Host: Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Management
Mercury is one of global pollutants and the emission inventory from each country has been investigated under the UNEP. Although mercury sources in Japan are identified, it is necessary to clear the mercury material flow among the sources and the possibility of mercury stock. Also, to clear the introduction of abatement technology and the effect on reduction of mercury emission, it is necessary to predict the amount of mercury transportation between industrial facilities. Our objective is to develop a material flow model as an easy-to-use tool kit for ordinary people. Vensim DDS is used as a system dynamic software to develop a material flow model. As the results, the amount of mercury emission to the air is different from the result of Japanese Ministry of the Environment, especially when the waste including coal ash is used as a cement sub-raw material. When the ratio of the landfilled waste to the recycled waste is increased, the emission to the air is reduced. Results show that waste recycling affects the emissions of mercury into the environment and that the system dynamic model is useful for valuation of mercury migration.
