AN UPDATE OF THE MERCURY INVENTORY AND ATMOSPHERIC MERCURY FLUXES TO AND FROM FINLAND

Finland, the northern-most agricultural/industrial country in the worl d, has been for some time steadily improving environmental mercury (Hg ) research. This paper focuses upon Hg recovery during zinc production , uses of Hg, updating of information on Hg emissions and atmospheric transport of Hg to and from Finland. The recovery of Hg as a by-produc t of zinc production began in 1970. The highest amount of recovered Hg was noted to be 160) t in 1989. Total uses of Hg in different sectors were about 7.4 t in 1992, which had decreased by 50% since the year 1 987. In 1992, the estimated Hg emission to air was 2 t yr(-1), whereas to water and land the emission was about 0.20 and 3.67 t yr(-1), resp ectively. Natural Hg emission in Finland was estimated to be about 0.4 t yr(-1) (range: 0.3 to 0.5 t yr(-1). In addition, an initial attempt was made to estimate the atmospheric Hg flux to and from Finland; the se values were noted to be 2.7 and 2.1 t yr(-1) respectively.