Examining the inconsistency of mercury flow in post-Minamata Convention global trade concerning artisanal and small-scale gold mining activity
Examining the inconsistency of mercury flow in post-Minamata Convention global trade concerning artisanal and small-scale gold mining activity
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DOI：
10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106461
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发表时间：
2022-10-01
影响因子：
13.2
通讯作者：
Takaoka, Masaki
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Cheng, Yingchao;Nakajima, Kenichi;Takaoka, Masaki
2017年，关于汞控制的《水俣公约》（MC）正式生效。然而，汞流动模式是否有效以及它如何改变全球汞流动仍不清楚。在这项研究中，我们建立了一种方法来检测全球汞贸易数据的不一致性，并计算了手工和小规模采金业（ASGM）汞的供需之间的差距（即，全球最大的汞排放源）。根据我们的研究结果，在非洲和中南美洲，小规模手工采金业活动中汞的统计数据存在不一致性。亚洲用于小规模手工开采金矿的汞含量远低于表观汞消费量;然而，亚洲是最大的汞消费国，主要是中国和印度。开展小规模手工采金业的许多国家已经是汞公约缔约国;然而，只有少数国家提交了国家行动计划或制定/执行了具体法律，以遏制小规模手工采金业中的汞使用。对汞相关贸易信息的分析表明，2017年，一些非洲和中南美洲国家的金属汞贸易消失，但出现了汞含量更高的商品的新贸易流。本研究建立的方法可以帮助寻找实施小规模手工采金业但存在隐藏的汞使用和流动的国家，从而有助于规划进一步的汞控制法规。为了实施健全的汞管理，除了扩大汞公约缔约方之外，还应促进提交国家行动方案。
In 2017, the Minamata Convention (MC) on mercury (Hg) control entered into force. However, whether the MC is effective and how it reshapes the global Hg flow remain unclear. In this study, we established a method to detect inconsistencies in data on global Hg trade, and calculated the gap between the demand and supply of Hg to the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector (i.e., the largest source of Hg emissions globally) in 39 countries across four regions. According to our results, inconsistencies in statistical data concerning Hg for ASGM activities exist in both Africa and Central and South America. Asia showed a considerably lower amount of Hg applied to ASGM than apparent Hg consumption; nevertheless, the largest consumer of Hg was Asia, predomi-nantly China and India. Many countries in which ASGM is conducted are already MC parties; however, only few submitted their national action plans (NAPs) or have established/enforced specific laws to curb Hg use in ASGM. Analysis of Hg-related trade information suggests that in 2017, the trade of metallic Hg disappeared in some African and Central and South American countries, but new trade flows of goods with higher Hg content emerged. The method established in this study can support the search for countries implementing ASGM with hidden Hg use and flows, thereby contributing to the planning of further Hg control regulations. To enforce sound Hg management, the submission of NAPs should also be promoted in addition to the expansion of MC parties.