Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Process Impacts On Trace Element Speciation
EPA Grant Number: R827649C008Subproject: this is subproject number 008 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R827649
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Center for Air Toxic Metals® (CATM®)
Center Director: Groenewold, Gerald
Title: Process Impacts On Trace Element Speciation
Investigators: Zygarlicke, Christopher J. , Galbreath, Kevin C. , Mann, Michael D. , Miller, Stanley J. , Schelkoph, Grant L.
Institution: University of North Dakota
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: October 15, 1999 through October 14, 2002
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 15, 2001 through October 14, 2002
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Center for Air Toxic Metals (CATM) (1998) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Targeted Research
Objective:
The overall objective of the research project, conducted by the Center for Air Toxic Metals (CATMSM), is to address air toxic trace element emissions that have become a matter of worldwide concern as well as a regulatory issue in the United States. The goal of CATMSM is to develop key information on air toxic metal compounds to support the development and implementation of pollution prevention and control strategies that will effectively reduce air toxic metal emissions and releases to the environment.
The specific objective of this research project is to advance the research on the process impacts on trace element speciation. More specifically, progress has been made to better understand the impact of selenium on mercury toxicity.
Progress Summary:
Potential Impact of Selenium on Mercury Toxicity. It has become clear through CATMSM research that the relationship between selenium and mercury is not simply that selenium has a protective effect against mercury toxicity through its ability to bind up the mercury. Instead, mercury toxicity is the result of its selenium sequestration, inducing a deficiency of low molecular-weight selenium necessary for synthesis of the essential selenoenzymes. The lack of these enzymes is particularly dangerous in neuronal tissues, because these cells have no backup systems for free radical detoxification in brain cells. Loss of selenium-dependent free radical detoxification enzymes causes extensive cell damage and death in fetal brains when maternal methylmercury consumption is excessive relative to selenium. Furthermore, once the redox state inside the cell switches from its normal reducing state to become an oxidizing environment, the essential reduced forms of selenomolecules diminish, and selenoenzyme synthesis is abolished, leading to a sustained loss of redox control. Thus, even a brief exposure to excess mercury may result in a self-perpetuating deficiency in selenoenzyme synthesis, termed the "selenium tailspin."
Supplemental Keywords:
air, toxic, air quality, control, modeling, database, emissions, environment, hazardous, mercury, metals, pollutants, pollution, sampling, measurement, species, transformations., Air, Scientific Discipline, Toxics, HAPS, Environmental Chemistry, 33/50, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, EPCRA, air toxics, Environmental Engineering, trace elements, trace element speciation, mercury , mercury & mercury compounds, trace metal transformation, waste incinerator, Chlorine, trace metals, coal combustion, Mercury Compounds, trace elementRelevant Websites:
http://www.undeerc.org Exit
http://www.undeerc.org/catm/catm_home.html Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R827649 Center for Air Toxic Metals® (CATM®) Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R827649C001 Development And Demonstration Of Trace Metals Database
R827649C002 Nickel Speciation Of Residual Oil Ash
R827649C003 Atmospheric Deposition: Air Toxics At Lake Superior
R827649C004 Novel Approaches For Prevention And Control For Trace Metals
R827649C005 Wet Scrubber System
R827649C006 Technology Commercialization And Education
R827649C007 Development Of Speciation And Sampling Tools For Mercury In Flue Gas
R827649C008 Process Impacts On Trace Element Speciation
R827649C009 Mercury Transformations in Coal Combustion Flue Gas
R827649C010 Nickel, Chromium, and Arsenic Speciation of Ambient Particulate Matter in the Vicinity of an Oil-Fired Utility Boiler
R827649C011 Transition Metal Speciation of Fossil Fuel Combustion Flue Gases
R827649C012 Fundamental Study of the Impact of SCR on Mercury Speciation
R827649C013 Development of Mercury Sampling and Analytical Techniques
R827649C014 Longer-Term Testing of Continuous Mercury Monitors
R827649C015 Long-Term Mercury Monitoring at North Dakota Power Plants
R827649C016 Development of a Laser Absorption Continuous Mercury Monitor
R827649C017 Development of Mercury Control Technologies
R827649C018 Developing SCR Technology Options for Mercury Oxidation in Western Fuels
R827649C019 Modeling Mercury Speciation in Coal Combustion Systems
R827649C020 Stability of Mercury in Coal Combustion By-Products and Sorbents
R827649C021 Mercury in Alternative Fuels
R827649C022 Studies of Mercury Metabolism and Selenium Physiology
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.