title: Mercury speciation and mobility in mine wastes from mercury mines in China.
abstract: Mercury (Hg) speciation and mobility were determined in calcines and waste rocks collected from 9 Hg mines in China. Total Hg (THg) concentrations in the mine wastes varied widely in different Hg mines (with a range of 0.369 to 2,620 mg kg(-1)). Cinnabar is the dominant form of Hg in the mine wastes. However, Hg(2+) and Hg(0) concentrations in the calcines were significantly higher than these in the waste rocks, which suggested the retorting can produce large amounts of by-product Hg compounds. The THg and Hg(0) concentrations in certain mine wastes exceeded soil guidelines recommended by US Environmental Protection Agency; while total soluble Hg concentrations of leachates in certain mine wastes exceeded National Surface Water Quality Standard of China. Mine wastes are important Hg pollution sources to the aquatic ecosystem and atmosphere.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xinbin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Guangle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Junfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jianxu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D008906:Mining; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D017669:Mercury Compounds; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D008628:Mercury; C034211:cinnabar