DiSTeM, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 36, 90123 Palermo, Italy.
Chemosphere. 2013 Nov;93(9):2024-32. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.07.025. Epub 2013 Aug 6.
The first attempt to systematically investigate the atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the MBL of the Augusta basin (SE Sicily, Italy) has been undertaken. In the past the basin was the receptor for Hg from an intense industrial activity which contaminated the bottom sediments of the Bay, making this area a potential source of pollution for the surrounding Mediterranean. Three oceanographic cruises have been thus performed in the basin during the winter and summer 2011/2012, where we estimated averaged Hgatm concentrations of about 1.5±0.4 (range 0.9-3.1) and 2.1±0.98 (range 1.1-3.1) ng m(-3) for the two seasons, respectively. These data are somewhat higher than the background Hg atm value measured over the land (range 1.1±0.3 ng m(-3)) at downtown Augusta, while are similar to those detected in other polluted regions elsewhere. Hg evasion fluxes estimated at the sea/air interface over the Bay range from 3.6±0.3 (unpolluted site) to 72±0.1 (polluted site of the basin) ng m(-2) h(-1). By extending these measurements to the entire area of the Augusta basin (23.5 km(2)), we calculated a total sea-air Hg evasion flux of about 9.7±0.1 g d(-1) (0.004 tyr(-1)), accounting for ~0.0002% of the global Hg oceanic evasion (2000 tyr(-1)). The new proposed data set offers a unique and original study on the potential outflow of Hg from the sea-air interface at the basin, and it represents an important step for a better comprehension of the processes occurring in the marine biogeochemical cycle of this element.
首次对奥古斯塔盆地（意大利西西里岛东南部）海洋边界层中的大气汞（Hg）进行了系统调查。过去，该盆地是强烈工业活动Hg 的接受地，污染了海湾的底泥，使该地区成为周围地中海的潜在污染源。因此，2011/2012 年冬夏两季在该盆地进行了三次海洋学考察，分别估算出大气中 Hgatm 的平均浓度约为 1.5±0.4（范围为 0.9-3.1）和 2.1±0.98（范围为 1.1-3.1）ng m(-3)。这些数据略高于奥古斯塔市区陆地背景 Hgatm 值（范围为 1.1±0.3 ng m(-3))，与其他受污染地区检测到的数据相似。在海湾的海/气界面上估算的 Hg 逸出通量范围从 3.6±0.3（未污染点）到 72±0.1（盆地污染点）ng m(-2) h(-1)。将这些测量结果扩展到奥古斯塔盆地的整个区域（约 23.5 km(2))，我们计算出的总海-气 Hg 逸出通量约为 9.7±0.1 g d(-1)（~0.004 tyr(-1))，占全球 Hg 海洋逸出量（2000 tyr(-1))的约 0.0002%。新提出的数据集提供了关于从盆地海-气界面潜在 Hg 输出的独特而原始的研究，是更好地理解该元素海洋生物地球化学循环中发生的过程的重要一步。
