West European Chlor-alkali mercury emissions and waste management

摘要

The West European chlor-alkali industry has made huge progress in the reduction of mercury emissions, resulting from a wide experience exchange between companies. In 1995, those emissions represented about 3 pencent of the total anthropogenic European emissions. Our industry also participated to risk assessment and environmental impact studies showing the low local influence of their mercury emissions. According to the type of contamination in the solid waste, the concentrations and the final allowed disposal, several techniques are operated to reduce the mercury level and/or its mobility. In case of definitive shut-down of a plant, the waste produced and the possible treatments/ disposals are of the same types, but the quantities are much higher. The mercury recovered from the equipments is sold back to the Almaden mine, to replace fresh mining. For the dismantling and decontamination of the installation, a detailed project has to be defined with the authorities. The industrial soil can be contaminated by historical mercury spills; a risk assessment has to be realised, based on the characterisation of the contamination, and can lead to a monitoring and, if appropriate, an adapted remediation treatment.