US EPA

4038214 

Journal Article 

Anthropogenic mercury emissions in China 

Streets, DG; Hao, JM; Wu, Y; Jiang, JK; Chan, M; Tian, HZ; Feng, XB 

2005 

1 

Atmospheric Environment
ISSN: 1352-2310
EISSN: 1873-2844 

39 

40 

7789-7806 

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.08.029 

WOS:000234311100010 

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 (+/- 236) 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 x 30 min spatial resolution. We estimate that 56% of the Hg in China is released as Hg-0, 32% as Hg2+, 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 Hg2+ 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 +/- 44% (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. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 

speciated mercury; emission inventory; coal combustion; metals smelting; China