Experiences from phasing out the use of mercury in Sweden

The Swedish parliament has decided that the use of mercury (Hg) in society should be phased out by the target year 2000 and substituted with alternative, less harmful elements or compounds. This is to reduce exposure to the toxic heavy metal, levels of which have increased two to seven times in the Swedish environment during the last century. Mercury in products and goods in use in Sweden has been estimated at 100 tonnes Hg, which will slowly be released into the environment if no preventative measures are taken. To avoid handing over unsolved environmental problems and connected costs to future generations, the Swedish government commissioned the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to improve the efficiency of Hg collection and to find a solution for terminal storage of the waste. The result is that the Swedish EPA considers deep storage in rock, accompanied by technical measures to further reduce the risk of future Hg emissions to be the safest method. It has funded approximately 50 projects with the goal of spreading information about the Hg problem and removing Hg from society. The projects have focused on areas where there is a great risk of Hg in products and goods entering the environment. About 6 tonnes Hg has so far been collected in these projects – end of 1999 – and the cost of the Hg collected has varied between 70 and 1300 US$ kg^–1 Hg. The projects were more cost-effective than traditional inspection by an official due to local participation, use of Hg-tracker dogs, and employment of professional electricians in the search for Hg. The involvement of school children and the public has resulted in an increased awareness of environmental matters, and, together with the emptying of water seals, reduced Hg levels in municipal sewage sludge. Electronic Publication     

土壤性质对土壤中汞赋存形态的影响

土壤是一个复杂的生态系统,典型相关分析表明,土壤的组成性状对土壤中汞的形态分布影响较大,影响因子主要有ＦＡ,ＨＡ,有机质和碳酸盐含量,土壤粘粒作用较小,土壤有机质表现出很强的表面络合能力。     

Hg-CEMS系统中元素汞发生器的溯源和质控方法研究

参考借鉴美国IEMGTP元素汞溯源协议中规定的4个溯源传递层级以及4种常用的成熟溯源质控方法,研究了在中国现有技术条件下,各种质控方法针对Hg-CEMS中元素汞发生器User generator进行质控的适用性。通过对不同质控方法的测试,显示通过可吸附元素汞的活性炭吸附管采样分析（美国EPA 30B方法）和通过汞渗透源两种对元素汞发生器进行质控的方法在中国目前是可行且科学、可靠的。同时对建立和完善中国的元素汞溯源协议和元素汞发生器质控方法提出了建议。     

烟气汞在线监测现状及仪器性能评估初探

针对近年来燃煤烟气汞污染控制技术的进步,概述烟气汞分析方法,综述烟气汞在线设备及技术的发展现状。通过将电厂排放废气中汞的手工检测和在线监测结果比对,对国内外汞在线仪器进行性能评估。     

HPLC-ICP/MS联用测定废水中甲基汞和无机汞

采用高效液相色谱(HPLC)-电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP/MS)联用测定废水中可滤态的甲基汞和无机汞,优化了仪器工作条件,讨论了方法干扰及校正办法。甲基汞和无机汞在0.500μg/L~25.0μg/L范围内线性良好,检出限分别为0.03μg/L和0.07μg/L,废水样品平行测定的RSD分别为6.5%~7.6%和6.2%~6.8%,加标回收率分别为84.0%~87.0%和88.0%~92.4%。     

汞、砷复合污染对水稻生长及吸收汞、砷的影响

在温室条件下,采用水培方法研究汞、砷复合污染对水稻的生长及对汞、砷吸收的影响.实验结果表明:1)汞、砷复合污染可以显著地降低水稻生物量,汞、砷具有显著的交互作用.2)营养液中汞浓度大于0.5mg·L-1时,可显著降低水稻光合速率、二氧化碳气孔导度、蒸腾速率(p<0.001),而砷的影响不显著.3)随营养液中汞浓度的增加,水稻根部和地上部汞含量显著增加,砷对水稻吸收汞的影响不显著,二者无交互作用.随营养液中砷浓度的增加,砷在水稻根部和地上部的累积显著提高,营养液中的汞显著抑制了水稻根部对砷的吸收,二者表现为拮抗作用;而汞对砷在水稻地上部累积的影响则较复杂,随着汞浓度由0.5mg·L-1增加到1.5mg·L-1,水稻地上部砷含量表现出先降低再升高的趋势.     

Changes in surface water quality from small-scale gold mining operations in the Surinamean rainforest

Abstract

Small-scale miners often engage in environmentally damaging activities, are subject to poor safety conditions, and utilize inefficient mineral extraction technologies. Here, we explore environmental impacts to surface waters from regional artisanal small-scale gold placer mining operations conducted in iron and aluminum-rich saprolites found within the lateritic, interior Amazon rainforest of Suriname. Heavy equipment was utilized to release gold from its host material followed by amalgamation and gravity separation. In contrast with background tributary recordings, streams adjacent to these gold mining operations consistently contained turbidity measurements that exceeded United States’ EPA guidelines for aquatic species of 50 nephelometric turbidity units and were typically in the hundreds to thousands of units. Turbidity was further heightened in association with precipitation events. Mercury played a prominent role in whole ore amalgam concentration practices. Freshwater fish from the region were found to harbor mercury that encroached upon public health criteria. Dissolved phase metals present further ecotoxicological challenges to the region, but their association with mining activities was less clear. These findings collectively reveal that small-scale placer gold mining practices in the Surinamese rainforest result in an increase of suspended sediments and release of mercury into waterways that could impact communities that depend upon local fisheries.     

燃煤痕量元素转化、排放及控制的研究进展

综述了煤燃烧过程中痕量元素转化、排放规律及实用的控制技术,重点介绍了当前最受关注的汞排放控制技术,并反映了量子化学在燃煤痕量元素研究中的最新应用。分析了燃煤痕量元素研究存在问题及发展方向。     

火电厂烟气汞形态转化机理及控制方法

汞是煤中最易挥发的重金属元素之一,燃烧产物中汞的排放为火电厂锅炉汞污染的主流。烟气中的汞主要采用活性炭或者其他吸附剂、飞灰再循环、湿法烟气脱硫装置等手段来去除,但普遍存在吸附剂价格昂贵、经济效应不高,具体脱除效应不明显、仅适用中小型火电厂锅炉等实际问题。为配合脱汞市场,需要在完善测试手段和控制手段的基础上,着重解决多组分污染物联合脱除汞反应的竞争机制和活性/选择性调控规律、吸收剂固体表面物理化学、大容积/大流量反应器内超低浓度污染物的富集/反应机理等关键技术问题。在火电厂烟气零价汞形态转化机理、汞迁移转化动力学模型的研究以及高效价廉吸附剂的开发等方面取得突破,开发具有自主知识产权的新型燃煤电厂烟气中汞排放控制方法。     

PVC生产行业含汞废物特性分析与处置对策

本文对我国PVC生产行业含汞废物的特性和处理处置技术进行了系统的梳理,明确了现有各类技术的原理、优缺点及适用性,找出了该行业含汞废物处理技术的关键通用性规律。在以上研究基础上,结合含汞废物特性,提出了有针对性的含汞废物综合治理技术。