Time variations of gaseous and reactive mercury in the industrial area of Puertollano (south-central Spain). Temporal cycles with marked variations

摘要

Puertollano (48,086 inhabitants) is the largest industrial city in the Castilla-La Mancha region (South Central Spain). The city is located some 250 km South of Madrid; it was an important coal mining site during the last century and today it is the location of one of the most important Spanish oil refineries and the only refinery located away from the coast. Nowadays the area (which mainly includes the Ojailen valley) has a large open pit coal mine (Encasur), two power plants (Eon and Elcogas) and a petrochemical complex (Repsol) located S and SE from the town. These industries give rise to a complex scenario in terms of mercury emissions to the atmosphere: Repsol, Elcogas and Eon act as discrete sources, while coal mine and dumps acts as a general, diffuse source.