%0 Journal Article
%T Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar
%A Renee Dufault
%A Blaise LeBlanc
%A Roseanne Schnoll
%A Charles Cornett
%A Laura Schweitzer
%A David Wallinga
%A Jane Hightower
%A Lyn Patrick
%A Walter J Lukiw
%J Environmental Health
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1476-069x-8-2
%X Chlorine and caustic soda are produced at chlor-alkali plants using mercury cells or the increasingly popular membrane technology that is mercury free and more energy-efficient. Worldwide there are approximately fifty mercury cell chlor-alkali plants in operation [1]. Of those there are eight in the United States (US) [2]. In 2003 the EPA reported in the Federal Register that on average approximately seven tons of mercury were missing from each plant in the year 2000 [3]. These chlor-alkali plants have an average of fifty-six cells, each containing as much as 8,000 pounds of mercury [4] and, every year the chlor-alkali industry reports unaccounted for mercury losses to the EPA [5]. Mercury is a danger to unborn children whose developing brains can be damaged if they are exposed to low dose microgram exposures in the womb [6]. Since mercury is a potent neurological toxin, these unaccounted for mercury losses from the chlor-alkali industry are of concern as they could be a source of exposure for humans, wildlife, and the environment. An Environmental Health Officer (EHO) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted an investigation to find the missing mercury in the chlor-alkali industry [7].An employee of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggested that the EHO contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for information on Vulcan Chemicals' mercury balance sheet. Vulcan Chemical was the only chemical company to find its missing mercury. Upon request, the Wisconsin DNR provided the EHO with Vulcan Chemical's annual mercury balance sheet that reported their mercury losses in their products for the year that the mercury balance was done. Vulcan Chemical submitted this mercury balance sheet to the Wisconsin DNR in 2003 with their wastewater discharge permit re-issuance application. This information led to the realization that mercury residue may be found in all products produced by the mercury cell chlor-alkali industry. A representative of
%U http://www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2