Transport of Hg from Atmospheric mercury depletion events to the mainland of Norway and its possible influence on Hg deposition

The Norwegian nationwide moss surveys have demonstrated elevated concentrations of mercury in moss growing at the Arctic coast. Gaseous elemental mercury ( GEM) was measured during one year at the sub Arctic location Andoya, to see whether the high concentrations of mercury in moss were associated with Arctic Mercury Depletion Events ( AMDE). AMDEs were observed at Andoya, but they were less pronounced than at the high Arctic station Zeppelin, located at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard. E. g. a 50-hour AMDE observed at Zeppelin in April 2005 was recorded a couple of days later as a much smaller event at Andoya ( GEM decreased from 1.6 to 1.0 ng/m(3)). The lowest concentration measured at Andoya was 0.5 ng/m(3). The results indicate that AMDE may contribute to the elevated concentrations observed in moss and hence to increased deposition of mercury at the northern coast of Norway.