Present and Future Activities of the Mercury Air Transport and Fate Research Partnership Area - UNEP Mercury Programme - Nicola Pirrone Director CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy & Chair of the UNEP F&T C-MERC Workshop 8-10 September 2010, Portsmouth, NH CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

Objectives of F&T Partnership To support the decision of the GC and specifically the activity of the overarching partnership by:  Accelerating the development of sound scientific information to address uncertainties and data gaps in global mercury cycling and its patterns.  Enhancing sharing of such information among scientists and between them and policymakers.  Providing technical assistance and training, where possible, to support the development of critical information.  Enhancing the development of a globally-coordinated mercury observation system in cooperation with the GEO Task HE-09-02d.  Enhancing the exchange of information and cooperation with the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants (TF HTAP) of the UNECE-LRTAP Convention. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

F&T Partners  CANADA: Grace Holland, Kristina Rudnitski, Heather Morrison + several scientific experts (i.e., Ashu Dastoor)  USA: Stan Durkee, Merilyn Engle, Frasso Kathryn + several experts i.e., Elsie Sunderland, Dan Jaffe, Rob Mason, L. Levin, J. Lin, etc.  ITALY: Nicola Pirrone, Ian Hedgecock, Francesca Sprovieri, Alessandra Fino, Sergio Cinnirella, etc.  JAPAN: Noriyuki Suzuki, Koyou Ogasawasa, Terai Toru, Takeshi Sekiya  SOUTH AFRICA: Joy Leaner  SLOVENIA: Milena Horvat  UNEP: Brenda Koekkoek, Gunnar Futser, Pascale Unger  CHINA: Jiming Hao, Shuxiao Wang  Helen Keenan through the GSAMP (Group of Scientists on Aspects of Marine Pollution) program, includes Mason, Horvat, Hurley and others. Producing a report on Mercury in the Marine Environment CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

Status of current partnership activities UNEP Mercury Air Transport and Fate Research Partnership Area (F&T) – 2005 Contributed to UNEP Mercury Programme and other international programs (i.e., GEO Task HE-09-02d / GEOSS) and Conventions (UNECE-LRTAP-T HTAP).  2009 F&T report - “Mercury Fate and Transport in the Global Atmosphere: Emissions, Measurements and Models”, Springer  Cooperation with TF HTAP (UNECE-LRTAP) - Report “Part-B: Mercury” currently under review (2010) (Pirrone, N. and Terry Keeting, Editors). Others involved include Mason, Sunderland, Levin etc  Leadership of the project “Global Mercury Observation System – GMOS” funded by the European Commission - will start on Nov. 1 st with kick-off on Nov , 2010 in Rome.  Further development of the overarching approach of the F&T - start up of the GEO Task HE-09-02d "Global Monitoring Plan for Atmospheric Mercury" and more recently the GMOS which are part of the GEOSS program and is aimed to support the goals and objectives of the F&T and TF HTAP. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

In February 2009, as contribution to the 25 th session of the UNEP GC (Nairobi, February 2009), the report was published as a book. “Mercury Fate and Transport in the Global Atmosphere: Emissions, Measurements and Models”. Springer, USA (Pirrone and Mason, Eds.) Over 70 scientists contributed to the preparation of this report. 21 chapters. 8 deal with emissions, 7 deal with experimental data and measurements and 6 deal with various models F&T 2009 Report CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

Observational networks The establishment of a coordinated global monitoring network is highly recommended. The establishment of a coordinated global monitoring network is highly recommended. Such a mercury network should be closely linked to existing sites with globally representative distribution and a long-term perspective, such as WMO GAW sites Such a mercury network should be closely linked to existing sites with globally representative distribution and a long-term perspective, such as WMO GAW sites It should be ensured that this measurement network is strongly supported by regional and global modelling, for scenario analysis and to support decision making for protecting human and environmental health. It should be ensured that this measurement network is strongly supported by regional and global modelling, for scenario analysis and to support decision making for protecting human and environmental health. The combination of intermittent shipboard and long-term ground measurements can provide information about the worldwide distribution and trend of atmospheric Hg. The combination of intermittent shipboard and long-term ground measurements can provide information about the worldwide distribution and trend of atmospheric Hg. More effort should be dedicated to Deposition Networks with large spatial coverage and long-term perspective More effort should be dedicated to Deposition Networks with large spatial coverage and long-term perspective …from F&T + HTAP reportsRecommendations CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

Atmospheric chemistry and source attribution Better understanding of the interplay of sources and removal processes. Better understanding of which sites would respond most quickly to changes in emissions and which sites are independent of local or regional sources and predominantly influenced by the global pool. Need more long-term data and spatial coverage to understand long- term changes in RGM and PM. Intercontinental transport of mercury can be estimated from Hg/CO measurements at fixed stations however, more emphasis should be addressed to the question why results based on this approach differ significantly from emission estimates. Recommendations CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy …from F&T + HTAP reports

Brief overview of GMOS Status of Play: The European Commission just approved for funding the proposal “Global Mercury Observation System – GMOS “ with a total budget of about 9 M€. GMOS Coordinator: Nicola Pirrone, CNR-IIA, Italy GMOS involves 24 partners from all over the world + about 10 external partners (PI of other programs). Milena Horvat can give more details. GMOS will start in Nov and will end in GMOS An important contribution to the future development of the GEO Task HE-09-02d, F&T and UNECE-HTAP will be provided by GMOS in addition to the contributions from other countries that act as Co- Leads and as Contributors. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

GMOS Ground-Based Observation System Additional Activities: 1. Atmospheric collections during commercial aircraft flights to North and South America, Asia and South Africa 2. Ocean cruises - North, equatorial and South Pacific/Southern Ocean; North and South Atlantic

GMOS Overarching Objectives To establish a Global Observation System for Mercury able to provide ambient concentrations and deposition fluxes of mercury species around the world, by combining observations from permanent ground-based stations, and from oceanographic and tropospheric measurement campaigns. To validate regional and global scale atmospheric mercury modelling systems able to predict the temporal variations and spatial distributions of ambient concentrations of atmospheric mercury, and Hg fluxes to and from terrestrial and aquatic receptors. To evaluate and identify source-receptor relationships at country scale and their temporal trends for current and projected scenarios of mercury emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources. To develop interoperable tools to allow the sharing of observational and models output data produced by GMOS, for the purposes of research and policy development and implementation as well as at enabling societal benefits of Earth observations, including advances in scientific understanding in the nine Societal Benefit Areas (SBA) established in GEOSS. CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Rome, Italy

Possible F&T partnership future activities Possible contribution of F&T to paragraph 29 of decision 25/5 III of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environ. Forum of UNEP:  Partners involved in the TF HTAP provide information for the §29.  Partners providing any available information on costs and effectiveness of alternative control technologies and measures;  Review of a "zero draft";  Any other possible contribution…….. Close cooperation with GMOS, GEO Task HE 09-02d and TF HTAP to assure the efficient sharing of information, capacity building and advancement of science. Possible linkages with ….(for example, other air-emissions-related partnership areas, i.e., Coal Combustion) Expanding the focus of the F&T to include aquatic transport and fate as well as exposure International workshop in International workshop in 2012.