Publication detail

An overview of mercury emissions in the energy industry - A step to mercury footprint assessment

CHARVÁT, P. KLIMEŠ, L. POSPÍŠIL, J. KLEMEŠ, J. VARBANOV, P.

Original Title

An overview of mercury emissions in the energy industry - A step to mercury footprint assessment

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The energy industry is currently the second largest anthropogenic source of mercury pollution worldwide, and in many countries, it is by far the largest anthropogenic source of mercury emissions. Mercury emissions can be traced to almost the entire energy industry value chain. Combustion of coal is the primary source of mercury emissions in energy production. Biomass, which is considered a renewable fuel, is also a source of atmospheric mercury emissions. A general trend from landfill waste disposal to waste incineration can be observed in many countries, but waste-to-energy incineration is also a source of mercury emissions. The increased mercury levels have been recorded in fish living in the reservoirs for hydroelectricity. The adverse effects of mercury exposure on human health have been indicated in a number of studies, and there seems to be no ‘zero effect’ exposure level. As a result, the mitigation of mercury emissions is gaining more and more attention. The overview creates the base for further research for quantification of the effect of mercury emissions on the environment and on human health, which can be expressed and quantified by Mercury Footprints.

Keywords

Energy industry, Mercury emissions, Mercury removal methods, Mercury footprint

Authors

CHARVÁT, P.; KLIMEŠ, L.; POSPÍŠIL, J.; KLEMEŠ, J.; VARBANOV, P.

Released

10. 9. 2020

Publisher

Elsevier

ISBN

0959-6526

Periodical

Journal of Cleaner Production

Year of study

267

Number

1

State

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Pages from

1

Pages to

11

Pages count

11

URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122087

BibTex

@article{BUT164320,
  author="Pavel {Charvát} and Lubomír {Klimeš} and Jiří {Pospíšil} and Jiří {Klemeš} and Petar Sabev {Varbanov}",
  title="An overview of mercury emissions in the energy industry - A step to mercury footprint assessment",
  journal="Journal of Cleaner Production",
  year="2020",
  volume="267",
  number="1",
  pages="1--11",
  doi="10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122087",
  issn="0959-6526",
  url="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122087"
}