Daily trend of dissolved gaseous mercury concentration in coastal seawater of the Mediterranean basin Original Research Article

A daily trend of DGM concentration in shallow coastal seawater has been measured in an area of the Mediterranean basin. Values up to 47 pg/l were determined for a photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) intensity of 350 W/m2. The lowest value (18 pg/l) has been observed before sunrise. A linear relationship between the PAR intensity and DGM production has been highlighted in an experiment on seawater samples exposed for 10 min to solar radiation. The processes involved in DGM production and losses are discussed.