Mercury - Acting Now!

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This report speaks directly to governments involved in the development of the global treaty on mercury.

MERCURY

ACTING NOW!

Branch, Geneva, Switzerland Job Number: DTI/1726/GE

Disclaimer The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concern- ing delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes constitute endorsement. Reproduction This publication may be produced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided ac- knowledgement of the source is made. Material in this report can be freely quoted or reprinted. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this report as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. Overall supervision Chemicals Branch, Division of Technology, Industry and Eco- nomics, United Nations Environment Programme David Piper, Desiree Narvaez, Gunnar Futsaeter, Jiwon Rhee

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Production GRID-Arendal

MERCURY ACTING NOW! The UNEP Global Mercury Partnership How the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership contributes to the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury Mercury supply and storage Mercury reduction in chlor-alkali Mercury reduction in products Reducing mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining Mercury control from coal combustion Mercury releases from the cement industry Mercury waste management Mercury air transport and fate research Global mercury assessment and national inventories 4 5 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22

The UNEPGlobal Mercury Partnership

THE UNEP Global Mercury Partnership was initiated in 2005 to take immediate actions to protect human health and the environment from the release of mercury and its compounds to the environment by minimizing and where feasible, ultimately eliminating global, anthropogenic mercury releases to air, water and land. It is a voluntary multi-stakeholder partnership that operates based on an Overarching Framework (right top document). The eight work areas of the Partnership have business plans setting out objectives, targets and priorities for action.

Overarching Framework UNEP Global Mercury Partnership, third edition, UNEP 2012

The Partnership has more than 100 partners. For details, please visit the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership website.

To become a partner, interested entities or individuals should submit a letter to UNEP signifying their support for the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership and their commitment to achieving its goal, and specifying how they will contribute to meeting the goal of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. In addition, the following forms should be filled out:

Study on Mercury Sources and Emissions, and Analysis of Cost and Effectiveness of Control Measures (Paragraph 29 Study), UNEP 2010

Guidance for Identifying Populations at Risk from Mercury Exposure, UNEP 2008

Mercury: Time to Act, UNEP 2013

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

How the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership contributes to the implementation of the Minamata Convention onMercury UNEPGlobal Mercury PartnershipAreas

Mercury reduction in chlor-alkali

Reducing mercury in Artisanal and Small- scale Gold Mining

Mercury release from the cement industry

Mercury air transport and fate research

Mercury supply and storage

Mercury reduction in products

Mercury Control from Coal Combustion

Mercury waste management

Global Mercury Assessment and national inventories

Articles in theMinamata Convention onMercury

üü

3. Mercury supply sources and trade

4 and Annex A. Mercury-added products

5 and Annex B. Manufacturing processes in whichmercury or mercury compounds are used

6. Exemptions available to a Party upon request

8. Emissions and Annex D. List of point sources of emissions of mercury and mercury compounds to the atmosphere 7. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining Annex C. National action plans

ü ü ü ü

ü ü

9. Releases

10. Environmentally sound interim storage of mercury, other than waste mercury

ü ü

11. Mercury wastes

12. Contaminated sites

ü ü ü ü

16. Health aspects

ü ü ü ü

20. Implementation plan

21. Reporting

22. Effectiveness evaluation

ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

14. Capacity-building, technical assistance and technology transfer

17. Information exchange

18. Public information, awareness and education 19. Research, development and monitoring

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Mercury Supply and Storage Articles 3, 10, 14, 17, 18 and 19

! Key messages • Mercury is an element that cannot be destroyed • The main sources of mercury supply are primary mercury mining, non-ferrous metal production, decommissioning of mercury cells in chlor-alkali production, and recovery frommercury waste • Excess mercury should be stored in an environmentally sound manner and should be prevented from going to the marketplace • Reduce or eliminate the production and export of mercury from large scale primary mining • Determine how much mercury will become available from the main sources • Develop industry sector plans for the storage of mercury • Gather information on the extent to which existing waste infrastructure can be used for interim storage • Assess and facilitate availability of options for storage or final disposal of excessmercury supply • Facilitate the implementation of export ban legislation ! Priority action

Leads : Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Spain, and Ministry of Housing, Land Planning and Environment, Uruguay Objective : Reduce mercury supply considering an hierarchy of sources, and support the retirement of mercury from the market to environmentally sound storage.

Europe

11 000

15 000

United States

12 500

Global excess supply Studies suggest that the supply of mercury will exceed demand in all regions (except Africa) no later than 2030*. By 2050, the total global excess is estimated as:

Latin America and the Caribbean

8 000

51 500

2 000

Max

Min

33 500

All units are in tonnes of mercury

*US EPA, Mercury Storage Cost Estimates, 2007; Umwelbundesamt, Behavior of mercury and mercury compounds at the underground disposal in salt formations and their potential mobilization by saline solutions, 2014; Assessment of Mercury Supply in Asia, 2010-2050, UNEP, 2009; Assessment of Excess of Mercury Supply in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 2010-2050, UNEP, 2010; Assessment of Excess Mercury Supply in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2010-2050, UNEP, 2009

Countries supported by the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership area of Supply and Storage

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Storage and disposal options

Helping the Kyrgyz Republic to transition away from primary mercury mining to a more sustainable economic activity.

Warehouse storage

Specially engineered landfill

K+S Entsorgung, Germany

Seeking solutions for safe and environ- mentally sound storage of mercury and mercury waste. Assisting countries to: • Inventory different waste streams • Review legislation and regulation • Strengthen interagency collaboration • Assess storage and management options including the use of existing hazardous waste facilities

Eastern Europe and Central Asia

10 000

2 500

INTI, Argentina

Interim storage facility

Underground waste disposal

Asia and Pacific

7 500

Treatment technologies

5 500

Nomura Kohsan Co., Ltd. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Spain

Gesellschaft für Anlagen und Reaktosicherheit

Solidification as mercury sulphide.

Solidification as sulphur polymer.

Chemical and physical transformation of mercury and mercury waste can significantly reduce the risk for mercury to reach the environment. Several such stabilization and encapsulation techniques are now available. They convert elemental mercury into a solid that is significantly less hazardous. This also results in lower waste management costs. Stabilization typically involves mixing mercury with sulphur to form solid mercury sulphide. Encapsulation involves the incorporation of stabilized mercury sulphide into a matrix. Stabilization and encapsulation techniques are applicable to elemental mercury and to various mercury wastes.

Monolithic block after the treatment of metallic mercury. Monolithic block after the treatment of zinc waste contaminated with mercury. Monolithic block after the treatment of mercury-containing fluorescent lamp dust.

Stabilized and microencapsulated final products.

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Mercury Reduction in Chlor-alkali Articles 3, 5, 9, 11, 14, 17, 18, 19 and Annex B

Lead : United States Environmental Protection Agency

Objective : Reduce global mercury releases to air, water, and land that may occur from chlor-alkali production facilities.

The World Chlorine Council has made available good practice guidance to non members of the Council. This includes advice on: • Conversion to mercury-free technologies • Environmentally sound manage- ment of excess mercury from closed or converted facilities

The report ‘Conversion from Mercury to Alternative Technology in the Chlor-Alkali Industry’ illustrated that facilities using membrane technology have: • Greater energy efficiency • Lower operating costs • Lower environmental impact • High quality product

Mercury use in the chlor-alkali industry Capacity of mercury electrolysis units in USA / Canada / Mexico, EU, Russia, India and Brazil / Agentina / Uruguay

Capacity of plants (1000 t/y)

Centre for Science and the Environment, Down to Earth, India

0 9,500 9,000 8,500 8,000 7,500 7,000 6,500 6,000 5,500 5,000

An open mercury-cell at a chlor-alkali plant.

Source:Adapted from WCC Hg reporting to the Chlor-Alkali Partnership, 2012. Designed by Zoï Environment Network / GRID-Arendal, December 2012. 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

Sources: World Chlorine Council report, 2012 UNEP Chlor-alkali Inventory 2010, 2012

Source: Mercury Time to Act, UNEP 2013

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

! Key messages

• Mercury-cell chlor-alkali production is a significant use of mercury • Mercury-cell facilities are being replaced by plants usingmercury-free technologies • Environmentally soundmanagement of surplus and waste mercury is required at mercury-cell facilities that close or convert tomercury-free technologies

l Chlorine Capacity t Cl 2 ) pacity Number of Facili;es

Global Ch orine Capacity (1000 t Cl 2 ) Number of Facili; s

Global Chlorine Capacity (1000 t Cl 2 )

Number of Facili;es

2005 2010 2013 ~140 1 81

2005 2010 2013 2

9000 6425 5136 ~140 101 8

9000 6425 5136 04

~140

101

81 75

Other mercury usingmanufacturing processes

The Minamata Convention on Mercury recognizes other mercury usingmanufacturing processes that require control: • Sodium or potassiummethylate or ethylate production using mercury cell electrolysis • Vinyl chloride monomer, acetaldehyde, and polyurethane production using mercury as a catalyst China is the principal consumer of mercury as a catalyst in vinyl chloride monomer production (VCM) via the acetylene route. The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development estimated that consumption of mercury may exceed 1,000 tonnes per year. Mercury is lost in production waste and spent catalyst. Release pathways are not yet fully quantified. The Partnership has supported efforts to move to low mercury or mercury-free catalysts.

2 000 1 000 250 20 Country without mercury export ban Country with mercury export ban Estimates based on plant capacity Amount of mercury on site at chlor-alkali plants in each country Tonnes of mercury

Ministry of Environmental Protection of People’s Republic of China

2119 t 1965 t

2119 t

8337 t

2119 t 2794 t

2119 t

Reported

Estimated from chorine capacity

7507 t

7507 t 7

Carbide-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plant in China. Vinyl chloride monomer is used in the production of PVC.

No export ban 2119 t Total estimated mercury at existing facilities is 10,302 tonnes in 2012 according to The UNEP Global Mercury Partnership. 7507 tonnes will be managed in the EU and US that have export bans in place. The remaining 2794 tonnes in chlor- alkali facilities elsewhere need to be safeguarded. Export ban in place 2119 t 7507 t 7507 t

7507 t

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Mercury Reduction in Products Articles 4, 6, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19 and Annex A

iStock/chas 53 iStock/v777999

Lead : United States Environmental Protection Agency

Objective : Phase out mercury in products and eliminate releases during product life cycles via environmentally sound production, transportation, storage, and disposal procedures.

Digital thermometer and blood pressure device.

The UNEP-Global Environment Facility en.lighten initiative is promoting energy efficiency through the use of efficient solutions, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). Manufacturers engaged in the project have reduced the mercury content of lamps meeting the 5mg limit set in the Minamata Convention. In addition, participating countries are developing legislation limiting mercury contents in lamps in line with the Minamata Convention and collection and recycling schemes for used lamps.

Compact uorescent lamps (CFLs) Levelofmercuryperbulb (mg)

Work in East Africa by UNEP, World Health Organization, the World Dental Federation, dental manufacturers, dental recyclers and national authorities shows that phasing down dental amalgam will require: • Raising awareness on alternatives • Oral health promotion • Training of dental professionals • Best management practices in clinics • Sound management of dental waste

GlobalCFLSales

5,000

4,000

Sources: Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts, Lowell and UNEP-Global Environment Facility en.lighten initiative

3,000

2,000

Source: Adopted fromEuropean LampCompaniesFederation →http://www.elcfed.org UNEPen.lighten,December 2012 Designed byZoïEnvironmentNetwork /GRID-Arendal

1,000

Source: Mercury: Time to Act, UNEP 2013

GlobalSalesofCFLs (millions)

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

! Key messages • Reducing mercury in products can be the most effective means to reduce mercury in waste • Affordable alternatives to mercury are available for most products including thermometers; switches and relays; batteries other than button cells; thermostats; high-intensity discharge lamps; and sphygmomanometers • Good practices in dental care can reduce mercury releases from amalgam use • Sound management should consider all stages of • a product’s life cycle

Alternatives to mercury- containing products, UNEP 2013

Consumption of mercury in products

Lighting/lamps

Measuring devices

10%

24%

Batteries

26%

14%

Switches and relays

26%

Dental use

Source: Maxson, 2007

Relative demand for mercury for different product categories. Demand in most sectors is declining.

Country with mercury containing product manufacturers

Countries where phase down of dental amalgam has been undertaken as a result of government-led initiatives

Countries supported by the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership area of mercury reduction in products

Lamps (supported by the UNEP GEF en.lighten initiative)

Cosmetics Dental amalgam

Economics of Conversion to Mercury-Free Products, UNEP 2011 (left), and Report on the major mercury-containing products and processes, their substitutes and experience in switching to mercury- free products and processes, UNEP 2008 (right).

Hospital, medical devices and health care

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

According to mercurywatch.org, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is practised in more than 70 countries. It is likely that mercury amalgamation is used to separate gold in all of these countries, leading to significant releases. Reducing Mercury in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Articles 7, 9, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and Annex C

Leads : United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Natural Resources Defense Council

Reducing mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining: a practical guide, UNEP 2012 (left), Analysis of formalization approaches in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector based on experiences in Ecuador, Mongolia, Peru, Tanzania and Uganda, UNEP 2012 (middle), and Guidance Document: Developing a National Strategic Plan to Reduce Mercury Use in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining, UNEP 2011 (right).

The green gold miners of Oro Verde, Colombia, shown here, employ an environmental way of gold mining that does not use mercury or other chemicals.

Ronald de Hommel

Countries with estimates of mercury releases from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Countries supported by the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership area of reducing mercury reduction in ASGM Exploring innovative market-based approaches to encourage mercury-free responsible mining Supporting governments in setting national policies and targets

Eliminating worst practices and promoting alternatives to cut mercury use and release

Sources: Artisanal Gold Council accessed at www.mercurywatch.org

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

! Key messages • The source of the largest releases of mercury, estimated at 1400 tonnes per year in 2011 • Whole ore amalgamation is a worst practice that should be stopped • Cost effective low mercury and mercury-free techniques are available • The rising price of mercury is encouraging the use of alternative techniques • Disseminating information and training miners is challenging with 10–15 million miners in more than 70 countries • Initiatives to reduce mercury use in ASGM need to be integrated with broader development interventions including healthcare, education and formalization

Good practices: Gravity methods like panning are one of the best and most widely used methods to eliminate mercury use in ASGM (right). Capturing and recycling mercury with fume hoods (bottom left) or retorts (bottom right) can be an effective first step in moving towards mercury-free processing.

Artisanal Gold Council Artisanal Gold Council

Artisanal Gold Council

ASGM Global Fora provide venues for all countries to share experiences dialogue on the broad range of issues associated with ASGM: • Second Global Forum, September 2013 in Lima, Peru • First Global Forum, December 2010, in Manila, Philippines

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Mercury Control from Coal Combustion Articles 8, 9, 11, 14, 17, 18, 19 and Annex D

Lead : International Energy Agency Clean Coal Centre

Objective : Reduce mercury releases from coal combustion.

The Process Optimization Guidance (POG) and the Interactive Process Optimization Guidance (iPOG) set out good management practices to reduce mercury emissions from coal combustion by allowing users to identify mercury reduction options.

Mercury content in coals used in power generation

Data by mean – China, US, India, Indonesia. Data by median – Australia, Russia, South Africa. Tops of the blue bar give the mean/ median value. Ranges are given with min and max values. Source: adapted from pp. 260–268 International Journal of Geology, vol. 77, 2009; Das, T.B. and Mukherjee, A., Mercury Emissions from Three Super Thermal Power Stations of India, 2012; Reducing Mercury Emissions from Coal Combustion in the Energy Sector in South Africa, Final Project Report, UNEP 2011; Reducing Mercury Emissions from Coal Combustion in the Energy Sector of the Russian Federation, UNEP 2011; Reducing Mercury Emissions from Coal Combustion in the Energy Sector, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2011; Mercury in U.S. Coal – Abundance, Distribution, and Nodes of Occurrence, U.S. Geological Survey, USGS Fact Sheet FS-095-01, September 2001; Wilson, P., Morrison A., Shah, P., Stezov, V., and Malfroy, H. 2010. Measurements of Mercury Speciation from Combustion of Australian Coals, ACARP Project C16046, 2010.

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Coal-fired power plant in Russia.

Mercuryemissionsfromnon-ferrousmetalssector • 24 countries account for nearly 90% of the global non- ferrous metals production • Mercury concentration in non-ferrous metal ores varies greatly • Third largest source of global anthropogenic emissions (15%) • Largest source of releases to water from point sources • By-product sulphuric acid is a potential source of re- emission • A number of effective mercury control technologies exist and are currently used in the non-ferrous industry • Releases also occur during recycling of scrap metals ! Key messages • Coal combustion is amajor source of anthropogenic emissions of mercury to air. The releases frompower plants and industrial boilers represent roughly a quarter of anthropogenic mercury emissions to the atmosphere • Mercury emissions from power plants could be reduced by up to 95% by improving coal and plant performance and optimizing existingmultipollutant control systems

Gunnar Futsaeter

5 500

China is currently developing its own mercury control projects at several plants.

Increasing importance

China

Japan

The top 10 countries generating electricity from coal; these countries generate 85% of all electricity generated from coal

Australia

Chile

Peru

India

South Korea

Russia

Canada

Finland

Countries supported by the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership area of mercury control from coal combustion

Italy

Mexico

Uzbekistan

Ghana

Indonesia

Kazakhstan

Zambia

Poland

Spain

Demonstration projects reduce mercury emissions by optimizing existing multi-pollutant control systems Studies of coal-fired power plant sector including analysis of coal used

Brazil

Iran

Au Only (top 10) Cu Only (top 10) Zn Only (top 10) Pb Only (top 10) Processing imported ores

Cu & Au Rich in Zn, Cu & Pb Processing Imported Zn, Cu & Pb ores

Rich in Zn, Cu, Pb&Au ores & process domestically

Amount of non-ferrous metal mining in different countries.

Source: International Energy Agency Clean Coal Centre

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Mercury releases from the Cement Industry Articles 8, 9, 11, 14, 17, 18, 19 and Annex D

Total emissions from cement production (top) and Mercury emissions from cement manufacture as a proportion of total national mercury emissions (bottom). Source: UNEP, Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, Frits Steenhuisen.

Lead : World Business Council For Sustainable Development – Cement Sustainability Initiative

Objective : Minimize mercury releases to the environment from cement manufacture

Cement produc-on – control op-ons

Hg spec. contr.

SOx/ NOx contr.

PM contr.

Coal, fuels Hg

Kiln

Dust re-‐ moval

Limestone Hg

Dust recycling

Select low Hg fuels, lime

Dust re-‐ moval

Cement production process. Possible control options: • Switching to fuels and raw materials with lower mercury content • Removal of cement kiln dust from stack gases

• Various pollution controls of the flue gas: a) particulate (PM) controls (most common), b) sulfur oxides (SOx) and/or nitrogen oxides (NOx) controls, c) mercury specific controls (e.g. activated carbon injection).

Credit: UNEP, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

! Key messages • Mercury in the cement industry originates from three basic sources: the limestone, the fuel, other additives or fuels • Cement manufacture is estimated to have generated 9% of total anthropogenic emissions of mercury to air in 2010 • The major pathway for mercury releases from cement production is to the air. Mercury may also be released to the soil, in wastes and residues and in the cement product itself ! Priority action • Establish sectoral mercury inventories and baseline scenarios for the industry • Encourage use of most appropriate techniques to reduce or minimize mercury releases into the environment. • Increase the awareness of the cement industry to mercury as a pollutant.

AverageMercury Content of Limestone

Avg ppb Hg in Limestone

1000 1200

0 200 400 600 800

100

Kiln number

The mercury content of limestones used for cement manufacture in the USA shows a strongly log-normal distribution. As a result, a relatively large portion of total national emissions from the sector comes from a relatively small number of plants. Source: adapted from the presentation of United States Environmental Protection Agency, Final Portland Cement Rule 2013, at the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership Cement Partnership launch event, 18 June 2013

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

MercuryWaste Management Articles 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19 and Annex D

Good Practices for Management of Mercury Releases from Waste, UNEP 2010

Lead : Ministry of Environment, Japan

Objective : Reduce mercury releases to air, water, and land frommercury waste by following a lifecycle management approach.

A list of resource persons has been established to facilitate technical assistance to reduce mercury release from waste.

Input from Natural Resources

Production

Recovered mercury

Mercury added product

Wastes

(Collection and transportation )

Use

Permanent storage or specially engineered landfill

Storage

Wastes

Recovery

(Collection and transportation )

Stabilisation/ Solidification

Stabilised/ solidified waste

Storage

*This figure does not cover the flow of waste contaminated with mercury.

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Global Environment Facility

Global health care waste project.

Key messages

! • The elimination of mercury in products and processes may be the most efficient way to avoid the presence of mercury in waste • While mercury is being phased out of products and processes, there is a need for its environmentally sound management as waste • Identify and disseminate environmentally sound collection, transport, treatment and disposal techniques/practices • Assess environmental impacts of current wastemanagement practices and processes • Promote public awareness of the hazards regarding mercury wastes and their management Priority action

Managing waste from mercury- containing products in an environmentally sound manner Countries supported by the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership area to manage mercury waste

Managing waste from health-care sector in an environmentally sound manner – from segregation, collection, treatment and storage Developing national action plans for environmentally sound management of mercury from all waste streams

Partners assisted in the development of the Basel Convention Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of Wastes Consisting of Elemental Mercury and Wastes Containing or Contaminated with Mercury.

Assessed the localization and scale of mine tailings contamination and developed national plan for remediation Assessed pollution in mercury thermometer plant

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Mercury AirTransport and Fate Research Articles 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19 and 22

Lead : CNR – National Research Council, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Italy

Objectives : • Increase global understanding of international mercury emissions sources, fate and transport. • Accelerate the development of sound scientific information to address uncertainties and data gaps in global mercury cycling and its patterns. • Enhance compilation and sharing of such information among scientists, between scientists and policymakers, with various global stakeholders, and other interested parties.

Source: Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport, UNEP 2013

Alert

Nord

Ny-Ålesund

Point Barrow

Amderma

Pallas

Nuuk

Stórhöfði

Råö Bredkälen

Listvyanka

Mace Head

Diabla Gora

Niembro

Iskrba

Mt Bachelor

Mt Changbai

Monte Cimone

Cap Ferrat

MtWaliguan

Ganghwa Island

Longobucco

Cape Hedo Minamata

Ev-K2

Mt Ailao

Mauna Loa

Calhau

Lulin

Celestún

Nieuw Nickerie

Kodiakanal

Mahé Island

Manaus

Cape Point

Amsterdam Island

Bariloche

Cape Grim

Dumont d’Urville

GMOS associated

AMAP

CAMnet

EMEP

GMOS

NADP/AIRMoN

NADP/MDN

Air + precipitation

Air

Precipitation

Global Mercury Observation System (GMOS) project builds on existing national and regional monitoring networks to create a coordinated global system for monitoring mercury, including a large network of ground-based monitoring stations. New sites are being installed in regions where few monitoring stations exist, especially in the Southern Hemisphere.

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Source: Technical Background Report for the Global Mercury Assessment 2013, UNEP 2013

Compiled for the first time the global distribution of mercury contaminated sites and their mercury releases and emissions to the atmosphere and the aquatic environment, as presented in the 2013 UNEP Global Mercury Assessment.

Anthropogenic emissions represent 30 % of total emissions to air, exceeding the natural sources that account for 10 %. The remaining 60 % is from re-emissions, likely to be predominantly of anthropogenic origin. Global mercury budgets, based on models, illustrate the main environmental compartments and pathways of importance.

Deposition to land / freshwater

Deposition to oceans

80- 600

300- 600

1700- 2800

2000

2000- 2950

3200

3700

Geogenic

Biomass burning

Soil and vegetation

Anthropogenic

Oceans

380

Rivers

Units: tonnes

Anthropogenic Natural Re-emissions / Re-mobilization

Source: Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport, UNEP 2013

<600

1 tonne =1000kilograms

Geogenic

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

Global Mercury Assessment and National Inventories Articles 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 and Annexes C and D

Disposalofwaste from mercury-containing products

Cremation

Coalcombustion

Mercury-cell chlor-alkali industry

Primary ferrous metalproduction

Oilandnatural gascombustion

Primary non-ferrous metal (Al,Cu,Pb,Zn)

Artisanaland small-scale goldproduction

Large-scale goldproduction

Hgproduction

Contaminated sites

Oil

Cement production

Source: Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport, UNEP 2013

UNEP Global Mercury Assessments provide increasingly robust information on emissions and releases from key sectors and regions. About half of anthropogenic emissions to air come from industries using rawmaterials with natural traces of mercury: • Coal • Non-ferrous metals • Cement About half of the anthropogenic emissions to air come from: • Artisanal and small-scale gold mining • Industries using mercury in processes and products • Waste disposal of mercury containing products

Global distribution of anthropogenic mercury emissions to air in 2010.

Source:GlobalMercuryAssessment2013:Sources,Emissions,ReleasesandEnvironmentalTransport,UNEP2013

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

UNEP has developed and deployed tools that enable rapid assessment of the key sources of emissions and releases at the national level. Toolkit for Identification and Quantification of Mercury Releases, UNEP 2013.

! Key messages • Assessment and inventories help focus attention on key issues at global and national level • Consistent inventory information facilitates compilation of needs at the global level

Partners contributed to the development of the 2013 UNEP Global Mercury Assessment by: • Providing scientific information and knowledge to the summary report • Developing sections of the technical background report Global Mercury Assessment 2013: Sources, Emissions, Releases and Environmental Transport, UNEP 2013 (left) and Technical Background Report for the Global Mercury Assessment 2013, UNEP 2013 (right).

Countries that have used, or been trained to use, the UNEP Toolkit to develop national inventories

MERCURY – ACTING NOW!

The UNEP Global Mercury Partnership is acting now on the substantive areas of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. This brochure illustrates key issues and how they are being addressed by partners of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership.

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Job Number: DTI/1726/GE

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