scholarly journals Characterization of inhalation exposure to gaseous elemental mercury during artisanal gold mining and e-waste recycling through combined stationary and personal passive sampling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie A. Snow ◽  
Godfred Darko ◽  
Opoku Gyamfi ◽  
Eugene Ansah ◽  
Knut Breivik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Passive Sampling ◽  
Inhalation Exposure ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Complementary Information ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Gold Miners

Stationary and personal passive sampling provides complementary information on the inhalation exposure to gaseous elemental mercury among Norwegian e-waste workers, and Ghanaian artisanal gold miners and community members.

Isotopic Characterization of Atmospheric Gaseous Elemental Mercury by Passive Air Sampling

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (17) ◽  
pp. 10533-10543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Szponar ◽  
David S. McLagan ◽  
Robert J Kaplan ◽  
Carl P. J. Mitchell ◽  
Frank Wania ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Sampling ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Passive Air Sampling ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Isotopic Characterization

scholarly journals Thermodynamics of reactions of ClHg and BrHg radicals with atmospherically abundant free radicals

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 17887-17911
Author(s):  
T. S. Dibble ◽  
M. J. Zelie ◽  
H. Mao
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Quantum Chemical ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Quantum Calculations ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
The Stability

Abstract. Quantum calculations are used to determine the stability of reactive gaseous mercury (Hg(II)) compounds likely to be formed in the Br-initiated oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)). Due to the absence of any evidence, current models neglect the possible reaction of BrHg• with abundant radicals such as NO, NO2, HO2, ClO, or BrO. The present work demonstrates that BrHg• forms stable compounds, BrHgY, with all of these radicals except NO. Additional calculations on the analogous ClHgY compounds reveal that the strength of the XHg-Y bond (for X=Cl, Br) varies little with the identity of the halogen. Calculations further suggest that ClO, BrO, and NO3 do not form strong bonds with Hg(0), and cannot initiate Hg(0) oxidation in the gas phase. The theoretical approach is validated by comparison to published data on HgX2 compounds, both from experiments and highly refined quantum chemical calculations. Quantum calculations on the stability of the anions of XHgY are carried out in order to aid future laboratory studies aimed at molecular-level characterization of gaseous Hg(II) compounds. Spectroscopic data on BrHg• are analyzed to determine the equilibrium constant for its formation, and BrHg• is determined to be much less stable than previously estimated. An expression is presented for the rate constant for BrHg• dissociation.

scholarly journals Human health risk assessment of atmospheric mercury inhalation around three artisanal small-scale gold mining areas in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
pp. 423-433
Author(s):  
Koyomi Nakazawa ◽  
Osamu Nagafuchi ◽  
Tomonori Kawakami ◽  
Takanobu Inoue ◽  
Rosana Elvince ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Human Health Risk ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Atmospheric Mercury ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Central Sulawesi

To clarify the human health risk of inhalation of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), we measured GEM concentrations in three artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas of Palu (Central Sulawesi), Muara Aman (Benkulu in Sumatra), and Palangka Raya (Central Kalimantan).

scholarly journals Passive Sampling of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Based on a Composite TiO2NP/AuNP Layer

Nanomaterials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Macagnano ◽  
Paolo Papa ◽  
Joshua Avossa ◽  
Viviana Perri ◽  
Marcello Marelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Passive Sampling ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Blue Shift ◽  
Mercury Vapor ◽  
Titania Nanoparticles ◽  
Sampling System ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Low Cost Strategy

Passive sampling systems (PASs) are a low cost strategy to quantify Hg levels in air over both different environmental locations and time periods of few hours to weeks/months. For this reason, novel nanostructured materials have been designed and developed. They consist of an adsorbent layer made of titania nanoparticles (TiO2NPs, ≤25 nm diameter) finely decorated with gold nanoparticles. The TiO2NPs functionalization occurred for the photocatalytic properties of titania-anatase when UV-irradiated in an aqueous solution containing HAuCl4. The resulting nanostructured suspension was deposited by drop-casting on a thin quartz slices, dried and then incorporated into a common axial sampler to be investigated as a potential PAS device. The morphological characteristics of the sample were studied by High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Optical Microscopy. UV-Vis spectra showed a blue shift of the membrane when exposed to Hg0 vapors. The adsorbed mercury was thermally desorbed for a few minutes, and then quantified by a mercury vapor analyzer. Such a sampling system reported an efficiency of adsorption that was equal to ≈95%. Temperature and relative humidity only mildly affected the membrane performances. These structures seem to be promising candidates for mercury samplers, due to both the strong affinity of gold with Hg, and the wide adsorbing surface.

Synthesis and characterization of nano-sized Mn–TiO2 catalysts and their application to removal of gaseous elemental mercury

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (9) ◽  
pp. 2511-2522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiangkun Xie ◽  
Naiqiang Yan ◽  
Shijian Yang ◽  
Zan Qu ◽  
Wanmiao Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Synthesis And Characterization ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury

scholarly journals Development, characterization, and testing of a personal passive sampler for measuring inhalation exposure to gaseous elemental mercury

2021 ◽  
Vol 146 ◽  
pp. 106264
Author(s):  
Melanie A. Snow ◽  
Michelle Feigis ◽  
Ying Duan Lei ◽  
Carl P.J. Mitchell ◽  
Frank Wania
Keyword(s):  
Inhalation Exposure ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Passive Sampler ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury

scholarly journals Thermodynamics of reactions of ClHg and BrHg radicals with atmospherically abundant free radicals

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 10271-10279 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. S. Dibble ◽  
M. J. Zelie ◽  
H. Mao
Keyword(s):  
Gas Phase ◽  
Quantum Chemical ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Quantum Calculations ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
The Stability

Abstract. Quantum calculations are used to determine the stability of reactive gaseous mercury (Hg(II)) compounds likely to be formed in the Br-initiated oxidation of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)). Due to the absence of any evidence, current models neglect the possible reaction of BrHg with abundant radicals such as NO, NO2, HO2, ClO, or BrO. The present work demonstrates that BrHg forms stable compounds, BrHgY, with all of these radicals except NO. Additional calculations on the analogous ClHgY compounds reveal that the strength of the XHg-Y bond (for X = Cl, Br) varies little with the identity of the halogen. Calculations further suggest that HO2 and NO3 do not form strong bonds with Hg(0), and cannot initiate Hg(0) oxidation in the gas phase. The theoretical approach is validated by comparison to published data on HgX2 compounds, both from experiment and highly refined quantum chemical calculations. Quantum calculations on the stability of the anions of XHgY are carried out in order to aid future laboratory studies aimed at molecular-level characterization of gaseous Hg(II) compounds. Spectroscopic data on BrHg is analyzed to determine the equilibrium constant for its formation, and BrHg is determined to be much less stable than previously estimated. An expression is presented for the rate constant for BrHg dissociation.

scholarly journals Proof of concept for a passive sampler for monitoring of gaseous elemental mercury in artisanal gold mining

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elias de Barros Santos ◽  
Paleah Moher ◽  
Stacy Ferlin ◽  
Anne Hélène Fostier ◽  
Italo Odone Mazali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Passive Sampler ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Artisanal Gold Mining

scholarly journals Air Concentrations of Gaseous Elemental Mercury and Vegetation–Air Fluxes within Saltmarshes of the Tagus Estuary, Portugal

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Rute Cesário ◽  
Nelson J. O’Driscoll ◽  
Sara Justino ◽  
Claire E. Wilson ◽  
Carlos E. Monteiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Elemental Mercury ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Tagus Estuary ◽  
Contaminated Site ◽  
Gaseous Elemental Mercury ◽  
Mercury Flux ◽  
Sarcocornia Fruticosa ◽  
Air Concentrations

In situ air concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg(0)) and vegetation–atmosphere fluxes were quantified in both high (Cala Norte, CN) and low-to-moderate (Alcochete, ALC) Hg-contaminated saltmarsh areas of the Tagus estuary colonized by plant species Halimione portulacoides (Hp) and Sarcocornia fruticosa (Sf). Atmospheric Hg(0) ranged between 1.08–18.15 ng m−3 in CN and 1.18–3.53 ng m−3 in ALC. In CN, most of the high Hg(0) levels occurred during nighttime, while the opposite was observed at ALC, suggesting that photoreduction was not driving the air Hg(0) concentrations at the contaminated site. Vegetation–air Hg(0) fluxes were low in ALC and ranged from −0.76 to 1.52 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Hp and from −0.40 to 1.28 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Sf. In CN, higher Hg fluxes were observed for both plants, ranging from −9.90 to 15.45 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Hp and from −8.93 to 12.58 ng m−2 (leaf area) h−1 for Sf. Mercury flux results at CN were considered less reliable due to large and fast variations in the ambient air concentrations of Hg(0), which may have been influenced by emissions from the nearby chlor-alkali plant, or historical contamination. Improved experimental setup, the influence of high local Hg concentrations and the seasonal activity of the plants must be considered when assessing vegetation–air Hg(0) fluxes in Hg-contaminated areas.

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