EPA-660/2-73-008
December 1973
Environmental Protection Technology Series
Mercury in the Environment
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
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EPA-660/2-73-008
December 1973
MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
By
David H. Klein
Project 16040 FRL
Program Element 1BA027
Project Officer
William T. Donaldson
Southeast Environmental Research Laboratory
Athens, Georgia 30601
Prepared for
OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND MONITORING
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
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ABSTRACT
This report presents the results of studies of dilute discharges of
mercury and some other metals into the characteristically low-metals
environment of western Michigan, together with information on the trans-
port of some of these metals through the environment, and on their
sinks in the sediments.
Atmospheric discharge sources include power plants, airports, asphalt
plants, and general urban industrialization. Metals less volatile than
mercury are deposited in surface soils near the point of discharge, but
only a small portion of the mercury is deposited near the point of dis-
charge .
Sewage treatment plants represent a source of discharge of fairly large
amounts of mercury - about 1000 Ib per million population. This mer-
cury is associated primarily with the suspended solids.
In local lakes and rivers, mercury is also associated primarily with
the suspended solids.
In sediments, the concentrations of mercury and other metals correlate
strongly with the organic content and the fraction of fine particulates.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of Project Number 16040 FRL, by
Hope College, under the partial sponsorship of the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency. Work was completed as of May 1973.
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CONTENTS
Page
Abstract ii
List of Tables iv
Sections
I Conclusions 1
II Recommendations 2
III Introduction 3
IV Soil Patterns Resulting from Atmospheric Discharge 6
V Mercury Distribution in Sediments 10
VI Mercury in Waters and Suspended Solids 16
VII Fate of Mercury in Sewage Treatment Plants 19
VIII References 22
111
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TABLES
No. Page
1 Metal Concentrations Related to Land Use 7
2 Lake Macatawa Sediment Analysis 13
3 Lake Michigan Sediment Analysis 15
4 Mercury in Solution and Suspended Solids in the 17
Grand River and Lake Michigan
5 Mercury in the Grand River In and Upstream from 18
Grand Rapids
6 Mercury Flows in Sewage Treatment Plants 20
IV
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SECTION I
CONCLUSIONS
There exist a number of sources of discharge of mercury to the environ-
ment which, though dilute, are sufficient to create an imprint in soils
and sediments. Such imprints resulting from atmospheric discharge have
been observed in an urban industrial area. Specific sources of mercury
discharge include airports, asphalt plants, and most significantly,
coal burning power plants.
Other metals discharged from power plant stacks travel only a few miles
before falling to the ground, but mercury is discharged as a vapor and
is only slightly enriched in nearby soils. Most of the mercury dis-
charged apparently enters an atmospheric circulation pattern different
from that of the less volatile metals.
The complexities of sediment transport systems have prevented detection
of a similar imprint in the low-mercury sediments characteristic of
western Michigan. However, mercury and a number of other elements show
a strong tendency to be associated with the organic fraction of the
sediments.
The low levels of mercury found in western Michigan waters are associated
primarily with the suspended solids, which have mercury concentrations
of about 10 ppm. Similar concentrations are found on the suspended
solids discharged from a "sewage treatment plant. Contact of waste water
with large quantities of such mercury-loaded sludges sometimes results
in a desorption of mercury from the sludge into the effluent.
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SECTION II
RECOMMENDATIONS
Mercury from burning coal is dispersed widely, and may enter the aquatic
or terrestrial environment far from the point of discharge. Since mer-
cury discharged in this way is of the same order of magnitude as the
total of mercury mined in the world, it appears advisable to try to de-
velop a technology to remove mercury either from the coals or from stack
gases. Some effort should also be expended to locate and study lakes
in which airborne mercury has made an environmental impact.
Mercury and other toxic metals in sediments are associated primarily
with the organic fraction of the sediments. Decreasing BOD loadings to
waters, especially of organic particulates, should act to decrease the
mobility of mercury in the environment.
Mercury and other toxic metals discharged from waste water treatment
plants are associated largely with the suspended solids. Decreasing the
suspended solid discharge would greatly decrease the quantity of toxic
metals entering the environment at sewage outfalls.
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SECTION III
' INTRODUCTION
GENERAL
Prior to general recognition of mercury as an environmental hazard in
the United States, most of the mercury mined, refined or imported into
this country was discharged into the environment. It has been estimated
that of the 2340 tons of mercury used in the U.S. in 1967, about 800 tons
were discharged to the atmosphere and about 650 tons to the waters. On
a world basis, the corresponding estimates were 8100 tons used, 2380 tons
discharged to the atmosphere, and 2250 tons discharged to the waters.
Action by federal and state regulatory agencies was initially directed to
industries which discharged relatively concentrated waste streams, es-
pecially the chlor-alkali industry.
Mercury occurs as a minor additive in many consumer goods and as a trace
element in most raw materials. Disposal of such consumer goods and
utilization of raw materials must result in discharge of large, but un-
known, tonnages of mercury to the environment in relatively dilute, and
thus difficult to control, waste streams. Mercury in consumer goods,
and mercurials from hospitals, laboratories, and some industries, are
typically brought together at municipal sewage treatment plants, and the
sewage outfalls act as point sources of mercury to the waters. The im-
print of such a treated sewage discharge on the sediments of Santa Monica
2
Bay has been reported-
Mercury in raw materials, especially coal and Cu-Pb-Zn ores, is largely
discharged to the atmosphere, from where it may re-enter the terrestrial
or aquatic environments by dry fallout, or may enter the global circu-
lation system and rain out at a location far from the point of discharge.
Because of the quantities of raw materials involved, the tonnage of
-3-
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mercury put into circulation may be quite large. About 3xl09 tons of
coal are burned annually; if this coal averages 1 ppm (reported values
range from 0.01 to 300 ppm) the annual mercury discharge is about 3000
tons. About 10^ tons of Cu-Pb-Zn ores are processed annually. "Reason-
able" estimates of the mercury content of these ores range from 3 to
30 ppm, corresponding to a mercury discharge of 3000 to 30,000 tons per
year.
This project deals primarily with these dilute discharges of mercury
into the environment. Some sources, sinks, and transport mechanisms
have been explored in a preliminary way. Where feasible, studies of
other metals were included.
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS
Samples analyzed were primarily soils, sediments , natural waters, and
sewage from southwestern Michigan. This area has a major advantage in
that the terrain is mostly sandy, and so background levels of most
metals, including mercury, are quite low - well below crustal abundances.
As a consequence, the imprint of dilute discharges can be discerned
much more readily than is the case in other areas of the country, where
background levels are higher. Standard oceanographic sampling tools
were used - teflon lined Nansen bottles and a Ponar dredge or small
bottom snapper for samples from the aqueous environment, and polypro-
pylene spoons for surface soils. In the earlier studies, wet samples
were freeze-dried prior to analysis, but because of some reports of
mercury losses on freeze drying later samples were analyzed as received,
with the moisture content determined on a separate aliquot. Organic
content of the samples was determined as loss on ignition at 550° C.
Samples were initially oxidized with acidic KMnC>4, with final oxidation
in closed tubes at 80°C with added K2S20. Final quantitation was by
the standard flameless AA method, using the Mercometer (Anti-Pollution
Technology Corporation, Holland, Michigan) .
-4-
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Only total mercury was determined for all samples. We were unable to
develop a reliable analytical capability for organomercurials. The use
of a mass spectrograph as a specific GC detector was explored, but we
were unable to get adequate sensitivity for the mercury levels in our
samples.
Other metals were determined by AA (Perkin-Elmer 303), using flame
atomization and in a few cases, non-flame (electro-thermal) atomization.
-5-
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SECTION IV
SOIL PATTERNS RESULTING FROM ATMOSPHERIC DISCHARGE
METAL DISTRIBUTIONS IN URBAN SOILS
Surface soil samples should present an integrated record of metal fallout,
both dry and by precipitation. For fallout after transport over short
distances, the observed distribution of metals in surface soils should be
related to land use patterns. To explore this hypothesis, a study of
metal distribution in soils in and around Grand Rapids, Michigan was con-
ducted. The study area was a 19x13 mile rectangle, from which 2-inch
cores of surface soils were taken on a 1 mile grid. The study area was
divided into Residential, Agricultural, Industrial, and Airport zones,
and the concentrations of mercury and ten other metals were correlated
with land use. This study has been published^ and some of the results are
presented here in Table 1.
Most of the trace metals are enriched in the industrial zone, compared to
the residential and agricultural zones. In particular, the old industrial
zone, which lies along the Grand River and is contiguous with older, high
density residental, is significantly enriched in the toxic metals Ag, Cd,
Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Mercury, and to a lesser extent cadmium, show con-
siderably more diffuse distributions than the other metals; this may be
due to a higher volatility of these elements, or to a multiplicity of
sources.
Because of the proximity of many potential discharge sources, it was not
usually possible to isolate point sources. In a few special cases, de-
scribed below, some point sources were identified
MERCURY ENRICHMENT AROUND AN ASPHALT PLANT
The initial sampling grid showed two high values for mercury, from an
-6-
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Table 1. METAL CONCENTRATIONS RELATED TO LAND USE
(Concentrations in yg of metal per gram of soil)
Metal
Ag
Ca
Cd
Co
Cr
Cu
Fe
Hg
Ni
Pb
Zn
Residential
0.13
2300
0.41
2.3
3.2
8.0
2200
0.-10
5.4
17.9
21.1
Agricultural
0.19
1400
0.57
2.7
4.6
8.8
2600
0.11
5.6
15.4
22.1
Industrial
0.37
3200
0.66
2.8
8.5
16.3
3100
0.14
8.3
47.7
56.6
Airport
0.29
4100
0.77
7.9
17.6
10.4
6200
0.33
12.3
17.9
36.6
Mean of 3
highest values
2.0
9300
2.9
11
90
114
7400
1.2
38
320
280
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area which is primarily undeveloped woodlands. Investigation revealed
the existence of an asphalt plant in this area, and additional soil
samples were taken in a grid around the plant. These soils showed a
well developed fallout pattern around the plant, the shape of which cor-
related well with the wind rose for this area.
MERCURY ENRICHMENT AROUND AIRPORTS
The Grand Rapids Airport is relatively new, and surrounded by undeveloped
and agricultural land. The soil study indicated that all metals (except
lead) were concentrated around the airport, as shown in Table 1. Analysis
of a sample of commercial jet fuel, JP4, did not yield detectable amounts
of any of the metals found enriched, so the enrichment must be due to
some other process, possibly engine corrosion. Another large, isolated
\
airport was studied, Kincheloe Air Force Base in the eastern upper pen-
insula of Michigan. Although access to the base itself was restricted,
samples were obtained from along minor roads bordering the base to the
south, east, and west. These samples were analyzed for Hg, Cr, and Pb.
South of the base, the mean values were 0.13 ppm Hg, 9.5 ppm Cr, 4.7 ppm
Pb. East, the means were 0.07, 5.8, and 23.2, respectively. North, the
means were 0.02, 5.0, and 20.4. The winds are predominently from the
northwest. That the enrichment to the south is not due to varying
vehicular traffic on the road is indicated by the values for Pb; the
roadside highest in Hg and Cr is lowest in Pb, indicating low vehicle
traffic on this road. We have been unable to discover the exact source
of mercury enrichment, but the phenomenon appears to be real.
METAL ENRICHMENT AROUND A POWER PLANT
The Consumers Power Company plant at Port Sheldon, Michigan is in an
isolated location, and acts as a point source for discharge of metals to
the atmosphere. The surrounding sandy terrain has very low background
levels of most metals. The distribution of mercury and nine other metals
in the surface soils (upper 2 cm) surrounding this plant has been deter-
-8-
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mined. The sample grid included 45 sites, with 2 samples taken from each
site, from well drained, established wooded areas. The observed distri-
bution patterns correlated well with the four-year wind rose from a near-
by location. The correlation indicates that the most frequent wind com-
ponent (13-18 mph) transports the metals about 6 miles. The wind rose
also suggests that about 1/5 of the fallout from this plant enters Lake
Michigan directly. Observed soil enrichments in Fe, Ti, Zn, Co, Cr, Cu,
Ni, Cd, and Ag correlate with the quantities which are predicted assuming
that the precipitator works with 90% efficiency, and that the coal burned
has a composition identical to the world mean. The total discharge of
these metals over the 10-year life of the plant is observed to be as
follows: Fe, 25,000 tons; Ti, 680 tons; Zn, 160 tons; Co, 42 tons; Cr,
35 tons; Cu, 32 tons; Ni, 30 tons; Cd, 18 tons; Ag, 0.5 tons. Assuming
a mean mercury content of the coals of 0.3 ppm, about 4 tons should be
found in the soils; however, only 0.05 tons were found. This indicates
that mercury discharged from the burning of coal deposits by a mechanism
other than short-term dry fallout, and so presumably enters a different
atmospheric circulation pattern and is dispersed over a much wider area.
This study has been published.6
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SECTION V
MERCURY DISTRIBUTION IN SEDIMENTS
FLAMBEAU FLOWAGE, WISCONSIN
The Flambeau Flowage, Iron County, Wisconsin, is a region in which the
fish contain elevated levels of mercury, despite the lack of any obvious
source of mercury to the waters. Such situations are commonly attributed
to deposition of atmospheric mercury. The mercury content of 24 fish
taken from these waters ranged from 0.14 to 0.60 ppm, with a mean of
7 8
0.38. A published analysis of water and sediment from a single lo-
cation in the lake indicated that the water was below 0.5 ppb and the
sediment below 50 ppb. The lake was created by damming the Flambeau
River, to flood a large area of acid soils covered primarily with tama-
rack vegetation. There is an outcrop of bedrock in the lake, which
showed a small vein of sulfide mineralization.
For the present study 24 sediment samples were collected and analyzed
for organic content, Hg, Cu, Pb, and Zn. Hg concentrations were indeed
not large, averaging 0.11 ppm; the only sample containing more than
0.3 ppm was collected near the outcrop and was 0.65 ppm in Hg. The aver-
ages for the other elements were 21 ppm Cu, 11 ppm Pb, and 42 ppm Zn.
If the mercury in the sediments is of natural geological origin, then
the mercury levels should correlate with the levels of Cu, Pb, or Zn,
with which mercury tends to be associated in ore bodies. Least squares
plots of ppm Hg against ppm of the other metals all showed positive
slopes, but the correlation coefficients for the plots were very poor -
Hg vs Cu, 0.16; Hg vs Pb, 0.41; Hg vs Zn, 0.44. These rotten statistics,
which are no doubt; due to the lack of precision of our analyses at this
stage in the process, as well as to the low frequency of reasonably high
mercury levels (only 5 of the 24 samples had more than 0.15 ppm), pre-
vent reaching any statistically valid conclusions concerning the geologic
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orgin of the mercury.
The best correlation was found between the mercury content and the organic
content, for which the least squares equation is
ppm Hg = 3.3xlO~2 (% organic) +0.02
with a correlation coefficient of 0.86. Organic content ranged from less
than 1% up to 65%.
Because of the possibility that potential geochemical correlations had
been distorted by mobilization of mercury from the sediments, a set of
18 surface soil samples was analyzed for the same elements. Mean con-
centrations were 0.03 ppm Hg, 13 ppm Cu, 5 ppm Pb, and 24 ppm Zn. Cor-
relation coefficients between Hg and the other elements were also quite
poor - Hg vs Cu, 0.28; Hg vs Pb, 0.33; Hg vs Zn, 0.34.
Thus the conclusion which is statistically most valid, but which has a
considerable probability of being incorrect, is that most of the mercury
in the sediments was present in the original vegetation now decomposed.
We did not take alkalinity and pH measurements, but Konrad8 states that
overlying waters of low alkalinity and low pH, such as he found in this
region, stimulate the accumulation of mercury by fish.
VARIOUS MICHIGAN LAKES
A total of 138 sediment samples were collected from 32 water bodies in
the upper peninsula and the western lower peninsula of Michigan, as a
reconnaissance effort to find any lake with high mercury in the sediments,
or preferably to find a pair of lakes in similar geological environments,
which might have different mercury loadings in the sediments. Klein Lake,
located at Kincheloe AFB, showed the highest sediment mercury content,
0.05 ppm. Only 7 of the other 135 sediment samples had mercury levels
greater than 0.02 ppm. It is nice to seek pollution and find none.
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LAKE MACATAWA AND ADJACENT LAKE MICHIGAN
A study of the distribution of mercury and some other metals in the
sediments of Lake Macatawa and adjacent Lake Michigan was carried out.
A total of 112 surface sediment samples was collected, 84 from Lake
Macatawa and 28 from Lake Michigan. Lake Macatawa is divided into two
basins connected by a narrow neck. Industrial wastes and the municipal
sewage effluent are discharged into the eastern basin, and nearly all of
the natural drainage basin also drains into the east end of the lake.
About 2/3 of the drainage basin drains into Lake Macatawa via the Black
River, and about 1/4 via Pine Creek, with other sources much smaller.
Natural sedimentation patterns are disturbed by annual dredging of a
20 ft. deep shipping channel, which runs the length of the lake. In
addition a large carp population tends to stir up at least the fine frac-
tion of the sediments. The western basin of Macatawa exchanges water
fairly freely with Lake Michigan, especially during storms.
Lake Macatawa may be divided into seven areas: two sources - Black River
and Pine Creek, the eastern and western basins, the outlet to Lake Michi-
gan, the marinas, and the shipping channel. The results of sediment
analyses for each of these areas are shown in Table 2. In nearly every
case, metal concentrations are proportional to the organic content. One
exception is mercury, which has its maximum value in the Pine Creek area.
This creek drains only residential and agricultural (largely blueberry
farms) areas, and the mercury in these sediments may result from agri-
cultural mercurials. Nickel is high in the Black River sediments, possi-
bly a result of metal industries upstream. The lead content of the sedi-
ments shows the strong influence of commercial and pleasure boating, being
highest in the marina sediments, next highest in the shipping channel, and
next highest in the west basin which is much more used for pleasure boats
than is the east basin.
The 28 Lake Michigan samples were collected on a 1 mile grid, 5 miles N-S
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Table 2. LAKE MACATAWA SEDIMENT ANALYSIS
(metal concentrations in )Jg per gram of dry sediment)
Region
Outlet to
Lake Michigan
Pine Creek
Black River
West Basin
Marinas
East Basin
Shipping Channel
% Organic
0.33
1.5
2.7
3.8
8.4
10.1
11.7
Hg
0.006
0.016
0.005
0.006
0.008
0.009
0.014
Cr
2
7
15
40
60
81
85
Cu
2
5
15
40
43
68
68
Zn
8
33
61
65
130
180
180
Ni
2
4
21
10
21
52
53
Co
0.5
1
2
4
6
11
12
Ti
12
11
21
25
75
75
82
Pb
1
3
3
14
28
12
21
-13-
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by 6 miles E-W. The center of the grid is a line due west of the
Holland channel. Results of these analyses, given in Table 3, support
the metal-organic relationship observed in Lake Macatawa.
The metal-organic relationships observed here are clearly only first-
order effects which may be perturbed by such factors as nearness to
sources, longshore sediment drift, deep holes which may act as sediment
traps, etc. Further, since the observed percent organic correlates with
the % silt and % clay, one of the latter two may be in fact the key in-
dependent variable.
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Table 3. LAKE MICHIGAN SEDIMENT ANALYSES
(metal concentrations in yg per gram of dry sediment)
miles
offshore
1.2
2.2
3.3
4.3
5.2
6.3
depth
(meters)
16
19
23
38
40
52
Sand
(%)
96.5
96.6
85.5
70.2
17.9
6.7
Silt
(%)
.3
2.0
12.9
25.3
69.0
91.6
Organic
(%)
.30
.33
.76
1.49
2.92
4.75
Hg
0.09
0.10
0.11
0.11
0.16
0.24
Cr
3
5
8
16
34
62
Cu
1
3
3
9
17
38
Zn
9
12
24
81
100
160
Ni
2
4
4
8
8
17
Co
2
3
4
4
7
9
Ti
8
2
20
40
50
70
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SECTION VI
MERCURY IN WATERS AND SUSPENDED SOLIDS
The sediment studies suggested that mercury and other metals tend to be
associated with the fine-sized fraction of the sediments, and thus that
mercury is likely to be transported largely in the suspended load of
rivers. Water samples were collected from the Grand River, which acts
as a receiving body for large quantities of municipal and industrial
wastes, and from Lake Michigan near the mouth of the Grand River. In
one sampling run, 77 samples were collected from various depths at 14
stations in the Grand River and Lake Michigan. The suspended particu-
lates were separated from the water by high-speed centrifugalion, and
mercury in the dissolved and suspended phases was determined. For seven
of the stations the mass of suspended solid was also determined, to per-
mit calculation of the partition factor (Hg in solid/Hg in solution).
A portion of the data is presented in Table 4. Exact locations are
omitted since the discharge of the river may be directed variously, de-
pending on the Lake Michigan currents at the time of sampling. An addi-
tional set of samples, data in Table 5, was collected from the Grand
River upstream from the city of Grand Rapids, and on downstream to the
center of the city.
It is evident that most of the mercury in these waters is associated
with the particulate matter. The suspended solids average about 10 ppm
in mercury, in reasonable agreement with the values found by Cranston
Q
and Buckley in Nova Scotia. This value is considerably higher than any
we have found in bulk sediments of this region, demonstrating the high
adsorption efficiency of the small suspended particles. The partition
ratio tend to be somewhat smaller in the urban river samples; this pro-
bably is due to a difference in the particle size of the suspended
solids resulting from the very high flow of the river at the time of the
sampling.
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Table 4. MERCURY IN SOLUTION AND SUSPENDED SOLIDS
IN THE GRAND RIVER AND LAKE MICHIGAN
Location
1 mi. upstream
from mouth
Mouth
Lake, 1 mi. W.
of mouth
Lake, 2 mi. W.
of mouth
Lake, 7 mi. W.
of mouth
Lake, 5 mi. N.W.
of mouth
Sample
depth
(ft)
0
10
15
0
15
25
0
30
60
0
40
80
0
60
120
195
240
0
45
90
155
Hg
solution
(ppb)
.045
.030
.025
.035
.035
.035
.030
.065
.030
.040
.065
.030
.030
.025
.025
.015
.040
.045
.030
.025
.025
Hg
total
(Ppb)
.170
.170
.170
.195
.315
.095
.095
.120
.060
.100
.120
.060
.090
.065
.080
.045
.120
.100
.070
.045
.055
Susp.
solids,
(mgA)
13.4
14.4
11.6
12.4
6.0
5.6
3.6
2.2
3.2
2.6
2.0
0.8
1.6
1.8
Hg in
dry solids
(ppm)
9
10
12
13
47
10
18
25
9
23
20
70
19
44
Hg(solid)
Hg(solids)
(X10~5)
2
3
5
4
13
3
6
4
3
8
8
28
13
11
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Table 5. MERCURY IN THE GRAND RIVER IN AND
UPSTREAM FROM GRAND RAPIDS
(all samples at 1 meter depth)
Location
piles upstream \
yfrom city center/
0
0.4
1.0
2.0
2.7
5.0
6.0
7.0
Hg
solution
(ppb)
.080
.065
.040
.030
.045
.025
.040
.040
Hg
total
(Ppb)
.395
.335
.105
.110
.230
.105
.150
.090
Susp.
solids
(mg/£)
21.0
13.5
17.5
21.0
23.5
19.5
21.5
5.0
Hg in
dry solids
(ppm)
15
20
4
4
8
4
5
10
Hg(solid)
Hg(sol'n)
(X10~5)
2
3
1
1
2
2
1
2
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SECTION VII
FATE OF MERCURY IN SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANTS
Traces of mercury in consumer goods, together with mercury from hospitals
and laboratories are commonly brought together in treatment plants and
discharged through the outfall. Konrad° has reported concentrations
from 0.6 to 27 ppb in influents, and from 0.5 to 3 ppb in effluents
from 13 plants in Wisconsin. On occasion, the effluent concentration
exceeds the influent concentration. Since an effluent concentration of
1 ppb corresponds to an annual discharge of about 1000 Ib of mercury per
million people served by the plant, it appears that the discharge of
treated sewage adds a considerable mercury loading to the environment
at the point of discharge. Elevated mercury levels in sediments around
an ocean outfall have been reported2.
The flow of mercury through the secondary treatment plants at Holland
and Grand Rapids, Michigan has been studied. Samples were taken from
various points in the plant, with the times adjusted so as to follow a
single water mass. The analytical results and plant operating data are
presented in Table 6.
In the Holland plant, each step in the treatment increased the mercury
content of the effluent. This is a consequence of rather low influent
mercury levels, and high sludge mercury levels. The mercury redistri-
butes from the sludges to the stream. In the Grand Rapids plant some
mercury was removed during secondary treatment.
Some studies of the partitioning of mercury and other elements between
the suspended solids and solution were conducted, similar to those
described in the Grand River. Partitioning ratios, expressed as (M
solid/M solution) were as follows: Na-100, Mg-400, Cr-2000, Ni-4000,
-19-
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Hg-7000, Al-16,000, Cu-17,000, Zn-26,000. The magnitude of these par-
titioning factors indicates that improved removal of these metals from
waste water depends strongly on decreasing the concentration of sus-
spended solids in the effluent.
-21-
-------
SECTION VIII
REFERENCES
1. Klein, D. H. Sources and Present Status of the Mercury Problem.
Hope College. (Presented at Conference on Mercury in the Western
Environment. Portland, Oregon. February 1971.) 19 p.
2. Klein, D. H., and E. D. Goldberg. Mercury in the Marine Environ-
ment. Environ Sci Technol. 4:765-768, September 1970.
3. Determination of Mercury by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometric
Method. Dow Chemical Co. Midland, Mich. Analytical Method
Number CAS-AM-70.13. June 1970. 18 p.
4. Klein, D. H. Mercury and Other Metals in Urban Soils. Environ Sci
Technol. 6:560-562, June 1972.
5. Bertine, K. K., and E. D. Goldberg. Fossil Fuel Combustion and the
Major Sedimentary Cycle. Science. 173:233-235, 16 July 1971.
6. Klein, D. H., and P. Russell. Heavy Metals Fallout Around a Power
Plant. Environ Sci Technol. 7:357-358, April 1973.
7. Kleinert, S. J., and P. E. Degurse. Mercury Levels in Fish from
Selected Wisconsin Waters. Department of Natural Resources.
Madison, Wisconsin. Research Report 73. 1971. 16 p.
8. Konrad, J. G. Mercury Content of Various Bottom Sediments, Sewage
Treatment Plant Effluents and Water Supplies in Wisconsin. Depart-
ment of Natural Resources. Madison, Wisconsin. Research Report
74. 1971. 16 p.
-22-
-------
9. Cranston, R. E., and D. E. Buckley. Mercury Pathways in a River
and Estuary. Environ Sci Technol. 6:274-278, March 1972.
-23-
-------
-------
SELECTED WATER
RESOURCES ABSTRACTS
INPUT TRANSACTION FORM
L Report Vo.
w
MERCURY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Klein, H.
Hope College, Holland Michigan, Chemistry Department
5, Rtport Date
C,
8, Pffformh,,:; Qrgs i
-: No.
16040 FRL
13, Type i J?epe .' and
Period Covered
12.
Environmental Protection Agency Report Number t
EPA-660/2-73-008 December
This report presents the results of studies of dilute discharges of
mercury and some other metals into the characteristically low-metals
environment of western Michigan, together with information on the trans-
port of some of these metals through the environment, and on their sinks
in the sediments. Atmospheric discharge sources include power plants,
airports, asphalt plants, and general urban industrialization. Metals
less volatile than mercury are deposited in surface soils near the point
of discharge, but only a small portion of the mercury is deposited near
the point of discharge. Sewage treatment plants represent a source of
discharge of fairly large amounts of mercury - about 1000 Ib per million
population. This mercury is associated primarily with the suspended
solids. In local lakes and rivers, mercury is also associated primarily
with the suspended solids. In sediments, the concentrations of mercury
and other metals correlate strongly with the organic content and the
fraction of fine particulates.
."7a Descriptors
*Mercury, *Metals, *Water pollution, *Air pollution, *Water pollution
sources, Soil contamination, Sediments, Suspended solids, Path of
pollutants.
*Air pollution sources, southwestern Michigan, lakes and rivers in
Michigan, sewage treatment plants, coal-burning power plants
Q5B
?>,fS, - Set.-irityC!.
' " (Page)
Ann L. Alford
Isr ' H 0f»v -WsiW^" : ,
. ' _ - >%«« "-' .<
Send To:
WATER RESOURCES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION CENTER
US DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WASHINGTON. D C 2O24O
\ SERL, Athens, Georgia 30601
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