Title: Point Source Deposition of Mercury in Northern Florida
1Point Source Deposition of Mercury in Northern
FloridaA Tale of 2B (or not 2B)
- Kathleen J. Gosnell
- William M. Landing
- Jane Caffrey
2Quicksilver The Quick and the Dead
- Mercury hopefully whats not for dinner
- Harmful effects of Hg have been know for
centuries - Methyl mercury is lethal for most organisms
- accidental poisoning has become more prominent
with increasing anthropogenic input to the
environment - Minamata disease brought the problem to light for
the public after 1950 - acetaldehyde production company released waste
containing high amounts of mercury into the bay - Local fisherman and villagers consumed large
amounts of fish -gt got really sick -gt
Neurological disorders
3Compliments to the DEP website
4What are the Point Sources of Hg?
- Numerous studies have been done to determine
global and regional deposition influences on
Florida watersheds - Few studies have attempted to determine point
source effect of known Hg emitters to the local
watershed - How does local point sources influence local and
global atmospheric mercury deposition?
5- This study looks at the influence of one large
coal-fired power plant (Gulf Powers Crist plant)
in northeast Pensacola - Coal combustion releases Hg into the atmosphere,
primarily as vapor - Elemental Hg can have an atmospheric half-life or
½ to 2 years in the atmosphere before being
released to the biosphere - What are other trace metal factors that can point
to where mercury actually coming from?
6- 3 sample sites located at different distances
from main point source - 1 mile
- 2 miles
- 7 miles (pristine?)
- Annual sampling of individual rain events since
2004
Molino
Pace
Ellyson
7- Rain events sampled episodically
8- Each sample ran for Hg
- Each sample treated with 0.045 M HCl and 0.048 M
HNO3, than UV Oxidized for 24 hr. - Analyzed by cold vapor atomic fluorescence
spectrometry (CVAFS) - As well as a sweep of other trace elements,
including alkaline metals and earth elements,
rare earth elements, and all three lines of
transition metals - Analyzed via Element ICP-MS and Quad ICP-MS
9- Monthly average total-Hg concentrations measured
for 3 rain sampling sites
10Regional Mercury deposition
11Factor Analysis
- Reduce the number of variables
- Detect Structure in the Relationship between
variables - Classify variables
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131st Factor Land-Ho! Al, Si, Mn, Fe, Co (REE,
Rb, Cs, Th, U)
- Indicates land (crust or dust) sources
14Factor 4 Sea salt aerosolsSr, Na, Mg
15Factor 3 Plants, Fire or Cement?
- Elements associated with plants (P, Zn, Cd)
- Byproduct of Cement production?
16Pollution factor Hg, As, Sn, Se, Sb, Pb, Bi,
Cu?
R2 0.54
R2 0.40
R2 0.45
R2 0.30
17- Coal combustion in the southeastern US pollutes
regionally with volatile elements such as
mercury, arsenic, antimony and lead - Factor analysis Hg, As, Sn, Se, Sb, Pb, Bi, Cu
- Different Factor Analysis components link Hg to
other sources - can it be narrowed down?
- Some factor analysis correlations dont make much
sense - What about other factors?
- Sulfate can be a coal plant by-product
18- Analysis Inter-Element
Relationships - 4-factors Hg - Sb - Pb As Se Sn
Bi V (Cu) - (no major ions)
- 6 factors Hg - Sb - (Pb) (Ga)
NO3 SO4 NH4 - (no As, Se, Sn)
- 7 factors Hg - Sb - Pb SO4
- (all data)
- 5 factors Hg Sb - Pb (V)
NO3 SO4 NH4 - (all data)
-
19Conclusions
- Factor analysis successfully yields information
regarding possible point source categories for
trace elements in rainfall - Alumino-silicate (dust), sea salt (marine) and P,
Cd and Zn (plants?) factors appear consistent
across all analyses - Number of components and allowed factors has
dramatic influence on factor loading and
inter-element relationships for Hg - consistent relationships emerges from analysis
for Hg - Sb - Pb - SO4
20Future Plans?
- Set up a fourth sampling site
- more pristine background site
- More Meteorology
- What is the reasoning behind the P - Cd Zn
factor analysis relationship? And Why do Hg
sources sometimes change with different factors? - How will the future coal scrubber affect Hg
samples? - Estimated to start up late 2009
- Keep on keeping on
21Acknowledgements
- Dr. William Landing, FSU
- Dr. Jane Caffrey, UWF
- EPA
- Sikha Bagui UWF (Computer Science)
- Subhas Bagui UWF (Statistics)
- Jessie Brown UWF (Computer Science)
- Thalassic Society Officers and Helpers
- Student Samplers, delivery man, etc
- Student Symposium 2008 attendees
22Thank You!Thats All Folks
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24Major ion analysis
Compliments of UWF
25Full Data set7 factors
- Factor 1 Dust / Land
- Factor 2 Sea salt
- Factor 3 Bi, Cd, P, Zn
- Factor 4 SO4, Hg, Pb, Sb
- Factor 5 As, Se, Sn
- Factor 6 NO3, NH4
- Factor 7 Cr, Ni
Compliments of UWF
265 Factors
- Factor 1 Al/Si - Dust
- looks like F1 of 7
- Factor 2 NO3, SO4, NH4, Hg, Pb, Sb, V
- looks like F4F6
- Factor 3 Sea salt
- looks like F2 of 7
- Factor 4 Bi, Cd, P, Zn
- looks like F3
- Factor 5 As, Se, Sn
- looks like F5 of 7
Compliments of UWF