Updated\nEmission Inventories for Speciated Atmospheric\nMercury from Anthropogenic Sources in China

Abstract

China is the largest contributor\nto global atmospheric mercury\n(Hg), and accurate emission inventories in China are needed to reduce\nlarge gaps existing in global Hg mass balance estimates and assess\nHg effects on various ecosystems. The China Atmospheric Mercury Emission\n(CAME) model was developed in this study using probabilistic emission\nfactors generated from abundant on-site measurements and literature\ndata. Using this model, total anthropogenic Hg emissions were estimated\nto be continuously increasing from 356 t in 2000 to 538 t in 2010\nwith an average annual increase rate of 4.2%. Industrial coal combustion,\ncoal-fired power plants, nonferrous metal smelting, and cement production\nwere identified to be the dominant Hg emission sources in China. The\nten largest contributing provinces accounted for nearly 60% of the\ntotal Hg emissions in 2010. Speciated Hg emission inventory was developed\nover China with a grid-resolution of 36 × 36 km, providing needed\nemission fields for Hg transport models. In this new inventory, the\nsectoral Hg speciation profiles were significantly improved based\non the latest data from field measurements and more detailed technology\ncategorization. The overall uncertainties of the newly developed inventory\nwere estimated to be in the range of −20% to +23%.