from Mikhail A. Ilyushchenko,, Vladimir Y. Panichkin, Paul Randall, and Rustam I. Kamberov writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

In 1975, a mercury cell chlor-alkali facility in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan began operations. This facility is located at the Pavlodar Chemical Plant (PCP) and began operations when mercury cell technology was at its peak in the former USSR. For a number of reasons, this plant had the highest rate of mercury use among similar designs (estimated at 1500 g of mercury per ton of caustic soda produced). After the collapse of the USSR in 1992, the facility was shut down. Despite a poor economy, scientists, PCP administrators, local environmental NGOs, regional authorities, and local politicians of Kazakhstan persisted to reduce mercury contamination that was inherited from the former USSR military-industrial establishment. Due to financial support from the European Union (EU) and the United States (i.e. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) as well as contributions from Ukrainian scientists, field research was conducted. This research consisted of comprehensive monitoring of the atmosphere, soils, surface water and groundwater to determine the environmental risks posed by localized mercury 'hotspots' that occurred from mercury cell production losses of about 1310 tons of metallic mercury.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from Irene Wagner-Döbler writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

This review covers approximately the last ten years of research. It is based on appr. 150 publications on mercury remediation in Medline, including 83 citations of our papers from 1999 and 2000 (von Canstein et al., 1999; Wagner-Döbler et al., 2000a). After eliminating citations which were not directly related to the topic, roughly 120 references remained. Completeness is not claimed by this review, and I apologize for work that may have been over-looked or not been thoroughly appreciated. Many reviews on metal or mercury bioremediation have been published during this period and provide additional information (Nascimento and Chartone-Souza, 2003; Doty, 2008; Eapen and D'Souza, 2005; Kramer, 2005; LeDuc and Terry, 2005; Meagher and Heaton, 2005; Miretzky and Cirelli, 2009; Ruiz and Daniell, 2009; Wagner-Dobler, 2003; Nascimento and Chartone-Souza, 2003; Lloyd and Lovley, 2001; Lloyd et al., 2003; Lovley, 2003; Means and Hinchee, 1994; Pan-Hou, 2010).

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from L.D. Lacerda and W.R. Bastos writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

Mercury is an ubiquitously presence in large areas of the Amazon, resultant form the gold rush which occurred in the region during the past century and from emissions of colonial mining operations, which used Hg amalgamation as major mining procedure. High Hg environmental levels are also favored by the capacity of most Amazon soils to accumulate and immobilize atmospheric Hg deposition over millennia. The immobilization of Hg, however, depends on the integrity of the ecosystems functioning, directly influenced by the recent development of the region. The effect of land use change on Hg mobilization from Amazon soils and sediments to the atmosphere and waterways is discussed, based on decadal data on Hg distribution in soil profiles under different land use categories; primary tropical forest, slashed forest prior to burning, silviculture and pastures. Degassing rates from these soils were monitored under different sampling periods, as well as air Hg concentrations over them. Comparisons of the Hg distribution in water, suspended solids and bottom sediments along a 1,600 km stretch of the Madeira River obtained in 5-years interval cruises are also discussed in view of large scale changes in the basin. All the results suggest strong mobilization of deposited Hg, both to the atmosphere and waterways. This process is suggested as responsible for the maintenance of elevated Hg concentrations in top carnivorous fish and riverside human populations reported recently, even after a decade of the cessation of Hg emission from gold mining in the region.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from Johannes Leonhäuser, Harald von Canstein , Wolf-Dieter Deckwer and Irene Wagner-Döbler writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

A plant for BIOlogical MERcury Remediation (BIOMER) based on mercury resistant bacteria was operated for three years at a chlor-alkali factory in technical scale. Here we report on the performance of the plant and on the technical problems that had to be solved until a stable and continuous operation could be guaranteed. One basic improvement was the installation of a pre-treatment unit. Basic process characteristics were determined during long-term operation. The BIOMER plant could treat wastewater with up to 10 mg/L of mercury. The optimal operation temperature was between 25-35°C. A salt concentration of up to 40 g/L of chloride could be tolerated by the microbes, but the fluctuations should be as small as possible. The bioreactor has to be operated at a pH of 7.0 ± 1.0. A space velocity of up to 4 h^-1 could be obtained. The wastewater flow rate should be constant to avoid export of fine particles. Finally a space time yield of 1 kg mercury per day and m³ bed volume corresponding to 100 m³ wastewater per day is possible.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from Pawel Gluszcz, Katarzyna Fürch and Stanislaw Ledakowicz writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

This report is based on all publicly available information sources, technical reports and analyses of international consortia. Its task is to provide up to date data on chlor-alkali plants, in particular those using the mercury cell process, in the most comprehensive way. Except the global analyses of chlor-alkali industry some fundamental knowledge about the mercury (amalgam process) cell technology is provided.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from Irene Wagner-Döbler writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

Mercury toxicity, industrial uses, and current status of bioremediation technologies are highlighted. The various book chapters are then put into a conceptual framework ranging from laboratory research to full scale industrial application.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from Johannes Leonhäuser, Wolf-Dieter Deckwer and Irene Wagner-Döbler writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

A microbiological treatment system comprising three consecutive stages of packed bed bioreactors inoculated with mercury reducing bacteria was operated in laboratory scale. The efficiency of this system for removal of mercury from the following types of industrial wastewater were determined: (1) chlor-alkali electrolysis; (2) gas scrubber solutions from the waste incineration plant TAMARA; (3) gas scrubber solutions from incineration of various types of waste from a chemical factory. The data show that all three types of wastewater could be efficiently cleaned. Factory wastewater with mercury concentrations of up to 460 mg/L had to be diluted to obtain a mercury concentration < 10 mg/L. Treatment efficiency was reduced by chloride concentrations above 39 g/L or toxic compounds, which were present in one of the wastewater batches from the chemical factory. The sandfilter buffered transient changes in the bioreactor efficiency. The activated carbon filter functioned as a polishing step so that effluent concentrations below 50 µg/L could always be maintained. The best and most stable bioreactor performance was obtained for electrolysis wastewater, which has a relatively predictable composition.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications

from Pranvera Lazo and Jaroslav Reif writing in Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications:

North of Vlora in Albania is the site of a former chemical manufacturing complex consisting of a chlor-alkali factory and plants for the production of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) and polyvinylchloride (PVC). The factory closed in 1992 and was completely destroyed during a civil uprising in 1997. It covers an area of approximately 1 km² located directly at the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The major environmental problems are the destroyed mercury cells of the chlor-alkali electrolysis plant, the waste-water which has been discharged into the Bay of Vlora without treatment in the past, and the sludge from the former production processes which was dumped in the area between the plant and the Bay. Hydrological, geochemical and geophysical investigations showed that mercury concentrations in ambient air exceeded the emission limit of 50 ng m^-3 in about 40% of measurements; the maximum was reached with 50 µg m^-3. The soils were found to be contaminated only within the unsaturated zone. Here the maximum mercury concentration was greater than 20,000 mg kg^-1. The mercury distribution in marine deposits of the Adriatic Sea did not indicate any influence of the discharged waste water. A significant contamination hot spot was the electrolysis building. Here, mercury concentration was higher than 60,000 mg kg^-1. Most of the mercury was present in elemental form. Therefore the impact of mercury pollution in the Bay of Vlora on humans and indicator organisms was small.

Further reading: Bioremediation of Mercury: Current Research and Industrial Applications