Mercury emission

Donor and acceptor levels are the active centers in most phosphors, as in zinc sulfide [1314-98-3] ZnS, containing an activator such as Cu and various co-activators. Phosphors are coated onto the inside of fluorescent lamps to convert the intense ultraviolet and blue from the mercury emissions into lower energy light to provide a color balance closer to daylight as in Figure 11. Phosphors can also be stimulated directly by electricity as in the Destriau effect in electroluminescent panels and by an electron beam as in the cathodoluminescence used in television and cathode ray display tubes and in (usually blue) vacuum-fluorescence alphanumeric displays. 

FIGURE 1.2 Estimated contributions of natural and human-caused emissions to global mercury emissions. (Source From USEPA 2004b.)... 

FIGURE 1.5 Anthropogenic mercury emissions in the United States, 1990-1999. Short tons per year. Emissions shown for gold mines in 1990 and 1996 are assumed to be equal to emissions for those mines in 1999. Source From USEPA 2004c.)... 

Provide guidance regarding additional monitoring needed to help determine whether observed changes in mercury concentrations are related to regulatory controls on mercury emissions. 

The need for coordinated monitoring studies spanning several environmental compartments through time and space, and the need for cormnon sampling and analytical protocols this is particularly important when striving to establish links between mercury emissions and methylmercury levels in biota... 

Pacyna EG, Pacyna JM, Steenhuisen F, Wilson D. 2006. Global anthropogenic mercury emission inventory for 2000. Atmospheric Environment 40 4048 063. 

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

FIGURE 5.5 Reconstruction of time course of great egret feather mercury concentrations as a result of mercury emissions changes in southern Florida, from 1940 through 2003. Source From Frederick et al. 2004.)... 

USEPA] US Environmental Protection Agency. 1997. Mercury study report to Congress, Vol VI An ecological assessment of anthropogenic mercury emissions in the United States. Office of Air Quahty Planning and Standards and Office of Research and Development, U S. Enviromnental Protection Agency, EPA-452/R-97-008. 

Important link in the pathway between mercury emissions and methyl-mercuiy in biota... 

Reductions in U.S. mercuiy emissions from medical and municipal waste incinerators and other industrial sectors have already occurred. Additional emission reductions from some coal-fired power plants have also already begun as co-benefits from technologies used to control SO2 and NO emissions. These mercury emissions from power plants are, however, expected to be reduced further over the next few decades. Meanwhile, changes in mercuiy emissions in other parts of the world may also affect some U.S. ecosystems. 

The authors and editors of this book wish to acknowledge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Electric Power Research Institute, who sponsored a Society of Enviromnental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) workshop in September 2003 in Pensacola, Florida. More than 30 international experts gathered to discuss and propose a framework for a national mercury monitoring program to evaluate the effectiveness of mercury emissions controls on mercury concentrations in the enviromnent. This book and a companion journal publication (Mason et al. 2005) are the products of the workshop and subsequent efforts. 

Finally, it should be mentioned that three out of the eight Spanish chlor-alkali plants operating with the mercury process are located in the Ebro River basin in the cities of Sabinanigo and Monzon - along the tributaries Gallego and Cinca Rivers, respectively - and Flix along the Ebro River (Fig. 1). Indeed, mercury emissions from the Hix and Monzon have already been reported [28]. Therefore, the mid-low Ebro River watershed might be considered as a hot spot of aquatic pollution of mercury in Spain. 

Landis MS, Keeler GJ, Al-Wali KI, Stevens RK (2004) Divalent inorganic reactive gaseous mercury emissions from a mercury cell chlor-alkali plant and its impact on near-field atmospheric dry deposition. Atmos Environ 38 613-622... 

Terrestrial plants function as conduits for the transport of elemental mercury from the geosphere to the atmosphere (Leonard et al. 1998a). Estimated mercury emissions from plants in the Carson River Drainage Basin of Nevada over the growing season (0.5 mg Hg/m2) add to the soil mercury... 

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. 

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... 

The key questions to be asked with regard to today s mercury emissions from the... 

Fig. 2.2 Mercury emissions from the Western European chlor-alkali industry 1977-1998.

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