Ms. Gustin et Se. Lindberg, Assessing the contribution of natural sources to the global mercury cycle:The importance of intercomparing dynamic flux measurements, FRESEN J AN, 366(5), 2000, pp. 417-422
In order to constrain the contribution of natural sources of mercury to the
global atmospheric cycle we need to: 1. assess the methods used to measure
mercury flux, 2. characterize those factors most important in controlling
emissions, 3. develop a database of emissions from representative locations
, and 4. develop a means of scaling up measured emissions to estimate fluxe
s on a regional basis. This paper describes how an international multi-coll
aborator project, the Nevada SToRMS Project, held September 1997 in Reno, N
evada, USA, contributed to our ability to constrain natural source mercury
emissions. This study entailed a field intercomparison of those methods typ
ically applied to measure mercury flux from substrate combined with evening
workshops and roundtable discussions. The project was unique in that it fo
cused on assessing our ability to measure the flux of an environmental cont
aminant. This is more difficult than measurement of the concentration of a
contaminant because of the number and nature of the variables which influen
ce the field flux measurements, including experimental design, spatial hete
rogeneity, and temporally changing environmental conditions. As a result of
the Nevada SToRMS Project, rapid and significant advances in our understan
ding of how to constrain emission fluxes from large areas of mercury enrich
ment were realized. Because this intercomparison was a multi-investigator p
roject, the results and implications of the project have been broadly circu
lated. The sincere scientific collaboration that evolved amongst those work
ing on the study has led to significant advancements in our understanding o
f the fate and transport of mercury in the environment.