Mercury, water pollution

Batel R, Bihari N, Rinkevich B, Dapper J, Schaecke H, Schroeder HC, Mueller WE. 1993. Modulation of organotin-induced apoptosis by water pollutant methyl mercury in a human lymphoblastoid tumor cell hne and a marine sponge. Mar Ecol Progr Ser 93 245-251. 

Chigbo, F.E., R.W. Smith, and F.L. Shore. 1982. Uptake of arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury from polluted waters by the water hyacinth Eichhomia crassipes. Environ. Pollut. 27A 31-36. 

Gaudet, C., S. Lingard, P. Cureton, K. Keenleyside, S. Smith, and G. Raju. 1995. Canadian environmental guidelines for mercury. Water Air Soil Pollut. 80 1149-1159. 

Jernelov, A., L. Landner, and T. Larsson. 1975. Swedish perspectives on mercury pollution. Jour. Water Pollut. Control Fed. 47 810-822. 

Nishimura, H. and M. Kumagai. 1983. Mercury pollution of fishes in Minamata Bay and surrounding water analysis of pathway of mercury. Water Air Soil Pollut. 20 401-411. 

Similar to other batteries and accumulators, the burying of cadmium batteries is a very great problem in every country, and Cd seepage from landfills and waste sites (in addition to fertilizers) is responsible for soil and water pollution and environmental risks to human and ecosystem health. The same is true for lead and mercury. 

Sloterdijk HH. 1991. Mercury and organochlorinated hydrocarbons in surficial sediments of the St. Lawrence River (Lake St. Francis). Water Pollution Research Journal of Canada 26(1 ) 41-60. 

A widely used method for removing mercury from polluted water is addition of sodium sulfide. Insoluble mercuric sulfide (HgS), which forms is removed as a sludge (Price et al. 1972) that is then landfilled. It has been assumed that HgS remains permanently insoluble, thus preventing movement of mercury into the surrounding environment. Mercury waste has been treated and buried in this manner for many years. 

A biological process for detoxification of mercury in polluted water and sludges has been developed. Recovery of elemental mercury from the vapor phase for reuse is being studied and preliminary results show promise for the process. A full-scale process is under investigation for field/commercial application. 

UV oxidation of organic water pollutants in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, ozone or both with powerful medium-pressure mercury lamps is performed on industrial scales (Gottschalk et al., 2000). The synergistic combination of ozone and UV is especially suited for water sanitation, i.e. treatment of swimming pool and spa water (Rice, 1997). Many full-scale remediation applications of photo-initiated AOPs using hydrogen peroxide or ozone are already in operation (Chem-viron Carbon, 1997, Freeman and Harris, 1995). 

Cherian L, Gupta VK. 1990. A simple field test for the detection of mercury in polluted water, air and soil samples. Fresenius J Anal Chem 336(5) 400-402. 

Mudroch A, Hill K. 1989. Distribution of mercury in lake St. Clair and the St. Clair river sediments. Water Pollution Research Journal of Canada 24 1-21. 

Combustion of coal produces many of the same ultimate water pollutants as combustion of petroleum does, that is, PAHs. Coal burning, however, produces greater quantities of metals, sulfur dioxide, and haloacids. Coal combustion stack emissions contain significant quantities of arsenic, mercury, selenium, copper, and tin. I25 Sulfur dioxide is ultimately converted to sulfuric acid in the air. Sulfuric acid and the haloacids (HF, HC1,... 

NESCAUM (Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management), NEWMOA (Northeast Waste Management Officials Association), NEIWPCC (New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission), and EMAN ( Canadian Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network). 1998. Mercury in Northeastern freshwater fish current level and ecological impacts. Pp. IV.1-IV.21 in Northeast States/Eastem Canadian Provinces Mercury Study — A Frame Work for Action. February, 1998. 

It has been shown that high efficiency removal of mercury from water polluted by mercury using immobilized mercury resistant bacteria in laboratory fluidized bed bioreactor is feasible. The obtained results show that this technology allows specifics and reproducible transformations of mercury with high yield. 

Fujiki M and Tajima S (1992) The pollution of Minamata bay by mercury. Water Sci Technol 25 133-140. 

The alkylmercurials are accumulated in the fish meat. Mercury exhibits one of the highest accumulation coefficients and in the meat of fish specimens living in waters polluted with mercury the concentrations of methyl mercury may even exceed 10 mg kg. In Minamata and Niigata the contaminated fish contained methyl mercury in concentrations of 1 to... 

Mercury is. of course, a naturally occurring element. However. industrial pollution is a major source of environmental mercury. The pollution comes from many sources, such as coal-burning power plants, rclinertes. runc from factories, and industrial waste. Mercury also enters the environment from such sources as automobile exhausts, sewage treatment plants, medical and dental facilities, and water runoff from mercury and gold-mining operations. The Clean Air Act, first enacted in 1970 in the United Stales, mandated levels of air pollution, including mercury. Likewise, the EPA has set water-quality criteria for levels of mercury in both fresh and saltwater systems, The Clean Water Act requires that individual slates achieve safe concentration levels for pollutants like mercury. 

Heavy metals are natural constituents of rocks and soils. Following the industrialization, very big quantities of metals such as copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr) and arsenic (As) have been released into the environment. Some industrial sources are still responsible for the contamination of water and soil. One of the main processes, which contribute to water pollution, is industrial extraction of cadmium, arsenic, lead and zinc. Among the fields of chemical industry, which also contribute towards the release of heavy metals, are metallization processes with cadmium and chromium, production of paints (zinc, cadmium), tannery (chromium), production of pesticides (copper) and fermentation (copper, zinc). ... 

The previous considerations are illustrative of the need to remediate underwater chemical ordnance disposal sites. Explosive ordnance also presents a problem. Whereas most types of ordnance will loose their explosive capability once water enters the shell casing through corrosion, the pollution is still a factor. Fuses often contain fulminate of mercury. Nitrogen compounds are present in all of the various explosive fillers, and nitrogen is a major water pollutant for inland lakes. As is the case with chemical agents, many explosive chemicals could be disastrous if allowed to enter drinking water aquifers, seafood, or water system intakes. 

Reimers, R.S., P.A. Krenkel, 1974, Kinetics of Mercury Adsorption and Desorption in Sediments, Water Pollution Control Federation,... 

Suggs, J.D., D.H. Petersen, and James B. Middlebrook, J., 1972, Mercury Pollution Control in Stream and Lake Sediments Water Pollution Control Research Series, U.S. EPA, 39 p. 

Heavy metal ions are perhaps the most common of all water pollutants. The heavy metals include such frequendy encountered elements as lead and mercury, as well as many less common ones like cadmium, chromium, nickel, and copper. These metals can, at times, be acutely toxic, causing immediate symptoms, but often they are chronically toxic in very small quantities. Chronic toxicity is characterized by nagging symptoms that lessen normal body functions. Inadequate disposal of wastes from mining or industrial activities causes these metals to find their way into water supplies. In addition, some farming activities and the disposal of household wastes can contribute to the presence of heavy metals in our water supplies. 

Figure 3.4 Process release profiles for amounts of pollutants (kg) with biodegradation described by half-life in the water compartment. Bold lines represent mercury process pollutants light gray lines represent diaphragm process pollutants. For analysis purposes all pollution for a year is assumed to be emitted at once.

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