Sources of Mercury Pollution

The power plants burning coal and municipal waste incinerators are sources of mercury pollution. During thermal processes, all mercury is first converted into elemental form, but during cooling different derivatives can be formed, according to the matrix composition of the flue gas. 

Pacyna, J.M. and G.J. Keeler. 1995. Sources of mercury in the Arctic. Water Air Soil Pollut. 80 621-632. 

O Research the environmental impact of mercury pollution. Describe the main sources of mercury in the environment, the effects of mercury on human health, and at least one incident in which humans were harmed by mercury pollution. 

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. 

Interest in trace element emissions received impetus from published reports of widespread atmospheric dissemination of these substances (1), especially mercury (2, 3), as a consequence of fossil fuel use. More current information indicates that the original mercury discharge estimates were overstated, since they were based on nonrepresentative, ore-associated coal samples (4). Of the fossil fuels, coal is considered the major source of atmospheric pollution (5) and, compared with oil and... 

Fimreite, N. 1970. Mercury uses in Canada and their possible hazards as sources of mercury contamination. Environ. Pollut., 1, 119-131. 

Coal contains heavy metals because it is made by compressed organic matter that includes a variety of elements. The mining and burning of coal release toxic metals like mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, into the environment. The largest source of toxic pollutants in the US, due to coal ash and coal waste, is the electric power sector [22]. Each year the burning of coal generates millions of tons of waste. Some of this waste is used in new products and the rest is stored in ponds or pits. 

Most atmospheric pollution is due to means of transport road vehicles, trains, ships and aircraft. The main pollutants emitted by these sources are CO2, organic volatiles (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOJ and particles of heavy metals such as lead or mercury. The main immobile sources of atmospheric pollution are certain kinds of industrial plant, and power stations or heaters that bum fossil fuels. The combustion of fossil fuels releases sulphur compounds (H2S, SO2, etc.) as weU as NO, CO2, VOCs and particulate matter. 

Because there are few major natural sources of mercury and since most inorganic compounds of this element are relatively insoluble, it was assumed for some time that mercury was not a serious water pollutant. However, in 1970, alarming mercury levels were discovered in fish in Lake Saint Clair located between Michigan and Ontario, Canada. A subsequent survey by the U.S. Federal Water Quality Administration revealed a number of other waters contaminated with mercury. It was found that several chemical plants, particularly caustic chemical manufacturing operations for the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide, were each releasing up to 14 or more kilograms of mercury in wastewaters each day. 

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