Total particulate mercury (TPM) may constitute, in general, a small percent
age by mass of total atmospheric mercury, but under certain conditions it c
an be a very significant form of atmospheric Hg, and play an important role
in the deposition of mercury to terrestrial and aquatic cosystems. To unde
rstand the cycling and distribution of mercury in the environment, accurate
determination of the total concentration and speciation of TPM are necessa
ry. This article provides a review of scientific and technical literature p
ublished in the past 5 *yr pertaining to sampling and analytical methodolog
ies for the determination and chemical speciation of TPM in ambient air. Sa
mpling methods discussed include the conventional filtration method and the
diffusion denuder-based technique. Analytical techniques, such as gold-ama
lgamation/cold-vapor spectrometry, and nuclear methods, are summarized.