CATM: Airborne Mercury Sampling Method Development
Description
This project is evaluating the effectiveness of using high-altitude weather balloons to sample airborne Hg. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to examine the potential risks associated with Hg emissions from all air pollution sources in the United States. EPA information collection request data estimate U.S. coal-fired electric utility boilers emit 48 tons (43,584 kg) of Hg and constitute the largest anthropogenic source of Hg emissions in the country. Balloonbased sampling techniques are potentially low-cost alternatives to better characterize Hg transformations and fate during transport downgradient from an anthropogenic source.
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