Empirical Model of Gaseous Mercury Emissions for the Analysis of Working Conditions in Outdoor Highly Contaminated Sites

Rodríguez-Montañés, R.; Garcia-Gonzalez, Hector; García-Ordiales, Efrén

doi:10.3390/su142113951

Cited by 4 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The collected filters underwent digestion and analysis using ICP-MS, as outlined by García-González et al [27]. Airborne mercury was further measured using the continuous monitoring analyser Lumex RA-915 with representative samples from each area, following the procedure described by Rodriguez et al [28].…”

Section: Sampling Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Tackling Arsenic and Mercury Contamination: Implications for Sustainable Mining and Occupational Health Risks

Rodríguez,

Garcia-Gonzalez,

Hernández

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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This study investigates the environmental and occupational health risks associated with arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) contamination in a specific industrial site: a mercury mine site that contains a metallurgical plant within its premises. Utilising a comprehensive sampling and analysis approach, As and Hg concentrations in the soil and air across various zones within the site were assessed. The results revealed elevated levels of both contaminants, particularly in areas proximal to industrial processes such as metal smelting and waste disposal. Risk assessment using the Cancer Risk (CR) and Hazard Index (HI) indices demonstrated significant health hazards that exceed regulatory thresholds, indicating potential carcinogenic effects from As exposure and risks of non-cancerous occupational diseases. Three distinct risk areas were identified based on the CR and HI indices, guiding the formulation of tailored risk management strategies. While some zones may permit limited industrial activities under specific conditions, others require stringent safety measures and specialised personal protective equipment (PPE) due to exceptionally high contaminant concentrations. Overall, the findings underscore the critical need for robust safety protocols and regulatory compliance to mitigate the health risks associated with As and Hg exposure in industrial settings, ensuring the protection of worker health, environmental stewardship, and the promotion of sustainable mining practices.

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Section: Sampling Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, the concentration of mercury in the air was measured at different points within the facilities (Rodríguez et al [28]; Rodríguez et al [31]). Table 5 presents the average concentration of gaseous mercury in the air in the different zones.…”

Section: Obtention and Elaboration Of The Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Tackling Arsenic and Mercury Contamination: Implications for Sustainable Mining and Occupational Health Risks

Rodríguez,

Garcia-Gonzalez,

Hernández

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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“…The type of debris treated in both cases was specifically demolition debris from metallurgical plants. It is the type of rubble with the highest mercury contamination and is an actual source of gaseous Hg emissions [44,45].…”

Section: Description Of the Mercury Mining Sitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The distance from El Terronal to La Soterraña is only of about 11 km; consequently, the general climatic conditions during the year are the same. Complete information about how the measures were taken can be found in [27,44].…”

Section: Mercury Emission From the Debrismentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Novel Solution to Avoid Mercury Emissions Produced by Highly Contaminated Demolition Debris in Mining Site

Rodríguez,

Hernández,

Fernández

et al. 2023

Environments

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Mercury (Hg) emissions into the air can in some cases be a critical problem for public health and environmental protection. Hence, it is crucial to find cost-effective solutions to tackle this issue. An innovative solution is presented in this study using two case studies, diminishing drastically the emissions through covering high Hg-contaminated debris with industrial subproducts (fly-ashes and blast furnace slags). This solution is compared with other two conventional alternatives: (1) removal of the debris to an authorized landfill and (2) in situ encapsulation. The analysis is carried out by comparing costs, carbon footprint and the Environmental–Social–Governance (ESG) impact. It has been noted that the solution proposed has some advantages with respect to conventional alternatives, from both economic and environmental points of view, presenting lower costs and a lower carbon footprint. The worst solution is to remove the debris for ex situ treatment, while the encapsulation represents a middle solution with advantages and disadvantages. The findings of the study can be a step forward in the usage of industrial subproducts, that are currently placed in waste disposal, to solve the problem of sites contaminated by mercury and eliminate its emissions.

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Chemical-Physical Model of Gaseous Mercury Emissions from the Demolition Waste of an Abandoned Mercury Metallurgical Plant

et al. 2023

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Soils from decommissioned Hg mine sites usually exhibit high levels of total mercury concentration. This work examines the behavior of mercury in the atmosphere on samples of contaminated debris of a demolished metallurgical plant present in La Soterraña mine, Asturias (Spain). Previously, a strong dependence of the Hg gas concentration Cmax (ng/m3) with the temperature T (K) was determined empirically. Hg gas concentration varied between 6500 ng/m3 at low temperatures, 278 K (5 °C), and up to almost 60,000 ng/m3 when the temperature reaches 303 K (30 °C). Then, two different models were proposed to explain the behavior of the mercury emitted from this source. The first model is based on Arrhenius theory. The gas flux per unit area perpendicular to the flow F (g/sm2) is an exponential function of the apparent activation energy Ea (J/mol): F = cf exp(-Ea/RT). The values of cf = 1.04·107 and Ea= 48.56 kJ/mol allows the model to fit well with the field measurements. The second model is based on Fick’s laws, and the flux F (g/sm2) can be estimated by F = (K’ MHg pv)/RT where K’ = 8.49·10−7, MHg = 200.56 g/mol and the partial vapor pressure of gaseous mercury pv (Pa) can be estimated from the saturation vapor pressure of gaseous mercury pv= 0.00196·ps and the August’s law log(ps) = 10.184–3210.29/T. This method is also validated with results measured in situ. Both methods are accurate enough to explain and predict emission rate G (g/s), gas flux F (g/sm2) and maximum Hg gas concentration over the debris Cmax (ng/m3) as a function the temperature T (K).

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Empirical Model of Gaseous Mercury Emissions for the Analysis of Working Conditions in Outdoor Highly Contaminated Sites

Cited by 4 publications

References 35 publications

Tackling Arsenic and Mercury Contamination: Implications for Sustainable Mining and Occupational Health Risks

Tackling Arsenic and Mercury Contamination: Implications for Sustainable Mining and Occupational Health Risks

A Novel Solution to Avoid Mercury Emissions Produced by Highly Contaminated Demolition Debris in Mining Site

Chemical-Physical Model of Gaseous Mercury Emissions from the Demolition Waste of an Abandoned Mercury Metallurgical Plant

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