Emissions, dispersion and human exposure of mercury from a Swedish chlor-alkali plant

• Mercury in air near a mercury cell chlor-alkali plant in Sweden has been measured within the EU-project EMECAP. Based on the measurements and modelling the annual distributions of GEM and RGM have been calculated for the local area around the plant. The average concentration of GEM in residential areas near the plant was found to be 1-3.5 ng m(-3) higher in comparison to the background concentration in this part of Sweden. The emission of RGM (0.55 kg year(-1)) results in elevated RGM concentrations close to the plant. The greatest impact on the local area is due to wet deposition of RGM. However, only a small fraction (0.4%) of all mercury being emitted was found to be deposited in the local area. No impact on urinary mercury could be demonstrated in the population living close to the plant. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Arbetsmedicin och miljömedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Occupational Health and Environmental Health (hsv//eng)

Keyword

chlor-alkali industry

emission of elemental and reactive gaseous mercury

mercury deposition

urinary mercury

atmospheric mercury

vapor

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)