Comparison of pre-MATS (Mercury and Air Toxics Standards) rule and post-MATS rule GOM dry deposition measurements in the Four Corners Area
Mark Sather1, Shaibal Mukerjee2 and Luther Smith3
Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) dry deposition measurements using surrogate surface passive samplers were collected at six sites in the Four Corners area, U.S.A., for the two-year period August, 2017-August, 2019, after the implementation of large power plant mercury emission reductions across the U.S.A. Two-year baseline GOM dry deposition measurements at the same six sites in the Four Corners area, taken before the implementation of U.S.A. power plant mercury control regulations, were conducted earlier from August, 2009-August, 2011. The GOM dry deposition rate estimate decreased at the Four Corners area high elevation remote mountain site of Molas Pass, Colorado (3249 m asl) from 0.4 ng/m2h for August, 2009-August, 2011 to 0.3 ng/m2h for August, 2017-August, 2019. In contrast, GOM dry deposition rate estimates for the remaining five sites increased for August, 2017-August, 2019, ranging from 0.8-1.3 ng/m2h, up from the August, 2009-August, 2011 range of 0.6-1.0 ng/m2h. Comparisons of median GOM dry deposition values showed a statistically significant decrease of 17 ng/m2 at the Molas Pass site between August, 2009-August, 2011 and August, 2017-August, 2019, and a statistically significant increase of 66 ng/m2 and 64 ng/m2, respectively, at the Mesa Verde National Park and Farmington Substation sites between August, 2009-August, 2011 and August, 2017-August, 2019. In light of the unexpected increases in GOM dry deposition rates at the non-remote sites, it is suggested that large regional wildfires and local anthropogenic mercury emission sources from nearby cities and oil/gas production areas are possible notable contributors to the GOM dry deposition measurements collected in the Four Corners area.
1U.S. EPA Region 6, sather.mark@epa.gov 2U.S. EPA ORD, mukerjee.shaibal@epa.gov 3SERCO, luther.smith@serco-na.com