Abstract
This paper begins by introducing the current status for discharge, disposal and storage of wastes that contain mercury in the countries of Japan, EU and USA. In Japan, the amounts for both landfilled and recovered mercury are estimated using an air emission inventory and material flow of mercury. Results show the amount of landfilled mercury to be much lower than that of recovered mercury. In the near future, the export of recovered mercury to other countries is likely to become prohibited. In such a case, surplus mercury and wastes that contain mercury will require the implementation of measures for final disposal or permanent, long-term storage, which corresponds to the mercury content in the waste. In this study, basic experiments have been conducted to determine the threshold for long-term storage from the viewpoint of mercury release into underground water. The results suggest that the threshold for wastes containing mercury specified in the Basel Convention and Sweden is reasonable at a rate of 0.1%. It will now become important to look into enhancing the scientific knowledge surrounding the long-term stability necessary for appropriate disposal and storage of mercury and the mercury that is contained in wastes.
