Trend analysis from 1970 to 2008 and model evaluation of EDGARv4 global gridded anthropogenic mercury emissions
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Selin_Trend analysis.pdf
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Author(s)
Muntean, Marilena
Janssens-Maenhout, Greet
Song, Shaojie
Olivier, Jos G. J.
Guizzardi, Diego
Maas, Rob
Dentener, Frank
Selin, Noelle E
Date Issued
July 2014
Journal
Science of The Total Environment
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Muntean, Marilena, Greet Janssens-Maenhout, Shaojie Song, Noelle E. Selin, Jos G.J. Olivier, Diego Guizzardi, Rob Maas, and Frank Dentener. “Trend Analysis from 1970 to 2008 and Model Evaluation of EDGARv4 Global Gridded Anthropogenic Mercury Emissions.” Science of The Total Environment 494–495 (October 2014): 337–350.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
The Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) provides a time-series of man-made emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived atmospheric pollutants from 1970 to 2008. Mercury is included in EDGARv4.tox1, thereby enriching the spectrum of multi-pollutant sources in the database. With an average annual growth rate of 1.3% since 1970, EDGARv4 estimates that the global mercury emissions reached 1287 tonnes in 2008. Specifically, gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) (Hg[superscript 0]) accounted for 72% of the global total emissions, while gaseous oxidised mercury (GOM) (Hg[superscript 2 +]) and particle bound mercury (PBM) (Hg-P) accounted for only 22% and 6%, respectively. The less reactive form, i.e., Hg[superscript 0], has a long atmospheric residence time and can be transported long distances from the emission sources. The artisanal and small-scale gold production, accounted for approximately half of the global Hg[superscript 0] emissions in 2008 followed by combustion (29%), cement production (12%) and other metal industry (10%). Given the local-scale impacts of mercury, special attention was given to the spatial distribution showing the emission hot-spots on gridded 0.1° × 0.1° resolution maps using detailed proxy data. The comprehensive ex-post analysis of the mitigation of mercury emissions by end-of-pipe abatement measures in the power generation sector and technology changes in the chlor-alkali industry over four decades indicates reductions of 46% and 93%, respectively. Combined, the improved technologies and mitigation measures in these sectors accounted for 401.7 tonnes of avoided mercury emissions in 2008. A comparison shows that EDGARv4 anthropogenic emissions are nearly equivalent to the lower estimates of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)'s mercury emissions inventory for 2005 for most sectors. An evaluation of the EDGARv4 global mercury emission inventory, including mercury speciation, was performed using the GEOS-Chem global 3-D mercury model. The model can generally reproduce both spatial variations and long-term trends in total gaseous mercury concentrations and wet deposition fluxes.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.014
