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Lin, Yuhuan; Guo, Mingxin; Gan, Weiming

doi:10.1023/a:1018384822608

Cited by 10 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Many studies have been conducted to investigate the physical health of Au miners from various provinces of China (Wang et al, 2005(Wang et al, , 2010Feng et al, 2006;Li et al, 2009;Wang et al, 2018), and many researches on the sources of the associated Hg contamination have been reported (Lin et al, 1997;Dai et al, 2003;Gunson and Veiga, 2004;Gabriel and Williamson, 2008;Fu et al, 2008;Wang et al, 2016). However, it has been acknowledged that Hg contamination still exists in the ecosystems of the areas surrounding Au mining sites after the traditional artisanal mining method was forbidden, which requires further study (Eckley et al, 2011b;Miller et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement and Scaling of Mercury on Soil and Air in a Historical Artisanal Gold Mining Area in Northeastern China

et al. 2019

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The Jiapigou gold mine area, located in the upper reaches of the Songhua River, was the first and largest artisanal gold mine once in China, and it used to be prominent in two marking years (1870 and 1974). Jiapigou area had a gold mining history of more than 190 years, which was first opened in 1820. Gold extraction with algamation was applied as the dominant method of excavation from 1940 to 2008, and a total of more than 100 t of gold were extracted from the mine using this method and it was estimated that 100-200 t Hg were released, thus causing severe mercury environmental pollution in the mining area. In the experimental campaigns of this study, in situ air and soil Hg concentrations and air-soil Hg fluxes were measured from April 2009 to December 2011. The results showed that in the study area the total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration exhibited remarkable spatial and temporal distribution patterns, i.e. the TGM gradually decreased following the increase in distance to gold mining sites in space, and the values in spring, summer and autumn were elevated by 1-2 orders of magnitude in comparison with those in winter. Furthermore, at other sampling sites the total soil mercury (TSM) concentration in spring was higher than that in autumn, except for the contrary laws demonstrated at the Erdaogou mining site. However, in spring and winter the Hg flux between air and soil was under the control of different environmental factors, and the characteristics were clear and distinct. In spring the Hg flux between air and soil was directly under the control of solar irradiation, and the releasing process was predominant with a remarkable positive correlation to solar irradiation. Nevertheless, in winter the Hg fluxes were indirectly under the control of solar irradiation, which caused thermal inversion due to the thick snow cover. The depositing process was predominant and the correlations between Hg flux and air temperature was remarkably negative, and there was a positive correlation between Hg flux and solar irradiation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Measurement and Scaling of Mercury on Soil and Air in a Historical Artisanal Gold Mining Area in Northeastern China

et al. 2019

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Updating global Hg emissions from small-scale gold mining and assessing its environmental impacts

Lacerda

2003

Env Geol

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Small-scale gold mining is a significant source of Hg to the environment and may reach an annual input of about 450 t of Hg, mostly in South America, Russia and Asia. Countries of the Amazon Basin and Russia are the major contributors. On a regional scale, this source can contribute to more than 50% of the total Hg anthropogenic emission. Because of amalgam burning and bullion smelting under generally uncontrolled conditions, the majority of the emission is to the atmosphere. Therefore, on a global scale small-scale gold mining contributes about 20% of the total Hg atmospheric emissions from human activities. Most emissions occur in tropical developing countries. Preliminary results from research in the Amazon region suggest the Hg cycling in tropical rainforest environments is probably more dynamic and critical than in previously studied temperate environments, being strongly influenced by the existing ecological cycles and affected by land-use changes. At least two components of the Hg cycle can be identified. A short-term component, involving methylation of deposited Hg 2+ in aquatic systems and a long-term component, involving the re-emission of Hg deposited in soils particularly because of changes in soil use.

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Anthropogenic mercury emissions in China

Streets¹,

Hao²,

Wu³

et al. 2005

Atmospheric Environment

609

441

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An inventory of mercury emissions from anthropogenic activities in China is compiled for the year 1999 from official statistical data. We estimate that China's emissions were 536 (7236) t of total mercury. This value includes open biomass burning, but does not include natural sources or re-emission of previously deposited mercury. Approximately 45% of the Hg comes from non-ferrous metals smelting, 38% from coal combustion, and 17% from miscellaneous activities, of which battery and fluorescent lamp production and cement production are the largest. Emissions are heaviest in Liaoning and Guangdong Provinces, where extensive smelting occurs, and in Guizhou Province, where there is much small-scale combustion of high-Hg coal without emission control devices. Emissions are gridded at 30 Â 30 min spatial resolution. We estimate that 56% of the Hg in China is released as Hg 0 , 32% as Hg 2+ , and 12% as Hg p. Particulate mercury emissions are high in China due to heavy burning of coal in residential and small industrial settings without PM controls. Emissions of Hg 2+ from coal-fired power plants are high due to the absence of flue-gas desulfurization units, which tend to dissolve the soluble divalent mercury. Metals smelting operations favor the production of elemental mercury. Much of the Hg is released from small-scale activities in rather remote areas, and therefore the activity levels are quite uncertain. Also, emissions test data for Chinese sources are lacking, causing uncertainties in Hg emission factors and removal efficiencies. Overall, we calculate an uncertainty level of 744% (95% confidence interval) in the estimate of total emissions. We recommend field testing of coal combustors and smelters in China to improve the accuracy of these estimates.

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Cited by 10 publications

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Measurement and Scaling of Mercury on Soil and Air in a Historical Artisanal Gold Mining Area in Northeastern China

Measurement and Scaling of Mercury on Soil and Air in a Historical Artisanal Gold Mining Area in Northeastern China

Updating global Hg emissions from small-scale gold mining and assessing its environmental impacts

Anthropogenic mercury emissions in China

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