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Quantifying soil accumulation of atmospheric mercury using fallout radionuclide chronometry

Author

Listed:
  • Joshua D. Landis

    (Dartmouth College)

  • Daniel Obrist

    (University of Massachusetts
    University of California)

  • Jun Zhou

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Carl E. Renshaw

    (Dartmouth College)

  • William H. McDowell

    (University of New Hampshire
    Florida International University)

  • Christopher J. Nytch

    (University of Puerto Rico – Rio Piedras)

  • Marisa C. Palucis

    (Dartmouth College)

  • Joanmarie Vecchio

    (William and Mary)

  • Fernando Montano Lopez

    (Dartmouth College)

  • Vivien F. Taylor

    (Dartmouth College)

Abstract

Soils are a principal global reservoir of mercury (Hg), a neurotoxic pollutant that is accumulating through anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere and subsequent deposition to terrestrial ecosystems. The fate of Hg in global soils remains uncertain, however, particularly to what degree Hg is re-emitted back to the atmosphere as gaseous elemental mercury (GEM). Here we use fallout radionuclide (FRN) chronometry to directly measure Hg accumulation rates in soils. By comparing these rates with measured atmospheric fluxes in a mass balance approach, we show that representative Arctic, boreal, temperate, and tropical soils are quantitatively efficient at retaining anthropogenic Hg. Potential for significant GEM re-emission appears limited to a minority of coniferous soils, calling into question global models that assume strong re-emission of legacy Hg from soils. FRN chronometry poses a powerful tool to reconstruct terrestrial Hg accumulation across larger spatial scales than previously possible, while offering insights into the susceptibility of Hg mobilization from different soil environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua D. Landis & Daniel Obrist & Jun Zhou & Carl E. Renshaw & William H. McDowell & Christopher J. Nytch & Marisa C. Palucis & Joanmarie Vecchio & Fernando Montano Lopez & Vivien F. Taylor, 2024. "Quantifying soil accumulation of atmospheric mercury using fallout radionuclide chronometry," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49789-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49789-7
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel Obrist & Yannick Agnan & Martin Jiskra & Christine L. Olson & Dominique P. Colegrove & Jacques Hueber & Christopher W. Moore & Jeroen E. Sonke & Detlev Helmig, 2017. "Tundra uptake of atmospheric elemental mercury drives Arctic mercury pollution," Nature, Nature, vol. 547(7662), pages 201-204, July.
    2. Chuxian Li & Martin Jiskra & Mats B. Nilsson & Stefan Osterwalder & Wei Zhu & Dmitri Mauquoy & Ulf Skyllberg & Maxime Enrico & Haijun Peng & Yu Song & Erik Björn & Kevin Bishop, 2023. "Mercury deposition and redox transformation processes in peatland constrained by mercury stable isotopes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Jacqueline R. Gerson & Natalie Szponar & Angelica Almeyda Zambrano & Bridget Bergquist & Eben Broadbent & Charles T. Driscoll & Gideon Erkenswick & David C. Evers & Luis E. Fernandez & Heileen Hsu-Kim, 2022. "Amazon forests capture high levels of atmospheric mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
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