Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 9 6 2009 10.5194/acpd-9-23465-2009 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/23465/2009/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/23465/2009/acpd-9-23465-2009.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/9/23465/2009/acpd-9-23465-2009.pdf 23465 23504 2009-11-03 Atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations and wet and dry deposition of mercury at a high-altitude mountain peak in south China X. W. Fu X. Feng fengxinbin@vip.skleg.cn Z. Q. Dong R. S. Yin J. X. Wang Z. R. Yang H. Zhang State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China Guizhou Environmental Science Research Institute, Guiyang 550002, China Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China China is regarded as the largest contributor of mercury (Hg) to the global atmospheric Hg budget. However, concentration levels and depositions of atmospheric Hg in China are poorly known. Continuous measurements of atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM) were carried out from May 2008 to May 2009 at the summit of Mt. Leigong in south China. Wet and dry deposition fluxes of Hg were also calculated following collection of precipitation, throughfall and litterfall. Atmospheric TGM concentrations averaged 2.80±1.51 ng m^−3, which was highly elevated compared to global background values but much lower than semi-rural and industrial/urban areas in China, indicating great emissions of Hg in central, south and southwest China. Seasonal and diurnal variations of TGM were observed, which reflected variations in source intensity, deposition processes and meteorological factors. 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