Mercury Contamination from Metal Scrap Processing Facilities - A Study by Ohio EPA

摘要

Mercury is a pollutant that causes great concern to regulators in the nation, and especially to the states that are located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States. Mercury is considered a significant environmental problem due to its ability to bioaccumulate in the aquatic food chain, and eventually affect human health. Mercury is released into the atmosphere by natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Some of the anthropogenic sources include coal-fired utility plants and other industrial processes. In Ohio, we have taken a proactive approach to identify some of the other sources that emit mercury into the atmosphere. Routine emission testing in mid-1999 showed that steel scrap processing facilities could be fairly large sources of mercury emissions. Following this finding, Ohio EPA sent out a survey to all facilities that melt or otherwise process scrap metal to determine the possible extent of mercury emissions caused by scrap processing/melting facilities. After analyzing the results of the survey, Ohio EPA has required certain facilities to conduct tests for mercury emissions. This paper outlines the methodology implemented by Ohio EPA to identify these possible sources of mercury emissions in Ohio.