Radiotracer method to study the transport of mercury(II)chloride from water to sediment and air

The fate of dissolved Hg(II) in surface waters is an important component of the Hg cycle. A simple experimental methodology was used to understand and measure the transport of Hg(II) from water to air and sediment. The use of radioactive dissolved Hg tracer for the determination of evasion and deposition is found to be a very useful technique. The evasion of mercury was investigated during a 140-hour period. It was observed that about a quarter of mercury chloride remained in the water phase, the other quarter was emitted via the evasion process and half of it deposited in sediment. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.