Introduction to terms relevant to discussion of

mercury storage and disposal

Sven HagemannGRS

Asia Pacific (AP) Regional Mercury Storage ProjectExecutive Committee (Execom) Meeting

29-30 July 2011, Surabaya, Indonesia

Goal of the “Introduction to Terms”

Describe terms and concepts used in the discussion of storage and disposal of mercury and mercury waste

• Identify terms currently in use• Describe and explain terms and underlying concepts based on

current practices or how the term is commonly used.• List definitions, where available, from the Basel Convention

The “Introduction to Terms” is for background information only.Descriptions and definitions shall not pre-empt discussion at INCNevertheless, the glossary may serve as a basis to start with

Methodology

1. List relevant terms. Sources: UNEP studies, reports and documents presented at or prepared for mercury OEWG 1,

OEWG 2, PREP-INC, INC-1, INC-2, UNEP Governing Council 24th and 25th sessions Basel Convention, decisions and (draft) Technical Guidelines Other relevant literature

2. Group similar and synonymous terms

3. Describe terms and concepts as they are currently used (independent of their legal relevance, consistency or compatibility)

4. Mention definitions from the Basel Convention or its Technical Guidelines, where availab

5. Definitions• Definitions were taken from existing conventions (Basel, Stockholm, Rotterdam, Montreal) as

appropriate

• Otherwise, proposals presented on the basis of other sources (national/regional legislation, relevant literature) or combination thereof

• Descriptions and explanations were added if definitions seemed to leave room for interpretation

• Proposal made which term or terms could be further used and which terms could be avoided

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1 Introduction to terms and concepts

1.1 Mercury

Mercury is a chemical element, naturally occurring in

nature in the form of mercury ores like cinnabar, but

sometimes is also a minor component of other natural

resources like metal ores (e.g. gold, zinc, copper) or natural

gas. Mercury has been in use for over two thousand years,

either as elemental mercury or as mercury compounds.

What is elemental mercury?

Mercury in its elemental form is a liquid metal in a wide

temperature range (–38 to 356 °C). The silver liquid found in

some fever thermometers is a good example of elemental

mercury. Elemental mercury has a valence of zero.

Other frequently used terms are Hg(0), liquid mercury, metallic mercury, ,quicksilver, liquid silver, hydrargum, colloidal mercury, azogue.

What is commodity mercury?

Elemental mercury which meets the specifications or quality

parameters for use in a product or process is the normal form in

which elemental mercury is traded on the open market. In some

documents, such mercury is declared as ‘commodity mercury’ or

‘mercury as a commodity’ to emphasize the difference to

elemental mercury that is considered waste. Normally, commodity

mercury is produced and stored for the purpose of later sale for

use in products and processes. In certain cases, the sale of

governmental stocks of commodity mercury is no longer allowed. Today in many countries the

use of mercury and its compounds is restricted or controlled. It is important to note that mercury

is restricted or controlled either as a commodity or a waste. The distinction between commodity

and waste is made by national legislation.

Frequently, if elemental mercury is not declared waste, no qualifier is used, so that the simple

term ‘mercury’ would mean that it is considered a commodity.

Terms in this section:

Mercury

Elemental mercury

Commodity mercury

Mercury compounds

Primary, secondary and by-product mercury

Excess or surplus mercury

Amalgams

Mercury added products

Fig. 1: Liquid elemental mercury

Fig. 2: Commodity mercury in

flasks stacked on a pallet

General introduction

Overview on terms in this chapter

Description of terms in the form of questions and answers (Q&A)

Illustrations

Brief discussion of simliar terms

Four Groups of terms

1. Mercury

2. Mercury waste

3. Mercury waste management

4. Storage and disposal

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Mercury

• Commodity• Waste

Legal Status

• Elemental mercury• Mercury compound• Amalgam• Mercury added

product

Chemical Form/ Use

• Primary mercury• Secondary mercury• By-product mercury

Source

• Surplus mercury

Market Demand

“Types” Of Mercury

Mercury Waste

Waste of Elemental Mercury

Waste Containing Mercury

End-of-life ProductsWaste from Industrial Processes

Extraction

Environmentally Sound Management of

Mercury Waste (Basel Technical Guidelines)

Collection/ TransportTemporary StorageStabilizationFinal disposal

Elemental Mercury That is Considered Waste)*

Commodity Mercury and Mercury Compounds

Elemental Mercury and Compounds Not Considered Waste

Environmentally Sound Management of

commodities

TransportUseStorage

By national definition or choice of owner

Mercury added products

End-Of-Life

Commodities

e.g. Measuring DevicesBatteriesLamps

Recovery/ Recycling

Options for the management of mercury

Waste

Hazardous waste

Mercury waste

Waste consisting of mercury

Waste contaminated with mercury

Waste containing mercury

Classification:Basel ConventionOEWG VII (2010)

Basel Convention:Substances or objectes […] intended/ required for disposal

Basel Convention:a) Wastes listed in Annex I of BCb) By national definition

End of life products,stabilized mercury

Elemental mercury

Everything else

Wastemanagement

Environementally sound management (ESM) of

hazardous waste

Chemical stabilization

Waste stabilisation/ solidification

BC: Collection, storage, treatment, transport, disposal, after-care of disposal sites

BC: taking all practicable steps to ensure that human health and the environment are protected against the adverse effects […]

Microencapsulation

Macroencapsulation

Embedment in an inert matrix

Coverage with impermeable material

Chemical transformation

Storage

Disposal

On the way to “Storage”

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Storage

of waste

Storage of

commoditiesTemporary

Storage

Warehouse storage

Permanent

storageUnderground storage

Preliminary Storage

Long-term

management

and storage

The Right Way to “Storage”

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Storage of waste

Storage of commodities

Temporary Storage

Warehouse storage

Permanentstorage

Underground storage

Preliminary Storage

Long-term management and storage

„Storage“

Type of stored mercury

Commodity Waste

Type of Storage facility

Above ground Underground

The Right Way to “Storage”

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Storage of waste

Storage of commodities

Temporary Storage

Permanentstorage

Preliminary Storage

Type of stored mercury

Commodity WasteStorage of waste before collection (e.g. by owner/ producer)

Storage of waste before treatment/ final disposal/ recycling

Final disposal, e.g. in underground mines

Storage of products and goods for later use or sale

The Right Way to “Storage”

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Warehouse storage

Underground storage

Long-term management and storage

Type of Storage facility

Above ground Underground

US concept of storing elemental Hg in warehouses for up to 40 years or more

Final disposal (permanent storage) of mercury waste in underground mines

Storage of mercury (waste or non-waste) in aboveground warehouses

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Disposal in the Basel Convention

Disposal

„Disposal“ in the narrower sense (as often commonly used)

Recycling, recovery

“Final Disposal”

Storage of waste

Treatment of waste

Specially engineered landfill

Permanent storage

Operations which do not lead to recycling, recovery, re-use

Discarding a material or waste so that this is no longer used in its initial form

Other