HISTORY OF MERCURY USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · Environmental Pollution

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.09.009· OSTI ID:1003752

Brooks, Scott C ^[1]; Southworth, George R ^[1]

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1. ORNL

Between 1950 and 1963 approximately 11 million kilograms of mercury (Hg) were used at the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12 NSC) for lithium isotope separation processes. About 3% of the Hg was lost to the air, soil and rock under facilities, and East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC) which originates in the plant site. Smaller amounts of Hg were used at other Oak Ridge facilities with similar results. Although the primary Hg discharges from Y-12 NSC stopped in 1963, small amounts of Hg continue to be released into the creek from point sources and diffuse contaminated soil and groundwater sources within Y-12 NSC. Mercury concentration in EFPC has decreased 85% from not, vert, similar2000 ng/L in the 1980s. In general, methylmercury concentrations in water and in fish have not declined in response to improvements in water quality and exhibit trends of increasing concentration in some cases.Mercury discharges from an industrial plant have created a legacy contamination problem exhibiting complex and at times counter-intuitive patterns in Hg cycling.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1003752
• Journal Information: Environmental Pollution, Journal Name: Environmental Pollution Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 159; ISSN 0269-7491
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
CONTAMINATION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
LITHIUM ISOTOPES
MERCURY
METHYLMERCURY
NATIONAL SECURITY
POINT SOURCES
POPLARS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOILS
STREAMS
WATER
WATER QUALITY