Temporal analysis of d13C CO2 and CO2 efflux in soil gas emissions at Mt. Etna: a new tool for volcano monitoring

We monitored the soil gas emission of CO2 from selected sites of Mt. Etna volcano during the period February 2009 to December 2010 by measuring periodically the soil CO2 efflux together with the associated stable carbon isotope composition of CO2 from February 2009 to December 2010. Correlation between the two parameters showed distinct behaviors depending on the sites as a reflection of the different interactions between crustal and sub-crustal fluids. Where deep CO2 interacted with shallow cold ground water and/or with shallow biogenic CO2, a positive correlation between soil CO2 effluxes and carbon isotopes was evident and it depended strongly on the velocity of gas through the soil. In these cases, the highest CO2 effluxes corresponded to d13CCO2 values similar to those of the deep magmatic CO2 emitted from the crater and peri-crateric gas emissions at the summit. In areas where a shallow hydrothermal system was presumed, then a similar correlation was less evident or even absent, suggesting strong control on C isotopes arising from the interactions between CO2 gas and dissolved HCO3- that occur in aquifers at T>120 °C. Marked temporal variations were observed in both parameters at all sites. No significant effect of meteorological parameters was found, so the observed changes were reasonably attributed to variations in volcanic activity of Mt. Etna. In particular, the variations were attributed to increased degassing of CO2 from incoming new magma, possibly coupled with increased hydrothermal activity in at least some of the shallow aquifers of the volcano. The largest anomalies in the monitored parameters preceded the opening of the New Southeast crater in late 2009 and therefore they could represent a key to unveiling the dynamics of the volcano

Mercury Degassing on Africa-Adriatic Tectonic Plate Margin

Beside anthropogenic influences, mercury in the environment can also be of natural origin. Among geologic sources, volcanic activity has been of main interest so far. Modern estimations of global natural emissions are between 2000 and 5200 tonnes per year. However, these estimates are very uncertain, thus more detailed and systematic research on natural sources of mercury is necessary. Tectonic activity is connected to certain phenomena such as degassing of Hg and other gases from active faults, geothermal activity, volcanoes, etc., especially on tectonic plate margins. Elemental mercury concentrations in air, soil gases and fluxes, as well as its speciation, in connection to tectonic activity, were studied in different environments such are karst cave (Postojna Cave), active volcano areas (Mt. Etna, Italy), and active tectonic areas in the Mediterranean Basin on Africa-Adriatic tectonic plate margin. Postojna Cave is characterized by elevated Hg (up to 150 ng m-3) air concentrations at certain areas in vicinity of active faults; however the concentrations showed also strong seasonal variations. Mt. Etna on Sicily is the largest and most active Mediterranean volcano. Concentrations of mercury in air in the vicinity of the volcano are relatively high (between 4 and 30 ng m-3) and rise towards the summit crater (65 to 130 ng m-3). Concentrations in sulphatare and fumaroles gases on the summit of the volcano can reach very high values (even up to 60 μg m-3). The Mediterranean Basin is characterized by strong tectonic activity as a consequence of subduction of African plate under the Eurasian plate. A possible source of DGM (dissolved gaseous mercury in sea water) in deeper and bottom waters could be intensive tectonic activity of the seafloor, since higher concentrations and portions of DGM were found near the bottom at locations with strong tectonic activity (Alboran Sea, Strait of Sicily, Tyrrhenian Sea, Ionian Sea). Distribution of different mercury species in sediment and water of the Mediterranean Sea showed that the main source of mercury is geotectonic activity and its accompanying phenomena

Mercury in a stream-lake network of Andean Patagonia (Southern Volcanic Zone): Partitioning and interaction with dissolved organic matter

Lake Nahuel Huapi (NH) is a large, ultraoligotrophic deep system located in Nahuel Huapi National Park (NHNP) and collecting a major headwater network of Northwestern Patagonia (Argentina). Brazo Rincón (BR), the westernmost branch of NH, is close to the active volcanic formation Puyehue-Cordón Caulle. In BR, aquatic biota and sediments display high levels of total Hg (THg), ranging in contamination levels although it is an unpolluted region. In this survey, Hg species and fractionation were assessed in association with dissolved organic matter (DOM) in several aquatic systems draining to BR. THg varied between 16.8 and 363 ng L−1, with inorganic Hg (Hg2+) contributing up to 99.8% and methyl mercury (MeHg) up to 2.10%. DOC levels were low (0.31–1.02 mg L−1) resulting in high THg:DOC and reflecting in high Hg2+ availability for binding particles (partitioning coefficient log Kd up to 6.03). In streams, Hg fractionation and speciation related directly with DOM terrestrial prints, indicating coupled Hg-DOM inputs from the catchment. In the lake, DOM quality and photochemical and biological processing drive Hg fractionation, speciation and vertical levels. Dissolved gaseous Hg (Hg0) reached higher values in BR (up to 3.8%), particularly in upper lake layers where solar radiation enhances the photoreduction of Hg2+ and Hg-DOM complexes. The environmental conditions in BR catchment promote Hg2+ binding to abiotic particles and bioaccumulation and the production of Hg0, features enhancing Hg mobilization among ecosystem compartments. Overall, the aquatic network studied can be considered a “natural Hg hotspot” within NHNP.Fil: Soto Cárdenas, Estela Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Dieguez, Maria del Carmen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Queimaliños, Claudia Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Rizzo, Andrea Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Unidad de Actividad de Ingeniería Nuclear. Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica; ArgentinaFil: Fajon, Vesna. Jožef Stefan Institute; EsloveniaFil: Kotnik, Joze. Jožef Stefan Institute; EsloveniaFil: Horvat, Milena. Jožef Stefan Institute; EsloveniaFil: Ribeiro, Sergio. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Gerencia del Área de Energía Nuclear. Unidad de Actividad de Ingeniería Nuclear. Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica; Argentin

A compilation of field surveys on gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) from contrasting environmental settings in Europe, South America, South Africa and China: separating fads from facts

Mercury is transported globally in the atmosphere mostly in gaseous elemental form (GEM, Hggas 0), but still few worldwide studies taking into account different and contrasted environmental settings are available in a single publication. This work presents and discusses data from Argentina, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China, Croatia, Finland, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Slovenia and Venezuela. We classified the information in four groups: (1) mining districts where this contaminant poses or has posed a risk for human populations and/or ecosystems; (2) cities, where the concentration of atmospheric mercury could be higher than normal due to the burning of fossil fuels and industrial activities; (3) areas with natural emissions from volcanoes; and (4) pristine areas where no anthropogenic influence was apparent. All the surveys were performed using portable LUMEX RA-915 series atomic absorption spectrometers. The results for cities fall within a low GEM concentration range that rarely exceeds 30 ng m-3, that is, 6.6 times lower than the restrictive ATSDR threshold (200 ng m-3) for chronic exposure to this pollutant. We also observed this behavior in the former mercury mining districts, where few data were above 200 ng m-3. We noted that high concentrations of GEM are localized phenomena that fade away in short distances. However, this does not imply that they do not pose a risk for those working in close proximity to the source. This is the case of the artisanal gold miners that heat the Au-Hg amalgam to vaporize mercury. In this respect, while GEM can be truly regarded as a hazard, because of possible physical-chemical transformations into other species, it is only under these localized conditions, implying exposure to high GEM concentrations, which it becomes a direct risk for humans.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version