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Download fileMercury Export from Mainland China to Adjacent Seas and Its Influence on the Marine Mercury Balance
journal contribution
posted on 2016-05-31, 00:00 authored by Maodian Liu, Long Chen, Xuejun Wang, Wei Zhang, Yindong Tong, Langbo Ou, Han Xie, Huizhong Shen, Xuejie Ye, Chunyan Deng, Huanhuan WangExports from mainland China are a
significant source of mercury
(Hg) in the adjacent seas (Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea,
and South China Sea) near China. A total of 240 ± 23 Mg was contributed
in 2012 (30% from natural sources and 70% from anthropogenic sources),
including Hg from rivers, industrial wastewater, domestic sewage,
groundwater, nonpoint sources, and coastal erosion. Among the various
sources, the Hg from rivers amounts to 160 ± 21 Mg and plays
a dominant role. The Hg that is exported from mainland China increased
from 1984 to 2013; the contributions from rivers, industrial wastewater,
domestic sewage and groundwater increased, and the contributions from
nonpoint sources and coastal erosion remained stable. A box model
is constructed to simulate the mass balance of Hg in these seas and
quantify the sources, sinks and Hg biogeochemical cycle in the seas.
In total, 160 Mg of Hg was transported to the Pacific Ocean and other
oceans from these seas through oceanic currents in 2012, which could
have negative impacts on the marine ecosystem. A prediction of the
changes in Hg exportation through 2030 shows that the impacts of terrestrial
export might worsen without effective pollution reduction measures
and that the Hg load in these seas will increase, especially in the
seawater of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea and in the
sea margin sediments of the Bohai Sea and East China Sea.