Mercury losses from the chlor-alkali industry in 2014
Data are available on ODIMS via: https://odims.ospar.org/documents/129
Introduction
Under the former 1974 Convention for the prevention of marine pollution from land-based sources (the “Paris Convention”) the following Decisions and Recommendations were adopted to address mercury discharges, emissions and losses from the chlor-alkali industry:
PARCOM Decision 80/2 on Limit Values for Mercury Emissions in Water from Existing and New Brine Recirculation Chlor-alkali Plants (exit of the purification plant);
PARCOM Decision 81/1on Limit Values for Existing Brine Recirculation Chlor-Alkali Plants (exit of the factory site);
PARCOM Decision 81/2 on Limit Values for Existing Waste Brine Chlor-Alkali Plants;
PARCOM Decision 82/1 on New Chlor-Alkali Plants Using Mercury Cells;
Full Report
PARCOM Recommendation 85/1 on Limit Values for Mercury Emissions in Water from Existing Brine Recirculation Chlor-Alkali Plants (exit of factory site);
PARCOM Decision 90/3 on Reducing Atmospheric Emissions from Existing Chlor-Alkali Plants.
Decisions and Recommendations listed above continue to be applicable under the 1992 Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the “OSPAR Convention”), which replaces the Paris Convention and establishes the OSPAR Commission.
In 1983, Contracting Parties to the former Paris Convention initiated annual reporting of mercury discharges, emissions and losses from their national chlor-alkali industry. Over time, reporting requirements and formats have been regularly reviewed and up-dated in the light of the ongoing work under the Commission as regards the chlor-alkali industry. With a view to harmonising the way in which data and information are being established and reported, the OSPAR Commission adopted in 2003 the current reporting formats and procedures (OSPAR Agreement number 2003-5) which set out the requirements for data and information to be provided via Euro Chlor. Annual data on discharges, emissions and losses of mercury from each plant operating within OSPAR Contracting Parties are reported to the OSPAR Secretariat, which, following a check and validation by Contracting Parties, compiles these technical data in form of this report.
Following examination by the OSPAR Committee with responsibility for hazardous substances, the data are published by the OSPAR Commission in form of Annual Reports on Mercury Losses from the Chlor-alkali Industry. This report series comprises yearly data series from 1982. The data are assessed by an Expert Assessment Panel every two years.
OSPAR acknowledges the assistance of Euro Chlor in assembling the information and appreciates the efforts made by Euro Chlor to provide all requested information on a plant-by-plant basis and recommends continuing this procedure in future.
This report continues the series of annual reports on discharges, emissions and losses of mercury by all routes from mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants. The report presents the 2014 data on production capacities, atmospheric emissions of mercury, and the amount of mercury in safely deposited wastes.
Location and status of mercury-based chlor-alkali plants in the OSPAR Maritime Area in 2014. Available via https://odims.ospar.org/layers/geonode:ospar_chlor_alkali_data_2014_01_001