China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Impact of Factors on Remediation of Major Toxic Elements (Vanadium, Chromium, Nickel, Arsenic, Strontium, Cadmium, Mercury, Lead, Uranium) Via Batch Adsorption Process
Published in Deepak Gusain, Faizal Bux, Batch Adsorption Process of Metals and Anions for Remediation of Contaminated Water, 2021
Deepak Gusain, Shikha Dubey, Yogesh Chandra Sharma, Faizal Bux
Mercury exists in the environment in many forms, i.e. metallic mercury, inorganic mercury, and organic mercury (ATSDR 1999). Mercury can enter into the environment by natural and anthropogenic sources. Mercury finds its application in chlorine production and electrical applications. Food is the main source of mercury intake by humans. The WHO has set up the guideline value of 0.006 mg/l for inorganic mercury (WHO 2017). The main target organs of mercury toxicity are brain and kidney (WHO 2017; ATSDR 1999). An overview of the experimental parameters and optimized conditions from batch adsorption experiments for mercury is presented in Table 3.8.
Electrochemical Stripping Analysis
Published in Grinberg Nelu, Rodriguez Sonia, Ewing’s Analytical Instrumentation Handbook, Fourth Edition, 2019
Although the mercury film electrode and mercury drop electrode have numerous applications, some countries are progressively prohibiting their use for environmental and health reasons [51]. Instead, there is a focus on using more environmentally friendly electrodes that are alternatively chemically modified, such as carbon paste electrodes, polymer film electrodes, carbon nanotube electrodes, and screen-printed electrodes [51].
Inorganic Chemicals in Drinking Water
Published in Joseph Cotruvo, Drinking Water Quality and Contaminants Guidebook, 2019
Mercury (Hg) is a silvery metal and a liquid under normal conditions. Mercury and its compounds have many commercial and industrial uses. The metal has been used in thermometers and barometers and as a seal in some electrical switches. The salts have been used as biocides. Mercurochrome (merbromin), a former topical antiseptic was determined to be ineffective and removed from the US market in 1998, but it is still used in many other countries. Until 1991, interior latex paints commonly contained mercuric fungicides. Amalgams are alloys of mercury with other metals and different formulations have uses in silvering mirrors and for dental fillings. Unfortunately, mercury is also used in some ethnic folk remedies that can be toxic.
Seasonal patterns of methylmercury production, release, and degradation in profundal sediment of a hypereutrophic reservoir
Published in Lake and Reservoir Management, 2021
Byran Fuhrmann, Marc Beutel, Priya Ganguli, Liying Zhao, Sarah Brower, Andrew Funk, Jeffrey Pasek
Mercury is a toxic heavy metal and widespread contaminant (USEPA 2007). Human exposure to elevated levels of mercury can cause a variety of health problems such as neurological disorders, kidney failure, paralysis, and even death. In the United States, mercury contamination is prevalent in approximately 50% of US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Superfund sites (Bigham et al. 2017), and the World Health Organization currently considers mercury to be one of the top 10 chemicals of major public health concern (Bose-O’Reilly et al. 2010). Mercury is typically found in trace concentrations in natural ecosystems. However, anthropogenic activity has dramatically increased the prevalence of mercury in the environment. More than 2 billion pounds of mercury has been extracted from naturally occurring ores like cinnabar. This extracted mercury is most frequently used in artisanal gold mining and released into the environment after being used (Hylander and Meili 2003). Other anthropogenic sources of mercury pollution to the environment include coal burning, mining, and oil refinement, which produce both volatile and water-soluble mercury (Futsaeter and Wilson 2013). Water-soluble, inorganic mercury (iHg) species can directly contaminate nearby ecosystems, as they are easily transported in water. Volatile mercury in the elemental gaseous form (Hg0) enters the atmosphere, where it reacts to form iHg. The gaseous form of mercury can be transported over large distances and returns to the earth with precipitation, accumulating in topsoil and waterbodies (Bigham et al. 2017).
KrCl and XeCl excilamps and LP-Hg lamp for UV and UV/H2O2 decolourization of dyes in water
Published in Environmental Technology, 2020
A. Aristizábal, G. Perilla, J. A. Lara-Borrero, R. Diez
UV and UV/H2O2 processes have been tested for the dye decolourization in water [10]. In these processes, strong oxidizing species, like hydroxyl radicals (HO•), react with organic matter leading firstly to decolourization by degrading the chromophoric structure of the dye (responsible of the water colouration) [11], and secondly to mineralization to CO2, H2O and inorganic ions [3,7]. These hydroxyl radicals can be generated by UV irradiation and reactions involving strong oxidizers, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). UV mercury lamps are usually used in the photodegradation of pollutants in water because of their low cost and effectiveness. However, these traditional UV lamps contain mercury compounds that are harmful to environment and human health if released to the environment during production, breakage and/or disposal of the lamps [11,12]. Moreover, new governmental regulations (Minamata Convention on Mercury) will ban the manufacture, import or export of mercury-added products, including electrical and electronic equipment like UV mercury lamps, in many countries [13]. Therefore, the development of mercury-free UV radiation sources and their validation in the UV and UV/H2O2 processes for water treatment is required [14,15].
Ultrastructural changes in fin epithelium of Channa punctatus (Bloch) exposed to mercuric chloride: sem study
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, 2019
Aquatic life is influenced by effluents that enter a water body. During last decade, heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments has gained importance due to toxic consequences and persistent nature (Fazio et al. 2014; Gochfeld 2003; Lopez-Barrera and Barragan-Gonzalez 2016; Nunes, Cavaco, and Carvalho 2014; Phillips et al. 2014). The discharge of heavy metal wastes into water bodies resulted in physico-chemical changes of water that produced histological and biochemical alterations in aquatic organisms (Mwachiro and Druve 1997; Srivastava et al. 2011). Of the heavy metals, mercury (Hg) is a unique element that exerts no essential biological function. However, it is well-established that high toxicity occurs at low concentrations and metallic bioavailability has created a global concern (Branco et al. 2017; Sweet and Zelikoff 2001). Mercury is discharged into the environment through effluents of various industries including thermal power station, paper and pulp industry, electronic wastes, electroplating industry with consequent contamination of air, water, and soil (Vutukuru and Basani 2013). Mercury is also used in manufacturing of switches, thermometers, thermostats, dental restoratives, preservatives, pesticides, and antiseptics (Gochfeld 2003).