Active Moss biomonitoring of mercury in the mine-polluted area of Mt. Amiata (Central Italy)

In the winter 2013, mercury concentrations in air from the mine-polluted area of Mt. Amiata (1738 m a.s.l.), in southern Tuscany (Central Italy), were measured by active moss biomonitoring. This area is part of the geologic anomaly of Hg in the Mediterranean basin, which contains about 65 % of the world’s cinnabar (HgS). Mt. Amiata covers some 400 km2 and is drained by several rivers. Esploitation activity at Abbadia S. Salvatore, in the SE sector of the mountain, sprang up during the 19th century as one of the largest mercury mining and smelting plants in Europe, after those of Almaden Spain. In this area, Sphagnum moss bags were exposed for about two months, from October to December 2013.…

Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) from mining areas and volcanic and geothermal systems in some Mediterranean areas: a preliminary study

Real-time measurements of Hg0 in volcanic, geothermal and anthropogenic systems: a multi-methodological approach using Lumex® instrumentation

Mercury represents a pollutant of global concern and strong environmental impact since is highly toxic. Hg is present in air in the oxidation states of 0 and +2, the former being the dominant species with a residence time of 1-2 years due to its high volatility, relatively low solubility and chemical inertness. Both volcanic/geothermal and anthropogenic systems are crucial contributor to the release of Hg0 in the atmosphere. In this work, a Lumex® (RA-915M) was used to evaluate the environmental impact in air of Hg0 from: i) the abandoned Hg mining site and geothermal areas from Mt. Amiata (Siena, Central Italy) and ii) selected Mediterranean volcanic and geothermal systems. The Lumex® inst…