IKIMP

Mercury Emissions from Coal (MEC7): conference update

murray.gardner — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:10:37 +0000

The MEC7 conference originally planned to be hosted at Oxford University is now likely to be held in Edinburgh. Owing to a number of complicating factors it was decided that this would be more feasible and currently a late May/mid-June 2010 date is being investigated. For further information please contact Lesley Sloss.

Older Dental Fillings Contain Form of Mercury Unlikely to Be Toxic, Study Finds

murray.gardner — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:22:48 +0000

ScienceDaily (Dec. 12, 2009) – A new study on the surface chemistry of silver-colored, mercury-based dental fillings suggests that the surface forms of mercury may be less toxic than previously thought. For the full article please go to the ScienceDaily website

Safe Storage & Disposal of Mercury: workshop presentations

murray.gardner — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:21:08 +0000

A workshop held at St Anne’s College, University of Oxford on 13 & 14 October 2009 considered the scientific and engineering issues associated with ensuring the safe storage and disposal of redundant mercury. Presentations from the workshop are now available.

The safe management of mercury no longer needed for products and processes is increasingly demanding the attention of policy makers, industry and independent experts. The views expressed at the workshop will help to inform the development of the UK’s position in impending discussions at a European and UN level.

The links below give open access to pdf files of the presentations given at the workshop. Online publishing of presentations is made possible by kind consent from the authors. IKIMP requests that by downloading a file you acknowledge the original ownership of the information contained in the presentation.

Final programme for workshop & workshop participants

Opening slides – Dr Bruce Howard
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Mr Stephen Kane (Defra, UK) & Dr Mike Roberts (Defra, UK)
Policy context and regulatory framework for mercury storage and disposal.
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Dr. Thomas Brasser (GRS mbH, Germany) &
Mr. Alexander Baart (K+S Entsorgung GmbH, Germany)
Underground storage and disposal in a salt formation based on elemental mercury.
Brasser presentation
Baart presentation
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Mr. Lars Olof Höglund (Kemakta Konsult AB, Sweden)
Underground storage and disposal in hard rock based on a chemically-stable mercury solid
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Ms. Sonja Bauer (BiPRO GmbH, Germany)
Overview of solidification processes
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Ms. Miriam Ortheil (DELA, GmbH Germany)
Stabilisation of mercury for final disposal by formation of mercury sulphide
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Dr Stephen Pawel (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US) &
Mr Adam Carroll (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US)
Design of mercury storage containers.
Pawel presentation
Carroll presentation
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Breakout groups to discuss operational phase of underground repository
Questions
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Professor Alan Hooper (Independent Consultant, UK)
Evaluating the Post-closure Safety of Geological Disposal of Long-lived Radioactive Wastes
Note: the majority of the slides in Professor Hooper’s presentation are reproduced by kind permission of the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Applications for permission to use this information commercially, including copying or re-publication, should be made to the NDA Information Manager, see www.nda.gov.uk
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Mr. Steve Williams (NDA, UK)
Groundwater Chemotoxic Screening for Radioactive Waste Disposal
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Mr. Lars Olof Höglund (Kemakta Konsult AB, Sweden)
Assessing the behaviour and fate of mercury should it be released from a disposal facility
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Breakout groups to discuss post-closure phase of underground repository
Questions
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Mr. Bill Hermes (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US)
Containerized elemental mercury – above ground storage considerations.

Information and documents provided to participants:

Briefing note

Bibliography of relevant publications

List of previous events related to the topic

Venue information

European Commission: Forest fires increase mercury emissions

murray.gardner — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:43:21 +0000

Mercury is a global pollutant arising from many sources, including biomass burning, which includes both wildfires and intentional fires to clear land. A recent study estimates that mercury emissions from BMB make up 8 per cent of total global mercury emissions.

Science for Environment Policy

DG Environment News Alert Service – 18 June 2009

Mercury emissions from BMB have received growing attention. Forests in particular act as mercury sinks because atmospheric mercury collects on foliage. Atmospheric mercury originates from both anthropogenic sources, such as industrial pollution and fossil fuel combustion, and natural sources, such as volcanoes. When the foliage dies and decomposes, the mercury enters the soil. BMB then releases mercury from vegetation and organic soil. The released mercury is deposited both locally and globally and can contribute to the formation of methyl mercury, dangerous to humans and animals. If it gets into the human diet, it is toxic to the developing brain.

Download the complete brochure prepared for the European Commission