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eISSN: 2083-5906
ISSN: 1230-1485
ISSN: 1230-1485
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Mechanism of Air Purification Combined
with Photocatalysis for Controlling Mercury
Pollution in Vegetable Greenhouses
1
Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550001, PR China
Submission date: 2025-02-15
Final revision date: 2025-04-06
Acceptance date: 2025-04-27
Online publication date: 2025-07-03
Corresponding author
Rongguo Sun
Guizhou Key Laboratory for Mountainous Environmental Information and Ecological Protection, Guizhou Normal University, China
Guizhou Key Laboratory for Mountainous Environmental Information and Ecological Protection, Guizhou Normal University, China
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Vegetable greenhouses, as semi-enclosed systems, exhibit unique mercury (Hg) dynamics due
to elevated temperatures, which enhance Hg(0) volatilization from the soil, leading to atmospheric
Hg(0) accumulation. This poses the dual risks of direct crop contamination and secondary pollution
through foliar uptake. This study investigates the effects of air purification combined with UV light on
atmospheric Hg (GEM) concentration and soil Hg(0) emission flux in a simulated vegetable greenhouse,
as well as the underlying mechanisms of Hg migration and transformation. The experimental results
show that air purification significantly reduced the GEM concentration in the greenhouse, with a decline
rate of over 79% (from 9164.12 ng m-3 to 1892.61 ng m-3) within 10 hours. Additionally, it inhibited
soil Hg(0) release, with a reduction of over 72% (from 24087.98 ng m-2 h-1 to 6570.96 ng m-2 h-1)
in the Hg(0) emission flux. Hydroxyl radicals (·OH) generated by UV photocatalysis promoted Hg(0)
oxidation and absorption reactions, significantly enhancing the conversion efficiency of Hg from
the gas phase to the liquid phase. Fluid dynamics simulations revealed that air circulation accelerated
the optimization of Hg migration pathways and slowed the accumulation of local Hg concentrations.
Mass balance analysis indicated that Hg in the greenhouse forms a dynamic equilibrium between soil,
gas, and liquid phases, with air purification effectively regulating this process. This study provides
scientific evidence and technical support for Hg pollution control in agricultural environments and offers
a reference for optimizing greenhouse management and achieving sustainable agricultural development.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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| eISSN: | 2083-5906 |
| ISSN: | 1230-1485 |
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