Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-252
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-252
26 Jul 2024
 | 26 Jul 2024
Status: this preprint is currently under review for the journal ESSD.

Integrating Point Sources to Map Anthropogenic Atmospheric Mercury Emissions in China, 1978–2021

Yuying Cui, Qingru Wu, Shuxiao Wang, Kaiyun Liu, Shengyue Li, Zhezhe Shi, Daiwei Ouyang, Zhongyan Li, Qinqin Chen, Changwei Lü, Fei Xie, Yi Tang, Yan Wang, and Jiming Hao

Abstract. Mercury emissions from human activities persist in the environment, posing risks to humans and ecosystem, and are regulated by the Minamata Convention. Understanding the historical emissions of mercury is critical for explaining the presence of mercury in the environment. In recent years, some studies have looked at the historical trends of atmospheric emission inventory. The spatial resolution of inventories for relatively recent years have improved. However, limited inventories have combined both long time scales and high spatial resolution, which is essential for evaluating the legacy impacts of anthropogenic mercury emissions, particularly in regions with high levels of mercury emissions. Here we compile a new comprehensive point source database by fusing multiple data source, and integrate it with previous China Atmospheric Mercury Emission Model to create an annual point source and gridded emission inventory for China covering 1978–2021. Integrating point source emission inventory (P-CAME) improves the accuracy of the gridded emissions, reducing the normalized mean error for all grids by 108 % compared to not using point sources in the most recent year of 2021. The improved gridded emissions inventory notably enhances the simulation of atmospheric mercury concentrations, particularly in urban areas. P-CAME inventory resulted in a 20–23 % reduction in the normalized mean bias. The improved gridded emission data identifies potential polluted grids characterized by high cumulative emissions. It indicates that 20 % of cumulative emissions originate from just 0.3 % of the grids, primarily distributed in Gansu, Yunnan, and Hunan Provinces. These areas are predominantly dominated by non-ferrous metal smelters or a mix of emissions sources including coal-fired industries and cement production. With the improvements in simulation accuracy and the identification of highly polluted regions, this updated inventory would greatly facilitate the assessment of mercury exposure, legacy impacts, and effective management of cross-media mercury pollution.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Yuying Cui, Qingru Wu, Shuxiao Wang, Kaiyun Liu, Shengyue Li, Zhezhe Shi, Daiwei Ouyang, Zhongyan Li, Qinqin Chen, Changwei Lü, Fei Xie, Yi Tang, Yan Wang, and Jiming Hao

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on essd-2024-252', Anonymous Referee #1, 28 Sep 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on essd-2024-252', Anonymous Referee #2, 02 Oct 2024
Yuying Cui, Qingru Wu, Shuxiao Wang, Kaiyun Liu, Shengyue Li, Zhezhe Shi, Daiwei Ouyang, Zhongyan Li, Qinqin Chen, Changwei Lü, Fei Xie, Yi Tang, Yan Wang, and Jiming Hao
Yuying Cui, Qingru Wu, Shuxiao Wang, Kaiyun Liu, Shengyue Li, Zhezhe Shi, Daiwei Ouyang, Zhongyan Li, Qinqin Chen, Changwei Lü, Fei Xie, Yi Tang, Yan Wang, and Jiming Hao

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Short summary
A comprehensive emission inventory has been developed at a resolution of 0.25°×0.3125° for total mercury (HgT) and each mercury species, namely gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0), gaseous oxidized mercury (HgII), and particulate-bound mercury (HgP). The inventory stems from the Point-source Integrated China Atmospheric Mercury Emission Model, ensuring both temporal and spatial coherence.
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