Articles | Volume 26, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5747-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5747-2026
Research article
 | 
28 Apr 2026
Research article |  | 28 Apr 2026

Long-term mercury isotope evidence for a shift toward background-dominated urban atmospheric mercury in North China under sustained emission controls

Chao Zhang, Xiaomiao Mu, Ruoyu Sun, Songjing Li, Zhao Wang, Xinguang Li, Muhammad Asif Sherliyat, Xiaojian Wang, Yi Liu, Wang Zheng, and Jiubin Chen

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Cited articles

AMAP/UNEP: Technical Background Report to the Global Mercury Assessment 2018, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, Oslo, Norway/UN Environment Programme, Chemicals and Health Branch, Geneva, Switzerland, https://www.amap.no/documents/doc/technical-background-report-for-the-global-mercury-assessment (last access: 2 July 2024), 2019. 
Belelie, M. D., Moiloa, B., Moatshe, A., Ayob, N., Burger, R. P., and Piketh, S. J.: Assessment of multi-year mercury concentration measurements over the south african highveld: a case study of 2016–2023 selected dataset, Atmos. Environ., 355, 121261, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121261, 2025. 
Bergquist, B. A. and Blum, J. D.: The odds and evens of mercury isotopes: Applications of mass-dependent and mass-independent isotope fractionation, Elements, 5, 353–357, https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.5.6.353, 2009. 
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This study investigates long-term (2018–2025) atmospheric mercury trends in Tianjin, China. Gaseous mercury concentrations declined by > 60 % and stabilized near background levels during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mercury isotopes reveal a shift from local emission dominance to background influence, with secondary re-emission from urban surfaces becoming increasingly important. The results demonstrate effective emission controls and the rising significance of legacy mercury in cities.
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