[Estimate the mercury emissions from non-coal sources in China]

Based on the activity level and emission factors, we estimated the provincial mercury emissions from non-coal sources during the period of 1995 -2003 in China. In the year of 2003, non-coal mercury emissions in China reached 393 tonnes, which was 137 tonnes more than the emissions from coal combustion. Approximately 84 % of the non-coal mercury emissions came from nonferrous metals smelting. The zinc production, lead production, copper production and gold production contributed respectively 51%, 18%, 4% and 11% of total non-coal mercury emissions. The shares of elemental mercury (Hg0), oxidized mercury (Hg2+ ) and particulate mercury (HgP) were 77 % , 18 % and 5 % , respectively. The mercury emissions from non-coal sources in provinces including Hunan, Henan and Yunnan exceeded 30 t x a(-1). The emission intensity of Shanghai, Hunan, Henan and Liaoning exceeded 100 g x (km(2)xa)(-1). Main emission sources in these provinces are nonferrous metals smelting and household waste burning. Mercury emissions from non-coal sources in China increased averagely 9 percent from 1995 to 2003, and the household waste burning increased extremely fast, with an average increase rate of 42 percent.