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Assessment of Mercury Releases from the Russian Federation

Contents

Preface

Symbols, Units and Acronyms

Executive Summary

1 Introduction

• 1.1 Previous Study on Mercury in the Environment
• 1.2 Regulation of Mercury Releases
• 1.3 Methodology of the Assessment
• 1.4 Mercury Chemistry
• 1.5 Conceptual Model for Mercury Cycling

2 Production, Import and Export

• 2.1 Production of Mercury in the Russian Federation
• 2.1.1 Historical View
• 2.1.2 Extraction and Primary Production of Mercury in the USSR and Russia
• 2.1.3 Recycling of Mercury
• 2.2 Export and Import of Mercury
• 2.3 Domestic Mercury Market in Russia

3 Intentional use of Mercury

• 3.1 Chlor-alkali Production
• 3.1.1 Description of Production Process and Mercury Usage
• 3.1.2 Pathways of Mercury Loss from Production Processes
• 3.1.3 Methods of Mercury Removal from Products, Discharges, Waste and Off-gases
• 3.1.4 Production of Chlor-alkali and Mercury Loss at Operating Enterprises
• 3.1.5 Waste Dumps and the Environment around Shut-Down Enterprises
• 3.1.6 Summary
• 3.2 Other uses of Mercury in the Chemical Industry
• 3.2.1 Production of Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM)
• 3.2.2 Former Production of Vitamin B-2
• 3.2.3 Former Production of Pigments
• 3.3 Gold Mining Using the Amalgamation Technology
• 3.3.1 History of Gold Mining in the Russian Federation
• 3.3.2 Gold Production from Gold-mining Wastes
• 3.3.3 Gold Mining with Mercury Amalgamation
• 3.3.4 The Current Situation
• 3.3.5 Mercury Contamination of Gold-mining Areas of Russia
• 3.4 Dental Amalgam Fillings
• 3.4.1 Use of Mercury for Dental Amalgams
• 3.4.2 Mercury Releases from Fillings
• 3.5 Thermometers
• 3.5.1 Production of Mercury Thermometers
• 3.5.2 Mercury consumption with thermometers
• 3.5.3 Use, Export and Import of Mercury Thermometers
• 3.5.4 Emission of Mercury When Using Thermometers
• 3.6 Barometers, Manometers and Other Measuring Equipment
• 3.6.1 Production of Mercury-containing Measuring Equipment
• 3.6.2 Mercury Consumption with Measuring Equipment
• 3.6.3 Mercury in Waste Products and Releases of to Air, Soil and Water
• 3.7 Electrochemical Cells
• 3.7.1 Production of Mercury-containing Electrochemical Cells
• 3.7.2 Export and Import of Electrochemical Cells
• 3.7.3 Use and Disposal of Electrochemical Cells
• 3.8 Light Sources
• 3.8.1 Production of Mercury-containing Light Sources
• 3.8.2 Russian Market of Mercury Lamps
• 3.9 Switches and Other Electrical Equipment
• 3.10 Production of Chemicals and Laboratory Use of Mercury in the Russian Federation
• 3.10.1 Production of Mercury Chemicals
• 3.10.2 Application of Mercury Chemicals for Laboratory Use
• 3.11 Mercury-Containing Pesticides
• 3.11.1 Production.
• 3.11.2 Current Regulations and Legal Acts
• 3.11.3 Application of Mercury-containing pesticides
• 3.11.4 Storage Conditions for Mercury-Containing Pesticides
• 3.11.5 Mercury containing pesticides burial sites
• 3.11.6 Summary
• 3.12 Other applications
• 3.12.1 Production of Lithium Isotopes
• 3.12.2 Production of Semiconductors
• 3.12.3 Power Semiconductor Devices
• 3.12.4 Mercury Containing Biocides
• 3.12.5 Other Uses

4 Mobilisation of Mercury Impurities

• 4.1 Coal
• 4.1.1 Mercury in Coal from the Russian Federation
• 4.1.2 Releases of Mercury to the Environment and Wastes by Coal Mining
• 4.1.3 Use of Coal for Power and Heat Production
• 4.1.4 Production of Coke
• 4.1.5 Summary
• 4.2 Oil, Natural Gas, Oil Shale and Biofuel
• 4.2.1 Introduction
• 4.2.2 Mercury in Oil and Gas Raw Materials
• 4.2.3 Mercury Mobilisation with Oil
• 4.2.4 Fate of Mercury by Natural Gas Processing
• 4.2.5 Mercury Mobilisation with Natural Gas and Gas Condensate
• 4.2.6 Oil shale
• 4.2.7 Wood
• 4.2.8 Peat
• 4.3 Cement and lime
• 4.4 Non-ferrous Metallurgy
• 4.4.1 Mercury in Non-Ferrous Metal Ores and Concentrates
• 4.4.2 Primary Production of Zinc
• 4.4.3 Production of Primary Nickel
• 4.4.4 Production of Copper
• 4.4.5 Copper and Nickel Production at MMC Norilsk Nickel OJSC
• 4.4.6 Production of Tin
• 4.4.7 Production of Lead
• 4.4.8 Production of Other Non-ferrous Metals
• 4.4.9 Summary
• 4.5 Ferrous Metallurgy

5 Turnover of Mercury by Waste Treatment

• 5.1 Mercury Recycling
• 5.1.1 Mercury-containing waste
• 5.1.2 Scientific and Production Enterprise Kubantsvetmet CJSC
• 5.1.3 Merkom Ltd.
• 5.2 Mercury Turnover with Solid Waste
• 5.2.1 Generation of Mercury-containing Solid Waste in Russia
• 5.2.2 Mercury in Industrial Waste and Waste from Energy Production
• 5.2.3 Mercury in Municipal Solid Waste
• 5.2.4 Mercury in Medical Waste
• 5.3 Mercury in Waste Water

6 Summary and Discussion

• 6.1 Use and Mobilisation of Mercury in the Russian Federation
• 6.2 Releases of Mercury from the Russian Federation
• 6.3 Mercury in Solid Waste

7 References

ANNEX 1 Official Mercury Release Statistics

• Mercury Emissions to the Atmosphere
• Mercury Discharges to Surface Water Bodies in 2001
• Accumulation, Generation, Use and Decontamination of Mercury-containing Waste in 2001

Annex 2 Storage of Mercury-containing Pesticides

Annex 3 Mercury in Coal from the Main Basins

Annex 4 Mercury Releases from Major Coal-fired Utility Plants

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Version 1.0 March 2005, © Danish Environmental Protection Agency