Study Supporting the Development of a Cross-Media Strategy for Mercury Reduction for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Project no. 14/0739)
Methylmercury poses a serious risk to human health and the environment. It comes mainly from gold mining and the combustion of coal. The mercury spreads worldwide, is leached into rivers by rain and ends up in the sea. There it is converted by microorganisms into the highly toxic methyl mercury. The methyl mercury content in edible fish in the seas, lakes and rivers is continuously increasing. In humans, methylmercury causes severe damage in the brain, especially in early childhood development, leading to loss of intelligence. Against this background, the government of North Rhine-Westphalia considers a significant reduction of mercury input into the environment to be necessary. The aim of the report is to show reduction measures for plants with the highest mercury emissions, to identify implementation projects and to clarify legal options for action. For this purpose, the project team conducts extensive research on the emission situation. The information research is supported by the Ministry of the Environment (MKULNV), the State Environmental Agency (LANUV) and above all by the five district governments.
The research focuses on emissions from coal-fired power plants and waste combustion plants. In addition, emissions from waste co-incineration plants (e.g. cement plants and lime plants) as well as emissions from landfills and plants for the chemical-physical treatment of waste are considered.
The project team is investigating the technical options that represent the advanced state of the art for reducing mercury emissions to air and water. This involves discussions with operator associations and suppliers of mercury specific reduction technology as well as in-depth literature research.
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