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Mercure: sources d’émission, toxicité, contamination du milieu aquatique et particularité du Benin

Hermione W. Degila,N. B. N. Azon,J. Adounkpe,A. V. O. Akowanou,M. Aïna

Published 2020 in International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences

ABSTRACT

La prise de conscience collective du pouvoir letal du mercure suite aux intoxications massives au Japon et en Irak ont conduit a l’adoption de la convention de Minamata sur le mercure que le Benin a signe et ratifie. Le present article fait la synthese des connaissances sur son emission, sa toxicite en milieu aquatique avec un accent sur la contamination aquatique au Benin. Pour y parvenir, des publications scientifiques et les archives des ministeres de l’environnement et de la sante au Benin ont ete consultees. Il ressort que, la production artisanale a petite echelle de l’or et la combustion de charbon constituent les principales sources d’emission de mercure dans le monde avec respectivement 37,1% et 24,2% des emissions anthropiques. Au Benin, les piles contenant du mercure (49%) l’orpaillage artisanal (22%) et les depots informels de dechets generaux (13%) sont les principales sources potentielles d’emission anthropique. Les regions actuellement les plus emettrices de mercure sont l’Asie et l’Afrique sub-saharienne avec respectivement 50% et 16,8% des emissions anthropiques. La formation du methylmercure en milieu aquatique sous l’influence de divers facteurs et sa bioaccumulation sont principalement responsable des effets toxiques sur l’homme. Mots cles : Environnement, pollution, mercure, methyl mercure, milieu aquatique, toxicite. English Title: Mercury: sources of emission, toxicity, contamination of aquatic environment and particularity of Benin republic. The massive mercury poisoning that has occurred in Japan and Iraq has led to a global awareness of the lethal power of this metal with the adoption by the international community of the Minamata Convention signed and ratified by Benin Republic. This article aims to synthesize knowledge on mercury through its emission sources, its toxicity with a focus on aquatic contamination in Benin. Thus, a review of scientific publications as well as the consultation of the archives of the Ministries of Environment and Health in Benin were carried out. Analyses of the various documents show that artisanal small-scale gold production and coal combustion are the main sources of mercury emission worldwide, with respectively 37.1% and 24.2% of anthropogenic emissions. Asia and sub-Saharan Africa would be the largest contributors to anthropogenic emissions with respectively 50% and 16.8%. In Benin, the main potential sources of anthropogenic emissions are mercury containing batteries (49%), followed by artisanal gold panning (22%) and informal deposits of general waste (13%). With regard to the behavior of mercury in the aquatic environment and its toxicity, it appears that methyl mercury is mainly responsible for toxic effects. Keywords: Environment, pollution, mercury, methyl mercury, aquatic environment, toxicity Benin.

PUBLICATION RECORD

  • Publication year

    2020

  • Venue

    International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences

  • Publication date

    2020-02-13

  • Fields of study

    Geography, Law, Environmental Science

  • Identifiers
    DOI 10.4314/IJBCS.V13I7.36
  • External record

    Open on Semantic Scholar

  • Source metadata

    Semantic Scholar

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