engleski

Mercury in hares’ organs (Lepus europaeus Pallas) in the vicinity of the mercury contaminated natural gas treatment plant in Croatia

The natural gas recovered and produced (since 1980) from deep wells at Podravina gas fields Molve, Kalinovac and Stari Gradac in Croatia along with a large number of other harmful substances - impurities (CO2, H2S, RSH etc.), contains a relatively high level of mercury. By not treating the raw gas, mercury was partly left in the sales gas (commercial natural gas that is distributed to the customers) and partly in co-produced CO2 or/and might be released to the atmosphere during processing. The pollution hazards on the Podravina natural gas fields (Fig. 1) have been brought to a minimal level since an efficient, closed mercury removal system has been constructed and put in operation in 1993. The mercury control program includes both fully effective technologies for mercury removal from natural gas, by using sulphur impregnated activated carbon, and the original methodology of mercury measurement in the processes and environment within and surrounding the plant.1-4 As a part of a comprehensive monitoring of the eco-system, hares were studied. They are recognized as good indicator of environmental pollution because of their residential way of live, which enables them to consume only locally obtained water and food throughout the whole year.

hares; total mercury; natural gas; environmental monitoring

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