title: Anthropogenic mercury emissions from 1980 to 2012 in China.
abstract: China was considered the biggest contributor for airborne mercury in the world but the amount of mercury emission in effluents and solid wastes has not been documented. In this study, total national and regional mercury emission to the environment via exhaust gases, effluents and solid wastes were accounted with updated emission factors and the amount of goods produced and/or consumed. The national mercury emission in China increased from 448 to 2151 tons during the 1980-2012 period. Nearly all of the emissions were ended up as exhaust gases and solid wastes. The proportion of exhaust gases decreased with increasing share of solid wastes and effluents. Of all the anthropogenic sources, coal was the most important contributor in quantity, followed by mercury mining, gold smelting, nonferrous smelting, iron steel production, domestic wastes, and cement production, with accounting for more than 90% of the total emission. There was a big variation of regional cumulative mercury emission during 1980-2012 in China, with higher emissions occurred in eastern areas and lower values in the western and far northern regions. The biggest cumulative emission occurred in GZ (Guizhou), reaching 3974 t, while the smallest cumulative emission was lower than 10 t in XZ (Tibet). Correspondingly, mercury accumulation in soil were higher in regions with larger emissions in unit area. Therefore, it is urgent to reduce anthropogenic mercury emission and subsequent impact on ecological functions and human health.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Meihua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: litq@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Tingqiang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Japenga
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
authors.forename: Qianqian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Environmental Remediation and Ecological Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China. Electronic address: xeyang@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaoe
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Indian River Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Fort Pierce, FL 34951, USA.
authors.forename: Zhenli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D003031:Coal / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D012987:Soil; D018609:Tibet
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D003031:Coal; D012987:Soil; D007501:Iron; D008628:Mercury
keywords: Anthropogenic sources; Impact; Mercury emissions; Pathways; Regional variation