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Mercury Contaminated Sites

Characterization, Risk Assessment and Remediation

  • Book
  • © 1999

Overview

Editors:
  1. Ralf Ebinghaus

    1. Institute of Physical and Chemical Analytics, GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht, Germany

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  2. Ralph R. Turner

    1. Frontier Geosciences, Seattle, USA

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  3. Luiz D. Lacerda

    1. Dept. de GeoquÌmica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil

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  4. O. Vasiliev

    1. Institute for Water and Environmental Problems (IWEP), Novosibirsk, Russia

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  5. Wim Salomons

    1. Institute of Physical and Chemical Analytics, GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht, Germany

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  • Up-to-date overview over contaminated sites
  • Case studies from various countries (Europe, Russia, North- and South America)

Part of the book series: Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE)

Part of the book sub series: Environmental Science (ENVSCIENCE)

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Table of contents (30 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages I-XVII
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  2. Reviews

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
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    2. Natural and Anthropogenic Mercury Sources and Their Impact on the Air-Surface Exchange of Mercury on Regional and Global Scales

      • R. Ebinghaus, R. M. Tripathi, D. Wallschläger, S. E. Lindberg
      Pages 3-50

    3. Mercury Mines in Europe: Assessment of Emissions and Environmental Contamination

      • R. Ferrara
      Pages 51-72

    4. Mercury Contamination from New World Gold and Silver Mine Tailings

      • L. D. Lacerda, W. Salomons
      Pages 73-87

    5. Mercury-Contaminated Industrial and Mining Sites in North America: an Overview with Selected Case Studies

      • R. R. Turner, G. R. Southworth
      Pages 89-112

    6. Remediation Techniques for Hg-Contaminated Sites

      • M. Hempel, J. Thoeming
      Pages 113-130

    7. Advanced Technology Available for the Abatement of Mercury Pollution in the Metallurgical Industry

      • A. B. Mukherjee
      Pages 131-142

    8. Mercury Contamination of Minamata Bay: Historical Overview and Progress Towards Recovery

      • A. Kudo, R. R. Turner
      Pages 143-158

    9. Chemical Interactions Between Mercurial Species and Surface Biomolecules from Structural Components of Some Biological Systems

      • A. C. A. da Costa
      Pages 159-178

  3. International Case Studies

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 179-179
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    2. Industrial Sites

      1. Distribution, Bioavailability and Speciation of Mercury in Contaminated Soil and Groundwater of a Former Wood Impregnation Plant
        • T. Schöndorf, M. Egli, H. Biester, W. Mailahn, W. Rotard
        Pages 181-206
      2. Relative Importance of Non-Point Sources of Mercury to an Industrialized Coastal System, Sepetiba Bay, SE Brazil
        • R. V. Marins, L. D. Lacerda, R. C. Villas Boas
        Pages 207-220
      3. Monitoring and Assessment of Mercury Pollution in the Vicinity of Electrical Engineering Plants in the CIS
        • E. P. Yanin, N. N. Moskalenko
        Pages 221-235
      4. Mercury in Gas and Oil Deposits
        • N. A. Ozerova, N. P. Mashyanov, Yu. I. Pikovsky, V. V. Ryzhov, A. E. Chernova, A. A. Ganeev et al.
        Pages 237-246

    3. Mining

      1. Atmospheric Mercury in Abandoned Mine Structures and Restored Mine Buildings at Mt. Amiata, Italy
        • R. Ferrara, B. E. Maserti, B. Mazzolai, F. Di Francesco, H. Edner, S. Svanberg et al.
        Pages 249-257
      2. Mercury in the Town of Idrija (Slovenia) After 500 Years of Mining and Smelting
        • V. Miklavčič
        Pages 259-269
      3. Evaluation of Internal Doses of Mercury at Intermittent Exposure to Elemental Mercury at the Mine in Idrija
        • A. Kobal, E. Nanut, M. Horvat, P. Stegnar, A. Sabadin
        Pages 271-279
      4. Mercury in Terrestrial Food Webs of the Idrija Mining Area
        • A. Gnamuš, M. Horvat
        Pages 281-320
      5. Vegetation on Contaminated Sites near an Hg Mine and Smelter
        • V. Banásová
        Pages 321-335
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Keywords

About this book

Mercury is outstanding among the global environmental pollutants of continuing th concern. Especially in the last decade of the 20 century, environmental scientists, legislators, politicians, and the public have become more aware of mercury pollu­ tion in the global environment. It has often been suggested that anthropogenic emissions are leading to a general increase in mercury on local, regional, and glo­ bal scales. Numerous industrial activities, including the mining of gold, silver, and mercury itself, have caused mercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic eco­ systems. Mercury-contaminated sites are abundant worldwide. Mercury has been accumulated as an "industrial legacy" in the rocks, soils, and sediments at, and adjacent to, industrial sites and now may pose significant risks to human and eco­ logical health. Direct inputs of mercury into the environment by industrial activi­ ties have generally decreased significantly in the Western world over the past three decades. However, sources such as coal combustion and the use of mercury in gold and silver mining continue to be of importance on a global scale. The same is true for diffuse sources such as terrestrial landscapes that have been impacted by mer­ cury inputs from the atmosphere in the past. Soils (and vegetation) located close to large atmospheric mercury sources have clearly been sinks while these sources were active in the past. In the long run, however, these soils may have become important diffuse area sources after the original emissions were discontinued.

Editors and Affiliations

  • Institute of Physical and Chemical Analytics, GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht, Germany

    Ralf Ebinghaus, Wim Salomons

  • Frontier Geosciences, Seattle, USA

    Ralph R. Turner

  • Dept. de GeoquÌmica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niteroi, Brazil

    Luiz D. Lacerda

  • Institute for Water and Environmental Problems (IWEP), Novosibirsk, Russia

    O. Vasiliev

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