Mercury Emissions

Although the development of mercury control technology is progressing, there is no single best way to control mercury emissions applicable to all US power plants. Based on existing mercury control technology, the cost of mercury removal is estimated at $ 11,000 to $ 150,000 per kilogram ($ 5,000 to $ 70,000 per pound) and up to $ 0.005 per kilowatt hour. Controlling mercury emissions from coal-fired boiler flue gases is more difficult due to low mercury concentration in the flue gas of utility boilers (usually 0.01 pairs

Mercury: The coal-fired power plant is the largest mercury pollution source in the United States. These mercury emissions are destroyed in the atmosphere and enter the waterway via rain and snow. Mercury is very toxic and affects nervous, digestive, immune and respiratory systems. Pregnant women and babies in utero are particularly vulnerable to developmental disability caused by exposure to mercury. The US Environmental Protection Agency has developed mercury and air toxic substances (MAT) with the aim of dramatically reducing mercury and toxic air emissions from power plants.

Mercury is generally contained in various concentrations and types of petroleum and natural gas. Mercury is harmful to human health and the environment. There is a possibility of factory breakdown. Mercury emissions from oil and gas exploration, production and treatment to the environment may occur from wastewater (product water, refined wastewater), solid waste (drilling waste, refined waste) and contaminated facilities. Mercury emissions to the atmosphere arise from natural gas processing plants, combustion and processing facilities at natural gas refineries. Several techniques have been developed to monitor and remove mercury to minimize the release of mercury. These include the separation, treatment, recovery and disposal of mercury waste during the process. During processing, physical, thermal and chemical processes are required to remove contaminated mercury. Mercury-containing waste is usually handled to remove mercury before handling and storage.

Mining and refining of metals is the third most source of anthropogenic mercury emissions. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) estimates that large-scale gold production accounts for 6 to 7% of the artificial mercury emissions, while mining and processing of other metals will further contribute 10% It is.

For certain metals, especially mercury, soil is also an important source of air. Indeed, mercury emissions from soil and water in some areas are the same as those from anthropogenic sources. Talking about pre- and post industrial emissions levels is more important than distinguishing between natural sources and anthropogenic sources, as the mercury cycle is affected by these processes. The gaseous metal usually condenses on the fine particles in the flue discharge before the flue gases are released into the atmosphere. These particles are subjected to prevailing winds unless they are captured by the emissions control system. This is particularly true during the winter when particles are suspended in the air and only a fraction of them are washed away near sources. In the Arctic Circle, we found that the heavy metal concentration in winter is higher than summer by one or more orders of magnitude by measurement in the atmosphere.