article thumbnail

Nations agree on global, legally binding treaty on mercury emissions: Minamata Convention on Mercury

Green Car Congress

At the conclusion of the International Negotiating Committee on Mercury ( INC5 ) meeting in Geneva ( earlier post ), nations agreed on a global, legally-binding treaty to prevent mercury emissions and releases. The scope of the new treaty which puts in controls and also reduction measures in respect to mercury is as follows: Products.

Mercury 250
article thumbnail

EPA issues first National Standards for mercury and air toxics pollution from power plants

Green Car Congress

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), the first national standards for power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollutants (also known as hazardous air pollutants, HAPs) such as arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide.

Mercury 199
article thumbnail

Final session on international mercury convention this week expected to culminate in agreement; UNEP Global Mercury Assessment 2013 finds industrial source Hg emissions may be rising

Green Car Congress

The fifth and final session of negotiations on the establishment of an international mercury convention—International Negotiating Committee on Mercury (INC5)—is taking place this coming week in Geneva. UNEP produced its first Global Mercury Assessment in 2002 and a subsequent study in 2007.

Mercury 262
article thumbnail

EPA proposing mercury rule for taconite iron ore processing plants

Green Car Congress

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing amendments to the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for taconite iron ore processing plants that include new emission standards for mercury as well as revising the existing emission standards for hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride.

Mercury 199
article thumbnail

Exposure to airborne metal pollution associated with increased risk of mortality

Green Car Congress

Although there is ample evidence that air pollution—specifically airborne. A European study has used wild moss samples to estimate human exposure to airborne metal particles in order to analyze the relationship between atmospheric metal pollution and risk of mortality.

Pollution 236
article thumbnail

QUILL researchers showcasing ionic liquid-based processes for removing mercury from natural gas, capturing CO2

Green Car Congress

Researchers from QUILL —the Queen’s University (Belfast) Ionic Liquid Laboratories—will display a novel process for removing toxic mercury from natural gas using ionic liquids at the Royal Society’s Summer Science Exhibition. So where there are 300 conventional molecular solvents, there are over a trillion available ionic liquids.

Mercury 210
article thumbnail

EEA says industrial air pollution cost Europe up to €169 billion in 2009; some 37% attributed to CO2

Green Car Congress

Aggregated damage costs by pollutant. Air pollution from the 10,000 largest polluting facilities in Europe cost citizens between €102–169 billion (US$135–224 billion) in 2009, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) which analyzed the costs of harm to health and the environment caused by air pollution.

Pollution 268