500 years of mercury production: global annual inventory by region until 2000 and associated emissions

Hylander, Lars D.; Meili, Markus

doi:10.1016/s0048-9697(02)00553-3

Cited by 282 publications

(195 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…There is consistent evidence that long-range atmospheric transport and deposition of Hg emitted mainly from mining and industrial activities are responsible for Hg pollution in surface soils even in pristine areas (Fitzgerald et al 1998, Hylander and Meili 2003, Lindberg et al 2007. Furthermore, in the Fernando de Noronha island, a signal of atmospherically transported humanrelated Hg emissions was detected in the sediments of a small lake (Oliveira et al 2009).…”

Section: Enrichment Factorsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Heavy metal concentrations in soils from a remote oceanic island, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Oliveira

Pessenda

Gouveia

et al. 2011

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

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This paper examines the role of parent rock, pedogenetic processes and airborne pollution in heavy metal accumulation in soils from a remote oceanic island, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. We studied five soil profiles developed from different volcanic rocks. Mineralogical composition and total concentrations of major and trace elements were determined in 43 samples. The obtained concentrations range for heavy metals were: Co: 26-261 ppm; Cu: 35-97 ppm; Cr: 350-1446 ppm; Ni: 114-691 ppm; Zn: 101-374 ppm; Hg: 2-150 ppb. The composition of soils is strongly affected by the geochemical character of the parent rock. Pedogenesis appears to be responsible for the accumulation of Zn, Co, and, to a lesser extent, of Ni and Cu, in the upper, Mn-and organic carbon-enriched horizons of the soil profiles. Pedogenic influence may also explain the relationship observed between Cr and the Fe. Hg is likely to have been added to the soil profile by long-range atmospheric transport. Its accumulation in the topsoil was further favoured by the formation of stable complexes with organic matter. Clay minerals do not appear to play an important role in the fixation of heavy metals.

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Section: Enrichment Factorsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Heavy metal concentrations in soils from a remote oceanic island, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Oliveira

Pessenda

Gouveia

et al. 2011

An. Acad. Bras. Ciênc.

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“…4), deciphering i) the early large-scale atmospheric pollution by the Roman civilization, ii) the capacity of Meidsee to provide large-scale atmospheric pollution record, and iii) the Spanish mining region as a potential source for the atmospheric lead deposited at high altitude in the Southern Alps (Rosman et al, 1997). In fact, Hg has been mined for ca 2000 years in the Almadén district (central Spain), where Spanish mines alone have contributed to one third of the total historic production of Hg (Hylander and Meili, 2003). In addition, a peat bog record from northwest Spain showed roughly synchronous increasing anthropogenic Pb and Hg releases from Iberian ores by ancient mining, when cinnabar refining process was introduced (Nriagu, 1983;Domergue, 1990;Martinez Cortizas et al, 1999.…”

Section: Deposition History Of Pollutantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

(Pre-) historic changes in natural and anthropogenic heavy metals deposition inferred from two contrasting Swiss Alpine lakes

Thevenon

Guédron

Chiaradia

et al. 2011

Quaternary Science Reviews

112

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a b s t r a c tContinuous high-resolution sedimentary record of heavy metals (chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and mercury (Hg)), from lakes Lucerne and Meidsee (Switzerland), provides pollutant deposition history from two contrasting Alpine environments over the last millennia. The distribution of conservative elements (thorium (Th), scandium (Sc) and titanium (Ti)) shows that in absence of human disturbances, the trace element input is primarily controlled by weathering processes (i.e., runoff and erosion). Nonetheless, the enrichment factor (EF) of Pb and Hg (that are measured by independent methods), and the Pb isotopic composition of sediments from the remote lake Meidsee (which are proportionally more enriched in anthropogenic heavy metals), likely detect early mining activities during the Bronze Age. Meanwhile, the deposition of trace elements remains close to the range of natural variations until the strong impact of Roman activities on atmospheric metal emissions. Both sites display simultaneous increases in anthropogenic trace metal deposition during the Greek and Roman Empires (ca 300 BC to AD 400), the Late Middle Ages (ca AD 1400), and the Early Modern Europe (after ca AD 1600). However, the greatest increases in anthropogenic metal pollution are evidenced after the industrial revolution of ca AD 1850, at low and high altitudes. During the twentieth century, industrial releases multiplied by ca 10 times heavy metal fluxes to hydrological systems located on both sides of the Alps. During the last decades, the recent growing contribution of low radiogenic Pb further highlights the contribution of industrial sources with respect to wood and coal burning emissions.

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“…Globally, approximately half a million tons of metallic Hg have been produced from cinnabar and other ores for industrial applications (mainly nonferrous metal smelting, manufacturing, and chlor-alkali plants) since 1925 (47). Only a fraction of the mercury extracted from geological stocks has been emitted directly to the atmosphere by industrial processes [Ϸ30% in recent decades (48)].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Polar firn air reveals large-scale impact of anthropogenic mercury emissions during the 1970s

Faïn

Ferrari

Dommergue

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Mercury (Hg) is an extremely toxic pollutant, and its biogeochemical cycle has been perturbed by anthropogenic emissions during recent centuries. In the atmosphere, gaseous elemental mercury (GEM; Hg°) is the predominant form of mercury (up to 95%). Here we report the evolution of atmospheric levels of GEM in mid-to high-northern latitudes inferred from the interstitial air of firn (perennial snowpack) at Summit, Greenland. GEM concentrations increased rapidly after World War II from Ϸ1.5 ng m ؊3 reaching a maximum of Ϸ3 ng m ؊3 around 1970 and decreased until stabilizing at Ϸ1.7 ng m ؊3 around 1995. This reconstruction reproduces real-time measurements available from the Arctic since 1995 and exhibits the same general trend observed in Europe since 1990. Anthropogenic emissions caused a two-fold rise in boreal atmospheric GEM concentrations before the 1970s, which likely contributed to higher deposition of mercury in both industrialized and remotes areas. Once deposited, this toxin becomes available for methylation and, subsequently, the contamination of ecosystems. Implementation of air pollution regulations, however, enabled a large-scale decline in atmospheric mercury levels during the 1980s. The results shown here suggest that potential increases in emissions in the coming decades could have a similar large-scale impact on atmospheric Hg levels.atmosphere ͉ Greenland ͉ past century ͉ pollution

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500 years of mercury production: global annual inventory by region until 2000 and associated emissions

Cited by 282 publications

References 28 publications

Heavy metal concentrations in soils from a remote oceanic island, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

Heavy metal concentrations in soils from a remote oceanic island, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

(Pre-) historic changes in natural and anthropogenic heavy metals deposition inferred from two contrasting Swiss Alpine lakes

Polar firn air reveals large-scale impact of anthropogenic mercury emissions during the 1970s

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