Natural and Anthropogenic Mercury Sources
II
3. Manufacturing/commercial
Chlor-alkali plants
Metal processing
Chemical and instruments industry (mercury chemicals, paints, batteries,
thermometers, process reactants and catalysts).
4. Gold extraction
5. Other sources
Fluorescent lamps
Hazardous and municipal waste sites
Mine spoils
Land disturbance (e.g., deforestation, reservoir construction)
When they are produced during combustion processes, oxidized forms of
mercury can be retained in modern flue gas cleaning systems (Pacyna 1996).
Mercury retained in flyash as well as in bottom ash is disposed of on land where
it may be released by volatilization or find its way in a form of direct releases to
the aquatic environment. The mercury content of coal from different parts of the
world are summarized in Table 5. Apart from the coal and fossil fuels, a
significant proportion of mercury emissions is attributed to mercury in the
various raw materials used for industrial purposes. The concentrations of
mercury in various raw materials are summarized in Table 5. Though the
concentrations of mercury in these raw materials are small, their contribution to
the total emission of mercury is significant, as they are used in extremely large
quantities. Historically, and today in developing countries, the chlor alkali
industry is a significant source of atmospheric mercury emission. As outdated
Hg-consuming processes are replaced by other methods, active mercury
emissions are eliminated. However, wastes from earlier operations stored nearby
have been shown to emit Hg to the atmosphere at rates which may exceeed those
allowed for modern mercury process alkali plants (Lindberg and Turner 1977).
Mercury is used throughout the world for the production of gold using the
amalgamation technique (Cleary 1996). Starting in Latin America in the 1980s, a
Table 5. Mercury content in ditTerent types of raw materials. (A1ier Mukherjee 1996)
Source categeory
Origin
Hg content
Reference
(~[g g I)
Coal
Various
0.04-3.3
Meij (1991) Airey (1982)
Coal
0.02-1.0
Swaine (1990)
Coal
Australia
0.01-0.25
Sloss (1995)
Oil
Former USSR
0.005
Mukherjee et al. (1995)
Peat
Finland
0.01
Mukherjee et al. (1995)
Wood
Finland
0.01
Mukherjee et al. (1995)
Cu-ores
USA
0.5 (average)
Jaisinski (1995)
Zn-concentrate
Finland
100-500
Kuivala (1984)
eu-concentrate
Finland (domestic)
13
Rantalahti (1996)
Finland (imported)
110
Rantalahti (1996)
Cu-concentrate
Sweden
200
Dyvik (1995)
Pb-concentrate
Sweden
50
Dyvik (1995)
II
3. Manufacturing/commercial
Chlor-alkali plants
Metal processing
Chemical and instruments industry (mercury chemicals, paints, batteries,
thermometers, process reactants and catalysts).
4. Gold extraction
5. Other sources
Fluorescent lamps
Hazardous and municipal waste sites
Mine spoils
Land disturbance (e.g., deforestation, reservoir construction)
When they are produced during combustion processes, oxidized forms of
mercury can be retained in modern flue gas cleaning systems (Pacyna 1996).
Mercury retained in flyash as well as in bottom ash is disposed of on land where
it may be released by volatilization or find its way in a form of direct releases to
the aquatic environment. The mercury content of coal from different parts of the
world are summarized in Table 5. Apart from the coal and fossil fuels, a
significant proportion of mercury emissions is attributed to mercury in the
various raw materials used for industrial purposes. The concentrations of
mercury in various raw materials are summarized in Table 5. Though the
concentrations of mercury in these raw materials are small, their contribution to
the total emission of mercury is significant, as they are used in extremely large
quantities. Historically, and today in developing countries, the chlor alkali
industry is a significant source of atmospheric mercury emission. As outdated
Hg-consuming processes are replaced by other methods, active mercury
emissions are eliminated. However, wastes from earlier operations stored nearby
have been shown to emit Hg to the atmosphere at rates which may exceeed those
allowed for modern mercury process alkali plants (Lindberg and Turner 1977).
Mercury is used throughout the world for the production of gold using the
amalgamation technique (Cleary 1996). Starting in Latin America in the 1980s, a
Table 5. Mercury content in ditTerent types of raw materials. (A1ier Mukherjee 1996)
Source categeory
Origin
Hg content
Reference
(~[g g I)
Coal
Various
0.04-3.3
Meij (1991) Airey (1982)
Coal
0.02-1.0
Swaine (1990)
Coal
Australia
0.01-0.25
Sloss (1995)
Oil
Former USSR
0.005
Mukherjee et al. (1995)
Peat
Finland
0.01
Mukherjee et al. (1995)
Wood
Finland
0.01
Mukherjee et al. (1995)
Cu-ores
USA
0.5 (average)
Jaisinski (1995)
Zn-concentrate
Finland
100-500
Kuivala (1984)
eu-concentrate
Finland (domestic)
13
Rantalahti (1996)
Finland (imported)
110
Rantalahti (1996)
Cu-concentrate
Sweden
200
Dyvik (1995)
Pb-concentrate
Sweden
50
Dyvik (1995)