| Autor: |
Pablo, L Higueras, José, M Esbrí, Roberto, Oyarzun, Nikolay, Mashyanov, Jorge, Oyarzún, Felicia, Contreras, Mateja, Gosar, Rocío, Millán, M. Eugenia, García, Zdravko, Špirić, Nickolay, Panichev, Miguel, A López-Berdonces, Mate, Dragas, Wiilians, R Llanos, Hugo, Maturana, Melitón, Adams, Vladimir, Ryzov, Rob, McCrindle |
| Přispěvatelé: |
Alexandra Steffen et all. |
| Jazyk: |
angličtina |
| Rok vydání: |
2011 |
| Předmět: |
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| Popis: |
We describe a cost effective technique for detecting mercury emission sources and polluted sites using continuous automobile Hg air surveys (CAHGS). Large cities, countryside, important sources of Hg gas can be studied in a matter of hours using CAHGS, having a complete picture regarding baseline data and anomalous concentrations. We have carried out such surveys in Europe, South America and Africa with excellent results, using a LUMEX RA-915+ device coupled with a GPS for data georeferencing. Th e LUMEX RA- 915+ is a well known instrument for continuous monitoring of total mercury in the atmosphere ; the analytical procedure is based on Zeeman Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, with a dynamic measuring range between 1 and 25, 000 ng m-3. We have been able to monitor the progressive reduction of Hg emissions from the Almaden district (Spain) while roasting of cinnabar ore at the city was coming to an end. We also measured a significant reduction of Hg from the main waste dump while restoration works were taking place. At Idrija (Slovenia) the results put forward high to very high concentrations in the surroundings of two main local sources: the old roasting plant and a mine ventilation shaft. A cross section of St. Petersburg (Russia) allowed discovery of several unknown sources of mercury emissions from heavily contaminated sites. At the Podravina (Croatia) gas processing facility the results indicated than the pollution hazards were brought to a minimum level since an efficient, closed mercury removal system was built. Jewelry works using mercury from local artisanal miners at El Callao (Venezuela) produced extremely high concentrations of Hg air, whereas the old mining site of Andacollo (Chile) only showed high concentrations at the classical artisanal trapiche gold mills. We went further at Chile, visiting more than one site with a mining/metallurgical past, covering about 10, 000 km2 in just fi ve days, thus gaining a regional perspective. In Pretoria (South-Africa) we measured background Hg content about 1.7 ng |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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