THE INFLUENCE OF METEOROLOGICAL PARAMETERS ON ATMOSPHERIC VOLATILE AND PARTICULATE MERCURY DISTRIBUTION

A simple amalgamation/CVAAS technique is applied to investigate the influence of various meteorological parameters on the atmospheric distribution of mercury. For the volatile and particulate fractions, a clear relationship is encountered, respectively, with the ambient temperature and the amount of total suspended particulates. These parameters are of major importance, masking the effect of others. For the residential area studied, an average total mercury concentration of 6 ng per cubic metre is calculated. The particulate fraction amounts to 1-30%. A source contribution from a neighbouring industrial region is observed.