A kinetic study of the gas-phase reaction between the hydroxylradical and atomic mercury
Journal article, 2001

The atom is the dominating species of mercury in the atmosphere. Its oxidation processes are of great interest since it is mainly oxidised mercury that undergoes deposition and thereby spreads into the ecosystems and becomes bioaccumulated. The kinetics of the gas-phase reaction between atomic mercury and hydroxyl radical has been determined at room temperature and atmospheric pressure of air by relative rate technique. OH radicals were produced by photolysis employing methyl nitrite. By using cyclohexane as the reference compound, the rate coefficient obtained was k(Hg0+·OH)=(8.7±2.8)×10−14 cm3 s−1 leading to natural lifetimes of mercury at global mean conditions of 4–7 month due to this reaction.

Rate coefficient

Atmosphere

Tropospheric life-time

Oxidation

Mercury

Author

J. Sommar

Katarina Gårdfeldt

University of Gothenburg

Xinbin Feng

Dan Strömberg

University of Gothenburg

Atmospheric Environment

1352-2310 (ISSN) 1873-2844 (eISSN)

Vol. 35 17 3049-3054

Subject Categories

Physical Chemistry

Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences

Environmental Sciences

More information

Created

10/10/2017