Removal of mercury derivatives from polluted water

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Mercury and its derivatives particularly organic mercury (methylmercury) are among the most toxic pollutants in the water and wastewater. Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and exists in different inorganic and organic forms. The U.S. EPA sets the current standard level of mercury in drinking water at 2 ppb. Water, sewage and other systems contained 49% of the total mercury released in 2011. Industries in Ontario released the most mercury to water in 2011. Normally, mercury concentration in drinking water is less than 0.5 ppb. Thus, mercury must be removed from contaminated water and wastewater streams prior to reuse or discharge into the environment. A proper instrumental technique for measuring mercury concentration as low as ppt levels is necessary to conduct this research. High tech mercury analyzers such as cold vapor-atomic absorption or fluorescence spectroscopy (CVAAS and CVAFS) will be used for Hg measurement at very low concentration (i.e. ppt levels).