Influence of Residential Combustion on Total Gaseous Mercury (TGM) Levels: a Preliminary Study at an Urban Megacity in Vietnam

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that has gained monumental attention in recent decades due to its neurotoxicity and great bioaccumulation features. The atmosphere plays key role the movement of Hg environment, residential combustion significant contributor atmospheric Hg. However, there severe lack research on impact emissions from Southeast Asia (SEA). This study focused illustrate contribution level total gaseous mercury (TGM) tropical megacity southern Vietnam by conducting short field campaign February 2023. mean TGM concentration during period was 2.27 ± 0.81 ng m-3, which daytime (7 am – 7 pm, 2.56 0.80 m-3) significantly higher than at night pm am, 1.58 0.28 m-3), could be attributed local burning activities. also increased because increase activities (i.e. joss paper incense) Lantern Festival. Backward trajectory analysis suggested domination regional background air mass area, implying variation mostly associated with influences. We estimated caused rise around 70% sampling site. Overall, this first importance urban SEA region, laying for upcoming studies region.