Practical Sourcebook on Mercury Waste Storage and Disposal
Time：2015-12-31 16:14
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing Council (GC), in decision 25/5, requested UNEP to enhance capacity for mercury storage and provide information on the sound management of mercury and mercury wastes. The project for the preparation of the ‘Practical Sourcebook on Mercury Waste Storage and Disposal’ (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Sourcebook’) is one of UNEP’s responses to this request. The project is a joint initiative of UNEP Chemicals Branch, Division of Technology Industry and Economics (DTIE), UNEP’s International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC), and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) under the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership in 2015.
The main target audience of the Sourcebook are technical staff, line officers and managers in governmental bodies involved in the management of mercury wastes, particularly in developing countries and countries with economies in transition. The overall objective of the Sourcebook is to enhance the capacity of governments – but also industry and the general public – to store and dispose mercury wastes in an environmentally sound manner.
Chapter 1 “Types and Sources of Mercury Wastes” starts with a short introduction on types of mercury wastes and closes with an overview of the sources of each of the types of mercury wastes. Chapter 2 “Environmentally Sound Management of Mercury Wastes” begins with an overview of important concepts and considerations related to the ESM of mercury wastes, including in the context of the Minamata Convention and the Basel Technical Guideline. Chapter 3 “Storage of Mercury Wastes” discusses the handling, packaging, labelling, transport and traceability of mercury wastes as well as the various storage options. Chapter 4 “Recovery Operations for Mercury Wastes” starts with an explanation of the basic steps involved in the separation of mercury from the waste matrix. Chapter 5 “Disposal Operations for Mercury Wastes” introduces three Disposal Operations for Mercury Wastes. Chapter 6 “Export of Mercury Wastes” introduces the status of export of mercury wastes. The export of mercury wastes for environmentally sound disposal is a particularly important option for countries without the necessary infrastructure. Chapter 7 “Management of Sites Contaminated with Mercury Wastes” introduces the importance and steps of management of sites contaminated with mercury wastes.
Citation: United Nations Environment Programme. Practical Sourcebook on Mercury Waste Storage and Disposal. 2015.