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Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research معهد الكويت لألبحاث العلمية

Layla Al-Awadi

Abdul Rehman Khan

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research

Rehabilitation of an industrial mercury

contaminated site as an official Building

A natural element mercury is abundant in the environment. Approximately 10,000 tons originates from degassing of earth's crust. 20,000 tons/year is added by anthropogenic activity.

Three forms of Mercury Elemental mercury – liquid at room

temperature

Inorganic mercury – combines with other elements such as sulfur or oxygen to form compounds or salts.

Organic mercury – when mercury combines with carbon. Microscopic organisms in water and soil convert elemental and inorganic Hg into organic mercury compounds such as methyl mercury which accumulates in food chain.

Humans are exposed

directly by ground water, surface water, air, and soils, as well as indirectly by the food chain such as plants, animal food, or drinking water.

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Background

• Other important contributors to

regional emissions are

Burning fossil fuel are the main source of anthropogenic

discharge of mercury in the atmosphere

discarded medical devices like

thermometer/sphygmomanometer

household items like fluorescent night lamps or thermostats.

residual mercury emitted from oil production facilities,

municipal waste combustion, mercury-cell chlor-alkali

plants, hazardous-waste incinerators, lime manufacturing

and medical waste incineration informal gold mining and

gold workshops.

3

Background…cont’d Fossil fuels

Coal,

Crude

Gas

gold workshops & gold mining Medical devices Dumping sites

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5

Background…cont’d

Bou-Olayan and Al- yakoob (1994 )and Al Majed and

Preston, (2000; 2004) have reported the toxicity of

mercury in fish and in human hair of the fishermen in

Kuwait.

Al-Awadi et al., (2008) and Khan et al., (2006); (2008) and

Massoud, (2002).have discussed mercury presence in

domestic dust and Kuwait Bay coast and the most probable

sources of mercury pollution in the air, water and soil.

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Case Study

• Rehabilitation of an industrial mercury

contaminated site as an official Building.

A. R. Khan Choking, sneezing, coughing? 7

SEA SIDE

CENTRAL

BLDG

BLOCK B BLOCK A

PDP Al-Shuwaikh Power and Desalination Plant

Water in -Take

Water outfall

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Site Description

• Start of Gulf Road

• 1.5km near to Al-Shuwaikh

Port.

• 1 km Power Desalination

Plant (PDP), from WSW

direction.

• Kuwait Flour Mills

• Water Resources Centre.

• 15km Al-Doha Power

Station WNW direction.

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Previous History of the Site

• Reminiscence history of an old Salt-Chlorine Plant

(SCP) .

• Continued its operation from 1963 to 1985.

• This SCP consisted of a large number of mercury

cells used for electrolysis of brine to produce

caustic soda and chlorine gas.

• Estimated that 0.2kg of metallic mercury

discharged in air per ton of chlorine production

• Major source of mercury pollution in the

marine waters and

silt sediments offshore Al-Shuwaikh coast.

• Decommissioned in 1985 after over 20 years of

continuous operation.

Choking, sneezing, coughing? 10

Location of offshore area of the site for Central Building

Al-Salam

Mariott Hotel Reclamation Scheme B Revetment Wall

Reclamation Scheme A

Existing Shoreline

PDP outfalls

PDP (Power & Desalination Plant) INTAKE

Western area

Northern area

Salt and Chlorine Plant

Eastern area

Previous History

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• The Ministry of Public Works has authorized in 1995, the design

and supervision of the Central Bldg. in the light of

environmental, coastal and geotechnical issues.

• And they request the Central Bldg. to include

the implementation of wave sediment movement model,

predicting wave conditions and

local sediment movements

as a result of design of the revetment and reclamation work

along with the development frontage.

Previous History of the Site

12

• The Central Bldg. has requested Environment Public

Authority (EPA) to conduct extensive study in two phases

(before and after reclamation of the land) which include

water level variation prevailing near and offshore

currents and seabed bathymetry.

11-month study of air quality.

Water quality (143 samples)

A total 361 samples of air, water and sediment was

analyzed.

Previous History of the Site

13

Result from this study

•The silty bottom sediments in the SCP southeastern near shore

area are heavily polluted with mercury.

• Estimated that the contaminated silt sediments (≈10,000 m3)

contain at present 400 kg of mercury (Massoud and Al-Sarawi,

1999).

Previous History of the Site

Choking, sneezing, coughing? 14

Al-Salam

Mariott Hotel

Mercury levels near the location of old Salt and Chlorine Plant in Shuwaikh

Existing Shoreline

PDP outfalls

PDP (Power & Desalination Plant) INTAKE

Hg<1µg/g 1.5<Hg<2µg/g

1<Hg<1.5µg/g

Hg>2µg/g

SCP Outlets

Previous History

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• 30 cm surface layer of the silt sediment of SCP was

removed and unpolluted sand was used for land

reclamation.

• In Second Phase, air and water and sediment samples

were analyzed (Massoud 2002)

• It confirmed the adequacy of the site for further

development and construction of Central Bldg.

• Project duration was approx 5 years from 1998 to 2002.

Previous History of the Site

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KISR

•In 2005 the Central Bldg. has requested KISR to check the

suitability of the building to be used officially for Block A

and Block B.

•Two projects were completed

• EC042C - Indoor air quality and Environmental assessment study for

the Central Bldg. (Short duration – a period of 3 months)

• EC056C – Provision of Continuous Monitoring and Reporting

Services indoor and outdoor air quality of the Central Bldg. (a period of 1

year)

The Central Building

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As the reminisces history of the mercury

pollution, we focus in this presentation on the

baseline study of Hg contamination of the

area.

The Central Building

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Passive sampling

Passive sampling

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Methodology

Passive sampling (before employees occupancy)

57 Passive samples were installed

Pollutants measured NO2, SO2, Hg,

HCHO, Cl2 and HCl

Measured at outdoor and different

levels inside the building.

Samples were analyzed by IVL

Swedish Environmental Research

Institute - Sweden

Methodology

• Passive Sampling

(after employees occupancy) 250 Passive samples has been obtained exposed and analyzed

at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute – Sweden

(EEC accredited laboratory)

Measured Pollutants are NO, NO2, SO2, H2S, Hg, Cl2 and HCl

BTEX, HCHO are also be measured

Measurements at outdoor and indoor “different levels inside

the building” have been accomplished for two weeks duration

and different waves of study period.

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Methodology • Offshore Sediment Samples (before

employees occupancy)

12 sea bed sediment samples were collected

using grab sampler from 20 to 100 m offshore

at 2 to 8 m depth.

Hg concentrations were analyzed at KISR

central analytical Lab. Seawater and sediment sampling in

Kuwait Bay near the Central Bldg.

• Sediment Samples (after employees occupancy)

30 offshore samples were collected using beach

sampler from 5 to 10 m offshore at 0 to 2 m deep.

12 onshore Core Samples were collected from 2

location in Kuwait bay and analyzed for Hg

concentrations at KISR Central Analytical Lab.

using KISR/CAL T06/03. Core Samples near

the Central Bldg

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Methodology

• Water samples (before employees occupancy)

5 sea water samples 2 Shuwaikh power station effluent discharge Samples were analyzed for ANION, CATION and Hg in KISR Labs.

• Water Samples (after employees occupancy)

24 sea water samples collected and analyzed and compared with Kuwait EPA standards.

5 Shuwaikh power station effluent discharge have been analyzed for chemical

additives, anti-foaming, anti-scalent, corrosion inhibitors and others, TPH can include all mentioned contaminants

Results of ANION, CATION and Hg in water samples were examined at KISR

Labs.

• Domestic dust samples (before employees occupancy)

5 domestic dust samples accumulated from Vacuum cleaners

from different localities in Kuwait

Samples were analyzed for Hg

The results were compared with the dust samples collected

from Block A.

Methodology

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Continuous monitoring of Mercury (after employees occupancy)

Zeeman mercury analyzer RA-915+

DIRECT MESUREMENTS WITHOUT PRELIMINARY

ULTRA LOW DETECTION LIMIT

HIGH SELECTIVITY OF ANALYSIS

WIDE RANGE OF APPLICATIONS

Methodology

Zeeman RA-915 Mercury portable atomic absorption spectrometer

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Project Results

1. Passive sampling

2. offshore sediment samples

3. Water samples

4. Domestic dust samples

5. Continuous monitoring of Mercury

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1. Passive sampling (before employees occupancy)

75 Samples were for Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen oxide,

Nitrogen per oxide, Hydrochloric acid, chlorine, formaldehyde

and mercury. These were mounted for 14/15 days and sent to

Swedish Laboratory for analysis. Sampling was done in two

waves to obtain the clear picture of pollutants in and around

the Central Bldg.

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15 days mean concentration measurements for Mercury in outdoor

and indoor air in both buildings

1. Passive Sampling (before employees occupancy)

In year 2005

Passive samplers on the fourth floor in the car park

Passive samplers inside the Central Bldg

Passive samplers near the Gulf front

KEPA - Annual 1 mg/m3 (1000 ng m-3)

KEPA - Daily 2 mg/m3 (2000 ng m-3)

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

Hg (

ng m

-3)

Sea F

ront

11/

9

Sea F

ront

25/

9

Car

Par

k 11

/9

Car

Par

k 25

/9

KPC

Aud

11/

9

KPC

7th

10/

9

KPC

5th

25/

9

KPC

11t

h 25

/9

MO

Ist 1

0/9

MO

4th

25/

9

Mercury in air

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• Mercury results in indoor air year 2005 0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.

0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Hg

(n

g m

-3)

*KEPA - Annual 1 mg/m3 (1000 ng m-3)

KEPA - Daily 2 mg/m3 (2000 ng m-3) # USEPA - Annual Av. 70 ng m-3

USEPA - Daily Av. 140 ng m-3

^ IDLH - 1x107 ng m-3 (10mg/m3) >TLV - 2.5x104 ng m-3(25mg/m3)

1. Passive sampling (before employees occupancy)

* KEPA – Kuwait Environmental Public Authority # USEPA – Massachusetts United States Environmental Public Authority ^ IDLH – Immediate Danger to Life and Health > TLV – Threshold Limited Value

Mercury Passive samples year 2008 (after employees occupancy)

Floor 13: 7.9 ng m-3

Floor 11: 7 ng m-3

Floor 5: 5.8 ng m-3

Floor 3: 6.6 ng m-3

Floor 19: 4.5 ng m-3

Floor 16: 4.2 ng m-3

Floor 14: 11 ng m-3

Floor 7: 5.3 ng m-3

Floor 5: 6.2 ng m-3

Basement: 7 ng m-3

BLOCK A BLOCK B

Average concentration of mercury (ng m-3) at different

floors in Block A and Block B in 2007.

Average concentration of mercury (ng m-3)

at different sites.

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3.4

44

4.4

5.36.2

7.87

4.24.5

6.65.8 5.3

7

1

10

100

Hg

( mg

m-3

)

Store

PTC Ahm

adi

KIS

R

Mobile

Lab

.

KPC 0

P

KPC 5

KPC 7

KPC 1

4

KPC 1

6

KPC 1

9

MO

O 3

MO

O 5

MO

O 7

MO

O 1

1

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2. Offshore sediment samples (before employees occupancy)

Two waves of sediment samples were taken from the coastal

waters at different depth and analyzed in KISR in triplicate

0

3

6

9

12

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

USEPA Std 10mg g-1

20 to 50m 50 to 100 m

SEA DEPTH Hg (ug g-1)

1 2.0 m 0.484

2 1.5m 2.75

3 2.0 m 0.773

4 1.5 m 0.387

5 1.8 m 0.260

6 3.7 m 1.000

7 8.7 m 0.220

8 5.8 m 1.030

9 7.0 m 0.194

10 6.8 m 0.967

11 3.6 m 0.335

12 5.8 m 0.145

Year 2007/8

2. Sediment Samples Results Year 2007/2008 (after employees occupancy)

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Mercury concentrations in coastal sea sediments near the Central

Bldg.

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Sediment and deep sea water sampling

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The Central Bldg showing sampling locations (after employees occupancy)

Core Samples

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Core Sampling near Loading Bay

Beach onshore sampling

Beach onshore Sampling

2. Core Samples Results (after employees occupancy)

Borehole 1-near the store Borehole 2- near of water dicharge of PDP

Max Conc. of Hg about 6mg g-1

USEPA Std 10mg g-1

Complete Seawater Analysis of the Central Bldg

Elements 1 2 3 KEPA standard

(ppm)

Na (ppm) 16500 14017 15900

K (ppm) 437 365 442

Ca (ppm) 700 570 700

Mg (ppm) 2350 1950 2350

Fe (ppm) 0.3 <0.05 1 91.3

Cr (ppm) 0.06 <0.05 <0.05 0.2

Ni (ppm) 0.1 0.3 <0.05 20

Hg (ppm) <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 0.37

SO4 (ppm) 4692 4158 4935

Cl (ppm) 27686 23820 28424

HCO3 (ppm) 173 150 172

NO2 & NO3 (ppm) <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 33.7 & 94.7

TDS (ppm) 77000 57400 70000

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3. Water samples (before employees occupancy)

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Water Analysis Results (after employees occupancy)

Sample

No.

SO4

(ppm)

Cl

(ppm)

Cd

(ppm)

Pb

(ppm)

Mg

(ppm)

Hg

(ppm)

Ca

(ppm)

BH1A 2787 2273 <0.001 <0.001 57.6 <0.001

182

BH2A 89 228 <0.001 <0.001 43.4 <0.001 154

BH1B 569 2312 <0.001 <0.001 57.8 <0.001 175

BH2B 2770 212 <0.001 <0.001 42 <0.001 141

OA1 2311 23128 <0.001 <0.001 54.5 <0.001 134

OA2 2287 23809 <0.001 <0.001 4.8 <0.001 139

OA3 2256 22279 <0.001 <0.001 54.8 <0.001 135

OB1 2317 23153 <0.001 <0.001 54.5 <0.001 129

OB2 2301 22755 <0.001 <0.001 53.7 <0.001 128

OB3 2292 22681 <0.001 <0.001 53.4 <0.001 146

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4. Domestic dust samples (before employees occupancy)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

KPC

Salm

yia

Des

man

Sabah

Al-Sal

em

Surra

Hg in D

ust

(ng g

-1)

5. Continuous Monitoring of Mercury

in year 2007/8

1

10

100

1000

Tuesday Wednesday Sunday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday

Hg i

n a

ir (

ng m

-3)

Outdoor Entrance Indoor

17th

July18

th July

22nd

July8

th August

15th

August

22nd

August

Zeeman Measurements

Average mercury concentrations in ambient air at the Central Bldg.

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Outdoor/Indoor daily average and maximum concentrations of mercury in the ambient air at the Central Bldg.

5. Continuous Monitoring of Mercury

Zeeman Measurements

0.1

1

10

100

1000

7/17

/200

7

7/18

/200

7

7/22

/200

7

7/29

/200

7

8/8/

2007

8/15

/200

7

8/22

/200

7

11/5/2

007

11/7/2

007

11/8/2

007

11/10/

2007

11/12/

2007

11/14/

2007

11/15/

2007

11/18/

2007

11/19/

2007

11/22/

2007

11/25/

2007

11/26/

2007

Hg C

oncentr

ation (

ngm-3

)

10:10hr

1:42hr

1:44hr

3:32hr

17:16hr

10:17hr

14:52hr

3:15hr

14:22hr

11:19hr

15:56hr

21:42hr

2:11hr

2:17hr1:24hr

11:01hr

10:56hr

9:40hr9:47hr

Outdoor

indoor

KEPA - Annual 1 mg/m3 (1000 ng m-3)

KEPA - Daily 2 mg/m3 (2000 ng m-3)

Max Conc. of Hg about 175 ngm-3

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• Mercury measurements in air, water and soil have eliminated existing of any local source.

• Mercury in ambient air has concentration < 8ng m-3

• Hg in core samples <6mg g-1= (6ppm)

• Hg in sea sediments < 1mg g-1= (1ppm)

• Hg in accumulated dust samples< 1mg g-1 = (1ppm)

• Hg in seawater is below detection limit

• Hg in groundwater is also below detection limit

• Hg in indoor air <10 ng m-3

• Hg in outdoor air reached 175 ng m-3due to distant source (Al-Doha power station when the prevailing wind from NW and wind speed ranged between 1.5 ms-1 and 2.5 ms-1 ) .

• All pollutants concentrations are within KEPA Limits

• Air pollution monitoring should be repeated every five years to notice any changes originating from continuous use with variable levels of occupancy generating constraints on local utilities and to validate our old data.

Findings

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Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research معهد الكويت لألبحاث العلمية

46

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Environmental & occupational health standard for

inhalation exposure to mercury vapours

Agency 1µg m-3

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (ceiling limit2) 100

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (REL3) 50

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (TLV4) 25

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (MRL5) 0.2

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (AL6) 1.0

Environmental Protection Agency (Rfc7) 0.3

1Micrograms per cubic meter 2Ceiling limit = mercury vapor concentration cannot exceed this value at any time 3REL=Recommended Exposure Limit, a time weighted average for an 8-hrs in a day 4TLV= Threshold Limit Value, a time weighted average for an 8-hr day 5MRL= Minimum Risk Level 6AL=Action Level, for indoor exposure 7Rfc= Reference Concentration

KEPA Standards

Standards Pollutants Units

Annual 24 hours 8 hours Hourly

NO2 ppb 30(67mgm-3

) 50(112mgm-3

) 100(225mgm-3

)

SO2 ppb 30(80mgm-3

) 60(157mgm-3

) 170(444mgm-3

)

H2S ppb 6 (8mgm-3

) 30(40mgm-3

) 140(200mgm-3

)

CO ppm 8 (9mg m-3

) 10(11.5) 30(34mg m-3

)

O3 ppb 60 (120) 80(157mgm-3

)

Non-methane

Hydrocarbons

ppm 0.24(3hrs mean)

6:00-9:00am

PM10 mg m-3

90 350

Mercury mg m-3

1