Final Report Summary - HG-197 MEHG ASSESS (Evaluation of Methyl-mercury production and decomposition by using Hg-197 radiotracer produced out of mercury enriched in Hg-196 isotope) BackgroundThe project approved proposed the implementation of mercury (Hg) laboratory experiments to study the transformation of inorganic mercury (Hg2+) to organic species, reproducing natural conditions. The main analytical tool proposed was the use of the short lived Hg isotope 197Hg (T? = 64.14 h) in tracing the transformation processes, being this radiotracer produced in the nuclear research reactors of the Joef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia (TRIGA Mark II reactor 250 kW), and Centro Atómico Bariloche, Argentina (RA-6 MTR reactor, 500 kW), which showed an excellent performance in environmental studies developed in previous works.Before the fellowship start, the chance to performed laboratory experiments in Hg retention in flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems in coal power plants using the 197Hg radiotracer came out. The Hg emissions generated in the operation of coal power plants are the main anthropogenic atmospheric source at present, whereas the understanding of the chemical processes undergoing in the Hg retention in the FGD systems are key in the development of efficient retention systems in order to minimise the global Hg gaseous emissions. Therefore, the focus of the work to be developed in the project moved to this topic. Also, experiments in the preservation of Hg in natural waters were performed due to the relevance of this topic in environmental studies and the advantages provided by using the 197Hg radiotracer. Documenti correlati Final Report - HG-197 MEHG ASSESS (Evaluation of Methyl-mercury production and decomposition by using Hg-197 radiotracer produced out of mercury enriched in Hg-196 isotope)
