TY - JOUR
T1 - Initial estimates of mercury emissions to the atmosphere from global biomass burning
AU - Friedli, H. R.
AU - Arellano, A. F.
AU - Cinnirella, S.
AU - Pirrone, N.
PY - 2009/5/15
Y1 - 2009/5/15
N2 - The average global annual mercury emission estimate from biomass burning (BMB) for 1997-2006 is 675 ± 240 Mg/year. This is equivalent to 8% of all currently known anthropogenic and natural mercury emissions. By season, the largest global emissions occur in August and September, the lowest during northern winters. The interannual variability is large and region-specific, and responds to drought conditions. During this particular time period, the largest mercury emissions are from tropical and boreal Asia, followed by Africa and South America. They do not coincide with the largest carbon biomass burning emissions, which originate from Africa. Frequently burning grasslands in Africa and Australia, and agricultural waste burning globally, contribute relatively little to the mercury budget. The released mercury from BMB is eventually deposited locally and globally and contributes to the formation of toxic bioaccumulating methyl mercury. Furthermore, increasing temperature in boreal regions, where the largest soil mercury pools reside, is expected to exacerbate mercury emission because of more frequent, larger, and more intense fires.
AB - The average global annual mercury emission estimate from biomass burning (BMB) for 1997-2006 is 675 ± 240 Mg/year. This is equivalent to 8% of all currently known anthropogenic and natural mercury emissions. By season, the largest global emissions occur in August and September, the lowest during northern winters. The interannual variability is large and region-specific, and responds to drought conditions. During this particular time period, the largest mercury emissions are from tropical and boreal Asia, followed by Africa and South America. They do not coincide with the largest carbon biomass burning emissions, which originate from Africa. Frequently burning grasslands in Africa and Australia, and agricultural waste burning globally, contribute relatively little to the mercury budget. The released mercury from BMB is eventually deposited locally and globally and contributes to the formation of toxic bioaccumulating methyl mercury. Furthermore, increasing temperature in boreal regions, where the largest soil mercury pools reside, is expected to exacerbate mercury emission because of more frequent, larger, and more intense fires.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=66249138145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=66249138145&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/es802703g
DO - 10.1021/es802703g
M3 - Article
C2 - 19544847
AN - SCOPUS:66249138145
SN - 0013-936X
VL - 43
SP - 3507
EP - 3513
JO - Environmental Science and Technology
JF - Environmental Science and Technology
IS - 10
ER -