Atmospheric mercury footprints of nations.
The Minamata Convention was established to protect humans and the natural environment from the adverse effects of mercury emissions. A cogent assessment of mercury emissions is required to help implement the Minamata Convention. Here, we use an environmentally extended multi-regional input-output model to calculate atmospheric mercury footprints of nations based on upstream production (meaning direct emissions from the production activities of a nation), downstream production (meaning both direct and indirect emissions caused by the production activities of a nation), and consumption (meaning both direct and indirect emissions caused by final consumption of goods and services in a nation). Results show that nations function differently within global supply chains. Developed nations usually have larger consumption-based emissions than up- and downstream production-based emissions. India, South Korea, and Taiwan have larger downstream production-based emissions than their upstream production- and consumption-based emissions. Developed nations (e.g., United States, Japan, and Germany) are in part responsible for mercury emissions of developing nations (e.g., China, India, and Indonesia). Our findings indicate that global mercury abatement should focus on multiple stages of global supply chains. We propose three initiatives for global mercury abatement, comprising the establishment of mercury control technologies of upstream producers, productivity improvement of downstream producers, and behavior optimization of final consumers.
†School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1041, United States.
Sai
S
Liang
Yafei
Y
Wang
∥Division of Rende, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Savino, 87036 Rende, Italy.
Sergio
S
Cinnirella
⊥Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Salaria km 29.300, 00016 Rome, Italy.
Nicola
N
Pirrone
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D038622:Internationality; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008962:Models, Theoretical
D000393:Air Pollutants; D008628:Mercury