Mercury in the Polish part of the Baltic Sea: A response to decreased atmospheric deposition and changing environment.

Our review of the literature showed that since the beginning of the socio-economic transformation in Poland in the 1990s, the downward trend in Hg emissions and its deposition in the southern Baltic Sea was followed by a simultaneous decrease in Hg levels in water and marine plants and animals. Hg concentrations in the biota lowered to values that pose no or low risk to wildlife and seafood consumers. However, in the first decade of the current century, a divergence between these two trends became apparent and Hg concentrations in fish, herring and cod, began to rise.

Status and trends of mercury pollution of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland.

The goal of this paper is to assess the current status and trends of total mercury (THg) contamination of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland. The study shows that the reduced domestic and worldwide atmospheric emission of Hg resulted in decreased THg level in the terrestrial biotope and biosphere. Considering that Poland is one of the main Hg emitters in Europe, the THg concentrations in its abiotic environment are still elevated.

Global Sources and Pathways of Mercury in the Context of Human Health.

This paper reviews information from the existing literature and the EU GMOS (Global Mercury Observation System) project to assess the current scientific knowledge on global mercury releases into the atmosphere, on global atmospheric transport and deposition, and on the linkage between environmental contamination and potential impacts on human health. The review concludes that assessment of global sources and pathways of mercury in the context of human health is important for being able to monitor the effects from implementation of the Minamata Convention targets, although new research is needed on the improvement of emission inventory data, the chemical and physical behaviour of mercury in the atmosphere, the improvement of monitoring network data, predictions of future emissions and speciation, and on the subsequent effects on the environment, human health, as well as the economic costs and benefits of reducing these aspects.

Climate change impacts on environmental and human exposure to mercury in the arctic.

This paper reviews information from the literature and the EU ArcRisk project to assess whether climate change results in an increase or decrease in exposure to mercury (Hg) in the Arctic, and if this in turn will impact the risks related to its harmful effects. It presents the state-of-the art of knowledge on atmospheric mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources worldwide, the long-range transport to the Arctic, and it discusses the likely environmental fate and exposure effects on population groups in the Arctic under climate change conditions. The paper also includes information about the likely synergy effects (co-benefits) current and new climate change polices and mitigation options might have on mercury emissions reductions in the future.

An assessment of costs and benefits associated with mercury emission reductions from major anthropogenic sources.

Several measures are available for reducing mercury emissions; however, these measures differ with regard to emission control efficiency, cost, and environmental benefits obtained through their implementation. Measures that include the application of technology, such as technology to remove mercury from flue gases in electric power plants, waste incinerators, and smelters, are rather expensive compared with nontechnological measures. In general, dedicated mercury removal is considerably more expensive than a co-benefit strategy, using air pollution control equipment originally designed to limit emissions of criterion pollutants, such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, or oxides of nitrogen.

Human exposure to mercury in the vicinity of chlor-alkali plant.

The main objectives of our study were to estimate the impact of a mercury cell chlor-alkali (MCCA) complex in Rosignano Solvay (Tuscany, Italy) on the local environment and to assess mercury exposure of inhabitants living near the plant. Measurement campaigns of atmospheric Hg near the MCCA plant showed that the impact of the emitted Hg from the industry on the terrestrial environment is restricted to a close surrounding area. Total gaseous mercury concentrations in ambient air of inhabited area around the MCCA plant were in the range of 8.

Socioeconomic consequences of mercury use and pollution.

In the past, human activities often resulted in mercury releases to the biosphere with little consideration of undesirable consequences for the health of humans and wildlife. This paper outlines the pathways through which humans and wildlife are exposed to mercury. Fish consumption is the major route of exposure to methylmercury.

Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners--a mass balance approach 3. An update.

Previously published estimates of the global production, consumption and atmospheric emissions of 22 individual PCB congeners [Breivik K, Sweetman A, Pacyna JM, Jones KC. Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners - a mass balance approach. 1.

Intercomparison study of atmospheric mercury models: 2. Modelling results vs. long-term observations and comparison of country deposition budgets.

Five regional scale models with a horizontal domain covering the European continent and its surrounding seas, two hemispheric and one global scale model participated in the atmospheric Hg modelling intercomparison study. The models were compared between each other and with available measurements from 11 monitoring stations of the EMEP measurement network. Because only a very limited number of long-term measurement records of Hg were available, significant attention was given to the intercomparison of modelling results.

Mercury emissions to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources in Europe in 2000 and their scenarios until 2020.

The paper reviews the current state of knowledge regarding European emissions of mercury and presents estimates of European emissions of mercury to the atmosphere from anthropogenic sources for the year 2000. This information was then used as a basis for Hg emission scenario development until the year 2020. Combustion of coal in power plants and residential heat furnaces generates about half of the European emissions being 239 tonnes.

Physical, chemical, and biological changes in the Gulf of Gdańsk ecosystem (southern Baltic sea).

This review presents the present state of knowledge of the physical, chemical, and biological changes in waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk (Baltic Sea). The general characteristics of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Gdańsk with brief description of changes in the ecosystem are included. Among meteorological parameters describing climate in the coastal zone, water temperature changes together with considerations of precipitation and sea level are presented.

Primary sources of selected POPs: regional and global scale emission inventories.

During the last decade, a number of studies have been devoted to the sources and emissions of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) at regional and global scales. While significant improvements in knowledge have been achieved for some pesticides, the quantitative understanding of the emission processes and emission patterns for "non-pesticide" POPs are still considered limited. The key issues remaining for the non-pesticide POPs are in part determined by their general source classification.

Four decades of gasoline lead emissions and control policies in Europe: a retrospective assessment.

Over decades, large amounts of the neurotoxin lead were released into the European environment, mostly from gasoline lead additives. Emissions were growing unabatedly until the 1970s, when a series of regulations on the allowed gasoline lead content were adopted. As a result, in the 1990s most gasoline contained only small amounts of lead.

Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners--a mass balance approach. 2. Emissions.

Accurate and complete data on the global atmospheric releases (emissions) of individual PCB congeners are essential to study source-receptor relationships and contamination patterns in remote areas, such as the Arctic. Information on the anthropogenic emissions may also be useful for the interpretation of measured levels and patterns of atmospheric PCBs. This study builds upon an accompanying paper, presenting an estimate of the global historical production and consumption of 22 PCB congeners (Breivik K, Sweetman A, Pacyna JM, Jones KC.

Towards a global historical emission inventory for selected PCB congeners--a mass balance approach. 1. Global production and consumption.

Information on the historical global production and consumption of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is urgently needed for estimating PCB fluxes to the environment and for interpreting global contamination patterns by these pollutants. This study presents the methodology, principal uncertainties and selected results from an inventory, aiming to quantify the global production and consumption of total PCBs as well as 22 PCB congeners. The available data on the historical production of PCBs and the chemical composition of various technical mixtures have been compiled from the literature.