的关键场所。 然而，在我们对汞的大气循环的理解中存在很大的不确定性，部分原因是测量中存在很大的不确定性。实验活动将于2011年夏季在里诺内华达州的一个地点进行，该地点以前曾用于汞研究，并将涉及四个新的测量系统沿着目前广泛使用的传统方法系统。 将使用精心设计的用于加标和干扰试验的歧管对新方法进行比较和挑战。 该项目的具体目标是：（1）比较多个小组在四周内对气态元素汞、气态氧化汞和颗粒汞的环境测量结果;（2）检查所有系统对元素汞和卤化汞峰值的反应;（3）在存在已知或潜在干扰化合物（包括臭氧、水蒸气和其他化合物）的情况下，检查所有系统对汞的反应;（4）分析数据，以量化每个测量系统的一致程度、干扰和校准测试的结果;以及（5）在同行评审的文献中公布结果。 根据几项国家评估和国家科学基金会支持的一个研讨会的建议，制定和测试了更好的汞测量方法。 该项目将为一些本科生、研究生和博士后研究员提供培训机会。

This collaborative award will support an inter-comparison of different measurement systems for atmospheric mercury (Hg). Hg is an important neurotoxin which bioaccumulates in the food chain. It is an important global pollutant and the atmosphere is a key site for processing and global transport. However, there are large uncertainties in our understanding of the atmospheric cycling of Hg, in part due to significant uncertainties in its measurement. The experimental campaign will occur during the summer of 2011 at a site in Reno Nevada that has previously been used for Hg research, and will involve four new measurement systems along with the traditional method system that is currently widely in use for Hg. The new methods will be compared and challenged using a carefully designed manifold for spiking and interference tests. The specific goals for this project are: (1) to compare ambient measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) and particulate mercury (PHg) by multiple groups for four weeks; (2) to examine the response of all systems to spikes of elemental Hg and mercury halides; (3) to examine the response to Hg of all systems in the presence of known or potential interfering compounds, including ozone, water vapor and other compounds; (4) to analyze the data to quantify the level of agreement and the results of interference and calibration tests for each measurement system; and (5) to publish the results in the peer-reviewed literature.This project is aimed at improving the measurement capabilities for a very important pollutant. The development and testing of better methods to measure Hg follows on the recommendations of several national assessments and an NSF supported workshop. This project will provide training opportunities for a number of undergraduates, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.