Modeling of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Dry Deposition in Alberta

Two inference methods referred to as the Lindberg method and the RADM method were developed in this study to predict gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) dry deposition at Genesee Air Monitoring Station (AMS) in central Alberta for a 12 month period. Both methods were developed using a combination of transparent deposition modeling procedures published in the scientific literature and involved indirect estimation of dry deposition from measured total gaseous mercury concentrations and meteorological parameters. The RADM method had a greater number of parameter programming requirements than the Lindberg method and could model variability from input assumptions for these parameters. Annual GEM dry deposition was 5.4 mug/m2 and 7.4 mug/m2 for the Lindberg method and the RADM method, respectively for conditions that closely reflect actual seasonal weather patterns in central Alberta.