摘要: | 研究期間:10108~10207;Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant, which is distributed worldwide primarily via atmospheric long-range transport. According to a recent estimate, the global anthropogenic atmospheric Hg emission is about 2320 tonnes per year. Fossil fuel combustion is the major anthropogenic emission source, which releases 810 tons of Hg to the atmosphere annually. Therefore, atmospheric Hg and the precursors of acid deposition share an important emission source: coal-fired power generation, which is the major type of power supply in East Asia, including Taiwan. Regionally, the annual anthropogenic Hg emission from China is 609.1 tonnes, which is the highest in the world. Biomass burning, as indicated by recent studies, is also an important emission source that releases around 675 tonnes of Hg to the atmosphere. In the past few years, the economy booming in East Asia prompts the demand for energy that results in the increases in fossil fuel combustion in this region. Additionally, Indochina Peninsula has strong biomass burning activities in spring. The aforementioned activities are all important atmospheric Hg emission sources located in East Asia. Taiwan is located downwind of the transport pathways of the East Asian air pollutants and the Southeast Asian biomass burning plumes. Therefore, the impacts of East Asian atmospheric Hg exports on the atmosphere, environment, ecology and human health in Taiwan and neighboring areas (e.g. South China Sea) need further investigation and assessment. By conducting intensive measurements of atmospheric Hg at Mt. Lulin, Dongsha Island, aboard a research vessel and in the source region (e.g. Vietnam, Thailand), in combination with the research results of the other sub-projects, following research objectives will be explored: 1. To study the regional distribution of atmospheric Hg in Southeast Asia and the South China Sea; 2. To evaluate the source-receptor relationships; 3. To investigate the long-range transport process; 4. To assess the impacts of atmospheric Hg on regional environment. |