Economical and reliable mercury reduction in refinery and power plant discharge wastewater with robust microfiltration membrane technology

Abstract Environmental concerns and risks to bioaccumulation of mercury components among aquatic organisms, thus finally through the food-chain, and therefore exposing human health potentially, lead to more stringent regulations over the last years in several regions across the globe. Mercury (Hg) is a key contaminant in several crude oils and coal. Most of the mercury appears to exist in suspended and adsorbed forms and there is also the dissolved component in the form of methylmercury and salts. As an example, the United States EPA’s Great Lakes region initiative targets limiting the total mercury in lakes and streams to 1.3 nanogram/l (ppt). Many states in the USA along the Great Lakes and the Ohio valley limit total mercury in discharge wastewater to 12 nanogram/l (ppt) already. Western Europe and parts of Asia are most likely to implement similar mandates in the next few years. This paper describes in the first case a lengthy and successful plant trial performed by Pall Corporation on discharge waste...