AGREEMENT US-EPA & CNR-IIA

Co-operative Agreement Between the US-EPA and CNR-IIA on Developing Strategies for Assessing and Reducing the Impact of Mercury Pollution on Regional and Global Scales

Funded by: US-Environmental Protection Agency – (Contr. No. X4-83097301-0)

Period: 2003-2007 

Specific Areas Covered by the Agreement Are:

• to make speciated mercury measurements at industrial, urban and remote sites;
• to model dynamic processes of mercury on local, regional and global scales; specific attention will be devoted to the assessment of the interaction between the atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems;
• to provide stewardship of mercury as a global commodity, and the development of policy options; specific attention will be devoted to link atmospheric emissions – deposition to marine ecosystems – methylation processes and mercury concentrations in fish – risk associated to mercury exposure to mercury contaminated fish; the ultimate goal is to identify for specific socio-economic scenarios the optimal cost-benefit strategies to reduce risk to human and ecological health;
• to improve mercury emission inventories through better characterization of anthropogenic (combustion and non-combustion) and natural sources (including chemical speciation);
• identify technologies to reduce emissions or remove mercury from waste streams;
• assess health-based standards for mercury exposure/reference dose;
• to conduct human health surveys and biomonitoring for mercury in hair and in blood including ecological biomarkers;
• to conduct surveys on fish mercury concentrations;
• to develop communication tools for mercury to promote pollution prevention and risk management solutions.

Specific Activities:

• MEDEX: Measurement and Modeling the Mercury Depletion Events in the Arctic at the Ny-Alesund site
• Joint International Workshop on mercury measurements, modelling, health effects and policy. To be held in May 2004. (More news once invited speakers and timetable are confirmed)
• Speciated Atmospheric Mercury Monitoring Activity in China – The overall goal is to perform a preliminary assessment of atmospheric mercury pollution in China
• Technical Assistance for the Chlor-alkali Sector in Developing Countries – to contribute to the achievement of the goals of the UNEP Mercury programme in terms of capacity building and technical assistance for the chlor-alkali sector in developing countries.

Partnership

• CNR – Institute of Environmental Pollution Research (CNR-IIA) – COORDINATORE
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA)