South African Mercury Assessment (SAMA) Programme: Mercury Pollution in South Africa October 2007

Slide 2 © CSIR SAMA Timeline Mar 2006: Launch of South African Mercury Assessment (SAMA) Programme by CSIR, DEAT, DWAF, SASOL, ESKOM, Groundwork NGO, University of Stellenbosch, University of Witwatersrand  University of Connecticut Jun 2007: Developed Framework for Hg Research in SA Apr 2006: First Sampling of Hg Levels in SAn Water Resources Jul 2007: Purchase of Tekran Hg Instrument – throughout SA Jul/Aug 2007: National Survey of Hg in SAn Water Resources Oct 2007: Plans Approved for Development of Hg Reference Laboratory

Slide 3 © CSIR SAMA Programme: Key Objectives Regulatory framework Analytical methods Source, fate, transport & speciation Impacts (ecological and human health)

Slide 4 © CSIR SAMA Programme: Key Objectives Development of a revised South African regulatory framework will be supported, that is: a. informed by good science & good governance, and b. integrated with other SAMA research focus areas. The framework may include:  a policy that guides informed decision making,  a practical strategy that implements the policy, and  practical management tools (e.g. guidelines, decision- support software) to implement the strategy. Regulatory framework

Slide 5 © CSIR SAMA Programme: Key Objectives The need for an accredited reference laboratory will also be assessed. Such a laboratory could be used to:  validate critical research data,  facilitate inter-laboratory comparisons, and  ensure South Africa remains abreast of new global trends in analytical techniques. Analytical methods

Slide 6 © CSIR SAMA Programme: Key Objectives Research is necessary to better understand and quantify where mercury originates, and how it changes in form and is transported through the environment in southern Africa. We will consider:  Establishing a national mercury monitoring programme (air, water, leachates, sediments, biota);  Establishing a national inventory of mercury sources (nature of the data required, explicit on assumptions made); and  Advocating use of cleaner technology options, as alternatives to fossil fuel combustion / waste incineration. Source, fate, transport & speciation

Slide 7 © CSIR SAMA Programme: Key Objectives A risk assessment approach will be taken to characterize the impacts of mercury on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Consider:  Providing guidance on the phasing out of mercury- containing measuring devices by promoting the use of anaerobic electronic measuring devices.  Providing guidance on the safe collection and long term recycling/disposal of mercury-containing measuring devices. Impacts (ecological and human health)

Slide 8 © CSIR Current Research & Partnerships Inventory  Coal Combustion (Coal Fired Power Plants)  Waste Incineration  Cement Production Hg in Ecosystems (CSIR/Univ of Connecticut)  National Survey of Hg (Air, Water, Sediment, Biota)  GIS maps of South Africa: Hg “hotspots”, based on air quality guidelines and data obtained  Interactive Multi-Media Tool (MERIECO Model): linking ecosystems and anthropogenic Hg sources Hg Scenarios (CSIR/NILU)  Assess Current and Future Emissions of Hg from Anthropogenic Sources in South Africa Mercury (Scenarios)

Slide 9 © CSIR Current Research & Partnerships Hg in Waste  Investigate potential for Hg entering general waste landfills (household waste, etc.);  Develop a database on trade of Hg and Hg-containing materials in South Africa;  Characterise Hg in waste. Hg Biosensors / Chemosensors  Develop and construct micro, low cost disposable sensors to measure Hg pollution in water resources (ppm or ppb levels) Hg Indicators: Use of Lichens  Foliose lichens: good matrix for airborne Hg  absorb nutrients exclusively from air / rainwater and their metabolism is not linked to tree’s growth

Slide 10 © CSIR Major Urban Areas, Cement Production Units & Coal-Fired Power Stations

Slide 11 © CSIR Hg Inventory Important Variables Coal consumption (i.e tonnes per year) Mercury concentration in coal Emission reduction devices Electrostatic precipitators (ESP) Fabric Filter bags (FF) Flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) Coal washing Mercury speciation - Hg0, Hg2+ & Hgp

Slide 12 © CSIR Coal Consumption in South Africa

Slide 13 © CSIR Inventory: Supplying Coal Mine & Estimates of Coal Consumption (Mtonnes/yr) for South Africa’s Coal-Fired Power Stations Power StationCoal MineWMA Coal Consumption Matimba (ESP) Grootgeluk1. Limpopo 17.4 Matla (ESP + FGD) Matla4. Olifants 15.5 Duvha (FGD) Middleburg4. Olifants 8.4 Kendal (ESP + FGD) Khutala4. Olifants 15.1 Kriel (ESP + FGD) Kriel4. Olifants 11.1 Arnot (FF) Arnot4. Olifants 6.0 Hendrina (FF) Optimum4. Olifants 6.5 Lethabo (ESP + FGD) New Vaal8. Upper Vaal 17.3 Majuba (FF) Various8. Upper Vaal 10.0 Tutuka (ESP) NDenmark8. Upper Vaal 4.9 Camden Mothballed8. Upper Vaal - Grootvlei Mothballed8. Upper Vaal - Komati Mothballed4. Olifants - Total112.3

Slide 14 © CSIR Atmospheric Hg emissions from coal-fired power stations in relation to population density

Slide 15 © CSIR Cement Production, Milling and Blending Facilities in South Africa (adapted from DME, 2005). Cement Production UnitOwned byWater Management Area SlurryPPC Cement 3. Crocodile (West) and Marico LichtenburgLafarge SA 3. Crocodile (West) and Marico DudfieldHolcim 3. Crocodile (West) and Marico DwaalboomPPC Cement 3. Crocodile (West) and Marico HerculesPPC Cement 4. Olifants UlcoHolcim10. Lower Vaal SimumaNatal Portland Cement11. Mvoti to Umzimkulu Port ElizabethPPC Cement15. Fish to Tsitsikamma De HoekPPC Cement19. Berg RiebeeckPPC Cement19. Berg

Slide 16 © CSIR Current Research Croc (West) & Marico Berg Upper Vaal Olifants

Slide 17 © CSIR Research Needs Estimates of Hg Emissions from Coal Combustion:  Measured data of the Hg concentrations in coals combusted at each power plant;  Measured data on the influence of emission control devices on Hg reductions;  Measured data on the species composition of Hg emitted from power plants. Synthetic Fuel Production from Coal:  Research on the fate of Hg during the Fischer-Tropsch process (production of synthetic fuels) is required as it may be an important source of Hg to the environment.  Process is 2 nd largest “consumer” of coal in South Africa. Hg in Waste:  Understand potential for Hg to enter general waste landfills;  Characterise Hg in waste;  Develop guidelines on Hg waste management & remediation.

Slide 18 © CSIR Use of Lichens as Hg Bio-Indicators Foliose lichens: good matrix for airborne Hg  absorb nutrients exclusively from air / rainwater and their metabolism is not linked to tree growth Initial results in South Africa shows Hg levels to be ~200 ug/kg. Lichen harvested in remote areas in Slovenia ~100 ug/kg (Horvat, 2000).

Slide 19 © CSIR Application of Monitoring Network Current research can form a sound basis for the design, testing and application of new methods for monitoring and predicting the impacts of Hg air pollution on ecosystems and human health in South and southern Africa. In turn, the outputs of this study can be used as a basis for developing effective Hg policies and advisories in South and southern Africa (to direct management actions that may affect human health).