Anthropogenic sources mercury

Apart from CH3 Hg+, other forms of R-Hg+ have been found in the natural environment, which originate from anthropogenic sources but are not known to be generated from inorganic mercury. These forms have been found in terrestrial and aquatic food chains. A major source has been fungicides, in which the R group is phenyl, alkoxy-alkyl, or higher alkyl (ethyl, propyl, etc.). These forms behave in a similar manner... 

Schuster PF, Krabbenhoft DP, Naftz DL, Cecil FD, Olson ML, Dewild IF, Susong DD, Green JR, Abbott ML. 2002. Atmospheric mercury deposition during the last 270 years a glacial ice core record of natural and anthropogenic sources. Env Sci Technol 36 2303-2310. 

Pirrone N, Costa P, Pacyna JM, Ferrara R. 2001. Atmospheric mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources in the Mediterranean region. Atmos Environ 35 2997-3006. 

Mercury emissions from European anthropogenic sources in 2002 totaled 180 tons this is 11 % lower than those in 2001. The input from natural emission and re-emission from European soils and the marginal seas is estimated at about 150 tons. More than 65% of emitted mercury was transported beyond the boundaries of Europe. The total mercury depositions to Europe were about 100 tons. Of this amount, 50 tons originated from anthropogenic sources of European countries the rest was the input from natural sources, re-emission and global anthropogenic sources. 

Contribution of the trans-boundary flux from external (European) anthropogenic sources to mercury deposition in European countries is significant. More than half the total mercury deposition to such countries as Chech Republic, Slovakia, the Netherlands, Macedonia and Belarus was determined by external anthropogenic sources. This fact can be explained by the proximity of these countries to significant emission sources in Poland and Germany. The lowest contribution of external sources was in countries located at the periphery of Europe Ireland, Spain, Iceland, etc. Deposition of mercury from external sources to the European Union did not exceed 7% of total value. 

Annual emissions of heavy metals from the anthropogenic sources of HELCOM countries significantly decreased during the period of 1990-2001. In particular, annual emissions of cadmium decreased by 45%, whereas lead and mercury emissions reduced by 60%. Following this reduction and also due to the changes of heavy metals emissions in other European countries the level of atmospheric depositions to the Baltic Sea has also significantly decreased (Figure 20). Compared to 1990... 

Pacyna EG, Pacyna JM, Pirrone N (2001) European emissions of atmospheric mercury from anthropogenic sources in 1995. Atmospheric Environment 35 2987-2996... 

Mercury is one of the most significant examples of toxic heavy metal pollution. Anthropogenic sources of mercury include those associated with its use in chlor-alkali, paint, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and paper and pulp industries. 

Freitas, M.D., Pacheco, A.M.G. and Ventura, M.G. (2004) Anthropogenic sources of PM2.5 s arsenic, lead, mercury and nickel in northern metropolitan Lisbon, Portugal. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, B(219-220), 153-56. 

Mercury Input to the Oceans via Submarine Volcanism Low-temperature Volatilization Anthropogenic Sources Mining... 

The human-related sources of mercury to the environment are numerous and widespread. Most direct inputs of mercury from point sources to aquatic systems have largely been contained in most developed countries. Inputs of mercury to the environment via the atmosphere are of the greatest concern. These emissions, coupled with long-distance transport of elemental mercury, have resulted in elevated concentrations of mercury in fish from locations that are removed from anthropogenic sources (e.g., open-ocean, and semi-remote regions in the United States, Canada, Scandinavia Wiener et al., 2002). A summary of the fluxes from major sources (for 1995) is shown... 

Pacyna E. G. and Pacyna J. M. (2002) Global emission of mercury from anthropogenic sources in 1995. Water Air Soil Pollut. 137, 149-165. 

Mercury is released to the environment by both natural processes (e.g., volcanic activity and weathering of mercury-containing rocks) and anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic releases are primarily to the... 

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. 

Natural weathering of mercury-bearing minerals in igneous rocks is estimated to directly release about 800 metric tons of mercury per year to surface waters of the earth (Gavis and Ferguson 1972). Atmospheric deposition of elemental mercury from both natural and anthropogenic sources has been identified as an indirect source of mercury to surface waters (WHO 1991). Mercury associated with soils can be directly washed into surface waters during rain events. Surface runoff is an important mechanism... 

The natural occurrence of mercury in the environment means that mercury is likely to occur in surface waters, even when anthropogenic sources of mercury are absent. Freshwaters without known sources of mercury contamination generally contain less than 5 ng/L (ppt) of total mercury in aerobic surface waters (Gilmour and Henry 1991). Mercury levels in water-borne particulates in the St. Louis River estuary... 

Major anthropogenic sources of mercury are expected to finish their course at the landfill, hence Mare Chicose, the only sanitary landfill in Mauritius was chosen as the study case. 

The consideration of these budget components shows the predominant emission of the gaseous elemental mercury to the atmosphere from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The dry deposition is represented also by elemental mercury, however the wet deposition is mainly connected with gaseous and particulate Hg-" ". 

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