Reconstruction of historical change in mercury deposition recorded in tree rings and tree bark pockets

Mercury is considered to be one of the most important pollutants due to its ecotoxicological effects. Elevated Hg contents in the environment are closely related to industrialization of developed countries, which began at the end of the 18th century. Recent studies show that current anthropogenic emissions have exceeded those from the natural sources. Geochemical archives such as peat bogs, tree rings or lake sediments are widely used for reconstruction of historical trends of environmental pollution. Although the environment of the Czech Republic is bearing several loads originating in its past, only few studies have dealt with atmospheric Hg deposition. The proposed project aims to evaluate historical change in Hg deposition recorded in tree rings and bark pockets. Obtained data allows us to observe the magnitude of environmental change resulting mainly from industrial activities and evaluate the present day situation. Moreover it could help us in understanding of Hg biogeochemical cycle in the forest ecosystems.