Atmospheric mineral particles collected at Qira in the Taklamakan Desert, China

Aerosol particles were collected in the situation of the widespread dust suspension on 21 February 1991 at Qira in the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, western China. The collected particles were examined by a transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyzer in order to obtain the size and elemental composition of individual mineral particles.On the basis of EDX analyses for 386 particles, mineral particles were present in high number fractions (>99%) of particles in the radius range of 0.1–4 μm. Particles mainly composed of silicates comprised 76% of mineral particles. “Ca-rich” particles were detected in 7% of all the particles. Ca in the particles would be present not only as CaCO₃ but also as an internal mixture of CaCO₃ and CaSO₄. Particles containing halite (NaCl) were detected in number proportions of about 10% and were mainly present in the radius range of 0.5 μm. Some halite particles would be modified by chemical reactions with sulfuric acid.     

宁波地区海产品中汞污染现状研究

采用冷原子吸收（荧光）法测定了宁波不同地区的各种海产品中总汞和甲基汞含量，总体属轻度及中等污染水平，工业轻发达地区的海产品内总汞和甲基汞的含量较高，不同种类海产品因食性不同，在食物链中所处位置不同，表现为贝壳类＞肉食性类＞杂食性类＞植食性类＞藻类和水草，无鳞鱼类＞有鳞鱼类；海产品中不同部分污染水平表现为内脏＞头部＞肌肉；海水＜底泥＜海产品。除个别样品接近国家标准外，其余都符合我国食品卫生标准。     

汞污染载金炭间接加热-N2吹扫脱汞研究

采用间接加热-N2吹扫法,对汞污染载金炭中汞的脱除进行试验研究.主要考察了吹扫方式、焙烧温度、N2流量和处理时间对汞脱除效果的影响.结果表明,采用床层内部吹扫方式有利于载金炭中汞的脱除;在550℃、N2 1.6 m3/h·kg、吹扫3 h条件下,能够将载金炭中汞含量由13.833 g/kg降低至0.002 g/kg,汞脱除率达到99.98%以上,而炭烧损率仅1.84%.另外,进行了2种二段法脱汞试验研究:高温蒸汞-N2吹扫法和空气吹扫-N2吹扫法.结果表明,与一段法相比,前者能够大大降低N2的消耗量;而后者没有明显优势,N2用量和能耗均未能明显降低.     

Control of mercury vapor emissions from combustion flue gas

GOAL, SCOPE AND BACKGROUND: Mercury (Hg) emission from combustion flue gas is a significant environmental concern due to its toxicity and high volatility. A number of the research efforts have been carried out in the past decade exploiting mercury emission, monitoring and control from combustion flue gases. Most recently, increasing activities are focused on evaluating the behavior of mercury in coal combustion systems and developing novel Hg control technologies. This is partly due to the new regulatory requirement on mercury emissions from coal-fired combustors to be enacted under the U.S. Title III of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. The aim of this review work is to better understand the state-of-the-art technologies of flue gas mercury control and identify the gaps of knowledge hence areas for further opportunities in research and development. MAIN FEATURES: This paper examines mercury behaviors in combustion systems through a comprehensive review of the available literature. About 70 published papers and reports were cited and studied. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: This paper summarizes the mechanisms of formation of mercury containing compounds during combustion, its speciation and reaction in flue gas, as well as subsequent mobilization in the environment. It also provides a review of the current techniques designed for real-time, continuous emission monitoring (CEM) for mercury. Most importantly, current flue gas mercury control technologies are reviewed while activated carbon adsorption, a technology that offers the greatest potential for the control of gas-phase mercury emissions, is highlighted. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Although much progress has been achieved in the last decade, techniques developed for the monitoring and control of mercury from combustion flue gases are not yet mature and gaps in knowledge exist for further advancement. More R&D efforts are required for the effective control of Hg emissions and the main focuses are identified.     

Principal Biogeochemical Factors Affecting the Speciation And Transport of Mercury through the terrestrial environment

It is increasingly becoming known that mercury transport and speciation in the terrestrial environment play major roles in methyl-mercury bioaccumulation potential in surface water. This review discusses the principal biogeochemical reactions affecting the transport and speciation of mercury in the terrestrial watershed. The issues presented are mercury-ligand formation, mercury adsorption/desorption, and elemental mercury reduction and volatilization. In terrestrial environments, OH^–, Cl^– and S^– ions have the largest influence on ligand formation. Under oxidized surface soil conditions Hg(OH)₂, HgCl₂, HgOH⁺, HgS, and Hg⁰ are the predominant inorganic mercury forms. In reduced environments, common mercury forms are HgSH⁺, HgOHSH, and HgClSH. Many of these mercury forms are further bound to organic and inorganic ligands. Mercury adsorption to mineral and organic surfaces is mainly dictated by two factors: pH and dissolved ions. An increase in Cl^– concentration and a decrease in pH can, together or separately, decrease mercury adsorption. Clay and organic soils have the highest capability of adsorbing mercury. Important parameters that increase abiotic inorganic mercury reduction are availability of electron donors, low redox potential, and sunlight intensity. Primary factors that increase volatilization are soil permeability and temperature. A decrease in mercury adsorption and an increase in soil moisture will also increase volatilization. The effect of climate on biogeochemical reactions in the terrestrial watershed indicates mercury speciation and transport to receiving water will vary on a regional basis.     

Mercury budget estimates for the State of New York

The development of two comprehensive modelling systems and a test application to estimate the mercury budget for the State of New York is discussed in the present study. The modelling tools developed are based on two well known meteorological modelling systems namely, RAMS and SKIRON/Eta. Both models have been modified and the developed modules describing the physico-chemical processes of mercury have been incorporated in each modelling system. Model calculations and measurements have been compared during the 14 to 26 August 1997 simulation period. Two different simulations were performed, scenario1 where all available sources of mercury were used and scenario2 where the New York State mercury sources were excluded. An attempt was made to identify and quantify critical gaps in the current understanding of regional scale transport deposition and fate of mercury in New York State, improving modelling capabilities and understanding of mercury as an air pollutant, and provide a tool for policy makers in mitigating the impacts of mercury pollution.     

低温等离子强化复合钙基吸附剂脱汞实验研究

在固定床吸附实验台上对低温等离子改性前后的复合钙基吸附剂进行脱汞实验,深入探究SO₂和O₂对具有较高孔隙率和比表面积的复合钙基吸附剂脱汞性能的影响.并通过多种表征手段和方法分析复合钙基吸附剂对Hg⁰的吸附机理.实验结果表明,由于等离子改性提高了吸附剂表面的含氧官能团的相对含量,经等离子改性的复合钙基吸附剂的脱汞效率有明显提高.在N₂+0.07% SO₂+6% O₂气氛下,吸附剂脱汞效率相比于无氧气氛由23.7%增至91.2%,吸附剂脱汞效率明显提高.此时吸附剂表面的羟基、酯基官能团作为主要反应活性位点,而羰基官能团的作用不明显.O₂的存在促使活性炭表面由碳原子不饱和键形成的活性位增加,促进了Hg⁰的吸附,同时生成多种汞化合物.随着SO₂浓度升至0.15%,改性复合钙基吸附剂表面活性位再次出现不足,此时SO₂抢夺Hg⁰的吸附位点,脱汞效率降至23.3%.     

Microbial methylation of mercury in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

正Methylmercury(MeHg)is an organic form of the global pollutant mercury(Hg)which readily accumulates in fish tissue.A majority of Hg methylation is a result of microbial activity and the abundance of inorganic Hg within the water reservoirs(Eckley et al.,2017).Compared to natural lakes and rivers,reservoirs have elevated Hg levels from the decomposition of recently flooded organic material which promote Hg     

三峡库区消落带农业活动对土壤汞变化的影响

针对三峡库区消落带退水期农业生产是否会对库区环境带来不利影响的问题,以分布面积较大、农业活动较为频繁的重庆市开州区渠口镇消落带为研究区域,选择种植水稻、玉米、蔬菜和未农用的草地4类消落带地块为研究对象,调查了不同利用地块表层土壤汞(Hg)的变化特征.结果表明,研究区域内土壤THg、有效态Hg(Hg-wh)和甲基汞(MeHg)平均含量分别为25.80~68.74、0.44~0.88和0.08~0.85 ng·g-1.未耕作土地表层土壤THg、Hg-wh和MeHg含量均高于耕作土地表层土壤,说明耕作扰动能够加速土壤Hg的流失.未耕作土壤与耕作土地表层土壤MeHg含量随着落干时长的增加均呈现先升高后降低的趋势,峰值大约出现在落干后1~2个月内,约为淹水末期的4倍,之后逐渐降低至相对稳定的水平.MeHg占THg比例(%MeHg)也呈现类似规律,峰值出现在落干后1个月左右,降到稳定水平时与淹水末期含量无显著性差异(P0.05).土壤%MeHg与Hg-wh含量呈显著性正相关关系(r=0.642,P0.01),而与THg含量没有显著相关性(P0.05),说明消落带土壤Hg甲基化主要受生物可利用性Hg形态的影响.