Section 2 Air Pollution

**61**

**1. Introduction**

**Chapter 4**

**Abstract**

Characterization of Atmospheric

Background Station and Coastal

*Manikanda Bharath Karuppasamy, Srinivasalu Seshachalam,* 

This study is performed to evaluate the potential sources and seasonal variation of atmospheric mercury (Hg) emissions from regional sources and other influences in India. To achieve this, using the gold amalgam technique with an automated continuous mercury vapour analyzer (TekranTM 2537B). To assess the total gaseous mercury in high altitude mountain peak station at Kodaikanal & coastal/urban air in Chennai region, the impact of changing weather conditions is also evaluated. To compare the past and recent reports of mercury at different locations in the world. The average

rological parameters in ambient air such as temperature, relative humidity, rainfall intensity, the direction of wind and velocity of was studied. The TGM concentration in India are compared with other nations, the TGM levels are similar to the east and Southeast Asian countries, and also Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and North America are the averages and maximum concentration generally smaller. This research will help to establish more effective management approaches to mitigate the impacts of

The Atmosphere hosts almost all emissions from every source on the Earth's surface, freshwater bodies, oceanic surface and anthropogenic emissions. In the atmosphere, mercury occurs in the following three primary forms: The gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive elemental mercury or divalent mercury (RGM) and particulate mercury (PHg) [1, 2]. There is a significant quantity of research which indicates that these elements in the environment, water and marine environments via a dynamic mixture of transport and transformation in natural and human (anthropogenic) [1, 3–5]. Mercury (Hg) stays as a natural substance with the biogeochemical cycle, which is involved in the Earth and is considered as a contaminant because of its long-range transport in the atmosphere [6, 7].

, which is higher as compared

. The association between TGM with meteo-

Mercury in the High-Altitude

Urban City in South Asia

*Usha Natesan and Karthik Ramasamy*

total gaseous mercury value in Chennai is 4.68 ng/m3

atmospheric mercury on the rural and urban environment.

high-altitude station, coastal urban city, global perspective

**Keywords:** ambient total gaseous mercury, meteorological parameters,

to Kodaikanal, where it is 1.53 ng/m3

## **Chapter 4**
