mercury retirement canadian assessment breaking the mercury cycle boston massachusetts may 1 – 3,...
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Mercury RetirementCanadian Assessment
Breaking the Mercury Cycle
Boston Massachusetts
May 1 – 3, 2002
Luke Trip, Manager National Mercury Programs, Environment Canada
Three Fact-Finding Studies
1. Socio-Economic Assessment of Continuing Mercury Use, 1999-2000
2. Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program, 1999-2000
3. Development of Retirement and Long-term Storage Options for Mercury
Socio-Economic Assessment of Continuing Mercury Use
Environmental impacts– Bioconcentration in predators– Disrupts ecological balance
Human Health impacts– Developing nervous systems– Learning abilities– Cardiovascular/immunological effects
Estimating Benefits of Reductions– Willingness-to-pay survey
Socio-Economic Assessment of Continuing Mercury Use
Willingness-to-pay survey– Represents maximum amount an individual would
pay and still be indifferent to having reduction and having kept money
– Measures society’s value of environment Ranking of major concerns
– Health care– Education – Environment– Unemployment– Highway safety
Socio-Economic Assessment of Continuing Mercury Use
Ranking of environmental concerns
1. Depletion of ozone layer
2. Global warming
3. Smog in urban areas
4. Mercury pollution
Socio-Economic Assessment of Continuing Mercury Use
Pay for reductions of Hg in municipal waste– Willingness to pay annual fee
(42% not able to provide estimate) $10 or less - 21% $11 - $49 - 12% $50 - $100 - 20% + $100 - 5%
– Willingness to pay through taxes(32% not able to provide estimate) $10 or less - 25% $11 - $49 - 14% $50 - $100 - 22% + $100 - 7%
Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program
Establishing an inventory– Industrial/commercial products– By-product/waste generation– Institutional uses
Assessing demand/availability– Linked to USA production/recycling– Enough recycled Hg available
Production from mining other metals
Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program
Industrial/Commercial Products– 1 chlor-alkali plant - 50-60 kgs/yr– Dental amalgams - 2000 kgs/yr– Electrical devices
– Thermostats - 22,700 kgs pool– Auto switches - 20,000 kgs/14million vehicles– Appliances - 7,000 kgs pool
– Fluorescent lamps - 4,800 kgs pool– 10 Lighthouses - 2,200 kgs– Thermometers - 2,700 kgs poolTotal approx 60,000 kgs
Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program
By-product/Waste Generation– Mining/smelting residues
“sequestered” - 110,000 kgs Calomel export - 2,000 kgs
– Ash (coal, waste) - unknown
Total approx 112,000 kgs
Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program
Institutional Uses– Hospitals
Thermometers, sphygmomanometers, - 20,000 kgs
– Universities/Schools Estimated - 5,000 kgs
Total approx 25,000 kgs
Grand Total approx 200,000 kgs
Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program
Existing Barriers– Low price for mercury
– Economies of scale (Canadian issue)
– Few strategies and programs in place
– Lack of legislation
– Lack of incentives
Establishing a Mercury Recycling and Retirement Program
Recommendations– Move from leadership to general practice
– Further use reduductions
– Recycle for full life cycle management
– Extend education
– Label products
– Retirement to deal with recycled excess
Development of Retirement and Long-term Storage Options
Mercury Recycling– International initiatives
Nordic countries proactive recycling/retirement Benelux etc. collection/recycling programs ISO 11143 dental amalgam waste separators
– North America Proposed in N.A Mercury Action Plan USA stronger in North East region Canada a few voluntary initiatives Mexico mercury still produced
Development of Retirement and Long-term Storage Options
Assessing Technologies– Ranking for Health, Safety and Environment
No releases, staff trained and protected
– Ranking for Plant Operations Length of time process used Ease of operation Automatic control systems Sensitivity variations in composition
– Enter Appropriate Scoring
Development of Retirement and Long-term Storage Options
Description of “Chemical” Technologies– Retorting – high temperature Hg recovery
– Thermal desorption – mercury in soils
– Liquid waste incineration/carbon adsorption
– Rotary kiln incineration and spray injection
– Ion exchange- removal from aqueous media
– Amalgamation onto noble metals
– Chemical precipitation
– Stabilization to HgS
– Encapsulation
Development of Retirement and Long-term Storage Options
Description of “Storage” Technologies– Conventional mine storage
Dry, geologically stable warehousing
– Solution Mines Salt mine caverns, self sealing
– Secure Landfill In sealed containers, no liquids, Hg < 500 ppm
– Stabilization/Solidification/Landfill In silicate/pozzolanic matrix, Placement then sealed by slurry walls
Development of Retirement and Long-term Storage Options
Conclusions and Recommendations– Amalgamation and stabilization show high potential
for sequestration
– Mine storage - good long term potential
– Minimize incineration occasions
– Partner with others (USA)
– Refine inventory
– Develop federal strategy to support retirement
Concluding Statements
Mercury is a toxic substance with increasingly declining value and need as a commodity.
Leadership needs to be exercised globally to significantly reduce the amount of anthropogenic mercury available to the global pool.
The Goal: to reduce anthropogenic inputs to such a level that natural depletion mechanisms will gradually reduce atmospheric levels of mercury to those of pre-
industrial times (0.5 – 0.8 ng/m3)