title: Mercury Export from Mainland China to Adjacent Seas and Its Influence on the Marine Mercury Balance.
abstract: Exports from mainland China are a significant source of mercury (Hg) in the adjacent seas (Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea) near China. A total of 240 ± 23 Mg was contributed in 2012 (30% from natural sources and 70% from anthropogenic sources), including Hg from rivers, industrial wastewater, domestic sewage, groundwater, nonpoint sources, and coastal erosion. Among the various sources, the Hg from rivers amounts to 160 ± 21 Mg and plays a dominant role. The Hg that is exported from mainland China increased from 1984 to 2013; the contributions from rivers, industrial wastewater, domestic sewage and groundwater increased, and the contributions from nonpoint sources and coastal erosion remained stable. A box model is constructed to simulate the mass balance of Hg in these seas and quantify the sources, sinks and Hg biogeochemical cycle in the seas. In total, 160 Mg of Hg was transported to the Pacific Ocean and other oceans from these seas through oceanic currents in 2012, which could have negative impacts on the marine ecosystem. A prediction of the changes in Hg exportation through 2030 shows that the impacts of terrestrial export might worsen without effective pollution reduction measures and that the Hg load in these seas will increase, especially in the seawater of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea and in the sea margin sediments of the Bohai Sea and East China Sea.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Maodian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China , Beijing 100872, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University , Tianjin 300072, China.
authors.forename: Yindong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Langbo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Huizhong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Xuejie
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Laboratory of Earth Surface Process, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Huanhuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D008628:Mercury; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D045483:Rivers; D012623:Seawater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D008628:Mercury