See Hg Cook Book for full methodology (PDF)
Sample collection: See Bishop et al., 2012
Particulate samples were frozen and transported to Wright State University (Dayton, OH) where they were analyzed within 3 months of collection. Filter punches were digested in acid-cleaned polypropylene containers with 8 mL of 2N HNO₃ (Baker Instra-Analyzed): Hammerschmidt & Fitzgerald, 2001
HgT analysis:
- Fitzgerald & Gill, 1979, Bloom & Fitzgerald, 1988, Bloom, 1989
- Tekran Model 2500 CVAFS Mercury Detector
- Detection limit: 0.03 pM
- Procedural duplicates: 8 ± 8% (n = 10)
- Recovery of known additions: N/A
MMHg analysis:
- Tseng et al., 2004
- Tekran Model 2500 CVAFS Mercury Detector
- Detection limit: 0.002 pM
- Procedural duplicates: 16 ± 11% (n = 16)
- Recovery of known additions: 98 ± 20% (n = 7)

“lt_DL” indicates that a sample was below the method detection limit.

Sample volumes were used to calculate picomolar concentrations of different mercury species.

Related References:

Bishop, J.K.B., Lam, P.J., Wood, T.J. 2012. Getting good particles: Accurate sampling of particles by large volume in-situ filtration.

Bloom, N. 1989. Determination of picogram levels of methylmercury by aqueous phase ethylation, followed by cryogenic gas-chromatography with cold vapor atomic fluorescence detection. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 46, 1131–1140.

Bloom, N.S., Fitzgerald, W.F. 1988. Determination of volatile mercury species at the picogram level by low-temperature gas chromatography with cold-vapor atomic fluorescence detection. Anal. Chim Acta 208, 151–161.

Fitzgerald, W.F., Gill, G.A. 1979. Subnanogram determination of mercury by two-stage gold amalgamation applied to atmospheric analysis. Anal. Chem. 51, 1714–1720.

Hammerschmidt, C.R., Fitzgerald, W.F. 2001. Formation of artifact methylmercury during extraction from a sediment reference material. Anal. Chem. 73, 5930–5936.

Tseng, C.-M., Hammerschmidt, C.R., Fitzgerald, W.F. 2004. Determination of methylmercury in environmental matrixes by on-line flow injection and atomic fluorescence spectrometry. Anal. Chem. 76, 7131–7136.

Hg_partic_joined_pump.csv