Mercury Release to Aquatic Environments from Anthropogenic Sources in China from 2001 to 2012

• Published in: Environmental Science & Technology
• Main Authors: Liu, Maodian, Zhang, Wei, Wang, Xuejun, Chen, Long, Wang, Huanhuan, Luo, Yao, Zhang, Haoran, Shen, Huizhong, Tong, Yindong, Ou, Langbo, Xie, Han, Ye, Xuejie, Deng, Chunyan
• Other Authors: Wang, XJ (reprint author), Peking Univ, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, Minist Educ, Lab Earth Surface Proc, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China.; Zhang, W (reprint author), Renmin Univ China, Sch Environm & Nat Resources, Beijing 100872, Peoples R China., Peking Univ, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, Minist Educ, Lab Earth Surface Proc, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Renmin Univ China, Sch Environm & Nat Resources, Beijing 100872, Peoples R China., Tianjin Univ, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, Tianjin 300072, Peoples R China., Zhang, W (reprint author), Renmin Univ China, Sch Environm & Nat Resources, Beijing 100872, Peoples R China.
• Format: Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016
• Subjects: WATER-TREATMENT-PLANT; FIRED POWER-PLANTS; ARCTIC-OCEAN; EMISSIONS; RIVER; FATE; PRODUCTS; ELEMENTS; GUIZHOU; EXPORT; Arctic; Arctic Ocean
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/491639; https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b01386

Based on an analysis of measured data and distribution factors, we developed the China Aquatic Mercury Release (CAMR) model, which we used to calculate an inventory of mercury (Hg) that was released to aquatic environments from primary anthropogenic sources in China. We estimated a total release of 98 tons of Hg in 2012, including coal-fired power plants (17%), nonferrous metal smelting (33%), coal mining and washing (25%), domestic sewage (17%), and other sectors (8.3%). The total primary anthropogenic Hg released to aquatic environments in China decreased at an annual average rate of 1.7% between 2001 and 2012, even though GDP grew at an annual average rate of 10% during this period: In addition to the Hg that was released to aquatic environments in China's provinces, we estimated the Hg release amounts and intensities (in g/km(2).yr) for China's 58 secondary river basins. The highest aquatic Hg release intensities in China were associated with industrial wastewater on the North China Plain and domestic, sewage in eastern China and southern China. We found that the overall uncertainty of our inventory ranges from -22% to 32%. We suggest that the inventory provided by this study can help establish a more accurate map of regional and global Hg cycling; it also has implications for water quality management in China. National Natural Science Foundation of China [41571484, 41130535, 41471403] SCI(E) EI PubMed ARTICLE [e-mail]; [e-mail] 15 8169-8177 50