Abstract
BEFORE 1970 the amount of Hg discharged to the environment from anthropogenic sources was estimated to be comparable with quantities derived from continental weathering processes1. As a result, however, of several well-documented cases of acute Hg contamination throughout the world, most large industrial sources have been identified and the discharge of Hg reduced to negligible amounts relative to natural aquatic and atmospheric sources. The natural atmospheric dispersion mechanisms of Hg overshadow input into the global environment by human activity, the latter being of prime importance in localised environments. The role of the chlor-alkali industry in global and regional Hg cycling has been repeatedly discussed2–5, with the general conclusion that their contribution may be of limited importance globally but of particular concern to local and regional water and air quality6.
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LINDBERG, S., TURNER, R. Mercury emissions from chlorine-production solid waste deposits. Nature 268, 133–136 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/268133a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/268133a0
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