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Quantification of total mercury discharges from publicly owned treatment works to Wisconsin surface waters
Author(s) -
Mugan Thomas J.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
water environment research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.356
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1554-7531
pISSN - 1061-4303
DOI - 10.2175/106143096x127668
Subject(s) - mercury (programming language) , effluent , wastewater , environmental science , sewage treatment , waste management , environmental chemistry , environmental engineering , chemistry , engineering , computer science , programming language
Testing of mercury levels in both raw and treated wastewater at publicly owned treatment works in the past has frequently detected concentrations just above the common lower limit of detection of 0.2 μ g/L. In recent years those results have been questioned. This paper assembles and summarizes results of recent tests, conducted using more sensitive laboratory methods. The data indicate that although influent levels compare reasonably well with past data, effluent levels are much lower than previously thought. Further, this new information shows that a large percentage of the incoming mercury becomes associated with the wastewater solids during the treatment process. Much research effort has been expended on the behavior of mercury in natural waters, and this knowledge can be applied to the wastewater field. However, the mechanisms for removal of mercury from the waste stream are not completely understood. Additional study is needed to determine the forms mercury takes during the treatment process and which factors may affect its removal.