A decade of Sino-Norwegian collaboration on mercury pollution Thorjørn Larssen

Transcription

1 A decade of Sino-Norwegian collaboration on mercury pollution Thorjørn Larssen Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo 1

2 Outline Why mercury pollution in China matters Our story: the SINOMER project Scientific highlights Highlights from the collaboration Other NIVA activities in China 2

3 Mercury in China A complex and multifaceted issue Emissions to the atmosphere Releases to water and soil Contaminated sites Mercury containing waste Intentional use in products and processes Impacts on environment and health Complex policy and management options 3

4 Significance of Chinese mercury emissions From The Global Mercury Assessment, UNEP, 2013 From The Global Atmospheric Mercury Assessment, UNEP,

5 Mercury emissions and use in China 5

6 Sino-Norwegian collaboration on mercury since 2006: SINOMER Partners: Foreign Economic Cooperation office of MEP Tsinghua University Institute of Geochemistry, CAS Chinese Research Academy of Environ. Sciences Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning Renmin University China Chemical Industry Association China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association Norwegian Environment Agency Norwegian Institute for Water Research Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo 6

7 The (slow) start Inspired by the acid rain cooperation Scientific contacts from the acid rain cooperation and the international mercury conferences Very small scientific community on mercury in the environment in China No attention to mercury pollution in the Chinese environmental authorities 7

8 International pressure gave opportunities Increasing international pressure on China to deal with mercury pollution Norway and Switzerland proposed a global treaty on mercury through UNEP in 2003 Thorjørn Larssen

9 The Minamata Convention on Mercury «a global legally binding instrument on mercury» Photo: Eugene Smith Photo: Eugene Smith Thorjørn Larssen

10 China became an active part in the Convention development Increasing awareness in China on the need for research, knowledge, data, capacity building Norway s commitment to develop the Convention gave funding opportunities Capacity building, research and policy development moved forward in parallel 10

11 Scientific highlights Key mercury emission sources Mercury waste streams (processes and products) Magnitude of the mercury contaminated sites Impacts on environment and human health Uncertainties and knowledge gaps 11

12 Hg contaminated sites from Hg production 12

13 Human Exposure Daily intake of total mercury (inorganic and methylmercury) Daily intake of methylmercury Thorjorn Larssen Zhang et al., Environ Health Persp.

14 Intentional use of Hg VCM catalyst Batteries Sphygmomanometers Thermometers Yan Lin et al., in prep. 14

15 Summary - key aspects of mercury pollution in China Emissions of mercury to the atmosphere Mercury contaminated sites Mercury containing waste Intentional use Releases to water and soil Impacts, environment and health Policy and management options 15

16 Experiences and observations Gradual shift in cooperation from one way capacity building to two way collaboration Long term cooperation makes it easier Our scientific quality increasingly important for interest to cooperate 16

17 Other NIVA activities in China 17

18 NIVA projects in China Local water management in Xining, Qinghai province Environmental surveillance and information management in Heilongjiang province Lake restoration in Inner Mongolia Environmental information management in Beijing Waste water treatment innovation Environmental policy Environmental policy capacity building Climate change and nitrogen Environmental surveillance and information management in Yantai River rehabilitation in Shanghai Wastewater management in Jiaxing Mercury pollution in Guizhou province Acid rain monitoring in south and southwestern China Thorjørn Larssen Persistant Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Chongqing Climate change and contaminants 9. september

19 NIVA in two new collaborative research centres Centre for Marine and Coastal Research International Institute for Environmental Studies East China Normal University Richard Bellerby from NIVA Centre Director, full time in Shanghai from Aug Initiated by Nanjing University and Trent University (Canada) 15 members from Asia, Europe and N-America Official opening Oct Thorjørn Larssen 9. september

20 Thorjørn Larssen