Mercury distribution in seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant equipped with a seawater flue gas desulfurization system

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in desulfurized seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant in Qingdao

Despite the prevalence of discharge of large volumes of heavy-metal-bearing seawater from coal-fired power plants into adjacent seas, studies on the associated ecological risks remain limited. This study continuously monitored concentrations of seven heavy metals (i.e. As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) in surface seawater near the outfall of a coal-fired power plant in Qingdao, China over three years. The results showed average concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn of 2.63, 0.33, 2.97, 4.63, 0.008, 0.85, and 25.00 μg/L, respectively. Given the lack of data on metal toxicity to local species, this study investigated species composition and biomass near discharge outfalls and constructed species sensitivity distribution (SSD) curves with biological flora characteristics. Hazardous concentrations for 5% of species (HC5) for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn derived from SSDs constructed from chronic toxicity data for native species were 3.23, 2.22, 0.06, 2.83, 0.66, 4.70, and 11.07 μg/L, respectively. This study further assessed ecological risk of heavy metals by applying the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Joint Probability Curve (JPC) based on long-term heavy metal exposure data and chronic toxicity data for local species. The results revealed acceptable levels of ecological risk for As, Cd, Hg, and Pb, but unacceptable levels for Cr, Cu, and Zn. The order of studied heavy metals in terms of ecological risk was Cr > Cu ≈ Zn > As > Cd ≈ Pb > Hg. The results of this study can guide the assessment of ecological risk at heavy metal contaminated sites characterized by relatively low heavy metal concentrations and high discharge volumes, such as receiving waters of coal-fired power plant effluents.

Gaseous mercury re-emission from wet flue gas desulfurization wastewater aeration basins: A review

Wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) simultaneously removes Hg and SO₂ from coal-fired power plant flue gas streams. Hg⁰ re-emission occurs when the dissolved Hg(II) is converted to a volatile form (i.e., Hg⁰) that can be subsequently emitted into the ambient air from WFGD wastewater aeration basins. Others have shown that Hg⁰ re-emission depends on pH, temperature, ligands (Cl, Br, I, F, SO₃^2-, SO₄^2-, NO₃^-, SCN^-, and ClO^-), O₂, minerals (Se and As), and metals (Fe and Cu) in WFGD wastewater. Still others have shown Hg⁰ re-emission restriction via inhibitor addition (adsorbents and precipitators). This is the first review that summarizes the complex and inconsistently reported Hg⁰ re-emission mechanisms, updates misconceptions related to Hg(II) complexation and reduction, and reviews applications of inhibitors that convert aqueous Hg(II) into stable solid forms to prevent gaseous Hg⁰ formation and release.

Mercury adsorption and re-emission inhibition from actual WFGD wastewater using sulfur-containing activated carbon

A series of batch experiments were conducted to obtain the optimal adsorption condition for removing aqueous Hg from actual lime-based wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) wastewater with sulfur-containing activated carbon (SAC). The experimental results showed that SAC1 had an average 0.32 μg mg^-1 larger aqueous Hg adsorption capacity and 21% larger Hg removal than the CS₂-treated SAC1 (i.e., SAC2) in all tested pH values, confirming that greater sulfur content associated with effective sulfur functional group (i.e., elemental S) caused the larger Hg adsorption capacity. Furthermore, as increasing pH from 4 to 7, the Hg adsorption capacity of SAC1 decreased by 22% (i.e., 0.27 μg mg^-1). The equilibrium Hg adsorption capacity was well fitted with linear and Freundlich adsorption isotherms. Kinetic simulations showed that both pseudo-second order and Elovich equations could well describe the chemisorption behavior of Hg to SAC1. Thermodynamic parameter calculation confirmed that Hg adsorption by SAC1 was thermodynamically spontaneous and exothermic. Re-emission of gaseous Hg markedly decreased by 88% as SO₃^2- addition increased from 0 to 0.01 mM. Notably, by the addition of SAC1, zero re-emission of gaseous Hg was achieved. These experimental results confirm that the capture of aqueous Hg²⁺ and the inhibition of gaseous Hg⁰ re-emission can be successfully and simultaneously achieved in actual WFGD wastewater via the addition of SAC.

Total mercury flux and offshore transport via submarine groundwater discharge and coal-fired power plant in the Jiulong River estuary, China

A mass balance of total mercury (Hg_T, dissolved+particulate) is constructed for China's Jiulong River estuary based on measured Hg_T concentrations in the surface water, sediment, porewater, and groundwater for May, August, and November 2009, combined with data from the literature. The Hg_T mass budget results show that the dominant source (39-55%) is desulfurized seawater discharged from the Songyu coal-fired power plant. Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD)-derived Hg_T flux into the estuary is equivalent to 8-58% of the Hg_T input from the Jiulong River, which is remarkable when compared with SGD-derived Hg_T fluxes reported in coastal systems worldwide. Hence, SGD is a significant pathway for the transport of Hg_T into the Jiulong River estuary. The primary Hg_T sinks is export to the Taiwan Strait (53-88%), which has important environmental implications on the Hg cycling and marine ecosystems in marginal seas.

Mercury isotope fractionation during transfer from post-desulfurized seawater to air

Samples of dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in the post-desulfurized seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant together with samples of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) over the post-desulfurized seawater surface were collected and analyzed to study the mercury isotope fractionation during transfer from post-desulfurized seawater to air. Experimental results showed that when DGM in the seawater was converted to GEM in the air, the δ²⁰²Hg and Δ¹⁹⁹Hg values were changed, ranging from -2.98 to -0.04‰ and from -0.31 to 0.64‰, respectively. Aeration played a key role in accelerating the transformation of DGM to GEM, and resulted in light mercury isotopes being more likely to be enriched in the GEM. The ratio Δ¹⁹⁹Hg/Δ²⁰¹Hg was 1.626 in all samples, suggesting that mercury mass independent fractionation occurred owing to the nuclear volume effect during the transformation. In addition, mass independent fractionation of mercury even isotopes was found in the GEM above the post-desulfurized seawater surface in the aeration pool.

Mercury isotope signatures of seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant equipped with a seawater flue gas desulfurization system

Seawater flue gas desulfurization (SFGD) systems are commonly used to remove acidic SO2 from the flue gas with alkaline seawater in many coastal coal-fired power plants in China. However, large amount of mercury (Hg) originated from coal is also transferred into seawater during the desulfurization (De-SO2) process. This research investigated Hg isotopes in seawater discharged from a coastal plant equipped with a SFGD system for the first time. Suspended particles of inorganic minerals, carbon residuals and sulfides are enriched in heavy Hg isotopes during the De-SO2 process. δ(202)Hg of particulate mercury (PHg) gradually decreased from -0.30‰ to -1.53‰ in study sea area as the distance from the point of discharge increased. The results revealed that physical mixing of contaminated De-SO2 seawater and uncontaminated fresh seawater caused a change in isotopic composition of PHg isotopes in the discharging area; and suggested that both De-SO2 seawater and local background contributed to PHg. The impacted sea area predicted with isotopic tracing technique was much larger than that resulted from a simple comparison of pollutant concentration. It was the first attempt to apply mercury isotopic composition signatures with two-component mixing model to trace the mercury pollution and its influence in seawater. The results could be beneficial to the coal-fired plants with SFGD systems to assess and control Hg pollution in sea area.

The distribution and sea-air transfer of volatile mercury in waste post-desulfurization seawater discharged from a coal-fired power plant

The waste seawater discharged in coastal areas from coal-fired power plants equipped with a seawater desulfurization system might carry pollutants such as mercury from the flue gas into the adjacent seas. However, only very limited impact studies have been carried out. Taking a typical plant in Xiamen as an example, the present study targeted the distribution and sea-air transfer flux of volatile mercury in seawater, in order to trace the fate of the discharged mercury other than into the sediments. Samples from 28 sampling sites were collected in the sea area around two discharge outlets of the plant, daily and seasonally. Total mercury, dissolved gaseous mercury and dissolved total mercury in the seawater, as well as gaseous elemental mercury above the sea surface, were investigated. Mean concentrations of dissolved gaseous mercury and gaseous elemental mercury in the area were 183 and 4.48 ng m(-3) in summer and 116 and 3.92 ng m(-3) in winter, which were significantly higher than those at a reference site. Based on the flux calculation, the transfer of volatile mercury was from the sea surface into the atmosphere, and more than 4.4 kg mercury, accounting for at least 2.2 % of the total discharge amount of the coal-fired power plant in the sampling area (1 km(2)), was emitted to the air annually. This study strongly suggested that besides being deposited into the sediment and diluted with seawater, emission into the atmosphere was an important fate for the mercury from the waste seawater from coal-fired power plants.

Synthesis of current data for Hg in areas of geologic resource extraction contamination and aquatic systems in China

China has become the largest contributor of anthropogenic atmospheric mercury (Hg) in the world owing to its fast growing economy and the largest of populations. Over the last two decades, Hg has become of increasing environmental concern in China and much has been published on its distribution, transportation, methylation, and bioaccumulation in aquatic systems and areas of geologic resource extraction contaminated sites, such as coal-fired power plants, non-ferrous smelters, Hg mining and retorting sites, Au amalgam, landfills, chemical plants, etc.. Environmental compartments, like soil, water, air, and crop from areas of geologic resource extraction contamination, especially from Hg mining regions, exhibit elevated values of total-Hg and MMHg. Risk assessments indicate that the consumption of rice, which has a high bioaccumulation of MMHg, has become the dominant pathway of MMHg exposure of inhabitants living in Hg mining areas. Low concentrations less than 5ngl(-1) in total-Hg can be observed in rivers from remote areas, however, high concentrations that reached 1600ngl(-1) in total-Hg can be found in rivers from industrial and urban areas. The studies of hydropower reservoirs of southwest China indicated the old reservoirs act as net sinks for total-Hg and net sources of MMHg, while newly established ones act as net sinks for both total-Hg and MMHg, which is in sharp contrast to the evolution of biomethylation in reservoirs established in the boreal belt of North America and Eurasia. Fish from those reservoirs have relatively low levels of total-Hg, which do not exceed the maximum total-Hg limit of 0.5mgkg(-1) recommended by WHO. Currently, however, there is still a large data gap regarding Hg even in the areas mentioned above in China, which results in poor understanding of its environmental biogeochemistry. Moreover, for a better understanding of human and environmental health effects caused by the fast growing economy, long-term Hg monitoring campaigns are urgently needed.