Solving the puzzle of mercury fate and emissions by coal-fired power plants: The potential of hydrodynamic-atmospheric modelling.

There is currently a significant gap in knowledge about the emission and deposition of mercury (Hg) from coal-fired power plants in Australia. To fill this gap, we propose a novel method that combines several sources of information (stratigraphic data, hydrodynamic modelling and atmospheric modelling), to identify the sources and fates of Hg emitted from coal-fired power plants. The stratigraphic record from Lake Macquarie (Australia) shows that mercury deposition increased up to 7-times since the 1950s, which is when coal-fired power plants were commissioned in the catchment.