Mohapatra Satya P, Nikolova Iana, Mitchell Anne
Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, 130 Spadina Avenue #305, Toronto, Canada M5V 2L4.
J Environ Manage. 2007 Apr;83(1):80-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2006.01.015. Epub 2006 May 15.
Mercury, a toxic metal known to have several deleterious affects on human health, has been one of the principal contaminants of concern in the Great Lakes basin. There are numerous anthropogenic sources of mercury to the Great Lakes area. Combustion of coal, smelting of non ferrous metals, and incineration of municipal and medical waste are major sources of mercury emissions in the region. In addition to North American anthropogenic emissions, global atmospheric emissions also significantly contribute to the deposition of mercury in the Great Lakes basin. Both the USA and Canada have agreed to reduce human exposure to mercury in the Great Lakes basin and have significantly curtailed mercury load to this region through individual and joint efforts. However, many important mercury sources, such as coal-fired power plants, still exist in the vicinity of the Great Lakes. More serious actions to drastically reduce mercury sources by employing alternative energy sources, restricting mercury trade and banning various mercury containing consumer products, such as dental amalgam are as essential as cleaning up the historical deposits of mercury in the basin. A strong political will and mass momentum are crucial for efficient mercury management. International cooperation is equally important. In the present paper, we have analyzed existing policies in respective jurisdictions to reduce mercury concentration in the Great Lakes environment. A brief review of the sources, occurrence in the Great Lakes, and the health effects of mercury is also included.
汞是一种已知对人体健康有多种有害影响的有毒金属，一直是五大湖流域主要关注的污染物之一。五大湖地区有众多人为汞源。煤炭燃烧、有色金属冶炼以及城市和医疗废物焚烧是该地区汞排放的主要来源。除北美人为排放外，全球大气排放也对五大湖流域的汞沉积有显著贡献。美国和加拿大都已同意减少五大湖流域人类接触汞的机会，并通过各自及共同努力大幅减少了该地区的汞负荷。然而，许多重要的汞源，如燃煤发电厂，仍存在于五大湖附近。通过采用替代能源、限制汞贸易以及禁止各种含汞消费品（如牙科汞合金）等更严厉的行动来大幅减少汞源，与清理流域内汞的历史沉积物同样重要。强大的政治意愿和群众动力对于有效管理汞至关重要。国际合作同样重要。在本文中，我们分析了各辖区为降低五大湖环境中汞浓度而制定的现有政策。还简要回顾了汞的来源、在五大湖中的存在情况以及汞对健康的影响。
