A comprehensive Eulerian modeling framework for airborne mercury species: comparison of model results with data from measurement campaigns in Europe

Previously, we have simulated the atmospheric transport and fate of mercury emissions in Europe and derived estimates of ambient concentrations and dry and wet deposition of mercury species using a mercury version of the Acid Deposition and Oxidants Model (ADOM). In this study, we focus on comparisons of model results against observations from European measuring campaigns performed between 1995 and 1999 in the framework of the Germany–Canada Science and Technology Co-operation Agreement and the Mercury Species over Europe (MOE) project funded by the European Commission. Simulations were conducted using 1997/1998 meteorology and 1990 emission inventories. Model simulations show a good performance in explaining the peak mercury concentrations on a 800 km south to north transect, which were represented by simultaneous measurements at four sampling sites. Regional concentration gradients and differences in the concentration variability are well reproduced by the model even on a time base of 1 h.