Review
Environmental Sciences
Brock A. Edwards, D. Skye Kushner, Peter M. Outridge, Feiyue Wang
Summary: Volcanism is a potentially important natural source of mercury (Hg) to the environment, but its impact on the global Hg cycle is poorly understood, leading to uncertainty in assessing the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic Hg sources to the global atmosphere. Research shows that arc volcanoes emit 3-fold higher Hg fluxes on average compared to non-arc volcanoes, despite the latter having significantly higher Hg concentrations in their plumes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ryan F. Lepak, Sarah E. Janssen, Jacob M. Ogorek, Casey B. Dillman, Joel C. Hoffman, Michael T. Tate, Peter B. McIntyre
Summary: This study tested the stability of mercury concentrations and stable isotope ratios in preserved fish under museum preservation practices. Loss of unidentified constituents during preservation led to increased mercury concentrations in fish muscle. Low-mercury fish were susceptible to contamination with inorganic mercury when intentionally spiked or passively leached from contaminated wild fish. However, the conservative nature of methylmercury allowed for quantitative correction of the contamination. The findings suggest the potential use of preserved fish from museums for generating spatiotemporal baselines for the Minamata Convention on Mercury, with precautions recommended for maximizing inference strength.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Saritha Sudharmma Vishwanathan, Tatsuya Hanaoka, Amit Garg
Summary: India is one of the largest emitters of atmospheric anthropogenic mercury and greenhouse gases. This study explores different policy scenarios and finds that focusing on renewable energy can significantly reduce the cost of pollution abatement technologies. However, stricter policies are needed in the iron and steel industry to mitigate mercury emissions.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ju Hyeon Lee, Sae Yun Kwon, Runsheng Yin, Laura C. Motta, Aaron Y. Kurz, Seung-Il Nam
Summary: The increasing mercury isotope ratios in lake sediment cores from pre-industrial to present-day are suggested to be a global phenomenon. It is mainly attributed to the increased contribution of mercury from local to regional anthropogenic sources. The magnitude of mercury isotope changes are more influenced by baseline mercury isotope ratios rather than the level of THg input.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Larissa Schneider, Neil L. Rose, Lauri Myllyvirta, Simon Haberle, Anna Lintern, Jingjing Yuan, Darren Sinclair, Cameron Holley, Atun Zawadzki, Ruoyu Sun
Summary: Research indicates that mercury deposition in lake sediments in Australia's Hunter Valley and Latrobe Valley has significantly increased since the commissioning of coal-fired power plants. The Latrobe Valley has higher mercury emissions due to higher concentrations in lignite coal, lax regulation, and older pollution-control technologies adopted by coal-fired power plants in that region. Australia faces the challenge of ratifying the Minamata Convention and developing better regulation policies to reduce mercury emissions in the future.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ryan F. Lepak, Jacob M. Ogorek, Krista K. Bartz, Sarah E. Janssen, Michael T. Tate, Yin Runsheng, James P. Hurley, Daniel B. Young, Collin A. Eagles-Smith, David P. Krabbenhoft
Summary: This study assessed the importance of migrating oceanic salmon, volcanic activity, and atmospheric deposition to fish mercury burden by analyzing lake trout in 13 remote lakes in southwestern Alaska. The results showed that volcanic activity is a significant additional source of mercury in proximate lakes, while migratory salmon contribute little methylmercury directly to lake trout. The study also found niche partitioning and a complex suite of ecological interactions in lake trout populations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ruoyu Sun, Holger Hintelmann, Johan A. Wiklund, Marlene S. Evans, Derek Muir, Jane L. Kirk
Summary: This study measured mercury isotope compositions in sediment cores to investigate the relationship between mercury emission sources and deposition in lakes. The results show the significant influence of legacy mercury remobilization on mercury transport in ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alex Kwasi Saim
Summary: The artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Ghana continues to grow, but the impacts caused by mercury use are becoming increasingly severe. Despite previous bans and increased monitoring efforts, the country has not been successful in significantly reducing mercury use and its associated impacts. The lack of mercury alternatives, funding, and education support makes addressing this issue more challenging.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Habuer, Takeshi Fujiwara, Masaki Takaoka
Summary: The study showed that the implementation of the MCM in China resulted in a significant decrease in mercury releases to the natural environment, with the use of accelerated scenario/technology transformation leading to reductions in atmospheric emissions. Atmospheric emissions were found to be the most sensitive to the transformation. This study represents the first attempt to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the MCM based on hypothetical expectations.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco De Simone, Francesco D'Amore, Ian M. Hedgecock, Delia Evelina Bruno, Sergio Cinnirella, Francesca Sprovieri, Nicola Pirrone
Summary: The paper presents an optimization framework that utilizes a emulator for Global Chemical Transport Mercury Models to calculate the impact on mercury deposition resulting from changes in anthropogenic mercury emissions in real-time. The framework extends the capabilities of the emulator to allow users to define deposition reduction targets and calculates the optimal set of emissions reductions to achieve those targets.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francesco De Simone, Francesco D'Amore, Mariantonia Bencardino, Francesco Carbone, Ian M. Hedgecock, Francesca Sprovieri, Sergio Cinnirella, Nicola Pirrone
Summary: The Minamata Convention on Mercury aims to reduce mercury emissions, but there are still gaps in knowledge and tools for communication between decision-makers and research groups. The GOS(4)M Knowledge Hub provides an interactive platform for accessing state-of-the-art modelling tools and data.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cathrine Brecke Gundersen, Evgeniy Yakushev, Petr Terentjev, Nikolai Kashulin, Vladimir Korobov, Natalia Frolova, Alexander Romanov, Una Jermilova, Alexey Lokhov, Igor Miskevich, Ekaterina Kotova, Eirik Hovland Steindal, Hans Fredrik Veiteberg Braaten
Summary: Arctic rivers are a significant source of mercury (Hg) to the Arctic Ocean, but there is limited knowledge about the terrestrial release sources and Hg levels in these rivers. This study provides an overview of potential Hg release sources in the Barents region, known for its high industrial development. The results highlight occasional exceedance of pollution control limits in freshwater bodies near these sources, posing a concern for local populations and wildlife. New data on Hg levels in Barents rivers show strong seasonal variations and contribute to international efforts in reducing Hg pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jetashree, Qiumeng Zhong, Haifeng Zhou, Yumeng Li, Yu Liu, Jiashuo Li, Sai Liang
Summary: The study identifies that India's Hg emissions during 2004-2014 were mainly driven by domestic final demand and primary inputs, with an increased share of foreign inputs. The Construction sector is an important demand-side driver, while fossil fuel sectors are important supply-side drivers.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Craig E. Hebert, John Chetelat, Roger Beck, Svetlana Dolgova, Kathleen Fordy, Patrick Kirby, Pamela Martin, Moise Rabesca
Summary: Understanding changes in environmental mercury concentrations is crucial for assessing risks to human and wildlife populations. The study found that egg THg concentrations increased over time due to shifts in gull diets, but no long-term trend was observed after adjusting for dietary changes. Environmental factors such as lake levels and wildfire extent were identified as contributors to differences in egg THg concentrations, emphasizing the potential impacts of climate change on mercury bioaccumulation in northern ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jana Becker, Peter Furu, Josephine Singo, Dennis Shoko, Johanna Elbel, Stephan Bose-O'Reilly, Nadine Steckling-Muschack
Summary: The study aimed to accurately and extensively identify the determinants of health in ASGM and the health needs of miners, in order to identify topics for more effective, sustainable, and feasible future health interventions targeting occupational health. Through a mixed methods approach and triangulation, it was found that miners' health needs primarily revolved around living conditions, work environment, financial support, healthcare services, formalization, and education. Interventions focusing on increasing education, knowledge, and awareness of miners were considered most promising for improving occupational health.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haotian Zheng, Xing Chang, Shuxiao Wang, Shengyue Li, Dejia Yin, Bin Zhao, Guanghan Huang, Lyuyin Huang, Yueqi Jiang, Zhaoxin Dong, Yicong He, Cheng Huang, Jia Xing
Summary: Emissions of organic compounds have significant impacts on the environment. Previous emission inventories focused on only a portion of these compounds, neglecting the contribution of semivolatile and intermediate volatile organic compounds to organic aerosol burden. This study developed a comprehensive emission inventory for China from 2005 to 2019, revealing changes in the sources and formation potential of organic aerosols. Findings indicate a decline in emissions of low/extremely low/ultralow VOC and SVOC after 2014, while emissions from volatile chemical products increased significantly and became the dominant source. These results highlight the importance of considering VCP, residential biomass burning, and diesel vehicles in future air pollution control policies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Pei Lei, Ri-Qing Yu, Yaqi Kong, Stefan Bertilsson, Martin Tsz-Ki Tsui, Tao Jiang, Jiating Zhao, Yu-Rong Liu, Rinklebe Joerg, Huan Zhong
Summary: Distinguishing the contributions of different microbes to methylmercury production is crucial for predicting bioaccumulation and exposure risk. However, there are several factors that can impact the interpretation of inhibition assays, including the addition of inappropriate amounts of inhibitors, overlooking microbial syntrophy, and the absence of comprehensive proxy systems. To improve the accuracy of inhibition assays, environmental properties and concentrations of inhibitors should be considered, and comprehensive indicators should be used to assess changes in methylmercury production.
CRITICAL REVIEWS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Noshan Bhattarai, Shuxiao Wang, Qingcheng Xu, Zhaoxin Dong, Xing Chang, Yueqi Jiang, Haotian Zheng
Summary: By measuring the concentrations and stable nitrogen isotopic composition of NH3 and NH4+ in urban Beijing during December 2018, this study found that agricultural and non-agricultural sources nearly equally contributed to NH3 and NH4+. However, there is uncertainty in these results.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Haotian Zheng, Xing Chang, Shuxiao Wang, Shengyue Li, Bin Zhao, Zhaoxin Dong, Dian Ding, Yueqi Jiang, Guanghan Huang, Cheng Huang, Jingyu An, Min Zhou, Liping Qiao, Jia Xing
Summary: Based on simulation and sensitivity analysis, this study found that the concentration of organic aerosol (OA) in China decreased from 2005 to 2019, but its sources remain unclear. Primary OA (POA) and secondary OA (SOA) were the main components of OA, with residential biomass burning being the major source of OA pollution, which decreased by 75%. Vehicle exhaust emissions became the largest SOA source in China, increasing by more than 2-fold. The control of NOx slightly offset the decrease in SOA concentration due to increased oxidation capacity.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yueqi Jiang, Dian Ding, Zhaoxin Dong, Shuchang Liu, Xing Chang, Haotian Zheng, Jia Xing, Shuxiao Wang
Summary: There is a significant gap between China's current air quality and the global air quality guidelines (AQG) released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021. Previous studies on air pollution control in China have overlooked the impact of transboundary pollution, which has been proven to have a significant influence on China's air quality. A new model developed in this study combines emission-concentration response surface and transboundary pollution to quantify the emission reduction necessary for China to achieve WHO AQG. The study emphasizes the need for both extreme emission reduction in China and concerted efforts to address transboundary air pollution in order to reach WHO AQG.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qingru Wu, Licong Han, Shengyue Li, Shuxiao Wang, Yan Cong, Kaiyun Liu, Yu Lei, Haotian Zheng, Guoliang Li, Bofeng Cai, Jiming Hao
Summary: Chinese boilers account for 60% of primary energy consumption, emitting more air pollutants and CO2 than any other infrastructures. Through the integration of multiple data sources and various technical means, we established a nationwide facility-level emission dataset of over 185,000 active boilers in China, significantly improving emission uncertainties and spatial allocations. It was found that coal-fired power plant boilers emitted the highest CO2, while biomass- and municipal waste-fired combustion, considered zero-carbon technologies, emitted a large fraction of SO2, NOx, and PM.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jie Li, Ji-cheng Jang, Yun Zhu, Che-Jen Lin, Shuxiao Wang, Jia Xing, Xinyi Dong, Jinying Li, Bin Zhao, Bingyao Zhang, Yingzhi Yuan
Summary: In this study, an innovative recurrent spatiotemporal deep-learning (RSDL) method with model-monitor coupled convolutional recurrent neural networks (ConvRNN) was developed to improve the prediction accuracy of ozone (O3) formation by chemical transport models (CTM). The RSDL method successfully characterized the spatiotemporal relationships between monitored O3 data and CTM simulations, and achieved accurate 72-hour multi-site forecasts in the Pearl River Delta region of China. The results showed significant improvement in the correlation coefficient (R) and mean absolute error (MAE), indicating the effectiveness of the RSDL method in predicting O3 concentrations.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kaiyun Liu, Kun Wang, Shuxiao Wang, Qingru Wu, Jiming Hao
Summary: In this study, an ensemble model was developed to accurately track carbon flows within China's power system, enabling accurate assessment of CO(2)eq emissions. By integrating coal quality tests, individual power plant datasets, dynamic material-energy flow analysis model, and an extended version of an interconnected power grid model, the study provides accurate quantification of emissions and evaluates emissions related to transmission and distribution losses and interprovincial coal and electricity trade. The study highlights the importance of considering up-to-date life cycle emissions and spatial carbon shifts when allocating emission reduction responsibilities from the national level to provinces.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mingyao Yao, Yue Niu, Shuchang Liu, Yumeng Liu, Haidong Kan, Shuxiao Wang, John S. Ji, Bin Zhao
Summary: Limited research has been conducted on the mortalit burden of long-term ozone exposure on cardiovascular disease in China. This study quantifies the number of premature cardiovascular disease deaths attributable to ozone in Chinese adults in 2050. It highlights the importance of implementing strategies for stricter ozone control and reducing the baseline death rate of cardiovascular disease to mitigate the impacts of ozone on Chinese adults.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lyuyin Huang, Bin Zhao, Shuxiao Wang, Xing Chang, Zbigniew Klimont, Guanghan Huang, Haotian Zheng, Jiming Hao
Summary: This study establishes the first global anthropogenic full-volatility organic emission inventory, providing chemically speciated and volatility-binned emission factors. The findings reveal the significant emissions of various organic compounds and their sources, contributing to a better understanding of global air pollution and climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xin Tian, Yiling Xiong, Zhifu Mi, Qianzhi Zhang, Kailan Tian, Bin Zhao, Zhaoxin Dong, Shuxiao Wang, Dian Ding, Jia Xing, Yun Zhu, Shicheng Long, Pingdan Zhang
Summary: Different roles in the value chain lead to significant mismatches between social welfare gains and health damage. Atmospheric transport partially reduces these mismatches but increases health damage in densely populated and lower polluted regions. The fairness of social welfare allocation along the value chain, considering the environmental and health effects, is underinvestigated.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Di Wu, Haotian Zheng, Qing Li, Shuxiao Wang, Bin Zhao, Ling Jin, Rui Lyu, Shengyue Li, Yuzhe Liu, Xiu Chen, Fenfen Zhang, Qingru Wu, Tonghao Liu, Jingkun Jiang, Lin Wang, Xiangdong Li, Jianmin Chen, Jiming Hao
Summary: This article proposes a health-oriented air pollution control strategy that takes into account the varying toxicities of PMs from different sources. Compared to the current mass-based control strategy, the health-oriented strategy can significantly reduce exposure risks and has lower costs in polluting industries in China.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ganzhen Chen, Jiandong Wang, Yuan Wang, Jiaping Wang, Yuzhi Jin, Yueyue Cheng, Yan Yin, Hong Liao, Aijun Ding, Shuxiao Wang, Jiming Hao, Chao Liu
Summary: This study proposes an improved aerosol optical module, Advanced Black Carbon (ABC), to accurately estimate the absorption efficiency and radiative effects of black carbon (BC) aerosols. The module addresses the deficiencies in representing BC microphysical and mixing properties, reducing the discrepancies between model simulations and observations, and mitigating the climate impacts of atmospheric aerosols.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingran Zhang, Yiliang Jiang, Yunjie Wang, Shaojun Zhang, Ye Wu, Shuxiao Wang, Chris P. Nielsen, Michael B. McElroy, Jiming Hao
Summary: China's booming civil aviation market has led to increased aircraft emissions, which have been found to be a significant contributor to air pollution and health issues. This study used flight trajectory data to simulate the impact of aviation emissions on ground-level air pollution in China, and the results show that aviation emissions have become a major source of ambient air pollution, causing health problems in densely populated regions, especially the eastern coastal areas.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yao Hu, Shaofei Kong, Yi Cheng, Guofeng Shen, Dantong Liu, Shuxiao Wang, Limin Guo, Pingqing Fu
Summary: This study determined the emission factors of levoglucosan from different solid fuel samples by considering fuel properties and combustion parameters. The results showed that short combustion duration and medium combustion temperature influenced levoglucosan generation and accumulation. The ash content was identified as the most important factor affecting levoglucosan formation.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
