| Title | Atmospheric mercury pollution caused by fluorescent lamp manufacturing and the associated human health risk in a large industrial and commercial city |
| Authors | Luo, Qing Ren, Yuxuan Sun, Zehang Li, Yu Li, Bing Yang, Sen Zhang, Wanpeng Hu, Yuanan Cheng, Hefa |
| Affiliation | Peking Univ, Coll Urban & Environm Sci, MOE Key Lab Earth Surface Proc, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China Chinese Acad Sci, Guangzhou Inst Geochem, State Key Lab Organ Geochem, Guangzhou 510640, Peoples R China China Univ Geosci Beijing, Sch Water Resources & Environm, MOE Lab Groundwater Circulat & Evolut, Beijing 100083, Peoples R China |
| Keywords | PEARL RIVER DELTA COASTAL CITY CHINA SPECIATION EMISSION ABSORPTION PATHWAYS STATION REGION VAPOR |
| Issue Date | 15-Jan-2021 |
| Publisher | ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION |
| Abstract | Although already eliminated in most industrial processes, mercury, as an essential ingredient in all energy-efficient lighting technologies, is still used in fluorescent lamp manufacturing. This study was conducted to investigate the atmospheric pollution caused by fluorescent lamp production and assess the associated public health risk in a large industrial and commercial city of south China, Zhongshan, which is a major production hub of lighting products. Concentrations of total gaseous mercury (TGM) in the atmosphere were measured over a total of 342 sites in the industrial, commercial, and residential areas. The average levels of TGM in the industrial, commercial, and residential areas prior to the landing of a typhoon were 12 +/- 11, 3.6 +/- 2.1, and 2.7 +/- 1.3 ng.m(-3), respectively. TGM concentrations in the industrial areas exhibited significant diurnal variation, with levels in the working hours being much higher than those in the non-working hours, which indicates that the high atmospheric mercury concentrations were contributed by local emissions, instead of regional transport. Most fluorescent lamp manufacturing activities in the city were shut down during a typhoon event, which resulted in a significant reduction in the average TGM level (down to 1.6 +/- 1.8 ng.m(-3)) and rendered the difference in the average TGM levels in the industrial areas no longer significant between the working and non-working hours. Elevated TGM levels (up to 49 ng.m(-3)) were found near clusters of small-scale fluorescent lamp workshops in both industrial and commercial areas, which is indicative of significant emissions of mercury vapor resulting from obsolete equipment and production technologies. No significant non-carcinogenic risk was found for the general residents in the sampling area over the study period, while the risk for the workers in the fluorescent lamp manufacturing facilities and workshops could be higher. These findings indicate that fluorescent lamp manufacturing in the developing countries is a major source of atmospheric mercury. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
| URI | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/621877 |
| ISSN | 0269-7491 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116146 |
| Indexed | SCI(E) |
| Appears in Collections: | 城市与环境学院 地表过程分析与模拟教育部重点实验室 |
