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MANAGEMENT OF MERCURY CONTAMINATION AND ITS
MONITORING AT |
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CONTENT |
About twenty years ago
such notions as “Environmental monitoring”, “Risk assessment”, “Contamination management” and “Risk management” were almost unusual not only in Russian but in
English as well. It was due to the recently developed scientific, technical,
economic and political related
spheres of human activity which rapidly grew during the last 20 years. Mercury was recognized as one of the
most dangerous pollutants only recently by
international medical and environmental institutions. Earlier mercury was
widely used in industry, agriculture, scientific researches and in household
activity. Recognition of “mercury hazard” appeared
due to the several
anthropogenic environmental catastrophes in XX century. The most famous one is
the mercury contamination of
The project of Demercurization of chlor-alkali
production in
Authors of this paper
took part in:
- the
field study in the Northern industrial zone of Pavlodar in 1993-1994,
- project
INTAS Kz 95-19,
- discussions
of BRGM (France) company proposals in 1999-2001,
- expeditions in the framework of «Toxicmanagement» project in
2001-2002,
- public
hearing of “Toxicmanagement” outcomes in
- development of Terms of Reference
for the correction of Demercurization Design worked out by JV “Evrohim”,
Kiev (JV Evrohim) in 1995.
- development of the Program for post-containment
monitoring in the Northern industrial area of
- field studies for obtaining incoming data on
demercurization works efficiency in 2004,
- including within the framework of the project
NMP2-CT-2004-505561 "BIOMERCURY",
- calculation of mercury amount released into
environment in the course of production process in the period of 1975-1994 (1310 tons),
- collection
of historical data and documents concerning chlor-alkali production at Pavlodar
Chemical Plant (PCP) and Demercurization program in
- preparation and discussion of the
Project Proposal with the experts of International Science and Technology
Center (ISTC) in Pavlodar - in June 2004 and in Moscow – in September 2004,
which currently approved for funding by US EPA as ISTC K-1240p project,
- preparation
of press-releases dated 15.11.2004 and 12.07.2006 on accomplishment of cut-off
wall construction (press
– releases were based
on this paper);
- post-demercurization
monitoring works since 2005 to date including work in the framework of K-1240p
ISTC project
1.
History of mercury electrolyses based chlor-alkali
production at the
The design statement for
the construction of the Pavlodar Chemical Complex (later it was renamed as PCP,
PO “Khimprom” Pavlodar, JSC “Khimprom”, JSC “PCP”, JSC “Kaustic”) was worked
out in 1962 being based on the following documents: Decree of National Economy
Supreme Committee of Council of Ministers of USSR #286-p /1/ dated November 29,
1963; Decrees of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Soviet Union and
Council of Ministers of USSR #795 dated July
23, 1958; #85-30 dated
January 20, 1960; #846-300 dated September 11, 1961 and also Decree of Council of Ministers of USSR #284 dated April 1, 1961. According to the
design statement the projected capacity was planed as much as 120 thousand tons
of caustic soda /2/, 90 thousand tons of liquid chlorine /1/. The construction of PCP started in 1965 and proceeded till 1992. For these years PCP has been managed by
several directors who ran the production. They are: Ju.B.Yezhov (1965-1968)
A.R.Bakhaev (1968-1973), A.C.Korpiakov (1973-1977), C.C.Berketov (1977-1988),
B.A.Sharov (1988-1997), E.P. Sereniuk (1997-1998), A.G.Siryk (1998-2000).
The first production –
mechanical-repair department was commissioned in
Location of PCP
which is
Fig.1. Northern industrial area of
At that time of planned
soviet economy further development of PCP was restricted by a number of
unfavorable factors such as delay in construction of oil-pipe line
Omsk-Pavlodar-Chimkent-Tchardzhou and POR. The latter was caused by the
construction in neighboring Russian oblast bigger Omsk Oil-Refinery. Other factors were: low quality of the halite material – brine from
Industrial Site #1
consisted of 30 shops where wide range of products and commodities was
manufactured such as caustic soda, chlorine, sodium hypo chloride, ammonium chloride, additives to lubricating oil and
engine oils, floto-reagents, anti-freezes, anti-icer, disinfectants and
bleaching agents, plasticizers for plastic mass production, phenol-formaldehyde
resin, some types of
plastic and plastic goods. These products were delivered to industrial plants
of the whole Soviet Union, including
In 1993 after the
termination of caustic and chlorine production which was the basic production
of PCP only those shops survived that produced household chemical goods and commodity (for example shampoo based on a ginseng
extract) and reagents for ore mining and processing and energy industries. Part of these productions was privatized in 1994 during establishment
of JSC “Khimprom” at that they used their facilities on the condition of rent. 90% of JSC “Khimprom”shares belonged to the state. The most standing idle equipment subject to any value were sold in
order to pay to minimum working staff and to cover the debts. The exception was
the defence equipment which were protected by
Soviet-American non-proliferation treaty dated 1989, ratified later also by the Kazakhstan Government. However
Demercurization works at
the cost of republican budget were resumed by JSC “PCP” only in early 2002. By 2005 the first Phase of
demercurization project was accomplished. In 2006 JSC “PCP” was proclaimed a bankrupt and its
property was put for a bid while the territory where demericurization works
were held was withdrawn from the bid lot and still is a communal property. New
chlor-alkali production (with membrane method) will be revived by JSC “Kaustic”
with private capital. JSC “Kaustik” was established in 2004 based on only
private capital and had purchased the half of the property of PCP industrial
site #1 by the beginning of 2006.
1.2.
Chlor-alkali production. History
/4-8/
Production #3 manufactured chlorine and caustic soda (NaOH) since 1975 till 1993 by
electrolysis method where mercury was used as a cathode. There were 80 electrolyzers (CDM 150-7.3) installed in shop #31 (in 1975 - 72 electrolyzers, in 1984 - additionally 8 electrolyzers, and after full repair in
1986 there were 68 electrolyzers totally). The capacity of production amounted
112700 ton of caustic
soda and 100000 ton of chlorine per year. Raw
materials sources: sodium chloride - from Baskunchak (
Horizontal electrolyzer CDM 150-7.3 made in Germany (with maximal load of 150 kA, cathode
current density of 7.3 kA/m2, length of
2NaCl + 2H2O →
2NaOH + Cl2↑ + H2↑,
was divided into two electrochemical
processes:
in the electrolyzer gaseous chlorine was generated on
graphite anode and sodium amalgam - on mercury cathode
2Na+ + 2Cl-
+ (Hg) → 2Na (Hg) + Cl2↑,
and in the decomposer both aqueous solution of
sodium hydroxide and gaseous hydrogen were generated on the surface of a
graphit extension as a result of interaction of sodium amalgam with water
2Na (Hg) + 2H2O →
(Hg) + 2NaOH + H2↑.
Technologically the
process of sodium hydroxide production looked like a travel of depleted sodium amalgam (with sodium concentration ≤ 0.005%)
from the lower part of
the decomposer upward to the electrolyzer inlet with the help of mercury pump, followed by the saturation of amalgam with sodium
under the current up to concentration 0.45 % during its move along sloping bottom of the electrolyzer, entering 0.45% of sodium amalgam from the electrolyzer in the upper part of decomposer and
the formation of NaOH
in the process of interaction of sodium with desalted water on the graphite
extension at trickling of amalgam down along decomposer with lowering concentration
from 0.45 to 0.005%. NaCl brine flowed forward with amalgam in the electrolyzer
while NaOH solution contra flowed to amalgam in decomposer. Concentration
of NaCl in brine at the electrolyzer inlet was 300-310 g/l, in anolyte
outlet - 265-275 g/l (anolyte contained dissolved 0.3-0.5 g/l chlorine). Alkali
solution concentration at the electrolyzer outlet was 43-46%.
Electrolysis brine was
prepared with anolyte additional saturation in the Shop # 34a where it was stored in two horizontal rubberized tanks of
Solutions temperature in
the electrolyzer reached 80-85оС, and in decomposer – 80-100оС. High temperature caused contamination with mercury of all
electrolysis products and wastes: anolyte NaCl depleted solution, solution of
alkali and hydrogen. Alkali was contaminated with elementary atomic-dispersed
mercury; anolyte, chlorine and exhaust gases contained water dissolved mercuric
chloride; hydrogen and output ventilation gases – gaseous mercury. In the long
period of electrolyzers operation a lot of mercury was sludged with the
formation of amalgam oil which was hand-removed regularly from electrolyzer’s
accumulating pockets. For amalgam cleaning the accumulating pockets were rinsed
with purified water.
Alkali solution was
cooled, separated from mercury and other admixtures by
filtering through frame filters FP-50 and afterwards alkali was passed for either
storage or being poured into tanks. Hydrogen was cooled to 20-25оС immediately above the
decomposer so that the most condensable mercury returned in decomposer.
Afterwards hydrogen was cooled again to 15-20оС with the return of condensed
mercury in electrolyzers, and mercury removal with chlorinated water took
place. Remaining chlorine was absorbed from hydrogen with alkali solution (with
NaOH concentration of 180-240 g/l), then purified hydrogen was rinsed with
water, diluted with nitrogen and emitted into the air. Mercury content in
emitted gases shouldn’t had exceeded 0.01 mg/m3.
In winter period however hydrogen was emitted into air skipping purification
stage. Received
in electrolyzers chlorine-gas with concentration Cl2 ≥ 90% and admixture of H2 gas ≤ 1%
was constantly pumped out in collector so that to maintain vacuum of 5-
Mercury that had been
lost during the electrolyzers operation as a result of leakage and during
repair was washed out with water from the electrolysis shop’s floor into the
floor troughs and further into settling pits of mercury contaminated wastewater
sewerage. Troughs and settling pits were periodically cleaned off using
portable titanium vacuum tank one of connecting pipes of which was connected to
vacuum line and another was connected to rubber hose with the help of which
mercury was collected. Collected mercury returned to the electrolyzers. The
floor of electrolysis shop was covered with special coating which was replaced
several times for all time of its operation.
The plant of mercury
sludge thermal regeneration was launched in 1980 with capacity of 150 m3/year and reached the capacity as much
as 48 m3/year. The plant consisted of 3 induction furnaces of
periodic activity. Each furnace had four cylinder baskets with welded
bottom. Heavily contaminated sludge (4-15%) was mixed manually with
sawdust and limestone in the ratio of 20:1:1 and loaded manually in the
baskets. The baskets were placed in the furnaces with the vacuum rate of 0.2 kgc/cm2. Heating was proceeded by
stages for 14-15 hours till the maximal temperature 550-600оС. For mercury vapor condensation a
vertical heat-exchanger with water casing and heat exchange area of
Wastewater sulfide
treatment was located in the buildings 40, 40a und 40b. This treatment plant
was launched in 1975 simultaneously with chlor-alkali production. Treatment
process consisted of pH correction of mercury bearing wastewater, settling of
primary mercury sludge, mercury oxidizing up to Hg (II) by chlorine followed by
removal of chlorine excess, second correction of pH and Hg (II) precipitation
from solution with the help of sodium sulfide. Poorly soluble mercury sulfide
(II) was settled with iron sulfate as a coagulant with following continuous
settling of mercury sludge. Treated effluents were collected in the tank 40d of
Fig.2. Storage tank
for mercury containing wastewater “40d”
There were some major
technological drawbacks of sulfide method: low rate of mercury sulfide sediment
formation, by-processes of soluble poly-sulfides formation and hardships of
solid phase separation. Therefore mercury concentration in wastewater
discharged from 40d tank in the wastewater storage pond did not meet the
standards very often. Besides Production # 3 discharged illegally wastewater to
the pond Balkyldak avoiding sulfide clean-up very often. It forced the
management of PCP to reconstruct the system of wastewater collection and
treatment. In 1978 sulfide based treatment plant was replaced with the facility
based on the ion-exchange however it was operated not regularly. Achieved capacity
reached 30 m3/hour. Wastewater were
filtered, acidified to pH 1-3 and chlorinated in a chlorinator at active
chlorine concentration of 0.1 – 0.8 g/l in the water for clarified water and up
to 2 g/l concentration for non clarified water. Then chlorinated water was
filtered again, de-chlorinated through adsorber filled with ARV charcoal of
Evaporation ponds –
special engineering testing ponds - were constructed in 1976. Their design
capacity was 200 m3/day or 73000 m3/year
of mercury containing effluents. Evaporation ponds are located
After the completion of
special evaporation ponds construction and mercury sewage systems
re-construction unapproved discharge of mercury contaminated wastewater from
chlor-alkali production into the general PCP’s sewage systems going to the pond
Balkyldak became technologically impossible. Communication between Production
#3 and the whole plant was disconnected. The anion–exchange treatment plant was
connected with the evaporation ponds via above-ground sewage system for mercury
contaminated wastewater – pipes made of titanium.
Wastewater storage pond
-
Approved load of metal
mercury for one electrolyzer was
Fig.3. South shore of
wastewater storage pond Balkyldak
Table
1. Production of
caustic soda and actual volume of mercury used at PCP /11/
|
Year |
Production of 100% NaOH, t/year |
Specific mercury
consumption, kg/t NaOH |
Mercury consumption
per year, t |
|
1975 |
17775 |
1.29 |
22.930 |
|
1976 |
9575 |
2.09 |
20.011 |
|
1977 |
28285 |
5.05 |
142.839 |
|
1978 |
36600 |
1.4 |
51.240 |
|
1979 |
43082 |
2.6 |
112.013 |
|
1980 |
42363 |
1.86 |
78.795 |
|
1981 |
59338 |
1.504 |
89.334 |
|
1982 |
48935 |
1.296 |
63.420 |
|
1983 |
55510 |
1.485 |
82.432 |
|
1984 |
66600 |
1.3 |
86.580 |
|
1985 |
57464 |
1.743 |
100.160 |
|
1986 |
38234 |
2.6 |
99.408 |
|
1987 |
57954 |
0.838 |
48.565 |
|
1988 |
61060 |
0.74 |
45.184 |
|
1989 |
62750 |
0.74 |
46.435 |
|
Totally, t |
685525 |
Average 1.589 |
1089.356 |
Actual specific mercury
consumption was as much as 1.589 kg/t, while “scientifically justified norms”
required the consumption of 0.3 kg/t, "technically justified norms" –
0.5 kg/t, and “designed norms” – 0.76 kg/t.
The balance of major
mercury technical losses was following: 0.8% of the losses fell at sludge
accumulated and treated during production process; up to 1.9% - vent emissions,
up to 2.6% - sludge sent to mercury factory, up to 3.9% - atmospheric
emissions with hydrogen, up to 11.8% - wastewater and solid sludge transported
to the ponds for solid and liquid mercury wastes, up to 83.7% - unaccounted
losses. The latter were caused by spills and leakage of metallic mercury and
its not full collection during operation and repair of the electrolyzers.
According to the
messages of the former PCP managers /12-13/ it is evident that in 1990-1993
(last period of chlor-alkali production) about 200000 tons of caustic soda was
produced and more then 175 tons of mercury was utilized. Totally about 2.6% of
used mercury was sent for treatment as sludge /11/, i.e. 33 tons. Former the
plant managers also informed /12-13/, that after chlorine production stoppage
and the following building and equipment dismantling (Shop # 31) about 140 tons
of metallic mercury was either poured out of equipment, collected from floors
or thermally extracted from sludge and sent to a mercury factory. Thus the
total loss of mercury during the whole chlor-alkali production process can be
estimated as high as 1310 tons, 1100 tons of which were unaccounted
losses accumulated in the concrete floor and grounds under the Shop # 31 and
its proximity. Chemically aggressive medium there caused quick deterioration
of the equipment of the chlor-alkali production. Electrolyses shop had a higher
then common accident rate because at the period of chlorine overproduction and
filling of all existing tanks with this gas the electrolyzers were either
de-energized or transferred to a lower current load. This adversely affected
electrolyzers’ technical status.
In 1986 Production #3 of
PCP underwent a scheduled capital repair. In 1988 Program of conversion of
technology based on mercury method which was used at electrolysis plants into
membrane technology was accepted in the
Main infrastructure of
the Production #3 was supposed to be kept as it was. The construction of the
new shop distracted the funds from the current repair and reconstruction of
building # 31. Unsatisfactory technical condition of chlor-alkali production
resulted in the Resolution of the
Production #3 was
finally stopped after the USSR collapse by the resolution of Plant director B.
Sharov /13/ in August 1993 after it was found out that the building #3 roof
began destroying because of corrosion and some components of building
structures started falling down into the hall of the electrolysis plant. In
January 1994 Ministry Cabinet of the
The following years PCP
management and local authorities were attempting to revive chlor-alkali
production in
Table 2 and fig. 4 give
data /14/ proving economic advantages of membrane technology versus mercury and
diaphragm based one. However the main advantage of membrane technology versus
mercury one is the significantly low risk of environmental pollution.
In
Table 2. Comparison of Electricity Consumption for Each Technology
/14/
|
|
MERCURY
|
DIAPHRAGM |
MEMBRANE |
Current Consumption
(DC kWh/ton NaOH)
|
3000 - 3500 |
2300 - 2400 |
2200 - 2300 |
NaCl contents in
Product NaOH (50wt.%)
|
low(30 ppm) |
high(0.5-1%) |
low(20 - 50 ppm) |
Oxygen contents in Clorine |
low(0.1- 0.3%) |
high(2 - 3%) |
low(0.5 - 1.5%) |
Fig.4. Consumption of
Total Energy of each technology at chlor-alkali production /14/
1.3. Military history
of the plant and its conversion /3/
The Program of chemical
weapons development and stockpiling in the
PCP was one of such
plants which in peace time produced both civilian products and dual-purpose
products (caustic soda, Cl2, AlCl3, PCl3
etc.,) which could be used both for chemical and other kinds of weapon. PCP was
the last of big chemical plants to be constructed and in case of emergency it
can be converted easily into only military production manufacturing mostly
binary nerve agents which were developed in the
Although PCP
manufactured precursor chemicals for chemical weapon agents, it has never
produced chemical weapon. Since the early 1980s the construction of Site #2
went very quickly where since 1990 production of phosphorus trichloride –
initial material for organic synthesis of nerve agents was started. Many
specialists experienced in chemical weapon production were sent to the plant
that time. However the construction of technological lines for weapon
manufacturing was not accomplished. In 1987 the
Site #2 was located at
separated paled area of
The production process
at Site #2 started with manufacturing phosphorus trichloride. Yellow phosphorus
produced in southern
Table
3. Converted
production facilities at PCP Site #2 /3/
|
Buildings and their functions in
the production cycle until 1987 |
Buildings’ status in conversion
period from 1987 to 1992 |
Status as of June 1999 |
|
PCl3 production |
Civilian-use PCl3 production |
Civilian-use PCl3 production |
|
Production of intermediate
products for chemical weapon |
Production of civilian-use
substances: folitol, gidrel and acrylates in silver-lined reactors |
Production of civilian-use mineral
inhibitors in Hast-alloy reactors |
|
Chemical agent production |
Not completed |
Not in use |
|
Laboratory buildings |
Not completed |
Sold to a tannery |
|
War-shells filling |
Used for production of
polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipes |
Sold to Kazenergokabel, a wire
production company |
|
Laboratory for work with super
toxic substances |
Completely destroyed in 1987 |
|
|
Service facility |
Motor oil production |
Sold to Lyubol, Kazakhstani-Swiss
joint venture |
|
Incinerator for the elimination of
chemical wastes |
In use |
In use |
2. Program of
demercurization of chlor-alkali production at
2.1. Experience of
demercurization of chemical industries in the
In 1981 the chlor-alkali
production at JV “Khimprom”,
There was no any special
demercurization activity there. Mercury was poured out electrolyzers and other
equipment and utilized in new production. Demercurization of the equipment was
conducted by mechanical treatment of metal constructions and their rinsing with
water followed by their sending to metallurgical works for remelting. Concrete
building structures of the electrolysis factory were dismantled for a year and
used by population in private construction. Sludge and debris rich in
mercury was sent to Nikitovskiy Mercury Combine in
In 1987-88 the old
chlor-alkali production was closed down at PO “Kaustik”,
Dismantling of equipment
of the old chlor-alkali production took place under the pressure of local mass
media and NGOs requiring precaution measures to be taken because
2.2. Researches taken by JV “Evrohim”,
Engineering survey was
carried out in compliance with the following documents: “Measures on solution
findings of environmental rehabilitation of the territories contaminated with
mercury to be taken during the shutdown of mercury electrolysis based
production and its replacement with membrane technology in Pavlodar PO
“Khimprom” approved by USSR Ministry of Chemical Industry dated 31.12.88 and
the Decree № 89-35 of USSR Chief sanitary doctor “On ban of chlor-alkali
production at Pavlodar PO “Khimprom” dated 12.07.89.
Pavlodar Hydrogeological
Expedition – Science and Technology Centre “Technolog” (PHH) being a
sub-contractor of JV Evrohim carried out the following fieldwork in 1989-1990:
32 test and observation boreholes on 8 profiles and also 19 additional
boreholes located beyond these profiles were investigated around the shops #
31. Such amount of boreholes allowed hydro-geological conditions to be
determined which chlor-alkali production left behind after its shutdown as well
as rate of contamination in the west part of industrial site #1, including the
main source of contamination – hall of mercury electrolysis. A half of these
boreholes was drilled through the first aquifers and perched groundwater to the
depth of
102 soil samples were
taken from the depth of 0.25-
Mercury concentration in
water and soil samples was determined with atomic-absorption method in the
laboratories of “Ecohydrokhimgeo” (Almaty) and JV Evrohim.
The main results of
balance and hydrological study of chlor-alkali production of PCP were:
- estimated mass of
mercury lost since 1975 till 1989 during the operation of chlor-alkali
production is 1089 tons including 14 - 63 tons with hydrogen and vent exhausts,
- deposited
in floor and grounds under the electrolysis factory – 813- 866 tons,
- dispersed
in the area adjacent to the Production #3, along the roads, place for storage
of wastes and contaminated equipment - 42-45 tons,
- main hot spot of mercury contamination is located within the territory of
electrolysis shop 31 and has an area of
- area
of mercury contaminated soils in the Site #1 is as much as
- plume of
groundwater mercury contamination spreads from Shop 31 west-northwest direction
up to
- in
two cells (#1, 2) of evaporation ponds there are mercury containing sludge from
anolyte clean up. Mercury there represents sparingly soluble mercury sulfide.
Mercury contents in this sludge ranges from 0.01 to 0.33%. Totally
evaporation ponds accumulated 140 tons of mercury salts;
-
in water of the cell for liquid wastes of the special evaporation
pond – from 1 to 2 tons of dissolved mercury;
- pond
Balkyldak received mercury with wastewater discharge. Average mercury
concentration in the surface water of the pond reaches 0.01 mg/l, that is 20
times higher then MPCw. Taking in account the total volume of
wastewater legally discharged to Balkyldak and mercury concentration in these
wastewater one can estimate the total amount of mercury in water and bottom
sediments. It is equal to 10-15 tons;
- hydrogeological
forecast of the further mercury underground spread from PCP showed the
following rate of mercury movement: in perched groundwater and the first
aquifer - 20-46.7 m/year, in the second aquifer - 12-28 m/year and in the third
one - 46-56 m/year.
2.3.
Demercurization Design of JV Evrohim /21-25/
The development of the
project was carried out in 1988 – 1995 and coincided with the
Priority program of demercurization
developed by JV Evrohim as a result of the study of 1988-1992 lay in the dismantling
of the most contaminated parts of the Shop 31 - electrolyses hall (80
electrolyzers, other mercury bearing equipment, walls, floor slabs, etc…),
washing the dismantled structures at the place and their sorting out. Metallic
equipment after their treatment with oxidants (sodium hypo chloride, hydrogen
peroxide, potassium permanganate, nitric acid, ferrous trichloride) and water
and had to be utilized as a scrap metal, building structures with less then 1%
of mercury – to be put in the specially constructed landfill (a pit of
Main process of mercury recovery was
expected to be carried out with the use of plants of thermal demercurization of
concrete and mechanical demercurization of ground. At that concrete and ground
after recovery of the most amount of mercury from them also had to be placed to
the new sections of the landfill and filled up with ground-concrete mixture.
Concrete debris from the floor of
the electrolysis hall of 20х30 cm size with mercury concentration of 0.3-0.5% had to be treated in
the vacuum chamber electrical furnace of periodic operation under 700-750оС temperature for 2 hours.
It was planned to cool the air
containing mercury vapor in an air condenser with additional water cooling.
Metallic mercury had to be periodically poured into hermetically sealed
containers while the cooled air to undergo additional treatment with adsorbent
HPR-3p (activated charcoal soaked with ferrous trichloride), and then to be
emitted in the air through
Grounds with mercury concentration
more then 1% had to be cleaned from mercury by preparing the pulp and its
screening at the scrubber equipped with a trommel. The pulp poor with mercury
which was obtained as a result of this operation was partly dehydrated and sent
for ground-concrete mixture preparation and filling up the landfill with help
of a pump.
Grounds with concentration less 0.3%
(close to Shop 31) and less 0.02% (close to Shops 31a and 37) had to be
excavated from the depth down to
Ground-concrete consisted of (per
The landfill for mercury wastes had
to consist of sections (not less then 3 ones) and to have capacity up to
Rate of mercury recovery: at
ignition – 95, at screening - 85%, maximal mercury concentration in the buried
concrete – less 3.5%.
In 1995-1998 PCP conducted
procedures discussion and approval of all the documents related to the
Demercurization works with all appropriate authorities including Ministry of
Environment and Bio-Recourses of the
In 1996 JV Evrohim’s design was
supplemented with Feasibility Study on dismantling and demercurization of the
Electrolysis Shop.
2.4.
Proposal of Japan Consulting Institute /14/
During his visit to
- elaboration
of recommendations for appropriate technology of caustic soda and chlorine
production;
- study
of the stopped production with respect to maximal use of existing facilities
and minimal investment of additional funds;
- caustic
soda, chlorine and hydrochloric acid market research to determine the adequate
capacity of the plant;
- development
of recommendations for more efficient project implementation;
- financial
and economic analyses of the project implementation and providing results of
the estimation.
The plan of
the production conversion was developed based on both replacement of
electrolysis thechnology of chlorine and caustic soda production by membrane
one and allocation of new membrane electrolysis units together with the most
part of old equipment in new building. The plan of works proposed by JV Evrohim
was accepted as a basic plan of demercurisation. It was expected that the
funding for demercurization activity would come from the soft loan provided by
the Japanese Government. For this deal PCP had to get the guarantees of
Government if the
2.5.
Participation of BRGM Company (France)
In 1999 the Minister of
Mineral Resources and Environmental Protection of the
In compliance with the
original proposals of BRGM remediation of the mercury contamination in
Next variant,
“Demercurization project in Pavlodar: Environmental Impact Assessment and
contamination hot spots elimination” was proposed by BRGM six months later /27/
and had three phases: Phase I – works on ensuring safety of concrete floor in
Shop 31 (with durability of 2 months and cost of $0.3 millions of French
Government soft loan); Phase II (consisted of two parallel components at the
expense of French Government soft loan): component A – assessment of the
pollution scale and health risk for population in Pavlodar (duration –18
months, estimate budget - $4 millions), component B – demercurization of
Nevertheless the
protocol stipulated denial of JV Evrohim design as in compliance with the loan
terms “…local expenses, services and equipment made not in
i – dismantle
chlor-alkali facility, wastes sorting and burial in the temporary storage,
ii – reduce mercury concentration in
grounds and soils to the maximum permissible level through their thermal
treatment,
iii – ensuring the full safety of
PCP administration as
well as the local authorities didn’t accept the proposal to abandon JV Evrohim
design completely. It was suggested that BRGM should develop Feasibility Study
(FS) of their proposal /30/ for its further consideration as an alternative
project to JV Evrohim’s one. BRGM developed the project FS “Demercurization and
elimination of mercury source of contamination in
FS suggested conducting:
-
Collection of
additional data on soil-ground characteristics at the Site #1 and on bottom
sediments in the special evaporation ponds and the pond Balkyldak;
-
assessment of water quality in the river
-
simulation of mercury migration with both
groundwater and surface water as well as with the air which should be done to
assess the risk posed to population;
-
technical and economic assessment of
efficiency of different technologies of cleaning from mercury;
-
technical solutions developments on the site
rehabilitation to be funded by World Bank;
-
temporary encapsulation of concrete floor of
Building 31;
-
thermal treatment of
-
construction of anti-filtration screen – cut-off
wall around Building 31.
FS also suggested
approximate distribution of the loan funds (8.2 million Euros) as follow:
- technology
and equipment purchase and personnel training - 50%,
- data
collection and analyses, risk assessment - 25%,
- demercurization,
rehabilitation works at industrial site and construction of cut-off wall - 25%
.
After the comparison of
JV Evrohim and BRGM proposals /31/ it was evident that BRGM technology does not
drastically differ from JV Evrohim proposal however the cost of BRGM project
was much higher then that of JV Evrohim. For example, the method of mercury
recovery according to BRGM 20 times more expensive than that of JV Evrohim. In
compliance with the BRGM proposal
Comparison of JV Evrohim
and BRGM designs gave reasons to
2.6.
Demercurization activity in 1998-1999
Due to environmental
emergency situation at PCP the head of oblast administration D. Akhmetov
immediately after approving JV Evrohim design by MNREP in 1995 asked for The
Republican authority to fund the demercurization activity. It was expected that
the funding in 1996 would be provided by the Environmental Fund and national
budget but the Ministry of Finance reject the funding due to the budget deficit
(Letter to the RK Government of 07.03.96 №18-2-3/1644) and suggested using
the debt capital from foreign investors and other stake-holders interested in
production of caustic soda by non mercury method. Committee on Emergency showed
no support to The head of
Decision to allocate
funds from the National budget (246 millions tenge in 1998, 373,4189 million
tenge in 1999, 262,8295 million tenge in 2000, total: 882,2464 million tenge)
/33/ was managed to receive only after the project of demercurization was
separated from the project of construction of new production (Protocol of
meeting at Deputy Prime-Minister № 20-11/9195 of 15.08.1997). A considerable
pressure to take the decision to open the funding for demercurization activity
was rendered by the Russian Federation Government: in
In 1998 five years later
after the production stoppage dismantling of Building 31 (Fig.5-6) and wastes
burial was started. These works were funded from local budget because the
national budget could provide 9.3 million tenge for the first year /33/.
Dismantling of electrolyses shop was scheduled for winter 1998-1999 because
mechanical collection of mercury is safer under the cold temperature (mercury
vapor concentration inside the Building
Table 4. Cost of
demercurization works at chlor-alkali production in Pavlodar
Funding sources |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
Total |
National budget |
- |
2.0 |
9.3 |
80.0 |
30.0 |
- |
121.3 |
Oblast budget |
0.4 |
0.6 |
26.5 |
10.7 |
13.3 |
16.5 |
68.0 |
Own PCP funds |
17.3 |
5.0 |
4.4 |
6.9 |
- |
- |
33.6 |
Total in the year: |
17.7 |
7.6 |
40.2 |
97.6 |
43.3 |
16.5 |
222.9 |
3. Assessment of
mercury contamination extend in
Mercury contamination
study held regularly since early 80s were initiated by the public being worried
with the high probability of contamination hotspot occurrence which was out of
control, as local authority had no power to control defense industry. This
concern was backed up with significant chlorine emissions from the plant
reaching the residential area.
All those researches had
limited funding and as a rule didn’t covered territories adjacent to the plant
due to the secret regime at the plant. Those researches showed the extent of
mercury contamination of soils in 90s didn’t go beyond limits of the plant
territory whilst surface water contamination was limited with the wastewater
storage pond Balkyldak.
Fig.5. Building 31 –
electrolysis shop (northern side) before demolishing the building, winter
1998/99.
Fig.6. Building 31 –
electrolysis shop (southern side) before demolishing the building, winter
1998/99.
Fig.7. Building 31 –
electrolysis shop (northern side) after dismantling the roof, winter 1998/99.
Fig.8. Building 31 –
electrolysis shop (northern side) after dismantling the roof, winter 1998/99.
3.1. Researches
related to groundwater and surface water protection /44-46/
Ministry of Geology of
It was reported that
after 1985 shoreline in the pond Balkyldak was constantly higher than
Special evaporation
ponds of
It was recorded that the
extension of contaminated groundwater area with exceeding MPCw occurred
around the Lake Balkyldak In 1985 mercury was found only in the boreholes
located in 10-
3.2.
Research of potential contamination of
The closed salt
There were 16 boreholes
drilled along 3 cross sections which were perpendicular to groundwater flow
from the west. Groundwater sampling was carried out monthly during the year
1990-1991. Water samples were analyzed by cold-vapor atomic-adsorption
spectrophotometer with detection limit of 500 ng/l.
Both groundwater and surface water samples contained mercury below this
detection limit.
3.3.
Study of snow cover and soil mercury contamination /48-52/
The study was conducted
by the
In winter 1990-1991 snow
cover of residential area and south part of North industrial area was
investigated with regards to mercury contamination. Exceeding MPCw for
mercury in the snow melted water was found around the gardening
cooperative “Khimik”. Most likely it was found the south end of the mercury
anomaly located to the north from the investigated area. In 1991-1992 the area
of interest was extended up to the north border of the PCP industrial site, and
besides 45 samples of snow melted water additional 32 samples of soil were
taken down to the depth of 50cm. In the gardens of the north suburb 96 samples
of fruit and vegetables were taken. Exceeding MPCw for mercury was
found in snow melted water around PCP over the vast area (southward of Pavlodar
Tractor Plant, westward
Study of 1993 included
the sampling of 150 soil samples from 28 boreholes (down to the depth of
These field works showed
the annual mercury contamination of snow cover coming from atmospheric
precipitation did not lead to significant contamination of soils around PCP in
early 90s because most likely this way of the mercury contamination spread had
short term of existence.
Project INTAS–Kz 95-19
funded by EU was accomplished by the team of “GeoKEN” Ltd. which later became a
part of
No exceeding of MPCs
for any of heavy metals was found except some cases of mercury presence close
to the north boarder of Site #1, as well as close to special evaporation ponds
on the shore of the pond Balkyldak (fig.9). However several hotspots with
increased mercury concentration (100 times higher then local background
concentration) were found mainly in local depressed areas where snow melted
water accumulate in springs. There were also hotspots with increased mercury concentration
(not exceeding MPCs) in soils and bottom sediments of oxbows of the
Average level of surface
water contamination with mercury in the pond Balkyldak was estimated as 1 µg/l
(2 MPCw).
Fig.9. Area of field
works on INTAS-Kz 95-19 project (points on the map - soil sampling points)
4.
Risk assessment of mercury contamination in Northern industrial site of
4.1.
“Toxicmanagement” Project
In 2002 the research of Pavlodar City Northern industrial site mercury
contamination financed within the framework of INCO-2 Program of the European
Union was completed. The project involved two-year program of field and
chemical-analytical works and also the development of mathematical model of
mercury contamination distribution with groundwater at the area of PCP carried
out by the Consortium of Kazakhstani and foreign universities, research
institutes and companies.
The Kazakhstani partners within the project INCO-2 ICA2-CT-2000-10029
"Development of cost-effective methods of minimizing risk from heavy metal
pollution in industrial cities: a case study of mercury pollution in
Pavlodar" ("Toxicmanagement") were BG Chair of Environmental
Technology of Almaty Institute of Power Engineering and Telecommunication (AIPET),
Institute of Hydrogeology and Hydrophysics (IHH), KazGU and INS. The foreign
partners were the Department of Civil Engineering of Southampton University,
Great Britain (SU) – the coordinator of the project, Consulting Company
"GeoDelf",
The results of the research were reported at the meeting of Presidium of
the National Academy of Sciences of the
4.2. Collection and study of archival data
In 2001 IHH, KazGU and INS collected archival hydro-geological data for
The collected data were
studied and analyzed by IHH and on the basis of a part of the data a database
was created with the software FoxPro 3.0, and also the Geographic Information
System IHH (GIS IHH) was designed with use of MapInfo 5.0 software. While GIS
IHH creating hydro-geological maps were scanned and then digitized. At the same
time the layers were formed containing the information about the location of
mapped boreholes and also objects rendering essential influence on hydro-geological
conditions such as: the
The scales of soil and ground mercury contamination within the
Fig.10. Area of field
works on the project ICA2-CN-2000-10209 «Toxicmanagement» (points on the map –
groundwater sampling points, black – mercury concentration in water below 500
ng/l, red – above 500 ng/l)
SU, KazGU, AIPET, INS and IHH
carried out three joint expeditions: in summer and autumn of 2001, and also in
summer of 2002; at the same time representatives of GeoDelf, SSEU, Stepnogorsk
Laboratory of Biomonitoring (SLM),
In the research of soil mercury contamination Consortium was guided by
results of fieldwork in northern suburb of
In 2001 samplings were carried
out according to a regular grid with steps of grid of 13, 20, 26, 125 and
In 2001 and 2002 during summer
fieldwork in the territory of the Industrial Site #1 INS daily measured mercury content in the near-earth layer of
atmospheric air using atomic absorptive photometer AGP-01. These measurements
were done also with the purposes of safety for personnel and were the
justification for protective coveralls and gas
masks use.
AIPET and KazGU carried out
investigation of groundwater in Northern industrial site of
Pavlodar with the help of the existing network of
observation boreholes (in total 304 boreholes have been observed) and also 89
boreholes were drilled additionally including 36 ones with diameter of
In summer of 2001 all
existing observation boreholes (including unaccounted, abandoned and lost) and
also 30 operational boreholes in Pavlodarskoe village and nearby industrial
enterprises were investigated within the area exceeding 200 km2
around of the electrolysis shop of PCP (Building 31). Their coordinates were
determined by use of GPS, and also measurements of water levels, water
temperature, рН, red-ox potentials were done.
With the help of submersible electric pumps the boreholes were pumped through
according to specially developed technique excluding a sample contamination and
water samples were taken to determine chloride and total mercury content. In
autumn of 2001 KazGU drilled 13 boreholes with diameter of
In summer of 2002 PHH drilled 36 new observation boreholes with diameter of
In 2001 and 2002 KazGU and INS
took samples of surface water from the
In 2001 AIPET and KazGU took
samples of bottom sediment of the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak in its
southwest part, along an imaginary chord linking its extreme southern and northern
points together and also in its northeast part. The samples were selected being at a boat from the depth down to
In 2001 55 samples of fishes were caught by KazGU out of the pond
Balkyldak: a silver crucian, a tench, a Siberian dace, a river perch. In 2002
30 samples of fishes were caught out of the
In
Soil and ground samples were
analyzed for total mercury content in laboratories of AIPET, KazGU and INS in
Pavlodar and Almaty cities; water samples - for total mercury contents,
chlorides, sulfates and sulfides and milk samples – for total mercury content -
in laboratories of KazGU and INS in Pavlodar; silt, fish and bio-materials
samples for total mercury content - in laboratories of AIPET and KazGU in
Almaty. In total 2060 samples of soil, ground, sludge and silt were taken and
325 samples of water and milk, 95 samples of fish tissue and other biological
materials were taken and analyzed for total mercury content.
The results of field research
and laboratory analyses and also sampling point coordinates were compiled into
Summary tables serving as a database for GIS AIPET designing. GIS AIPET was
designed using the program MapInfo 5.0 and ArcMap 8.1 on the basis of
topographical maps and plans of different scales, which first were scanned and
then digitized similar to GIS IHH. Having
interpolated the data about soil mercury contamination with the help of a
module Spatial Analyst of Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method AIPET produced
models and maps of mercury distribution over three upper soil layers
(fig.11-16). Based on the models
there were calculated capacities of mercury contaminated ground with
contamination levels of <
2.1; 2.1-10; 10-100; 100-1000 and >1000 mg/kg and
also amount of mercury deposited in the soil of contaminated areas.
4.4.
Investigation of mercury contamination of soil in the
territory of PCP and around it (fig.11-16) has allowed revealing some
large centers of contamination with mercury concentration which was 500 times
more than MPCs for mercury (2.1 mg/kg): four of them were at the territory of
the Industrial Site #1 and came from the electrolysis shop 31, the shop of
production solutions regeneration, tanks for mercury containing wastewater
storage and the building of mercury contaminated wastewater treatment plant;
one of them was on the shore of the pond Balkyldak and was connected with
special ponds for storage of mercury wastes.
Three mercury hotspots at the
The hearth of soil mercury contamination in the area
of the special ponds was rather shallow and was formed by wind transfer of
dispersed solid mercury containing wastes.
Fig.11. Map of
topsoil (0-
Fig.12. Map of soil
(10-
Fig.13. Map of soil
(20-
The location of one of two (the western one) less
intensive hearths of topsoil contamination between the Industrial Site #1 and
the special ponds has overlapped a contour of spread of plume of mercury
contaminated groundwater and, probably, was caused by their reach of a surface
at the cost of evaporation and capillary effects. Second hearth (eastern),
probably, was formed by leaking mercury containing wastewater from the sewerage
system and their accumulation within this area. This assumption was proved by
numerous detection of high concentration of mercury in the borehole 7Р (4250
ng/l in 2002) made by different organizations within many years.
Amount of soil and ground in the layer of 0-
The level of mercury
contamination in atmosphere near to the Building
Investigation of existing observation and production
boreholes in 2001 showed that the spread of groundwater with mercury contents
more than MPCw (500 ng/l) was confined within the territory of the Industrial Site, places
where the sewerage system went and area of the special ponds. Numerous
investigation of the borehole 24-91, located
Fig.14. Map of
topsoil (0-
Fig.15. Map of soil
(10-
Fig.16. Map of soil
(20-
The drilling in
Fig.17. Hotspots of
groundwater contamination with mercury above 500 ng/l
according to 2002 investigation of observation boreholes
Surface water in the special ponds being accumulated
because of atmospheric precipitation was contaminated with mercury up to a
level of 50 mg/l (100000 MPCw), in pits to the south from the
special ponds - from 3 to 30 µg/l (6-60 MPCw), in the drain going
along the motorway in the direction to western dam of the pond Balkyldak - from
2 to 18 µg/l (4-36 MPCw), in the pond Balkyldak near the special
ponds - from 3.5 µg/l (7 MPCw) up to 100-300 ng/l (0.2-0.6 MPCw)
in shoaling water along the rest of the coast. The mercury contents in water of
an unfinished emergency canal extended from the pond Balkyldak to the Irtysh
River was not more than 10 ng/l (0.02 MPCw), in floodplain lakes of
the Irtysh River near the villages Pavlodarskoe and Shauke - not more than 9
ng/l (0.018 MPCw), in the Irtysh River - was lower than the
detection limit 2 ng/l (0.004 MPCw) of used analytical procedure.
The mercury concentration in the sludge of the special
ponds ranged from 10 mg/kg to 10000 mg/kg (2-2000 MPCs), in bottom sediment
of the pond Balkyldak – from 1 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg (0.5-250 MPCs). Groundwater
moving from the special ponds to the pond Balkyldak on the depth of 1.5-
Silver crucian is the main fish
species living in the pond Balkyldak. Predatory fishes were not found there.
Total mercury concentration in tissue of fishes caught from the pond Balkyldak
ranged from 0.18 up to 2.2 mg/kg and exceeded MPCf for non-predatory
fishes (0.3 mg/kg) in most cases. Concentration of mercury in tissue of
predatory fishes (mainly pike) caught in the
Gramma grass taken near the 6th wastewater pumping station contained
mercury from 1 mg/kg to 2 mg/kg, however, mercury contents in milk, kidneys and
liver of cows pastured in the territory between the Industrial Site #1 and the
pond Balkyldak did not exceed a similar parameter for these products from other
not polluted areas. Two samples of a hair belonged to employees of PCP
contained mercury at the same level as a hair of residents of Almaty.
4.5.
There is an aquifer in contemporary alluvial sediments
of the Irtysh River floodplain (аQIV), an aquifer in upper
quaternary sediments of the first above floodplain terrace (аQIII) and a water-bearing complex
in Falunian of low-middle-Pliocene sediments of Pavlodar suite (N1-2pv)
within the research area confined by the Irtysh River, the main irrigation
canal, the ash lagoon of power plants TES-2 and TES-3 and the Lake Muyaldy.
Clays of Kalkaman suite of Neogene are the first regional basalt layer.
The aquifer in contemporary alluvial sediments in
the western part of the research area looks as a narrow strip along the Irtysh
Riverbed. Water holding rocks consist of coarse sand with inclusions of grit
with capacity of 4-
Aquifer in upper quaternary alluvial sediments of the first
terrace above the floodplain occurs over the most part of the research area.
Water holding rocks consist of medium-size and coarse sand; small-grained and fine
sand and clay sand are less frequent there. There is
underground water there. The depth of occurrence of a daturence surface ranges
from 1.5-3 down to 6.5-
Aquifer in falunian of low-middle-Pliocene sediments of
Forming of groundwater of the area under natural conditions was mainly
occurred due to the infiltration of atmospheric precipitation and inflow on
external borders. The groundwater of contemporary sediments,
upper quaternary sediments and the one of
The wastewater discharge into the pond Balkyldak
began in
4.6. Main content of works on simulation
hydro-geological conditions
In 2001-2002 the work of IHH on creating the model involved following
basic stages: (i) schematization of natural conditions, (ii) preparation of
initial data, (iii) creation the model itself and its calibration, (iv) solving prognosis tasks.
At the first stage all collected information was looked through and
analyzed, their comprehensiveness, reliability and consistency were estimated.
The model of process has being chosen. The borders of the model were designed
and their schematization with boundary conditions and also the schematization
of simulated object (the quantity of layers was determined) was carried out,
the requirements to grid approximation of simulated area in horizontal
projection were determined. Created GIS IHH and database were used to analyze
the data. For the modeling process the system GMS 3.1 was acquired; it was
installed into a computer network of IHH, documentation on use of the system
was translated to Russian.
The initial data for modeling were prepared in accordance with the
results of schematization of hydro-geological conditions and peculiarities of
the modeling system GMS 3.1. Maps of hydro-geological parameters were produced
for each layer of the model. Values of dynamic parameters describing processes
on borders of the model (water levels in wastewater storage ponds Balkyldak and
Sarymsak) were calculated for every time step. The preparation of the initial
data was carried out using the GIS and the database.
The prepared initial data were converted to formats used by the modeling
system GMS 3.1. It was calibrated to prove the model is adequate to natural
conditions. In process of calibration the conditions existing for the
undisturbed period (1970) and then for the period since 1970 till July 2001
were reproduced in model. By fitting parameters they achieved coincidence of
solutions obtained in the model, with the facts obtained as a result of field
research during the last years and summer of 2001. When the coincidence
appeared to be satisfactory it was accepted that the model adequately described
hydro-geological conditions and could be used for forecasting their change. For
the production and calibration of the model the program
4.7.
There were solved both inverse stationary and inverse non-stationary
problem. The stationary problem which was being solved,
represented the year 1970. During solving the non-stationary problem the period
since 1970 till the middle of 2001 was reproduced in the model. An average
error of the solution of the inverse stationary problem was about
Fig.18. Spread (m) of
plume of groundwater contaminated with mercury up to 500 ng/l
(red area – on the results of field work of 2002, blue contour - on the result
of simulation of hydro-geological conditions as of 2002)
Three variants of the prognosis were made in the model:
- the first variant allowed for keeping two
sources of mercury contamination of groundwater (under the shop 31 and in area
of 6th wastewater pumping station), and also that hydro-geological condition
would remain at the same level as in 2001. The prognosis was done for case if
the concentration of mercury in the sources remained constant during all the
prognosis period;
- according to the second variant of the
prognosis the source under the shop 31 was completely isolated with help of
cut-off walls;
- according
to the third variant two sources of mercury (under the shop 31 and in area of
6th wastewater pumping station) remained the same, but however it was simulated
cessation of water delivery from the Irtysh River onto a water treatment plant,
located to the west from the Industrial Site #1 of PCP.
Based on the results of the simulation (the first variant of the
prognosis), it was established that the plume of groundwater polluted with
mercury would spread to the north-northwest direction at the depth from
4.8. Conclusions and recommendations of
“Toxicmanagement” project
Mercury contamination
of groundwater used for drinking water supply.
In northern and northwest suburbs of
Mercury
concentration in water and fish of the
Mercury contamination levels in the area of the
former electrolysis shop. It is necessary to finish the works projected by
JV Evrohim as soon as possible and connected to encapsulation of the main
hearth of the contamination from an environment. The building 31 should be
demolished and its building structures placed into a landfill. Also
construction of the bentonite cut-off wall reaching down to regional basalt
clay layer should be completed. If the cut-off wall functions in accordance
with the plan and prevents the groundwater containing soluble salts of mercury
from further horizontal spreading there is no necessity to take out and clean
the concrete floor slab of the electrolysis hall of the shop 31, and also
ground under it. The thermal treatment of the construction materials, strongly
contaminated with mercury can be postponed for the future, when mercury price
probably increase and its extraction becomes economically justified. However in
this case it will be necessary to isolate things confined by the cut-off wall,
so that it will become impenetrable for atmospheric precipitation from outside
and mercury vapor from inside that will stop polluting an atmosphere. It will
require construction of specially designed cap (which also should stop
capillary lifting) further to the works which were designed by JV Evrohim’s
design.
Fig.19. Spread (m) of
plume of groundwater mercury contamination on the results of simulation of
hydro-geological conditions as of 2031 (first prognosis scenario)
Fig.20. Spread (m) of
plume of groundwater mercury contamination on the results of simulation of
hydro-geological conditions as of 2031 (second prognosis scenario)
Fig.21. Spread (m) of
plume of groundwater mercury contamination on the results of simulation of
hydro-geological conditions as of 2031 (third prognosis scenario)
Mercury contamination of
soil around chlorine and caustic soda production. The soil
contaminated above sanitary norms which is outside the territory confined by
cut-off wall, should be taken out and placed into specially designed landfill
and isolated from action of groundwater and atmospheric water.
Mercury
pollution of ambient air. Under
demercurization work carrying out it is necessary to take dust-depressive
measures, to use more efficient temporary covering for mercury contaminated soil and the concrete floor slab of the hall of the shop 31,
and also to stop using the existing plant for thermal treatment of mercury
containing construction materials (fig.22).
Fig.22. Plant for
thermal demercurization of solid waste
Spread of the mercury
contaminated groundwater plum. The plum of mercury
contaminated groundwater does not threaten the
Special
evaporation ponds for liquid and solid mercury wastes.
In addition to work stipulated by JV Evrohim demercurization project it is
necessary to isolate the special ponds for mercury wastes with the help of
bentonite cut-off wall reaching the regional basalt clay, and specially
designed cap, impenetrable for mercury vapor and atmospheric water.
Wastewater storage pond
Balkyldak. FISH FROM WASTEWATER STORAGE POND BALKYLDAK CONTAINS
TOXIC LEVELS OF MERCURY. FISHING FROM THE POND SHOULD BE PROHIBITED IMMEDIATELY
AND THE ACTIVE STEPS FOR IMPOSING THIS BAN SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN. It is
necessary to continue studying the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak status in
order to make long-term decision associated with its mercury contamination.
4.9.
Additional researches of IHH: simulation of hydrological processes in the
Northern industrial site of
On the base of the model
of 2002 developed during “Toxicmanagement” project implementation IHH made in
2003 the forth scenario of the plume spread in case of full confinement of two
sources of contamination with help of cut-off wall (under the Shop 31 and 6th wastewater pumping station).
This scenario (fig.23)
showed that without these two sources of contamination the plume in 2005 must
split into two areas. At that by 2031 the south area will decrease to
With the help of the
hydrological model of Northern industrial site of
Fig.23. Spread (m) of
plume of groundwater mercury contamination on the results of simulation of
hydro-geological conditions as of 2031 (fourth prognosis scenario)
5. Correction of JV
Evrohim design /58, 59/
Correction of the
working design of demercurization developed by JV Evrohim in 1995 was
recommended by National Academy of Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (the
letter of Vise President of NAS RK #481 of 13.05.2003) /60-61/. Necessity of
such correction was caused by the fact that scope of work specified by the
project and accomplished in 1998-1999 prevented substantially the tread of the
It was also found that
the special ponds for liquid and solid mercury wastes were very dangerous
source of an environment contamination by mercury and need to be isolated from
groundwater and ambient air urgently but not after completing first stage of
demercurization works as it was scheduled in the project of 1995. At the same
time it was ascertained that for the period of time passed since 1993 the
buildings of the chlorine and caustic soda production had come to state of
nonoperability and become the source of environment pollution by mercury and
could not be used in productions newly being created. That brought to necessity
to dismantle the building structures and equipment of the shops with their
following demercurization.
Taking into account the
technical characteristics of demercurization objects, their location in the
industrial site and accumulated experience in demercurization activities the
next methods of demercurization were suggested by the correction of the working
design:
- confinement of both hotspots of groundwater mercury
contamination and special evaporation ponds for mercury wastes with help of
cut-off walls,
- excavation of topsoil heavily
contaminated with mercury down to the depth of
- construction
of a cap impermeable for mercury vapors and atmosphere precipitation on the top
of areas confined by the cut-off walls including special evaporation ponds,
- demercurization
of buildings and production structures through their dismantling, cleaning from
sludge and debris followed by burial of the mercury containing wastes in
the special ponds,
- creation
of network of observation boreholes and acquisition of equipment for mercury
monitoring to be done.
These technical
decisions were amendments to the scheme of the whole demercurization project.
They were chosen on the base of experience accumulated at PCP during the
demercurization and lay in following:
5.1. isolation of
hotspots of mercury contamination and the special evaporation ponds from
groundwater impact was carried out by constructing cut-off walls made of
bentonite clays which reached the basalt clay,
5.2. surface
screening on contamination sites was carried out with piling and compacting
bentonite types local clays on the top of the layer of clean soil,
5.3. burial
of demercurization wastes and debris was planned to do at the evaporation ponds
with following the ponds isolation,
5.4. isolation of filled
special evaporation ponds from atmosphere was carried out by creating
multi-layer cap: (i) intermediate leveling layer was consisted of materials
from dismantled dams’ crests, (ii) sorption layer was consisted of ash from the
power plant and served for prevention of capillary rise of water and substances
dissolved in it, (iii) waterproof layer was consisted of bentonite types clay,
(iv) and protection of the cap against rainfalls was provided by the layer of
fertile land with vegetation,
5.5. asphalt
top covering on the landfill for mercury wastes filled up with clay-concrete
mixture was designed for dusting prevention,
5.6. made decision on
demercurization and construction of caps and coverings allow using these areas
in future for constructions on their surface light buildings and structures
without foundations and underground communications network.
Fig.24. Construction
of anti-filtration screen, so called cut-off wall around the building 31
Fig.25. Bucket
(grifer) of hydraulic excavator “ЭО-522А”
Fig.26. Construction
of anti-filtration screen, so called cut-off wall around mercury waste lagoons
Fig.27. Creation of
clay covering above the concrete foundation of the building 31
Fig.28. Piling
mercury contaminated building structures into the first compartment of landfill
Fig.29. Piling
mercury contaminated building structures into the third compartment of landfill
Fig.30. Filling in
the first compartment of the landfill with ground-concrete mixture
Fig.31. Landfill for
mercury waste within the Industrial site #1
6.
Completion of first Phase of chlor-alkali production demercurization program of
2002 – 2004 /62/
In 2002-2004 Building
#31 was dismantled as well as Buildings 34, 34a, 34b (only concrete floors of
these shops were kept) and tanks of Shop # 34b and 6th pumping
station; Buildings 37, 36, 36b, 31d, 109 and water recycling communications
were decontaminated; infrastructure objects including overpasses and rail and
auto ways were either carried to different places or dismantled; cut-off wall
For three years the
works 860 millions tenge were spent, including 295 millions tenge - in 2002,
242 millions tenge – in 2003 and 323 millions tenge - in 2004. Totally since
May 1996 till December 2004 10867.97 thousands tenge were spent in reference
prices of 1991 (about $15 millions) which was 1082.56 millions tenge in
established prices. After the demercurization program completion the
implemented works were approved by State Expert Commission.
State Expert Commission
noticed that grounds for making all technical solutions was the results of the
special high quality studies and the most efficient integrated decisions were
chosen among various possible variants. It was also emphasized that such
decontamination project was the first to be implemented throughout the former
7. Program
of post-demercurization monitoring in Northern industrial area of
7.1.
Development of the Program of post-demercurization monitoring for 2005–2020
/57/
Program of
post-demercurization monitoring in the Northern industrial area of
The main goals of
Program of the mercury monitoring were (i) determination of levels of mercury
content in various environmental objects (atmosphere, soil, surface water and
groundwater) which remained after implementation of the Program of
demercurization of chlor-alkali production at PCP, (ii) control over
these levels changes during 15-year period, and (iii) confirmation of
acceptable level of risk posed from the residual mercury contamination for public
health, including population of northern suburb of Pavlodar and people working
on the territory of PCP.
Field studies and computer simulation carried out in the framework of the
“Toxicmanagement” project in 2001-2002 /55/ have shown that the major risks caused
by mercury contamination in area of PCP were connected with mercury
contamination of groundwater and surface water as well as with evaporation of
mercury on sites of the most intense contamination of soils.
As a result of implementation of the Program of demercurization the risk
caused by pollution of atmosphere by mercury should be completely eliminated.
Entering of mercury to natural water will also be stopped that in turn will
lead to their gradual self-cleaning and reduction of the
risk related to the mercury contamination of groundwater and surface water. One
should expect keeping some level of mercury contamination of soil in area of
PCP however the area of this contamination is not expected to spread further.
Therefore the monitoring of mercury contamination in the area of PCP should
include the following components:
- control over exceeding
of MPCgm for gaseous mercury equal to 300 ng/m3, in near-eath atmospheric layer (
-control over exceeding
of MPCs for total Hg, equal to 2.1 mg/kg
in the soil layer covering mercury landfills;
- control over absence
of spread of mercury pollution in soils with Hg exceeding MPCs for
total Hg equal to 2.1 mg/kg outside of original mercury aureoles (including at
the cost of evaporation of mercury contaminated groundwater) and control
over absence of accumulation of mercury inside of original hotspots of the
mercury contamination;
- control over absence
of spread of groundwater with Hg concentration exceeding MPCw for
dissolved inorganic mercury equal to 500 ng/l toward Pavlodarskoye village and
the Irtysh River;
- observation
over decrease in total Hg concentration in groundwater, including the
groundwater within the mercury pollution plume;
- control over absence
penetration of Hg dissolved into groundwater outside of cut-off wall and
landfills for solid mercury wastes; and observation over level of groundwater
inside of the isolated volumes;
- observation
over levels of total Hg concentration in surface water of the Northern industrial
area of
- observation
over levels of total Hg concentration in fish of wastewater storage pond
Balkyldak.
To achieve these
objectives the following tasks had to be solved:
- determine the
order, periodicity and methods of air, soil and water sampling for their
analysis for total mercury;
- determine the order
and periodicity of other field activities and measurements;
- determine the methods
of chemical analyses for total mercury in samples and order of laboratory
works;
- develop
recommendations on the obtained results interpretation;
- determine resources
needed for the mercury monitoring.
The results of suggested
Program of mercury monitoring should answer the question whether the
demercurization activities of 2001-2004 at the area of PCP were sufficient. In
case of decease in the residual mercury contamination to the level of
acceptable risk the Program of mercury monitoring can be completed in
7.2.
Field study in the Northern industrial area of
In September 2004 AIPET
and PCP undertook a joint field and chemical-analytical studies in the Northern
industrial area of
Comparison of the data
of 2004 (fig. 32) and one received on “Toxicmanagement” project in 2001-2002
showed that as a result of man-caused intervention in hydro-geological
conditions at the area of mercury hotspots in 2003-2004 some local changes in
mercury concentration in groundwater within the contamination plume have
happened.
In some cases when a
borehole happened to locate in the site surrounded by a cut-off wall
concentration of mercury could go up drastically, for example 100 times
increase in mercury concentration was found for the borehole P3. The same
happened for the boreholes located in the site of ruined sewage communications,
for example 10 times increase in mercury concentration was found for the
borehole 87-02, and double one - for borehole B21a. At the same time the
boreholes located in the immediate vicinity to cut-off wall showed decrease in
mercury concentration there, for example, double decrease in mercury
concentration was found for the boreholes 566-00 and 567-00. For the most boreholes
located quite far from the area of demercurization works the change in
concentration level in groundwater did not happen.
Study of new boreholes
drilled in 2003 proved the high level of mercury concentration in groundwater
within earlier found hotspots, especially near the special evaporation ponds.
Besides one more hotspot was found in the site of former mercury sewage system
connecting the industrial site #1 and the special evaporation ponds.
Levels of mercury
concentration in the surface water in the area of demercurization works
increased significantly, including ones in shoaling water along south-west
shore of the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak. It came from the relocation of
great volumes of dust-forming mercury contaminated soil.
Levels of mercury
concentration in soils in the area of demercurization works remained
considerably high, which probably was accounted for non-completed activity at
the moment of sampling. The same places where soils were heavily
contaminated by mercury were the main sources of mercury entering to
atmosphere. Levels of soil mercury contamination outside the mercury hotspots
(for example westward from Central Laboratory) remained
insignificant.
Fig.32 Results of
mercury monitoring campaign in Northern Industrial Area of
It turned out that
in September 2004 it was hard to estimate a long-term impact of the
demercurization works on environment in the area of PCP due to the incompleteness
of this works that time. One can notice local short-term increase in level of
mercury danger in the area of the works caused by dust forming and mercury
emissions from the experimental thermal plant for treatment of mercury
containing construction waste (fig. 22). That increased risk for the workers
involved in demercurization works. The field study of 2004 showed that it
is necessary to expand considerably the scope of further monitoring works
because during demercurization great volumes of mercury contaminated dust
forming soil were relocated which probably could lead to expansion of the
contaminated area.
7.3.
Project proposal preparation in the framework of International Science and
AIPET, Pavlodar State
University (PSU), IHH, SLM and PCP worked out a project proposal (see Annex D)
the purposes of which were:
- to
identify the risk associated with the spread of groundwater plumes contaminated
with mercury and oil derivates, including their movement through the network of
water intake boreholes in village Pavlodarskoye, and further towards river
Irtysh and/or their rise onto the pastures and, if significant, identify a
management strategy to contain risk;
- to
identify a management strategy for containing the environmental risk, caused by
the mercury pollution of
Project objectives:
· study of the movement of mercury in the
groundwater rise in depressed area in saturated and unsaturated zones and its
accumulation in the shallow ponds and vegetation. Development of management
strategy to contain the risk to population in the vicinity and livestock;
· facilitation of the Laboratory of environmental
protection of PCP with the equipment for
conduction of mercury monitoring, and training
of the local staff;
·
carrying out 3-year
post-containment monitoring program in the Northern industrial area of
Pavlodar, including the monitoring of soils and vegetation of pastures in the
close vicinity of contamination, and development of recommendations for the
further implementation of the monitoring program;
· assessment of possibility for mercury-polluted
groundwater flow to change its direction; study
of interaction of contaminated groundwater with
bearing strata and underlying aquifers;
·
upgrading and detailing
the models of groundwater in the Northern industrial area of
and contamination of groundwater with mercury;
· investigation of the possible connection in the
aureole of mercury pollution between the
groundwater of Low-Medium Pliocene deposits of
· definition of more accurately prognoses for
spread of mercury-containing groundwater in
Northern industrial area of
· study of the spread of groundwater plume
contaminated with oil products from the
· facilitation of the Laboratory of environmental
protection of PCP with the equipment to
monitor contamination of groundwater with
oil products, and training of the local staff;
· drilling and equipping new
observation boreholes for groundwater sampling and their chemical analyses in
order to define the direction of spreading the plume of groundwater
contaminated with oil and petroleum derivates;
· development of the model of spreading the oil
products with groundwater in Northern industrial area of
· assessment of possibility to contain the risk
posed by mercury pollution of the pond Balkyldak including the fish within it;
· study of the mercury contamination of
bottom sediments in the pond Balkyldak, and estimation of the amount of
deposited mercury;
·
study of the food chains of the pond
Balkyldak and to assessment of the bioaccumulation of
mercury in aqueous organisms;
· development and discussion with local
stakeholders the recommendations for the second Phase of demercurization and
other remediation activities in the Northern industrial area of
One of the most
important objectives of the works to be implemented was the creation of
monitoring laboratory PCP capable to carry out the Program of post-demercurization
monitoring in the Northern industrial area of
Project proposal was
discussed in ISTC in October 2004, approved by a collaborator and American
partners, as well as by the Government of the
Experience of
demercurisation works in
- research
activity should start as early as possible desirably while a plant-pollutant
still in operation. This will enable to get an access to archival documents at
the given enterprise and consulting with the specialists and veterans familiar
with details of technological process and its history. Otherwise the most part
of technological and historical information becomes hardly accessible;
- operating enterprises,
even almost bankrupts can provide funding for urgent measures such as
monitoring, risk assessment, development of designs of clean-up, dismantle of
production equipment and buildings, restoration of the territory. These works
in turn can bring additional funding, privileges and assistance in their
activity not related to environmental pollution including their reconstruction,
conversion and provides workers and engineers of those productions with new
employment;
- suppression and hiding
of environmental problems does not bring to their solving, on the contrary it
brings to the crisis increase and sooner or later the problems get out of hand.
At that the problems solution at later stages will cost much higher. Open
discussion of environmental problems and of the course of implementation of
environment protection works attract new partners who come always with new
ideas and frequently with new possibilities for funding. Mass media and public
are very useful tools for solving many difficult tasks of environmental
projects;
- environmental projects are usually very complicated and
require partial execution. After each phase implementation a new monitoring and
risk assessment are required. Such method of the works fulfillment allows
saving substantial financial resources, labor and time;
- the
most difficult and important stage of environmental projects is negotiations,
coordination and approving. Such stages are usually several because achieved
agreements have to be reviewed and corrected in the course of projects’
implementation;
- environmental projects are usually very expensive. It is
important to find and have a few sources of funding. As a rule participation of
ones donors gives opportunity to attract additional funds from other ones.
AIPET – Almaty Institute of power Engineering and Telecommunications
AAS - atomic absorptive spectrophotometer
Lyumex RA 915+ (
BG – [BG Group] BG Company,
EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment
ЕРА –
[US EPA] Environmental
Protection Agency, USA
fig. – figure
FS - Feasibility Study
GDR –
German
Democratic
Republic
GeoDelf - Consulting Company
"GeoDelf",
GIS - Geographic Information System
GPS – Global Positioning System
IHH -
IMV –
INCO –
Specific International Scientific Cooperation Activities
INS –
INTAS – International
Association for the Promotion of Co-operation with Scientists from the
ISTC – International
Science of
JSC – Joint Stock
Campony
JV “Evrohim” - joint
venture “Evrohim”,
KazGU - Research
KNIIF GOSNIICHLORPROEKT –
KNIF MNPO “Sintez” -
KNII “Sinteko” - Kiev Research Institute
“Sinteko”
Ltd. – company with limited liability
MNREP RK - Ministry of National Resources and
Environmental Protection of the
MPCda
- Maximum permissible concentration
in air daily average, equal to 300 ng/m3 for mercury
MPCw - Maximum permissible
concentration in water of a water body equal to 500 ng/L for mercury
MPCf - Maximum
permissible concentration in fish: 0.6 mg/kg for
mercury in predatory fishes and 0.3 mg/kg for mercury in non predatory fishes
MPCs - Maximum permissible concentration in soil equal to 2.1 mg/kg for mercury
MPCwa - Maximum permissible concentration in air of
working area equal to 10000 ng/m3 for mercury
NGO – Non-Governmental Organization
NII- Research Institute
PCP –
pH –
hydrogen ion exponent (characteristic of acidity and alkalinity of aqueous
solution)
PHH -
Almaty
Pond Balkyldak
(Balkyldak) – wastewater storage pond (former natural lake) Balkyldak
POR –
PSU -
QA/QC
–Quality assurance and quality control
Red-ox potential – reduction–oxidation
potential in a solution
RF –
RK – the
SLM - Stepnogorsk Laboratory of Monitoring
Special ponds -
special evaporation ponds for liquid mercury containing wastes (they also were
used as a storage for solid mercury containing wastes)
SSEU -
SU -
Department of Civil Engineering of
TES - urban power station generating also steam
for heating.
1. Resolution of the Supreme Soviet
of National Economy of the USSA of the Council of Ministers of the
2. I.Levin (Head of Central State
Expertise Department of Gosstroi of the
4. Regular technological guidelines
N2 for chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen production based on mercury
electrolysis in the shop #3 (building #31).
5. Regular technological guidelines
N3 for treatment facility of mercury contaminated wastewater from the shop #3
of chlorine and caustic soda production on the base of mercury electrolysis. PCP. 1989. 68 p.
6. Regular technological guidelines
N26 for thermal mercury regeneration plant in the shop #3.
8. I.V.Malkov (Foreman of Shop #3 of
PCP since1981 till 1984) Verbal communication, 20.10.04
9. B.N.Danevitch, L.S.Uchenik,
A.S.Temirbayeva, E.D.Lushin, A.A.Shal, P.I.Glotkin, E.I.Iskakova,
L.V.Rylkov. Information on technical status and its
impact on environment of the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak, PCP.
11. E.N.Lushin, T.E.Krakhaleva,
A.F.Krakhalev. Results of study of mercury contamination at
the industrial site of chlorine and caustic sida production at PCP (Final
report). Science and
12. E.P.Serenyuk (Director of PCP
since 1997 till 1998). Verbal communication, 23.07.04
13. B.A.Sharov (Director PCP since
1988 till 1997). Verbal communication, 28.09.04
14. Feasibility Study report on
process conversion project for chlor-alkali plant of Chimprom,
16. V.A.Skripnik, A.A.Uzbekov,
A.Yu.Noel, M.I.Korshun. Report “Results of study of structures of the
production’s buildings mercury contamination levels constructions, calculation
of the class of toxicity of above-ground parts of the buildings. Development of recommendations on burial of waste of contaminated
buildings’ structures and demercurization of shops”. KNIF
GosNIIKHLORPROYEKT,
17. V.A.Skripnik, V.I.Barmashenko,
M.N.Korshun. Recommendations on demercurization of equipment
and burial of wastes from chlorine and caustic soda production based on mercury
method at PCP. KNIF GosNIIKHLORPROYEKT,
19. V.I.Skripnik, A.A.Uzbekov. Initial data and recommendations on elimination of mercury
contamination of soils in industrial site of chlorine and caustic soda
production based on mercury method at PCP. KNIF MNPO “Sintez”,
21. V.V.Sokolov, V.S.Mochulskiy,
V.V.Kuznetsov. Main regulations for demercurization of equipment and building
structures, elimination of soil’s mercury contamination of the territory of the
shop #31 at PO Khimprom, Pavlodar. Institute Giprosintez,
23. Report on the project
“Development of concrete mixture composition, way of its preparation and
placement into cells of storages with selection of compositions and testing
samples of fine-grained ground-concrete based on Portland cement as
astringent”.
24. E.N.Lushin. Preliminary
conclusion on the results of study for identification of landfill for mercury
containing materials at the industrial site of PCP. JSV
“Pavlodargidrogeologia”, Zhetekshi. 1995.
26. Protocol of the meeting of MNREP
RK with the BRGM representative Georges Morisot (
27. Protocol of the BRGM meeting
“Demercurization project in
28. Protocol on financing between
French Republic Government and the Government of the
29. Protocol of talks on realization
of the project “Demercurization activity and identification of mercury
contamination hotspot in
32. Letter of JSC “PCP” President
E.M.Nurpeisov, Chief Engineer L.K.Shchetinin, Director on Construction
A.D.Akhmetov to Akim of Pavlodar oblast G.B.Zhakiyanov
N 71-05-96 of 26.01.2001. 2 p.
33. Program of demercurization of
decommissioned production of chlorine and caustic soda based on mercury method
at JSC “Khimprom”.
35. Yu.V.Knyazev (Head of Industrial
Laboratory of Sanitary Epidemiological Agency of Pavlodar. Sanitary
order No. 2б-08-147 of
17.08.98. 1 p.
36. V.I.Lyagushnikov, V.N.Kvashnin,
N.A.Parfenov, S.N.Sultanbayev, M.Sh,Akhmetov,
D.G.Tashimova. Act of collection and acceptance of
37. V.Keremkulov (Chairman of the
Committee for the Environmental Protection, Chief State Inspector of RK).
Letter N 1/353 of 22.04.99 to A.G. Siryk, a
President of JSC “Khimprom” 2 p.
38. V. G.Gurdzhei, P.A.Dubok,
V.I.Tereshkov, B.K.Serzhanov, N.M.Khlystun. Protocol of the meeting of
representatives of committees, authority of
40. N.Leontyev
(Deputy Head of
42. K.Aitekenov (Chairman of
Committee for Environmental Protection of RK) Chronology of the demercurization
project “Demercurization activity and elimination of mercury contamination
hotspot in
43. E.Trusov (Director of Pavlodar
oblst of Environmental Fund), A. Akhmetov (Director on construction at PCP). Information on implemented demercurization activities at
decommissioned production of chlorine and caustic soda based on mercury method
at JSC “PCP”. 2002. 1 p.
44. Control of groundwater
protection from depletion and pollution in
45. Water regime and balance of
groundwater in
46. Annual journal on water regime
and balance of groundwater in
47. Identification of contamination
sources in the vicinity of the
52. N.M.Khlystun. Ecologo-chemical
study of nature environments condition in
53. T.I.Slazhneva. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of PO “Khimprom”,
54. I.M.Kamberov, M.I.Politikov.
Report on the project INTAS-Kz 95-19 “Study of environment around
55. T.W.Tanton, S.M.Ullrich, G.Zh.Daukeev, M.A.Ilyushchenko,
E.V.Lapshin, V.V.Veselov, V.Yu.Panichkin, I.M.Kamberov. Results
of researches on mercury contamination in the north industrial area of
56. T.W.Tanton, V.V.Veselov,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, V.Yu.Panichkin. Assessment of risk posed by
mercury contamination in the Northrn industrial area of
62. N. K.Autalipov, I.I.Drel,
E.K.Nacharova, A.D.Akhmetov, N.V.Solovyova, G.S.Manyakhin, B.A.Sardarov,
V.A.Migachov, K.Zh.Beisebayev, A.M.Karabalin, B.K.Shapkenov, S.K.Matviyenko,
Zh.A.Usenov, A.Zh.Bikenov. Conclusion of working commission (assigned by
the order of the Department of Environmental Programms of Pavlodar oblast, N21
of 16.11.2004) about receiving the object ready in order to be presented to the
State Acceptance Inspection. December 7, 2004.
63. Zh.Zh.Nurgaliyev, I.I.Drel,
S.S.Abeldinov, E.V.Skarov, V.A.Bednenko, S.A.Adamzhanov, Zh.Sh.Aliyev,
T.K.Kamashev, B.K.Shapkenov, A.D.Akhmetov. Act of State Acceptance Inspection
(assigned by Akim of Pavlodar oblast decision N27 of 29.11.2004) on acceptance
of constructed object and its commissioning of December 25, 2004. Approved by the oblast Akim decision of February 28, 2005.
64. Worldwide remediation of mercury
hazards through biotechnology (BIOMERCURY). http://www.biomercury.de.
|
Annex А |
|
|
L.E. Postolov |
Chlor-alkali production with mercury cathode within the former USSR (as of 2008) |
|
Enterprises (in parentheses - names of soviet period) |
Annual capacity of caustic (thousand tons) |
Wastewater treatment method |
Mercury consumption rate, g/t of caustic |
|
OPERATING ENTERPRISES |
|||
|
1. JSC "Kaustic" Volgograd city, Russia. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up - 1968 |
120 |
precipitation as sulfide |
600-700 |
|
2. JSC "Kaustic" Sterlitamal city, Bashkortostan, Russia. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up with use of “Krebs” bathes - 1964, the year of shutdown - 1987. Facilities and buildings have been demercurized, wastes rich in mercury were sent to Nikitovskiy mercury factory, wastes poor in mercury were landfilled. The year of mercury electrolysis production of doubled capacity start-up with used of “De Nora” bathes in new production premises - 1982. |
150 |
combined: ion-exchange + purge |
400-450 |
|
3. Surface-active substances factory, Sumgait city (PO "Khimprom"), Azerbaijan. The year of the first mercury electrolysis production start-up – 1956, the year of shutdown - 1981, facilities and electrolysis shop have been demounted, mechanically cleaned from mercury and utilized; wastes rich in mercury were sent to Nikitovskiy mercury factory, wastes poor in mercury as well as debris of floor slab and soil down to 2 m deep from under the shop were landfilled. The year of the second production of the same capacity (new electrolysis building was constructed next to the old one and all infrastructure has been kept) start-up - 1982 |
70 |
ion-exchange |
600-700 |
|
4. JSC Kirovo-Chepetskiy Chemical factory. Kirovo-Chepetsk, Kirovskaya oblast, Russia. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up - 1955 |
200 |
combined: precipitation as sulfide + ion-exchange |
300 |
|
STOPPED ENTERPRISES |
|||
|
5. Factory of chemical concentrates, Novosibirsk city, Russia. The year of mercury electrolysis production shutdown - 2006. Facilities and buildings have been demercurized, new chlor-alkali production of smaller capacity based on a membrane method is being set up in the same production premises. |
200 |
ion-exchange |
300 |
|
6. JSC “Sayanskkhimplast”, Sayansk city (Ziminskiy Chemical Plant), Irkutskaya oblast, Russia. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up - 1979, the year of shutdown - 2006. Facilities and buildings have been demercurized, new chlor-alkali production of smaller capacity based on a membrane method operates in the same production premises. |
150 |
Combined: ion-exchange + evaporation |
600-700 |
|
7. JSC “Usolyekhimprom”, Usolye Sibirskoe city, Irkutskaya oblast, Russia. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up - 1970, the year of shutdown – 1998. The production is being closed down. Design of demercurization of buildings and the territory has been prepared. |
110 |
precipitation as sulfide |
600-700 |
|
8. JSC “Radikal”, Kiev city (Chemicals Plant), Ukraine. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up - 1954, the year of shutdown - 1996. The production has been closed down. Facilities have been demounted. Feasibility study of a design of demercurization of buildings and the territory has been prepared. |
60 |
ion-exchange |
600-700 |
|
9. JSC “Kaustik”, Pavlodar city (PO Khimprom), Kazakhstan. The year of mercury electrolysis production start-up - 1975, the year of shutdown - 1993. Facilities, buildings (have been demounted) as well as territory (partially) has been demercurized; new chlor-alkali production of smaller capacity based on a membrane method is being set up in other production premises. |
120 |
ion-exchange |
1500 |
Besides mercury plants of small capacity operated at: PO “Kaprolaktam”, Dzerzhinsk town, Nizhegorodskaya oblast (start-up – 1948, shutdown – 1982) – 10 000 tons/year, and also Arkhangelskiy, Novodvinsk town, Arkhangelskaya oblast (start-up – 1962, shutdown – 1996) – 16400 tons/year, Svetogorskiy, Svetogorsk town, Leningradskaya oblast (start-up – 1951, shutdown – 1993) – 1300 tons/year, Kotlasskiy, Koryazhma town, Arkhangelskaya oblast (start-up – 1964, shutdown – 1998) – 19600 tons/year, and Amurskiy, Komsomolsk-na-Amure city, Khabarovskiy kray (start-up – 1970, shutdown – 1997) – 7400 tons/year pulp and paper milks. Wastewater treatment method used there is precipitation as sulfide. Kotlasskiy plant was demounted and utilized, buildings were demercurized, mercury wastes and heavily contaminated facilities were landfilled; at present chlor-alkali production of the same capacity operates based on a membrane method. Information on demercurization at the other productions is not available.
Press-release of 15.11.04
Construction of
anti–filtration screen around mercury contamination hotspots in North
industrial area of
The Phase I of the
unique project, confining spread of mercury pollution in Pavlodar North
industrial zone is under completion. It limits mercury impact on environment
and population. The project, which was funded at the cost of the Republican
budget, has prevented the mercury contamination of both the
Chlor-alkali production
in Pavlodar Chemical Plant released 1310 tons of metal mercury and mercury
compounds to environment during manufacturing process. This mercury was
accumulated both under the concrete floor of electrolysis shop and surrounding
industrial site and spread with wind from the area of mercury wastes storage
and penetrated into groundwater and went to surface water either. Mercury
evaporation threatened plant employees’ health as well as mercury contaminated
groundwater threatened health of Pavlodarskoye village population where the
groundwater was used as main water resources. With the start of demercurization
activity (April, 1999) hot spring weather caused intensive mercury evaporation
from Shop N31, which was absolutely out of control. As a result of such
evaporation
Similar problems
occurred in other regions of the former
In
Top priority measures
included the collection of necessary data and materials for a design
preparation, then the demercurization program development and dismantling of
the main source of the contamination – electrolysis hall of the building N31.
This work was being done in 1993-1999. Ukranian Institute JV “Evrohim”,
In 2000 all works at the
area of Pavlodar Chemical Plant were stopped due to the cessation of funding.
The Government of the
In 2001 Consortium of
Kazakhstani and European universities with British Gas Chair of Almaty
Institute of Power Engineering and Telecommunication as a leading institute
received grant of EU INCO Program and held two-year research of mercury impact
on an environment in
In 2002-2004 four
mercury pollution hotspots were isolated with bentonite clay screen of cut off
wall type’s 15-
Accomplishment of the I
stage of the demercurization works at the industrial site of Pavlodar Chemical
Plant was feasible due to the support of RK President, Government, Oblast
Akimat and coordinated activity of international team of scientists and
engineers from Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Great Britain. It opens way to
revival of chlor-alkali production in
Program
of mercury contamination monitoring for 2005-2020. (Fragments)
1. Concept
Primary sources of
mercury contamination resulted from 18-year operation of chlorine and alkali
production of former PO “Khimprom”,
Field studies and computer simulation carried out within the program
INCO-Copernicus in 2001-2002 have shown that the major risks caused by mercury
contamination in area of former PO "Khimprom" are related to the
contamination of groundwater and surface water as well as to evaporation of
mercury on sites of the most intense contamination of soils.
As a result of implementation of the Demercurization Program the risk
caused by pollution of atmosphere by mercury should be completely eliminated.
Entering of mercury to natural water will also be stopped that will lead to
their gradual self-cleaning and decrease in the
risk related to the mercury contamination of groundwater and surface water. One
should expect keeping some level of mercury contamination of soil in area of
the former PO "Khimprom", Pavlodr, aureole of this contamination,
however, is not expected to spread further.
Therefore the monitoring of mercury contamination in the area of former
1.1.
control over absence of
exceeding Maximum Permissible Concentration for gaseous mercury (MPCgm)
equal to 300 ng/m3 in near-earth atmospheric layer (
1.2.
control over absence of exceeding of MPCs
(soils) for total Hg, equal to 2.1 mg/kg in the soil
layer covering the landfill for mercury wastes;
1.3.
control over absence of
spread of mercury pollution in soils with Hg exceeding MPCs for
total Hg (equal to 2.1 mg/kg) outside of original mercury aureoles (including
the pathway by evaporation of contaminated groundwater); and control over
accumulation of mercury inside of original hotspots of mercury contamination;
1.4.
control over spread of groundwater with Hg
concentration exceeding MPCw (water) for dissolved inorganic mercury
(equal to 500 ng/l) toward village Pavlodarskoye and the
1.5.
observation over decrease in total Hg
concentration in groundwater, including the groundwater within the mercury
pollution plume;
1.6.
control over absence of penetration of
total mercury containing in water outside of cut-off wall and landfill for solid
mercury wastes; and observation over level of groundwater inside of isolated
volumes;
1.7.
monitoring of levels of total Hg concentration
in surface water of the Northern industrial area of
1.8.
monitoring of levels of total Hg concentration
in fish of wastewater storage pond Balkyldak.
2. Goals and
objectives of the Program of mercury monitoring
The main goals of
Program of mercury monitoring in the Northern industrial area of
-
(i) determination of
residual levels of mercury content in various environmental compartments
(atmosphere, soils, surface water and groundwater), which arose as a result of
implementation of Demercurization Program for chlor-alkali production of former
-
(ii) control
over changing of these levels during 15-year period, and
-
(iii) confirmation of
acceptable level of risk posed by the residual mercury contamination for public
health, including population of northern suburb of Pavlodar and people working
at the territory of former PO “Khimprom”.
The following tasks are
proposed in order to achieve the above goals:
2.1.
establishment of procedure, frequency and
techniques for the sampling of air, soils and water for the subsequent
determination of total mercury content;
2.2.
establishment of procedure and frequency of other
fieldworks and measurements;
2.3.
establishment of techniques for
chemical-analytical determination of total mercury in taken samples as well as
procedures of laboratory works;
2.4.
development of recommendations for the
interpretation of obtained results;
2.5.
identification of the resources necessary for
implementation of works on mercury monitoring.
3. Sites of mercury
monitoring and data interpretation
Mercury monitoring
includes sampling and chemical analysis of mercury in air, soils, surface and
ground water and fish. Monitoring is conducted on the following sites:
3.1.
control over absence of exceeding MPCgm
is carried out in 7 points, including:
3.1.1.
the sites of
contamination with elementary mercury inside of the perimeter and around the
former electrolysis hall of the shop #31 (4 sampling points of air on the
perimeter of the cover isolating the concrete floor of the former shop #31; and
1 sampling point in the centre of this cover);
3.1.2. the point
near the thermal treatment plant for processing of mercury-containing building
structures (1 sapling point of air in the close vicinity from the thermal plant
or from the place of its location if this plant is dismantled);
3.1.3. the point
above the landfill for mercury-containing materials near the former shop #31 (1
sampling point for air above the centre of the landfill);
3.2.
control over absence of exceeding MPCs
for total mercury is carried out in 11 sampling points, including:
3.2.1. the
topsoil layer (0-
3.2.2. the
topsoil layer (0-
3.2.3. the
topsoil layer (0-10 c) covering the former special evaporation ponds for
mercury wastes (3 sampling points for soils near the centers of each of three
ponds);
3.2.4.
the topsoil layer (0-
3.2.5.
the topsoil layer (0-
3.3.
control over absence of
mercury accumulation inside of original hotspots of mercury contamination (4
sampling points in total) is carried out in topsoil layer (0-
3.4.
control over absence of
spread of groundwater contaminated with mercury above MPCw is
carried out using 12 observation boreholes: ## 522-00, 60-02, 78-02, 55-02, 81-02,
79-02, 73-02, 70-02, 89-02, 91-02, 6-P, 5-P;
3.5.
control over decrease
in Hg concentration in groundwater including the plume of mercury contamination
is carried out using 52 observation boreholes: ## 69-02, 68-02, 61-02, B-21,
B-21a, 84-02, 66-02, 82-02, 67-02, 83-02, 59-02, 87-02, 74-02, 88-02, 72-02,
90-02, B-22, B-23, 63-02, 7-P, 8, 62-02, 682, including the new boreholes
specially drilled for Monitoring Program: ## 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35;
3.6.
control over absence of
penetration of Hg dissolved in water outside of cut-off wall and the landfill
for mercury wastes and observation over level of groundwater inside of isolated
volumes are carried out using 23 observation boreholes: P-4, P-2, 566-00,
567-00, P-8, 86-02, B-13, P-7, 18?, P-1, B-12, P-6, P-3, 565-00, 85-02, B-14,
75-02, 76-02, including the new boreholes specially drilled for Monitoring
Program: ## 1, 2, 3, 4, 5;
3.7.
monitoring of levels of total mercury in
surface water of the Northern industrial area of
3.7.1.
in wastewater storage
pond Balkyldak: 3 sampling points for water on the southern shore near the
former special ponds for mercury wastes, and 1 sampling point on the north-west
corner, 1 sampling point on the north-east corner, 1 sampling point on the
northern shore (6 sampling points in total);
3.7.2. in
unfinished emergency canal Balkyldak-Irtysh: 1 sampling point for water in its
eastern section and 1 sampling point in central section (2 sampling points in
total);
3.7.3. in
ditches located to the South-East from the former special ponds for solid
mercury wastes (2 sampling points);
3.7.4. in
oxbow-lakes located near the villages Pavlodarskoye and Shauke (4 sampling
points);
3.8.
monitoring of the levels of total Hg
concentration in fish from wastewater storage pond Balkyldak is carried out by
analysis of 10 samples of silver crucian carp caught in the south-western part
of the pond.
With the change of
mercury concentration in the air there should be no excess in MPCad
for gaseous mercury equal to 300ng/m³ in any of these sampling sites.
With the change of total
mercury concentration in the soil the results obtained beyond the primary
hotspot should not exceed MPCs equal to 2.1 mg/kg and in the sampling points
within the primary hotspot should not exceed the results obtained during the
previous monitoring stages.
When determining the
total mercury concentration in the groundwater towards north and west beyond
the mercury contamination plume as well as in the surface water of oxbows of
the Irtysh River and not fully constructed emergency discharge canal
Balkyldak-Irtysh the obtained results should not exceed MPCw for dissolved inorganic mercury
equal to 500 ng/l. Within the primary hotspot of groundwater mercury
contamination and for the surface water of the pond Balkyldak and trenches
located south-eastward from the former special ponds for mercury wastes the
obtained results shouldn’t exceed the results of the previous monitoring
stages.
With the change of
mercury concentration in fish tissue inhibiting the pond Balkyldak the obtained
results shouldn’t exceed significantly (10 times and higher) the results of the
previous monitoring stages.
4. Field work and
measurements associated with the
mercury monitoring
When the atmospheric air
is sampled and analyzed for mercury concentration its temperature should be
measured and recorded at the same time. The measurement and recording of wind
speed and direction is also desirable.
When the samples of
surface water and groundwater are taken for subsequent determination of total
Hg concentration, the temperature and pH of the water should be measured and
recorded at the same time. The water levels in observation boreholes and the
water level in the pond Balkyldak should be also measured and recorded during
their sampling. The levels of groundwater in boreholes located inside of the
area isolated by cut-off wall should not exceed the levels in the same
boreholes registered during the previous stages of monitoring.
Fish caught in the pond
Balkyldak should be weighted with the accuracy of ±
5. Frequency
The frequency of the
monitoring is stipulated by the rate of hydro- and geochemical processes in the
site of the former
During the first year of mercury monitoring the
measurements of gaseous mercury should be carried three times per year (spring,
summer and autumn) at the positive values of the air temperature. The same
frequency should be applied for the measurements of mercury in groundwater of
observation boreholes. The measurements of Hg concentration in soils and
surface water should be carried out once a year during summer period.
Providing the
improvement or maintenance of environmental situation related to the risk posed
by mercury contamination, the frequency of all measurements could be reduced to
one time per year for the subsequent four years. In case of deterioration of
the situation the frequency of first year should be kept.
Providing the
improvement of situation the frequency could be reduced to one time in five
years after the initial five-year period monitoring.
10. Expected results
The results of suggested Program of mercury
monitoring should answer the question whether the demercurization activities
carried out in 2001-
11. Justification
Justification of the Program was both the results of the research on
international project INCO-2 ICA2-CT-2000-10029 “Development of cost-effective
methods of minimizing risk from heavy metal pollution in industrial cities: a
case study of mercury pollution in Pavlodar” (“Toxicmanagement”) implemented in
2000-2002 by consortium of two west European, one Russian, one Ukrainian and
four Kazakhstani universities and institutes being coordinated by BG Chair of
Environmental Technology of Almaty Institute of Power Engineering and
Telecommunication and also additional studies of AIPET by request of JSC “Pavlodar Chemical Plant”
Fragments of Project proposal ISTC Project K-1240p
|
|
PROJECT PROPOSAL |
K-1240p |
I. Summary Project Information
1. Project Title and Taxonomy
|
Full title: |
Post-containment Management and Monitoring of
Mercury Pollution in Site of Former PO “Khimprom” and Assessment of
Environmental Risk Posed by Contamination of Groundwater and Adjacent Water
Bodies of the Northern Industrial Area of |
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|
Short title: |
Environmental Risk Assessment and Management
in |
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Technology area: |
ENV-MIN; ENV-WPC; ENV-MRA |
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Category of technology development: |
Applied Research |
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2. Project Manager
|
Name: |
Dr. ILYUSHCHENKO, Mikhail Alexeevich |
|||||
|
Title: |
Associate Prof., PhD |
Position: |
Associate Professor of BG Chair of
Environmental Technology at AIPET |
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|
Street address: |
126 Baytursynov Str. |
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City: |
Almaty |
Region: |
|
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ZIP: |
480013 |
Country: |
Kazakhstan |
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|
Tel.: |
+7 3272 923454 |
Fax: |
+7 3272 929814 |
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E-mail: |
mai@aipet.kz |
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3. Participating Institutions
3.1. Leading Institution
|
Short reference: |
AIPET |
|||||||||
|
Full name: |
Non-profit JSC “Almaty Institute of Power
Engineering and Telecommunication” |
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|
Street address: |
126 Baytursynov Str. |
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|
City: |
Almaty |
Region: |
|
|||||||
|
ZIP: |
480013 |
Country: |
Kazakhstan |
|||||||
|
Name of Signature Authority: |
Mr. DAUKEEV, Gumarbek Zhusupbekovich |
|||||||||
|
Title: |
Prof., Dr. Tech. Sci. |
Position: |
Rector |
|||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 3272 925740 |
Fax: |
+7 3272 925057 |
|||||||
|
E-mail: |
aipet@aipet.kz |
|||||||||
|
Governmental Agency: |
Ministry of Science and Education of RK |
|||||||||
3.2.
Other Participating Institutions
Participant
Institution 1
|
Short reference: |
IHH |
|||||||||||
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Full name: |
|
|||||||||||
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Street address: |
34 Valikhanova Str. |
|||||||||||
|
City: |
Almaty |
Region: |
|
|||||||||
|
ZIP: |
480100 |
Country: |
Kazakhstan |
|||||||||
|
Name of Signature Authority: |
Mr. MAMUTOV, Timur Tynybekovich |
|||||||||||
|
Title: |
Prof., Dr. Tech. Sci. |
Position: |
Deputy Head of Institute |
|||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 3272 915051 |
Fax: |
+7 3272 918825 |
|||||||||
|
E-mail: |
V_panichkin@mail.kz |
|||||||||||
|
Governmental Agency: |
Ministry of Science and Education of RK |
|||||||||||
|
Sub-manager: |
Mr. VESELOV, Vassily Vassilievich |
|||||||||||
|
Title: |
Academician of NAS RK |
Position: |
Head of the Laboratory of Informatics and Hydrogeological
Processes’ Modelling |
|||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 3272 914609 |
Fax: |
+7 3272 918825 |
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|
E-mail: |
V_panichkin@mail.kz |
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Participant Institution 2
|
Short reference: |
PCP |
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Full name: |
JSC “Pavlodar Chemical Plant” |
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Street address: |
1 Northern Industrial Area |
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City: |
Pavlodar |
Region: |
Pavlodar oblast |
||||||||
|
ZIP: |
637029 |
Country: |
Kazakhstan |
||||||||
|
Name of Signature Authority: |
Mr. BOSZHIGITOV, Sarken Kapsalyamovich |
||||||||||
|
Title: |
Mr. |
Position: |
Rehabilitation Manager |
||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 3182 396431 |
Fax: |
+7 3182 396436 |
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E-mail: |
oaopxz@hotmail.ru |
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Governmental Agency: |
Dept. of Municipal Property of
|
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Sub-manager: |
Mr. AKHMETOV, Arthur Darazhatovich |
||||||||||
|
Title: |
Mr. |
Position: |
Head of Construction Dept. |
||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 3182 396123 |
Fax: |
+7 3182 396436 |
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|
E-mail: |
oaopxz@hotmail.ru |
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Participant Institution 3
|
Short reference: |
PSU |
||||||||||
|
Full name: |
Pavlodar State University |
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|
Street address: |
Lomov Str., 64 |
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|
City: |
Pavlodar |
Region: |
Pavlodar oblast |
||||||||
|
ZIP: |
637000 |
Country: |
Kazakhstan |
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|
Name of Signature Authority: |
Mr. ARYN, Erlan Mukhtarovich |
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|
Title: |
Prof., Dr. Econ. Sci. |
Position: |
Rector |
||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 3182 451110 |
Fax: |
+7 3182 451196 |
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|
E-mail: |
rector@psu.kz |
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|
Governmental Agency: |
Ministry of Science and Education of RK |
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|
Sub-manager: |
Mr. BAZARBEKOV, Kairbai Urazambekovich |
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|
Title: |
Prof., Dr. Chem. Sci. |
Position: |
Head of Biology and Chemistry Institute of
PSU |
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|
Tel.: |
+7 3182 562604 |
Fax: |
+7 3182 451196 |
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E-mail: |
dir@psu.kz |
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Participant Institution 4
|
Short reference: |
BMP |
|||||||||||
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Full name: |
JSC “Biomedpreparat – |
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Street address: |
9th Mikroraion, building 3 |
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City: |
Stepnogorsk |
Region: |
Akmola oblast |
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|
ZIP: |
474456 |
Country: |
Kazakhstan |
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|
Name of Signature Authority: |
Mr. RUFOV, Yury Petrovich |
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|
Title: |
Mr. |
Position: |
President of JSC |
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|
Tel.: |
+7 31645 52568 |
Fax: |
+7 31645 52568 |
|||||||||
|
E-mail: |
monitlab@pisem.net |
|||||||||||
|
Governmental Agency: |
Ministry of Science and Education of RK |
|||||||||||
|
Sub-manager: |
Mr. PONOMARENKO, Aleksandr Stepanovich |
|||||||||||
|
Title: |
Mr. |
Position: |
Leading engineer |
|||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+7 31645 51982 |
Fax: |
+7 31645 51982 |
|||||||||
|
E-mail: |
monitlab@pisem.net |
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4. Foreign Collaborators/Partners
4.1. Collaborators
|
Institution: |
|
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|
Street address: |
University Road, Highfield |
||||||||||
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City: |
Southampton |
Region/State: |
Hampshire |
||||||||
|
ZIP: |
SO17 1BJ |
Country: |
United Kingdom |
||||||||
|
Person: |
Mr. TANTON, Trevor William |
||||||||||
|
Title: |
Prof., Dr. |
Position: |
Prof. |
||||||||
|
Tel.: |
+44 2380 595000 |
Fax: |
+44 2380 677519 |
||||||||
|
E-mail: |
twt@soton.ac.uk |
||||||||||
4.2. Partners
|
Institution: |
US Environmental Protection Agency |
|||||||||||
|
Street address: |
Code 2660R 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. |
|||||||||||
|
City: |
Washington D.C. |
Region/State: |
District of Columbia |
|||||||||
|
ZIP: |
20460 |
Country: |
United States of America |
|||||||||
|
Signature Authority: |
Mr. FREEMAN, Bill |
|||||||||||
|
Title: |
Mr. |
Position: |
|
|||||||||
|
Tel.: |
202-564-6472 |
Fax: |
202-564-2409 |
|||||||||
|
E-mail: |
Freeman.Bill@epa.gov |
|||||||||||
|
Project Coordinator: |
Mr. RANDALL, Paul |
|||||||||||
|
Title: |
Dr. |
Position: |
Senior Chemical Engineer |
|||||||||
|
Tel.: |
513-569-7673 |
Fax: |
513-569-7620 |
|||||||||
|
E-mail: |
Randall.Paul@epa.gov |
|||||||||||
5. Project Duration
36 month
6. Project Location and Equipment
|
Institution |
Location, Facilities and Equipment |
|
Leading Institution: Almaty Institute of
Power Engineering and Telecommunication |
Baytursynov Str. 126, Almaty, the |
|
Participant Institution 1: |
Valikhanova Str. 34, Almaty, the |
|
Participant Institution 2:
|
Northern Industrial Area 1,
|
|
Participant Institution 3: |
Lomov Str. 64, |
|
Participant Institution 4: JSC
“Biomedpreparat – |
9th Mikroraion, |
9. Summary of the project
Introduction and Overview
The Northern outskirts
of
In 2001-2002 the area of
mercury contamination was studied by the consortium of research institutions
(AIPET, IHH, Institute of Nuclear Physics of RK National Nuclear Center, JV
“Evrohim” and
In 2003 the Pavlodar
Hydrogeological Expedition found a plume of groundwater contaminated with
petroleum and oil products in the Northern industrial area of
Although the main risk posed by mercury
contamination in site of former PO “Khimprom” is currently contained by cut-off
walls and capping of the most contaminated sites significant risks in the
Northern outskirts of
The objectives of this research are:
a). to identify the risk associated with the spread
of groundwater plumes contaminated with mercury and oil products, including
their movement through the network of water supply wells in village
Pavlodarskoye, and further towards the Irtysh River and/or their rise onto the
pastures and, if significant, identify a management strategy to contain the
risk;
b). to identify a management strategy for
containing the environmental risk caused by the mercury pollution of wastewater
storage pond Balkyldak, including the pathway of pollutants bioaccumulation via
food chains;
The project will
specifically aim at
the following:
1.
Study of the movement
of mercury in the groundwater rise in depressed area in saturated and
unsaturated zones and its accumulation in the shallow ponds and vegetation.
Development of management strategy to contain the risk to population in the
vicinity and livestock;
2.
Assessment of
possibility for mercury-polluted groundwater flow to change its direction;
study of interaction of contaminated groundwater with bearing strata and
underlying aquifers:
3.
Study of the spread of
groundwater plume contaminated with oil products from the territory of Pavlodar
Oil Refinery; development of model and assessment of environmental risk posed
by oil-products contamination of groundwater in the Northern industrial
area of Pavlodar:
4.
Assessment of
possibility to contain the risk posed by mercury pollution of the pond
Balkyldak including the fish within it;
5.
To draw up and discuss
with local stakeholders the recommendations for the 2nd stage of
demercurization and other remediation activities in the area of the former PO
“Khimprom” (Northern industrial area of Pavlodar), including the recommendation
for abolishment or further safe use of the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak.
Expected Results and
Their Application
One of the most
important results of proposed study will be the foundation of monitoring
laboratory of PCP that will be capable of implementation of post-containment
monitoring Program in the Northern industrial area of
Meeting ISTC Goals
and
Objectives
The proposed project:
-
Provides weapon
scientists and engineers in
-
encourages integration
of scientists of
-
supports applied
research for peaceful purposes, notably in fields of environmental protection
and remediation.
Scope of Activities
AIPET will coordinate
fieldworks and chemical-analytical activities. AIPET together with PCP laboratory
will carry out fieldworks and chemical analyses associated with the study of
mercury contamination of groundwater. The pathways of mercury accumulation via
food chains in the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak will be studied by AIPET
in cooperation with PSU. AIPET will estimate the amount of mercury deposited in
bottom sediments of the pond Balkyldak and gather the data in order to justify
the proposals for its safe use. The recommendations for the 2nd
stage of demercurization and remediation activities will be drawn up by AIPET
together with IHH.
IHH will conduct all
activities related to the computer modeling including upgrading and detailed
elaboration of models of groundwater contamination in the Northern industrial
area of
PCP will establish
monitoring laboratory and train its staff in the methods of determination of
total mercury in environmental compartments and oil products in natural water
samples. PCP will conduct the analyses of bottom sediments samples for the
content of total mercury. PCP will create the network of observation boreholes
in order to track groundwater contaminated with oil products. PCP will carry
out post-containment monitoring in the Northern industrial area of
PSU will carry out the
sampling of bottom sediments of wastewater storage pond Balkyldak and study
food chains in this water body.
BNL together with PCP
will carry out fieldworks and chemical analyses associated with the study of
oil-products contamination of groundwater.
Role of Foreign
Collaborators/Partners
Collaborator Trevor W. Tanton will be a
consultant during coordination and conduction of the works.
The Partner will carry out activities,
monitoring and audit in the whole duration of the project.
Foreign Partner Paul Randall is a key person in
achieving the goals and objectives of the project. Close interrelation is
anticipated between the scientists of research laboratories of
Technical Approach and Methodology
During sampling and chemical analyses the
methods recommended by US EPA will be used as well as standard procedures on
Quality Control/Quality Assurance accepted in the West. Assessment and
management of risk associated with groundwater contamination will be carried
out using hydrogeological models received by means of the ModFlow GMS 5.0
software.
|
|
PROJECT PROPOSAL |
K-1240p |
II. Detailed Project Information
There are several
regions in Kazakhstan (Pavlodar and Temirtau) and in the rest of former USSR
(Sterlitamak, Zima, Usolie-Sibirskoye, Bratsk, Volgograd, Kirovo-Chepetsk,
Bereznyaki, Kiev, Sumgait, Begorod, Shvarts), which are contaminated with
mercury as a result of technogenic releases from industrial enterprises (mainly
chlor-alkali productions of PO “Khimprom” and PO “Kaustik” of the former USSR
Ministry of chemical industry, a part of which is still operating). The release
of mercury into the environment has led to significant contamination of surface
and ground water with dissolved mercuric compounds.
The Northern outskirts
of
The studies jointly
conducted in the 1980s by JV “Evrohim”,
·
Assessment of the
extent of mercury pollution at chlor-alkali production and development of the
recommendations for the neutralization and disposal of mercury-containing
wastes. Funded by PO “Khimprom”,
·
Study of the effect of
wastewater storage pond Balkyldak and ash lagoons of power stations (TES) ## 2
and 3 on the direction of groundwater flow in the Northern industrial area of
·
Assessment of risk of
mercury pollution for the recreation zone –
·
Assessment of the
boundary of mercury pollution spread around PO “Khimprom”,
·
Development of the
Demercurization Design for the closed chlor-alkali production. Funded by PO
“Khimprom”,
·
Study of mercury
contamination of soils and surface water bodies (including the
·
Assessment of risk
posed by mercury pollution in the Northern industrial area of
·
Demercurization of
closed chlor-alkali production of former PO “Khimprom”. Funded
by PCP from the budget of
In 2003 the Phase II of
the Demercurization Project at the chlor-alkali production of former
·
Development of
bioremediation techniques for mercury contaminated groundwater in
·
Development of the
Program of Post-containment Mercury Monitoring of air, soil, surface water and
groundwater in the Northern industrial area of
The implementation of
Phase III of Demercurization Project might also be required in the future. This
Phase could be associated with the fate of wastewater storage pond Balkyldak,
which has the surface area of 30 km2. Water, bottom sediments and
fish in this pond are contaminated with mercury and may cause a threat to the
population of
The initial Strategy for
the mercury pollution management proposed by JV “Evrohim” (Design of JV
“Evrohim”) [22] assumed that: (i) the equipment would be dismantled,
demercurized and recycled; (ii) the buildings of chlor-alkali production would
be dismantled and the concrete floor of building # 31 together with
contaminated ground from underneath and around of this building would be
excavated and replaced with clean ground; and (iii) the isolating bentonite
cut-off wall would be constructed around building # 31 to the depth of
During several years PCP
and local environmental authorities conducted the expertise of JV Evrohim
design and also were looking for the source to fund the works on
demercurization of the buildings and the industrial site of PCP (all valuable
equipment, non-ferrous metals and commodity metallic mercury were utilized
straight after the chlor-alkali production closure in 1993-1994). The turning
point was the support of Demercurization Project by Governor of Pavlodar Oblast
Mr. Daniyal Akhmetov (at present he is the Prime-Minister of
In 1999 French state
company BRGM were carrying out the mission of French Government which the
Government of Kazakhstan applied for the help to (Resolution of the Government
of Kazakhstan #179 from February 26, 1999). BRGM proposed “the Project for the
prevention of mercury pollution at JSC “Khimprom”,
However, in the course
of further negotiations the proposals of BRGM were modified. The new version of
proposal assumed that using $8.2 million of French loan for the first stage:
(i) the status of mercury pollution in site of PCP and around would be
investigated; (ii) the concrete floor of electrolysis factory would be covered by
engineering capping; (iii) the building of electrolysis factory would also be
isolated by cut-off wall; and (iv) the technology of thermal mercury extraction
from contaminated ground and construction materials would be developed using
the pilot tests [34-35]. In such situation the
In 2001-2002 the area of
mercury contamination was studied by the consortium of European and
Using the existing
network of observation boreholes as well as the newly constructed ones the
groundwater conditions in the Northern outskirts of
The revision of JV
“Evrohim” design was carried out in 2003 and had the principal idea to cancel
any attempts to extract mercury by any means from the concrete floor of
building #31, and highly contaminated grounds and construction materials.
Instead it was decided to construct the isolating cut-off wall to the depth of
underlying bed not only around the building #31 but also around the other
principal sources of mercury pollution (four sources in total). It also was
decided to make special engineered capping above the areas isolated by cut-off
walls in order to avoid the mercury transport to atmosphere. Therefore the
revised JV “Evrohim” design lay in the isolation and containment strategy
instead of the strategy of excavation and recovery of Hg. The newly formulated
concept was approved by the
In 2003-2004 the Program
of Post-containment Mercury Monitoring for the period of 2005-2020 was
developed in AIPET by request of PCP. This Program is stipulated for a small
amount of funding from the budget of the
In 2003 the Pavlodar
Hydrogeological Expedition found a plume of groundwater contaminated with
petroleum and oil products in the Northern industrial area of
Although the main risk posed by mercury
contamination in site of former PO “Khimprom” has been currently contained by
cut-off walls and capping of the most contaminated sites significant risks in
the Northern outskirts of
1.
possible change of plume direction and/or upward
movement of mercury-polluted groundwater to the surface in the pastures of the
depression next to the pond Balkyldak;
2.
high level of contamination of the wastewater storage
pond Balkyldak as well as the fish within it;
3.
possible spread of plume of groundwater contaminated
with petroleum and oil products towards village Pavlodarskoye (which has a
groundwater offtake) and further to the
The monitoring studies
in the Northern outskirts of
Basing on the results
and findings of the project ICA2-CT2000-10029 “Toxicmanagement” two researchers
from IHH (V.Panichkin and O.Miroshnichenko) defended in 2004 their theses for
academic degrees of Dr. Sci. and PhD respectively in the hydrogeological field
of study.
AIPET is currently
participating in ISTC project K-756p aiming at the development of biotechnology
for clean-up of groundwater contaminated with dissolved mercuric species for
the particular case of the Northern industrial area of
The objectives of this research are:
a) to identify the risk associated with the spread
of groundwater plumes contaminated with mercury and oil products, including
their movement through the network of water supply wells in village
Pavlodarskoye, and further towards the Irtysh River and/or their rise onto the
pastures and, if significant, identify a management strategy to contain the
risk;
b) to identify a management strategy for containing
the environmental risk, caused by the mercury pollution of the pond Balkyldak,
including the pathway of pollutants bioaccumulation via food chains;
The project will
specifically aim at
the following:
1. Study of the movement of mercury in
the groundwater rise in depressed area in saturated and unsaturated zones and
its accumulation in the shallow ponds and vegetation. Development of management
strategy to contain the risk to population in the vicinity and livestock:
§
To facilitate the Laboratory of
environmental protection of PCP with the equipment for conduction of mercury
monitoring, and to train the local staff;
§
To carry out 3-year
post-containment monitoring program in the Northern industrial area of
Pavlodar, including the monitoring of soils and vegetation of pastures in the
close vicinity of contamination, and to develop recommendations for the further
implementation of monitoring program;
2. Assessment of possibility for
mercury-polluted groundwater flow to change its direction; study of interaction
of contaminated groundwater with bearing strata and underlying aquifers:
§
To upgrade and detail the models of
groundwater in the Northern industrial area of
§
To investigate the possible connection
in the aureole of mercury pollution between the groundwater of Low-Medium
Pliocene deposits of
§
To define more
accurately forecast for spread of mercury-containing groundwater in the
Northern industrial area of Pavlodar taking into account adsorption/desorption
of mercury on bearing strata of aquifers and on surface of basalt clay;
3. Study of the spread of groundwater
plume contaminated with oil products from the territory of Pavlodar Oil
Refinery; development of model and assessment of environmental risk posed by
oil-products contamination of groundwater in the Northern industrial area
of Pavlodar:
§
To facilitate the Laboratory of
environmental protection of PCP with the equipment to monitor contamination of groundwater
with oil products, and to train the local staff;
§
To drill and equip new observation
boreholes for groundwater sampling and to do chemical analyses in order to
define the direction of spreading the plume of groundwater contaminated with
petroleum and oil products;
§
To develop the model of spreading the
oil products with groundwater in the Northern industrial area of
4. Assessment of possibility to contain
the risk posed by mercury pollution of the pond Balkyldak including the fish
within it:
§
To study the mercury contamination of
bottom sediments in the pond Balkyldak, and to estimate the amount of deposited
mercury;
§
To study the food chains of the pond
Balkyldak and to assess the bioaccumulation of mercury in aqueous organisms.
5.
To draw up and discuss with local
stakeholders the recommendations for the 2nd stage of
demercurization and other remediation activities in the area of the former PO
“Khimprom” (Northern industrial area of Pavlodar), including the recommendation
for abolishment or further safe use of the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak.
List of references
1.
E.N.Lushin,
T.E.Krakhaleva, A.F.Krakhalev. (Final) Report of the results
on determination of the evel of mercury contamination at the site of
chlor-alkali production of Pavlodar Chemical Plant. Scientific-Research
Centre “Tekhnolog”,
2.
V.A.Skripnik,
A.A.Uzbekov, AYu.Noel, M.I.Korshun. Report: “The study results of the mercury
contamination levels in the construction materials of industrial buildings;
calculation of toxicity index of the above-ground parts of buildings. Development of the recommendations for the disposal of
mercury-containing construction materials and wastes after demercurization of
buildings”. KNIF GosNIIKHLORPROEKT,
3.
V.A.Skripnik,
V.I.Bramashenko, M.N.Korshun. Recommendation for the
demercurization of equipment and disposal of wastes from mercury-utilizing
chlor-alkali production of Pavlodar Chemical Plant. KNIF
GosNIIKHLORPROEKT,
4.
L.E.Postolov, I.I.Drel.
Report of the Project: “Development of waste-free processes for the clean-up of
wastewater and gaseous emissions from mercury; development of the technology
for mercury extraction from the grounds of mercury electrolysis site;
implementation of the pilot-scale tests of the process”. KNIF
GosNIIKHLORPROEKT,
5.
V.A.Skripnik,
A.A.Uzbekov. Original data and recommendations for the
elimination of mercury pollution of ground from mercury-utilizing chlor-alkali
production of Pavlodar Chemical Plant. KNIF MNPO “Syntez”,
6.
A.A.Uzbekov, A.Yu.Noel,
V.P.Zolin. Recommendations for the protection of environment
from the mercury pollution. KNII “Synteco”
7.
V.V.Sokolov,
V.S.Mochulsky, V.V.Kuznetsov. Main requirements for the
project implementation of demercurization of equipment and construction
materials, and for the elimination of mercury pollution of ground on site of
building 31 at Pavlodar PO “Khimprom”. Institute Giprosintez,
8.
Geo-ecological
assessment of the site of Pavlodar Chemical Plant. NPF
TEKKOM-KOSMOS.
9.
E.N.Lushin, N.R.Shaimardenov.
Report of the Environmental-hydrogeological team on the
results of hydrogeological works on site of Pavlodar Oil Refinery and
surrounding territory.
10.
V.A.Kolesnikov,
T.G.Pershina, B.P.Salnikov, S.B.Vinokurova. The revision of the draft
documentation of wastewater evaporator of
11.
E.N.Lushin. Hydrogeological conclusion about the effect of the ash lagoons of Pavlodar
Thermal Power Plant # 3 on geological environment.
12.
A.P.Iskhakov,
N.V.Dunichevskaya. Report # 42343. Identification of
the sources of pollution in the area of
13.
M.Sh.Ishamkulov,
A.D.Saltybaev. Report of the project “Contamination of snow
in
14.
M.Sh.Ishamkulov,
A.D.Saltybaev. Report of the project “Study of current status
of technogenic contamination of soils, drinking water, plants and foodstuff in
15. N.M.Khlystun. Ecological and
chemical study of the environmental conditions at the territory o
Pavlodar-Ekibastuz industrial agglomerate. Proceedings of the
PhD thesis. Almaty, 1999, 28 p.
16. M.A. Ilyushchenko. Final report for
the scientific research conducted in 1993-
17. M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heaven. Mercury
technogenic geochemical anomalies of Central and
18. M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heaven, E.P.Yanin. Monitoring and estimation of contamination by mercury of
the outskirts of
19.
L.E.Postolov. Original
data for the designing of the process of neutralization and disposal of
mercury-containing materials formed at Pavlodar PO “Khimprom” as a results of demercurization activities. JV “Evrokhim”,
20.
Report of the project
“Development of the formula of concrete mixture and the method of its
preparation and its laying to the landfill; selection of composition and
testing of the samples of fine ground-concrete on the basis of astringent portland cement”.
21.
E.N.Lushin. Interim conclusion of the selection procedure of the site for
sarcophagus for the disposal of mercury-containing materials on industrial site
of Pavlodar Chemical Plant. GAO “Pavlodargidrogeologiya”, village
Zhetekshi, 1995.
22.
L.E.Postolov, I.I.Drel.
Demercurization of the closed chlor-alkali production.
Draft Design. General annotated report. JV “Evrokhim”,
23.
V.Pokidov, I.Kamberov,
M.Politikov, M. Ilyushchenko, M. Davis, H. Gartner. Final
report on the project “Pavlodar INTAS-Kz-95-
24.
1. T.W.Tanton,
V.V.Veselov, M.A.Ilyushchenko, V.Yu.Panichkin. Risk
assessment from mercury contamination of Northern industrial site of
25.
S.M.Ullrich, M.A.Ilyushchenko, I.M.Kamberov,
V.Yu.Panichkin, T.W.Tanton. Mercury pollution around a
chlor-alkali plant in
26.
M.Ilyushchenko,
G.A.Uskov, N.A.Zyryanova, S.S.Galushchak, V.A.Skakun. Mercury
(Hg) contamination of fish fauna of technical reservoir Balkyldak. Vestnik
KazGU. Ecological series, #2 (11), 2002, p. 102-105.
27.
O.L.Miroshnichenko. Creation and identification of mathematical models of geofiltration
on the basis of GIS technologies and expert approach. Proceeding
of the PhD thesis. Almaty, 2004, 26 p.
28.
V.Yu.Panichkin. Geoinformatical and mathematical modeling of the hydrogeological
systems of
29.
V.A.Bednenko. Elimination of mercury pollution at JSC “Pavlodar Chamical Plant”.
Proceedings of international scientific conference “Problems
of management and rational use of the water resources of river Irtysh basin”
(May 20-21, 2004),
30.
A.D.Akhmetov,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, L.V.Kuzmenko. Demercurization of the source
of mercury pollution on the territory pof former PO “Khimprom”,
31.
M.A.Ilyushchenko,
G.Zh.Daukeev. Program of mercury monitoring in the Northern
industrial area of Avlodar for 2005-2020. AIPET, 2004,
10 p.
32.
B.Koste, V.Fukon. Preliminary report on the assessment of mercury pollution impact at
the
33.
V.Fukon. Technical specifications for the temporary containment of the
spread of pollutants. # 2874B. BRGM. 1999. 6 p.
34.
Project de rehabilitation de
la zone par poluee par le mercure de
45.
Feasibility study for
the project “Demercurization of mercury and elimination of the source of
mercury pollution in
2. Expected Results and Their Application
The proposed study is an
applied research in the field of environmental protection. It is assumed that
in the course of this works new facts might be revealed that would require the
deepening and the extension of the research. The results of the research and
its stages will be presented as interim and final reports.
·
One of the most important results of
proposed study will be the foundation of monitoring laboratory of PCP that will
be capable to implement Post-containment monitoring Program in Northern
industrial area of
·
PCP together with AIPET
will carry out the monitoring study of the mercury contamination of groundwater
in the Northern industrial area of
·
AIPET together with PCP
will study the extent of mercury contamination of pastures in the areas where
the upward movement of polluted groundwater is possible;
·
BML together with PCP
will conduct the monitoring study regarding to the groundwater contamination
with petroleum and oil products in the Northern industrial area of
·
AIPET together with PSU
will determine the levels of total mercury content in bottom sediments and
biota from the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak;
·
AIPET together with IHH
will assess the risks associated with the residual mercury contamination of
groundwater and wastewater storage pond Balkyldak;
·
IHH together with AIPET
will assess the risks posed by contamination of groundwater with petroleum and
oil products;
·
IHH will upgrade the
groundwater model for the Northern industrial area of
·
AIPET together with IHH
will draw up and discuss with local stakeholders and state authorities the
proposal for risk management in the Northern outskirts of
3. Meeting ISTC Goals and Objectives
The proposed project:
-
provides weapon
scientists and engineers in
-
encourages integration
of scientists of
-
supports applied
research for peaceful purposes, notably in fields of environmental protection
and remediation.
4. Scope
of Activities
AIPET will coordinate
fieldworks and chemical-analytical activities. AIPET will also render a support
to the local staff of PCP monitoring laboratory in training related to the
determination of total mercury in environmental samples. AIPET together with
PCP laboratory will carry out fieldworks and chemical analyses associated with
the study of mercury contamination of groundwater. The pathways of mercury
accumulation via food chains in the wastewater storage pond Balkyldak will be
studied by AIPET in cooperation with PSU. AIPET will estimate the amount of
mercury deposited in bottom sediments of the pond Balkyldak and gather the data
in order to justify the proposals for its safe use. The recommendations for the
2nd stage of demercurization and remediation activities will be
drawn up by AIPET together with IHH.
IHH will conduct all
activities related to the computer modeling including upgrading and detailed
elaboration of models of groundwater contamination in the Northern industrial
are of
PCP will establish
monitoring laboratory and train its staff in the methods of determination of
total mercury in environmental compartments and oil products in natural water
samples. PCP will conduct the analyses of bottom sediments samples for the
content of total mercury. PCP will create the network of observation boreholes
in order to track groundwater contaminated with oil products. PCP will carry
out post-containment monitoring in the Northern industrial area of
PSU will carry out the
sampling of bottom sediments of wastewater storage pond Balkyldak and study
food chains in this water body.
BML will render a
support to the local staff of PCP monitoring laboratory in training related to
the determination of oil products in natural water samples. BNL together with
PCP will carry out fieldworks and chemical analyses associated with the study
of oil-products contamination of groundwater.
Scheme of cooperation at the implementation of
Project tasks
The project includes the
following tasks:
1. Study of the
movement of mercury in the groundwater rise in depressed area in saturated and
unsaturated zones and its accumulation in the shallow ponds and vegetation.
Development of management strategy to contain the risk to population in the
vicinity and livestock:
§
To facilitate the Laboratory of
environmental protection of PCP with the equipment for conduction of mercury
monitoring, and to train the local staff;
The laboratory of PCP
already possesses the chemical and analytical equipment (made in Soviet Union
and
§
To carry out
3-year post-containment monitoring program in the Northern industrial area of
Pavlodar, including the monitoring of soils and vegetation of pastures in the
close vicinity of contamination, and to develop recommendations for the further
implementation of monitoring program;
The Program of
post-containment monitoring for 2005-2020 will be revised and extended in
compliance with the more comprehensive capabilities of PCP regarding to the
trace level analysis of mercury (e.g. to enlarge the Program with Hg
determination in the samples of grazing grass, milk and other biological
samples). The hydrogeological parameters (water levels in boreholes, pH,
temperature, redox potential) will be measured and samples of surface water and
groundwater as well as biological samples will be taken during 3-year period according
to the Monitoring Program. Chemical analyses of samples will be done in the
laboratory of PCP, and the inter-laboratory control will be conducted by the
laboratory of AIPET. The results of analyses will be analyzed by statistical
mean, entered to the database and transferred to AIPET. In the course of these
activities the new proposals for the further revision of Monitoring Program
might be drawn up.
2. Assessment
of possibility for mercury-polluted groundwater flow to change its direction;
study of interaction of contaminated groundwater with bearing strata and
underlying aquifers:
§
To upgrade and detail the models of
groundwater in the Northern industrial area of
The model of groundwater
of the Northern industrial area of
§
To investigate the possible connection
in the aureole of mercury pollution between the groundwater of Low-Medium
Pliocene deposits of
Additional observation
boreholes reaching the second aquifer will be constructed in the area of
mercury pollution (special precautions will be taken to avoid pollution of
underlying aquifer with Hg). The samples of bearing strata will be taken during
boreholes’ drilling for further laboratory studies. Water samples will be taken
for the determination of concentrations of Hg and major anions. The threat of
spreading mercury via underlying aquifers will be assessed.
§
To define more
accurately forecast for spread of mercury-containing groundwater in the
Northern industrial area of Pavlodar taking into account adsorption/desorption
of mercury on bearing strata of aquifers and on surface of basalt clay;
The laboratory
experiments will be conducted in order to study the capability of the samples
of bearing strata to adsorb/desorb the cationic mercury and chloride complexes
of Hg. The modeling of mercury spread with groundwater will be done taking in
account the parameters of adsorption/desorption both in the bulk of bearing
strata and on the surface of basalt clay. The forecasts for mercury
pollution spread will be detailed for the different scenarios of technogenic
changes of hydrogeological conditions in the area of interest.
3. Study of the
spread of groundwater plume contaminated with oil products from the territory
of Pavlodar Oil Refinery; development of model and assessment of environmental
risk posed by oil-products contamination of groundwater in the Northern
industrial area of Pavlodar:
§
To facilitate the Laboratory of
environmental protection of PCP with the equipment to monitor contamination of
groundwater with oil products, and to train the local staff;
The purchase sensitive
GC is required as well as necessary accessories and consumables for it in order
to determine the oil hydrocarbons in the extracts from groundwater samples. The
personnel of PCP will be trained to apply methods allowing determination of oil
hydrocarbons at ppb level (i.e. using specially cleaned glassware, clean room
practice, quality control/quality assurance procedures including application of
special methods etc.). The purchase of sampling equipment and training of PCP
staff to apply relevant sampling methods are also required.
§
To drill and
equip new observation boreholes for groundwater sampling and to do chemical
analyses in order to define the direction of spreading the plume of groundwater
contaminated with petroleum and oil products;
The most likely
direction of the spread of oil products with groundwater will be determined and
the cross-section of boreholes will be constructed at right angle to this
direction in order to detect the plume of contamination. Using the concurrent
drilling and chemical analysis the plume of oil contamination will be contoured
and its extent will be estimated.
§
To develop the model of spreading the
oil products with groundwater in the Northern industrial area of
Using the updated
version of groundwater model in the Northern industrial area of
4. Assessment
of possibility to contain the risk posed by mercury pollution of the pond
Balkyldak including the fish within it:
§
To study the mercury contamination of
bottom sediments in the pond Balkyldak, and to estimate the amount of deposited
mercury;
The vector map of the
pond Balkyldak will be created and the sampling plan for bottom sediments will
be designed. Bottom sediments from the pond Balkyldak will be sampled (on
regular grid during the winter) using the different types of samplers and
augers (the samples of silts will be taken from the whole depth, and clay will
be sampled from the surface only). The map of contamination of bottom sediments
will be created and analyzed using the software package “ArcGIS – Spatial
Analysis”.
§
To study the food chains of the pond
Balkyldak and to assess the bioaccumulation of mercury in aqueous organisms.
The samples of biota
will be taken from the pond Balkyldak and the existing food chains will be
described. Total mercury content will be determined in biota samples. The
pathways of Hg bioaccumulation will be identified and the possible solutions to
break these pathways will be developed.
5. To draw up
and discuss with local stakeholders the recommendations for the 2nd
stage of demercurization and other remediation activities in the area of the
former PO “Khimprom” (Northern industrial area of Pavlodar), including the
recommendation for abolishment or further safe use of the wastewater storage
pond Balkyldak:
The work program and
obtained results will be discussed with
Task 1
|
Task description
and main milestones |
Participating Institutions |
|
|
Study of the movement of mercury in the
groundwater rise in depressed area in saturated and unsaturated zones and its
accumulation in the shallow ponds and vegetation. Development of management
strategy to contain the risk to population in the vicinity and livestock: ·
To facilitate the
Laboratory of environmental protection of PCP with the equipment for
conduction of mercury monitoring, and to train the local staff. ·
To revise the Program
of Post-containment Monitoring by expanding the study of pollution of
groundwater and biota, and by adding the tests of
grazing grass and milk. ·
To carry out 3-year
monitoring program (sampling and analysis), including the monitoring of
soils, surface and ground water, aquatic biota, milk, and grazing grass in
the close vicinity of groundwater contamination. To measure the
hydrogeological parameters (water levels in boreholes, pH, temperature, redox
potential) simultaneously with groundwater sampling. |
1 – AIPET 2 – PCP |
|
|
Description of deliverables |
||
|
1 |
Database on sampling and results of chemical
analyses |
|
|
2 |
Publications in mass media and scientific
journal |
|
|
3 |
Proposals for the revision of Monitoring
Program for 2008-2020 |
|
Task 2
|
Task description
and main milestones |
Participating Institutions |
|
|
Assessment of possibility for
mercury-polluted groundwater flow to change its direction; study of
interaction of contaminated groundwater with bearing strata and underlying
aquifers: ·
To convert the
model of groundwater of the Northern industrial area of ·
To enter into the
model the additional data characterizing the hydrogeological structure of
eastern border of the ·
To create the
detailed local model for the area of Hg contaminated groundwater. ·
To make detailed
forecasts for mercury pollution spread taking into account the parameters of
adsorption/desorption equilibrium. ·
To assess the risk
posed by mercury pollution for the network of water supply wells in
Pavlodarskoye village and the ·
To construct
additional observation boreholes reaching the second aquifer in the area of
mercury pollution. ·
To take samples
of bearing strata during drilling of additional boreholes and samples of
groundwater after drilling for subsequent laboratory experiments. ·
To analyze the
samples of groundwater for the concentration of total Hg and major anions. ·
To conduct laboratory
study of adsorption equilibrium in the system bearing strata – solution of Hg
(II) nitrate and Hg (II) chloride; to perform the leaching tests for adsorbed
mercury. |
1 – IHH 2 – AIPET 3 – PCP |
|
|
Description of deliverables |
||
|
1 |
Forecasts of mercury pollution spread for
different scenarios of technogenic changes of hydrogeological conditions in
the area of contamination |
|
|
2 |
The results of risk assessment and, if
necessary, the proposal for managing the mercury pollution risk for the
network of water supply wells in Pavlodarskoye village and the Irtysh River
floodplain. |
|
|
3 |
Publications in mass media and scientific
journal |
|
Task 3
|
Task description
and main milestones |
Participating Institutions |
|
|
Study of the spread of groundwater plume
contaminated with oil products from the ·
To facilitate the
Laboratory of environmental protection of PCP with the equipment to monitor
contamination of groundwater with oil products, and to train the local staff. ·
Basing on the
hydrogeological model of the Northern industrial area of ·
To construct the
cross-section of boreholes at right angle to plume direction at the distance
of 1- ·
To contour the plume
by creation of the network of observation boreholes in the plume direction.
To use concurrent drilling of new boreholes and sampling and chemical
analysis of groundwater. ·
To draw up the
forecasts for the spread of oil products with groundwater using the
hydrogeological model in the Northern industrial area of ·
To assess the risks
posed by groundwater contamination with oil products for the population of
Northern outskirts of |
1 – BML 2 – AIPET 3 – PCP 4 – IHH
|
|
|
Description of deliverables |
||
|
1 |
Database on sampling and results of chemical
analyses |
|
|
2 |
Forecasts of oil pollution spread including
the scenario of technogenic changes of hydrogeological conditions in the area
of contamination. |
|
|
3 |
The results of risk assessment and, if
necessary, the proposal for managing the oil products pollution risk for the
network of water supply wells in Pavlodarskoye village and the Irtysh River
floodplain. |
|
|
4 |
Publications in mass media and scientific
journal |
|
|
5 |
Monitoring Program for groundwater pollution
with oil products in the Northern industrial area of |
|
Task 4
|
Task description
and main milestones |
Participating Institutions |
|
|
Assessment of possibility to contain the risk
posed by mercury pollution of the pond Balkyldak including the fish within
it: ·
To create the vector
map of the pond Balkyldak and to design two versions of sampling plan (for
summer and winter sampling). To assess the performance of each sampling
option and to select the optimal solution. ·
To sample the bottom
sediments from the pond Balkyldak by regular grid using the different types
of samplers and augers. ·
To create and analyze
the map of Hg contamination of bottom sediments using the software package
“ArcGIS – Spatial Analysis”. ·
To take the samples
of biota from the pond Balkyldak and to describe the existing food chains. ·
To conduct chemical
analysis (including the determination of total mercury content) and
morphological studies of the taken samples of biota. ·
To identify the
pathways of Hg bioaccumulation and to develop the possible solutions to break
these pathways. |
1 – AIPET 2 – PSU 3 – PCP |
|
|
Description of deliverables |
||
|
1 |
Database on sampling and results of chemical
analyses |
|
|
2 |
Map of Hg contamination of bottom sediments
in the pond Balkyldak. Calculation of the volume of contaminated silts and
amount of deposited mercury basing on the analysis by software package
“ArcGIS – Spatial Analysis”. |
|
|
3 |
The results of risk assessment and the
proposal for managing the risk posed by the mercury contamination of the pond
Balkyldak. |
|
|
4 |
Publications in mass media and scientific
journal |
|
Task 5
|
Task description
and main milestones |
Participating Institutions |
|
|
To draw up and discuss with local
stakeholders the recommendations for the 2nd stage of
demercurization and other remediation activities in the area of the former PO
“Khimprom” (Northern industrial area of Pavlodar), including the
recommendation for abolishment or further safe use of the wastewater storage
pond Balkyldak: ·
To discuss the work
program and obtained results with ·
To hold the
workshops, press-conferences and presentations in order to discuss the
interim results. |
1 – AIPET 2 – PCP 3 – IHH 4 – PSU 5 – BML |
|
|
Description of deliverables |
||
|
1 |
The recommendations for the 2nd
stage of demercurization and other remediation activities in the Northern industrial
area of |
|
|
2 |
Publications in mass-media |
|
5. Role of Foreign Collaborators/Partners
Collaborator Trevor W. Tanton will be a
consultant during coordination and conduction of fieldworks as well as during
the stage of risk assessment from contamination by mercury and oil products. He
will also participate in drawing up the recommendation on management of such
risk.
The Partner will carry out activities,
monitoring and audit in the whole duration of the project. The Partner will
evaluate the possibility of further cooperation after the project finish date.
Foreign Partner Paul Randall is a key person in
achieving the goals and objectives of the project. Close interrelation is
anticipated between the scientists of research laboratories of
6. Technical Approach and Methodology
During sampling and chemical analyses the
methods recommended by US EPA will be used as well as standard procedures on
Quality Control/Quality Assurance accepted in the West. Determination of
mercury in solid samples will be carried out using AAS analyzer (Lumex RA
915+); AFS analyzer (PS Analytical Millennium Merlin System) will be used for
Hg determination in water samples and biological tissues. Chemical analysis of
oil products’ concentration in water will be conducted using GC Perkin Elmer
Clarus 500.
The following methods will be used for the
chemical analyses and quality control:
·
US EPA method # 1631
Revision E – for the determination of total Hg in water;
·
US EPA method # 7474 –
for the determination of total Hg in biological tissues;
·
US EPA method # 7471
Revision B – for the determination of total Hg in soils, sediments and bottom
deposits;
·
US EPA method # 9071 Revision A – for the extraction of petroleum and oil
products;
·
US EPA method # 1664 –
for the determination of N-Hexane extractable oil products by extraction and
gravimetry;
·
Method of the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) – for determination
of extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPH) by Gas Chromatography.
Assessment and management of risk associated
with groundwater contamination will be carried out using hydrogeological models
received by means of the ModFlow GMS 5.0 software. The preliminary assessment
of risk (Tier 1 of risk assessment) posed by mercury contamination of pastures
and fish will be conducted using the monitoring of the level of mercury
pollution and subsequent comparison of pollution indices with existing state standards
and guidelines values.
7. Technical Schedule
|
|
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Quarter 5 |
Quarter 6 |
Quarter 7 |
Quarter 8 |
Quarter 9 |
Quarter 10 |
Quarter 11 |
Quarter 12 |
Person* days |
|
Task 1 |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Report |
Report |
Final report |
|
|
Person*days |
213 |
213 |
213 |
213 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
160 |
2132 |
|
Task 2 |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Final report |
|
|
Person*days |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
185 |
2220 |
|
Task 3 |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Final report |
|
|
Person*days |
224 |
224 |
224 |
224 |
167 |
167 |
167 |
167 |
167 |
167 |
167 |
167 |
2232 |
|
Task 4 |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Report |
Final report |
|
|
Person*days |
261 |
262 |
262 |
262 |
155 |
155 |
155 |
155 |
101 |
101 |
101 |
101 |
2071 |
|
Task 5 |
|
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report Publication |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Report |
Final report |
|
|
Person*days |
0 |
84 |
84 |
84 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
90 |
972 |
|
TOTAL |
883 |
968 |
968 |
968 |
757 |
757 |
757 |
757 |
703 |
703 |
703 |
703 |
9627 |
8.2. Managerial responsibilities
12. Supporting Information
Relevant
publications of the project participants
1. S.M.Ullrich, M. A.Ilyushchenko, I.M.Kamberov, V.Yu.Panichkin, T.W.Tanton. Mercury pollution
around a chlor-alkali plant in
2. T.W.Tanton, V.V.Veselov,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, V.Yu.Panichkin. Risk assessment from
mercury contamination of Northern industrial site of
3. V.Yu.Panichkin. Geoinformational
mathematical model of groundwater mercury contamination in
4. V.Yu.Panichkin. Technique,
technology and results of modeling of groundwater mercury contamination in
5. V.V.Veselov, V.Yu.Panichkin,
O.L.Miroshnichenko. Use of GIS-technologies in process of
modeling of groundwater mercury contamination in
6.
M.Ilyushchenko,
G.A.Uskov, N.A.Zyryanova, S.S.Galushchak, V.A.Skakun. Mercury
(Hg) contamination of fish fauna of technical reservoir Balkyldak. Vestnik
KazGU. Ecological series, №2 (11), 2002, P. 102-105 (Ru).
7. M.Ilyushchenko, E.Lapshin, N.Druz. Mercury pollution in industrial centers of
8. M.Ginzburg, A.Delebarre, A.G.Howard,
M.Ilyushchenko, O.Lebedeva, N.Mazhrenova, A.Sarmurzina. The
Prospective of utilizing ash and slug wastes of chemical industry, metallurgy
and power generation for
environmental tasks. Approaches to handling
environmental problems4. V.V. Veselov, V.Yu. Panichkin, O.L.
Miroshnichenko. Automatic calibration of models of
hydrogeological object. Geology of
9. V.Yu.Panichkin. Geoinformational
mathematical modeling of groundwater mercury contamination in
10. V.V.Veselov, V.Yu.Panichkin,
E.N.Lushin. Investigation of groundwater mercury
contamination in
11. V.Yu.Panichkin. Development
of systems of geoinformational mathematical modeling in
12. V.V.Veselov, V.Yu.Panichkin,
O.L.Miroshnichenko. Automatic calibration of models of
hydrogeological object. Geology of
13. V.Yu.Panichkin. Geoinformational
mathematical modeling of groundwater mercury contamination in
14. V.V.Veselov, V.Yu.Panichkin,
E.N.Lushin. Investigation of groundwater mercury
contamination in
15. V.Yu.Panichkin. Development
of systems of geoinformational mathematical modeling in
16. E.V.Lapshin, T.W.Tanton,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heven. Mercury in Industrial Landscapes of Former
17. S.A.Abdrashitova, S.A.Aitkeldieva,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heven. Microbiological Processes in Regions of Mercury
Contamination: Special Circumstances and Studies in
18. S.A.Abdrashitova, E.S.D’yuchkova,
S.A.Aitkeldieva, M.A.Ilyushchenko, Yu.I. Paretski. Perspectives of bacteria use for contaminated wastewater cleaning
from mercury. Vestnik KazGU. Biological series, №1
(16), 2002, P. 142-147 (Ru).
19. T.W.Tanton, M.A.Ilyushchenko,
S.Heaven. Some water resources issues of
20. M.Ilyushchenko, L.Yakovleva,
S.Heaven, E.Lapshin. Mercury contamination of the
21. M.A.Ilyushchenko, L.V.Yakovleva,
S.A.Abdrashitova, S.Heaven. Problems of technogenic contamination
of the Northwest coast of
22. M.A.Ilyushchenko, E.V.Lapshin. Interactive Multimedia Presentation “Water resources of the
basin of the Rivers Nura and Ishim and the problem of water supply of the city
of
23.
M.A.Ilyushchenko,
S.Heaven, T.W.Tanton. Problems of demercurisation of the
River Nura in
24.
S.Heaven,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, T.W.Tanton, S.M.Ullrich, E.P.Yanin. Mercury in the River Nura
and its floodplain,
25.
S.Heaven,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, I.M.Kamberov, M.I.Politikov, T.W.Tanton, S.M.Ullrich,
E.P.Yanin. Mercury in the River Nura and its floodplain,
26. T.W.Tanton, E.P.Yanin, S.Heaven,
M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.M.Ullrich. Mercury polluted sediments of the river Nura and
its floodplain. In book: Mercury as a Global Pollutant - 5th International
Conference (Rio de Janeiro, 23-28 May 1999). Abstracts.
27.
M.A.Ilyushchenko,
S.A.Abdrashitova, T.W.Tanton, S.Heven, E.P.Yanin. Results of
research into mercury pollution of the river Nura in
28. E.Yu.Gumenyuk, M.A.Ilyushchenko,
V.A.Zakharov. Technogenic mercury pollution of the
29. M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heaven,
E.P.Yanin. Monitoring and
estimation of contamination by mercury of the neighbourhoods of
30. A.Karazhanova,
E.P.Yanin, M.A.Ilyushchenko,
T.W.Tanton, S.Heaven. Mercury pollution of the river
Nura in
31. M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heaven. Mercury technogenic geochemical anomalies
of Central and
32.
T.W.Tanton, E.P.Yanin,
M.S.Ishankulov, M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Heaven. INTAS Project: Study of the
mercury of the river Nura with the aim of developing of an effective management
strategy for the polluted technogenic sediments. Materials of
Sumposium “Modern Problems of Ecologically Pure Technologies and Materials”
(Almaty, 12-14 December 1996). Vestnik KazGU, A serial chemical, № 5-6,
1996, p. 273-274. And also: Design of transfer and
conservation of mercury-containing technogenic silts of Nura river in
33. M.A.Ilyushchenko, S.Bulatkulov,
S.Heaven. Ecogeochemical consequences of contamination of the