Anthropogenic emissions waste sources

Bullock (1997) used the Regional Lagrangian Model of Air Pollution (RELMAP) to simulate the emission, transport, chemical transformation, and wet and dry deposition of elemental mercury gas, divalent mercury gas, and particulate mercury from various point and area source types to develop an atmospheric mercury emissions inventory by anthropogenic source type. The results of the RELMAP model are shown in Table 5-3. On a percentage basis, various combustion processes (medical waste incinerators, municipal waste incinerators, electric utility power production [fossil fuel burning] and nonutility power and heat generation) account for 83% of all anthropogenic emissions in the United States. Overall, of the emissions produced, 41% were associated with elemental mercury vapor (Hg°), 41% with the mercuric form (Hg2+), and 18% was mercury associated with particulates. 

As aerosols in the atmosphere originate from multiple sources, the composition of nutrients changes considerably over the four seasons. Nitrate, NOJ, and NHJ are defined as secondary aerosol-associated species and are not associated with primary aerosols. The combustion of fossil fuels is a significant source of NO, whereas NHj may originate from anthropogenic emissions such as animal waste and the application of chemical fertilizers. 

Anthropogenic sources of fluoride include fossil fuel combustion and industrial waste. Hydrogen fluoride is water soluble and emissions are readily controlled by acid gas scrubbers. HF emission from coal combustion, that is considered to be the main anthropogenic source of HF, was estimated to be 0.18 Tg annually emission of HF from the combustion of petroleum and natural gas is almost certainly negligible [24]. Apparently only limited data are available concerning total annual emissions of HF from industrial operations however, there is evidence that emissions of fluorides have been declining [24,25]. 

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