1
|
Pichler T. Environmental inventory of mercury (Hg) for the marine shallow water hydrothermal system at Panarea, Italy. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 911:168575. [PMID: 37979877 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Hydrothermal fluids, hydrothermal gases, porewater and seawater were collected from the La Calcara (LC) hydrothermal area (n = 34). Additional samples were taken at Bottaro North (n = 2), Black Point (n = 3) and Panarea Harbor (n = 3). Total Hg (THg) porewater concentrations ranged from 300 to 6200 pM, while dissolved Hgdiss concentrations were generally lower by two to three orders of magnitude. Hydrothermal fluids had concentrations up to 26,000 pM. Mono- and dimethyl Hg (MeHg) were below detection. Total Hg in the gases (Hggas) ranged from 0.9 to 1899 nmol/m3. The THg concentration correlated positively with temperature (r = 0.86), while Hgdiss did not show any correlation (r = -0.02). The origin of Hg in the study area was interpreted to be hydrothermal. However, a clear trend was absent since ambient temperature porewaters had Hg concentrations as high as those porewaters with elevated temperatures. This was considered to be due to a combination of chemical reactions and complex flow patterns beneath the hydrothermal system. The concentration of Hg in the hydrothermal gases ranged from 0.9 to 1899 nmol/m3. This large range was ascribed to subsurface reactions with H2S and CH4 combined with the presence or absence of a sediment cover. Above the LC area, Hg concentrations were higher than those in Mediterranean seawater, indicating that the hydrothermal discharge adds Hg to the Panarea coastal ocean and its ecosystem. This effect is local regarding seawater chemistry and global Hg budgets since with distance Hg concentrations returned to values as expected for Mediterranean seawater. However, since most, if not all, marine food chains originate in coastal water, hydrothermal Hg may bioaccumulate in a given food chain. With more than 70 known marine shallow-water hydrothermal systems, this may be a worldwide phenomenon that warrants further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Pichler
- Universität Bremen, Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Geochemistry and Hydrogeology, Klagenfurter Str. 2-4, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mutuku JK, Lee YY, Huang BW, Chen WH, Hou WC. Assessment of the emission factors for potentially toxic elements from coal-fired boilers and sintering furnaces in a steel production plant. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 792:148329. [PMID: 34465047 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The emission factor (EF), the weight of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) per unit energy or weight of sinter produced were evaluated for coal-fired boilers and sintering furnaces integrated in a steel plant. From three coal-fired boilers, 15 samples were taken while 22 samples were taken from four sintering furnaces. Investigations were performed on the EF of lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and chromium (VI). The coefficient of variance for the first 3 samples from each PTE was used to decide whether 2 more samples were necessary for the investigation. Three samples were sufficient for Cr (VI), however, 5 samples were required for Pb, Cd, Hg, and As, since the variances in concentrations of the first three samples exceeded 20%. The ranges for the ratio of the laboratory-based EF to the default EF applied by the Environment Protection Administration (EPA Taiwan) for Pb, Cd, Hg, and As for the coal-fired boiler were 0.08-0.013, 0.014-0.017, 0.019-0.033, 0.047-0.066 and for the sintering furnaces were 0.059-0.232, 0.05-0.151, 0.05-0.364, and 0.067-0.824. The ratio for Cr (VI)- was constant at 0.005 for all the coal fired boilers while it ranged from 0.057-0.709 for the sintering furnaces. Whilst source identification, enrichment factors, and spatial distributions for PTEs are often studied, laboratory-based investigations on the EFs for PTEs from industrial plants are rarely performed. This study filled the information gap and compared the obtained EFs with the EPA default values. To avoid overcharging industrial plants equipped with the best available technology for emission control, the EPA should apply field investigations and laboratory-based EFs instead of the default EPA EFs to calculate air pollution fees. Insights from this investigation can be applied to promote the adoption of appropriate air pollution control devices to cut down the emission of PTEs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justus Kavita Mutuku
- Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Super Micro Mass Research and Technology Center, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan; Center for Environmental Toxin and Emerging-Contaminant Research, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Yi Lee
- Department of Food and Beverage Management, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung 83347, Taiwan.
| | - Bo-Wun Huang
- Asia-Pacific Cultural Heritage Preservation and Restoration Start-up Technology Research Center, Cheng-Shiu University, Kaohsiung 83347, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Mechatronic Engineering, Kaohsiung 83347, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hsin Chen
- Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taichung 411, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Che Hou
- Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yang J, Zhang Y, Guo J, Fang Y, Pang Z, He J. Nearly Monodisperse Copper Selenide Nanoparticles for Recognition, Enrichment, and Sensing of Mercury Ions. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:39118-39126. [PMID: 32812737 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c09865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In the current work, Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple procedure and were applied for the first time for recognition, adsorption, enrichment, and detection of Hg(II) ions. The experimental results show that 99.9% Hg(II) could be adsorbed by Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles within just 30 s, and the Hg(II) concentration could be lowered down to a super-low level of 0.01 ppb. Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles also demonstrate high selectivity to Hg(II) and Ag(I) among nine representative metal ions. The enrichment experiments show that Hg(II) of ultratrace concentration could be enriched significantly by Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles, and thus, the detection limit of Hg(II) based on inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy-mass spectrometry would be pushed down by 2 orders of magnitude. These outstanding features of Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles could be well accounted for in terms of the solubility product principle and the high affinity between selenium and mercury. Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles were also found to have peroxidase-like activity, which could be inhibited by Hg(II) but not by Ag(I). This unique characteristic coupled with the solubility product principle successfully allows recognition and detection of Hg(II) even in the presence of Ag(I), which has a similar pKsp to Hg(II). As a result, the qualitative and quantitative analyses of Hg(II) could be performed by the naked eye and UV-visible spectroscopy, respectively. The current results indicate that Cu(I)1.28Cu(II)0.36Se nanoparticles not only have great potential in various aspects of dealing with Hg(II) pollution but would also shed light on discovering new nanomaterials to address other heavy metal ions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianzheng Yang
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jianrong Guo
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Yumeng Fang
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, North China University of Technology, Beijing 100144, China
| | - Zili Pang
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Junhui He
- Functional Nanomaterials Laboratory, Centre for Micro/Nanomaterials and Technology and Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguancundonglu 29, Haidianqu, Beijing 100190, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chalkidis A, Jampaiah D, Hartley PG, Sabri YM, Bhargava SK. Mercury in natural gas streams: A review of materials and processes for abatement and remediation. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 382:121036. [PMID: 31473516 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2019] [Revised: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The role of natural gas in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and advancing renewable energy resource integration is undoubtedly critical. With the progress of hydrocarbons exploration and production, the target zones become deeper and the possibility of mercury contamination increases. This impacts on the industry from health and safety risks, due to corrosion and contamination of equipment, to catalyst poisoning and toxicity through emissions to the environment. Especially mercury embrittlement, being a significant problem in LNG plants using aluminum cryogenic heat exchangers, has led to catastrophic plant incidents worldwide. The aim of this review is to critically discuss the conventional and alternative materials as well as the processes employed for mercury removal during gas processing. Moreover, comments on studies examining the geological occurrence of mercury species are included, the latest developments regarding the detection, sampling and measurement are presented and updated information with respect to mercury speciation and solubility is displayed. Clean up and passivation techniques as well as disposal methods for mercury-containing waste are also explained. Most importantly, the environmental as well as the health and safety implications are addressed, and areas that require further research are pinpointed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anastasios Chalkidis
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia; CSIRO Energy, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC, 3169, Australia
| | - Deshetti Jampaiah
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia
| | - Patrick G Hartley
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia; CSIRO Energy, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC, 3169, Australia
| | - Ylias M Sabri
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
| | - Suresh K Bhargava
- Centre for Advanced Materials & Industrial Chemistry (CAMIC), School of Science, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Vikrant K, Roy K, Kim KH, Bhattacharya SS. Insights into the storage stability of ammonia in polyester aluminum bags. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2019; 177:108596. [PMID: 31349176 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2019.108596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A list of gaseous odorants such as ammonia (and hydrogen sulfide) are generally collected using rigid containers or flexible bags for quantitative analysis. The aim of this investigation was to assess the stability of polyester aluminum bags used for gaseous ammonia sampling and storage. To this end, ammonia standards were prepared at two concentration levels of low (7.8 ppm) and high concentrations (39 ppm) and stored in the polyester ammonia bags for durations of 0, 1, 2, 4, and 6 days. These samples were then analyzed at each interval by an impinger-based indophenol method utilizing a spectrophotometer. At each pre-set period, three different mass loadings of ammonia samples were collected from the storage bag to obtain response factors (RF) for comparison between different elapsed times set for the storage. Subsequently, the relative recovery values for each interval were computed by dividing the RF for each sampling day by that of the 0th day. The relative recovery values for low and high concentration standards decreased with increasing storage time as 82.9% (day 1) to 36% (day 6) and 89.9% (day 1) to 59.7% (day 6), respectively. As such, the potentially superior recovery of ammonia from polyester aluminum bags was demonstrated (e.g., relative to other storage options introduced previously) to support its practical merit as storage media.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Vikrant
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Kangkan Roy
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
| | - Ki-Hyun Kim
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-Ro, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
| | - Satya Sundar Bhattacharya
- Soil and Agro Bio-engineering Lab, Department of Environmental Science, Tezpur University, Tezpur, 784028, India.
| |
Collapse
|