Abstract
Historical studies for crop and weed species documented elemental Hg vapor (Hg°) deposition to foliage, but they used Hg° concentrations that were orders of magnitude higher than levels now known to occur under background conditions, possibly creating artificially high gradients between the atmosphere and landscape surfaces. Measurements of Hg° exchange with white oak (Quercus alba L.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) foliage were conducted in an open gas exchange system that allows for simultaneous measurements of CO2, H2O and Hg° exchange under controlled environmental conditions. When Hg° concentrations were held at 0.5 to 1.5 ng m−3, red maple (Acer rubrum L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L.), yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), and white oak (Quercus alba L.) foliage exhibited mean Hg° emissions of 5.5, 1.7, 2.7, and 5.3 ng m−2 h−1, respectively. At Hg° concentrations between 9 and 20 ng m−3 little net exchange of Hg° was observed. However at concentrations between 50 and 70 ng m−3 the Hg° was deposited to foliage at rates between 22 and 38 ng m−2 h−1. These data suggest that dry foliar surfaces in terrestrial forest landscapes may be a dynamic exchange surface that can function as a source or sink dependent on the magnitude of current Hg° concentrations. These data provide evidence of species-specific compensation concentrations (or compensation points) for Hg° deposition to seedling foliage in the 10–25 ng m−3 range.
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Hanson, P.J., Lindberg, S.E., Tabberer, T.A. et al. Foliar exchange of mercury vapor: Evidence for a compensation point. Water Air Soil Pollut 80, 373–382 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01189687
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01189687