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Mercury Releases from the Cement industry Area Meeting

13 February 2023 - 14:00-15:30 CET

The Mercury Releases from the Cement Industry Area of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership will hold its annual meeting on Monday 13 February 2023 in an online setting.

The meeting will provide an opportunity to welcome new partners, present recent activities, review the Partnership Area’s business plan, and amongst others feature discussions on prioritized future work in the context of the Partnership Area.

Further information is available on the meeting webpage

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

1. Opening remarks and scene-setting
2. Tour de Table / Introduction of new partners
3. Updates from the Secretariat of the Global Mercury Partnership
4. Partners’ updates on ongoing projects and events
5. Identified priorities for future work
   • Establish sectoral mercury inventories and baseline scenarios for the industry
   • Development and improvement of sectoral mercury emission inventories
     • Development of mercury emission factors
     • Establishing Mercury emissions database
     • Encourage the use of the most appropriate techniques to reduce or minimize mercury releases into the environment
   • Increase the awareness of government and regulatory bodies on mercury as a pollutant through increased outreach efforts
   • Support the development of policies and regulatory frameworks supporting the objective of the partnership area
6. Presentation of the proposed revised UNEP business plan – By the co-leads
7. Any other matter
8. Closure

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

by tina

GMOS-Train winter school on modelling

6th – 8th February, 2023

AGENDA

Day 1, Monday, 6th February 2023 – Part I: Introduction and state of PhD projects
9:00 – 9:30 Introduction: Lecture and workshop aims, plan for the upcoming weeks, organization
(J. Bieser & M. Ramacher, hereon)
9:30 – 10:30 ESR presentations, á 30min: what can your PhD project gain from modelling?
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00 ESR presentations, á 30min: what can your PhD project gain from modelling?
12:00 – 13:00 Discussion
13:00 – 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 – 15:30 ESR presentations, á 30min: what can your PhD project gain from modelling?
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break
16:00 – 17:00 ESR presentations, á 30min: what can your PhD project gain from modelling?
17:00 – 18:00 Discussion

Day 2, Tuesday, 7th February 2023 – Part II: Introduction to numerical modelling
zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83355400939?pwd=WXhBT0MwZ3JqQ1hhRTdndDRUcDVhQT09

09:00 – 10:30 Introduction to Informatics & programming I
(J. Bieser, hereon)
10:30 – 11:00 Coffee break
11:00 – 12:30 Introduction to Informatics & programming II
(J. Bieser, hereon)
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch break
Excursion to the DKRZ German Climate Computing Centre (Room 034 + Supercomputer visit)
14:00 – 15:00 DKRZ lecture 1: High performance computing
(A. Fuchs, DKRZ)
15:00 – 16:00 Visiting DKRZ supercomputer levante
(M. Böttinger, DKRZ)
16:00 – 17:00 DKRZ lecture 2: Visualization & outreach
(M. Böttinger, DKRZ)

Day 3, Wednesday, 8th February, 2023 – Part III: Introduction to numerical modelling
zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87685263076?pwd=MUZ6TXl0dy92d2ordCs2MTZhU0dHZz09

9:00 – 10:00 Development and limitations of weather forecasting - A modelling perspective
(M. Quante, hereon)
10:00 – 11:00 Introduction to hydrodynamic and physical ocean modelling
(K. Logemann, hereon)
11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break
11:30 – 12:30 Chemistry in numerical models
(V. Matthias, hereon)
12.30 – 13.30 State of the art and applications of contemporary mercury models
(O. Travnikov, JSI)
13:30 – 14:30 Lunch break
14:30 – 15:30 Ernst Hasselmann lecture
(Hans v. Storch, Hamburg University)
15:30 – 16:00 Coffee break
16:00 – 17:00 How to interpret model output (impulse + discussion)
(Hans v. Storch, Hamburg University)

by tina

Global Mercury Partnership Area on Mercury Air Transport & Fate Research

Global Mercury Partnership Reports

The Thirteenth Partnership Advisory Group (PAG-13) meeting was held on 9 and 10 November 2022, in Paris, France and online, back to back with the OECD Global Forum on Environment Meeting dedicated to Mercury

Call for Submissions

Special Issue on Mercury in Ecotoxicology

Global environmental mercury loads in biota and impacts on biodiversity

Fifth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties

Minamata Convention on Mercury

30 October to 3 November 2023, Geneva, Switzerland

Relevant Links on Effectiveness Evaluation

• Effectiveness Evaluation page
• Guidance on Monitoring of Mercury and Mercury Compounds to Support Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Minamata Convention
• Giving effect to article 22: effectiveness evaluation: material supplementing the draft guidance on monitoring of mercury and mercury compounds to support the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention

by tina

Mercury speciaI session at Goldschmidt 2023

GMOS-Train is importantly involved in Mercury cycling in the context of global change 12a Session at Goldschmidt 2023, which corresponds to Theme 12: Environmental geochemistry and human health.

The link to the session is:

https://conf.goldschmidt.info/goldschmidt/2023/meetingapp.cgi/Session/4451

Information about the submission of an abstract can be found here (we have to comply with the "general abstract rules" for Goldschmidt):

https://conf.goldschmidt.info/goldschmidt/2023/cfp.cgi

The call for abstracts is open!

• Abstract submission deadline: 1st of March 2023, 23:59 CET.
• 350 Word limit for the abstract, up to 2 figures or photographs, or tables can be added.
• Abstract fee: 100 euros
• Only one abstract submission per presenting author.
• Only one abstract submission per presenting author.

by tina

Call for comments and inputs on the “Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices to control mercury releases to land and water”

by tina

Allwin awarded for the best poster of the Microtech Week

We are happy to inform you that Allwin Mabes Raj (ESR 11) of the GMOS-Train project has been awarded the best poster award based on the maximum overall votes obtained from the participants and dignitaries of the Microtech week organized at Josef Stefan Institute, Reactor-centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 

AWARDED POSTER

Video link of the event- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOJz2LeiZYE

by tina

3 interesting talks

Today, on 15 December at 11 AM in the Alboran Room and online 3 different talks on GMOS-Train relevant topics are taking place.

1.

Claudio Sáez, PhD Ecotoxicology
Associated researcher
Head of the HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA, University of Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile

Title: The HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA, collaboration and synergy to meet the environmental challenges of the Anthropocene

Abstract: The integrative research center between environmental sciences and analytical services HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA, is established as a research pole of excellence within the University of Playa Ancha. Its name (HUB = node) represents a point of convergence for researchers, students, ideas, projects, and initiatives dedicated to basic and applied research in the field of environmental sciences; always based on objectivity and high scientific/technical rigor.

2.
Céline Lavergne, PhD Microbial Ecology
Associated researcher
HUB AMBIENTAL UPLA, University of Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile

Title: Microbial mercury cycling from Chilean and Antarctic ecosystems

Abstract: In South America, Chile is a country with a long mining history, having played a major role in global emissions of mercury into the atmosphere or into aquatic ecosystems. If the mines are generally located in the North and the Center of the country, the transport and the storage of this metal led to a possible accumulation in the Andean glaciers as well as the Antarctic ice. As a result of global warming, this mercury might be released during the austral summer from glaciers to rivers and ultimately to the sea. Little is known in this region about the form in which mercury is delivered, its reactivity and its quantity. Also, the proportion of methylmercury produced by microorganisms in rivers, in the oceans or/and when the ice melts is still elusive. Hence, we propose to present the latest results and on-going research about microbial mercury cycle from these southern ecosystems.

3.

Join Zoom Meeting

Time: Dec 15, 2022 11:00 Paris

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84295360439?pwd=RURWR2dSMWtrZElZL0lLR3VOL1JMdz09

Meeting ID: 842 9536 0439

Passcode: 366241

by tina

Candlelit Lucia Procession

Stockholm University was in charge of arranging the annual candlelit Lucia procession of the Section for Earth and Environmental Sciences this year. Of course, led by our own GMOS-Train Lucia!

“Celebrated annually in December, this historic custom is an atmospheric event involving Christmassy treats and a singing line-up of candle-carrying characters dressed (mostly) in white gowns. These tuneful “Luciatåg” processions – led by Lucia herself – play out on national TV and in kindergartens, schools, care homes, churches and offices across the country. Waiting in anticipation, the audience’s first sign that Lucia and her posse are nearing is a mellow chorus approaching from the distance, followed by soft light cutting through the pre-dawn darkness.

Lucia Day – also called Saint Lucy’s day – can be traced back to the 4th century. A Christian feast day, it commemorates the martyr Lucia of Syracuse, who, as legend has it, brought food to Christians hiding in Roman catacombs, lighting her way with a candlelit wreath on her head.

The 13 December was the historic Julian calendar’s shortest day, and according to Swedish folklore, the long night was dangerous, with dark spirits out in force. Staying awake was paramount, and eating helped – another connection to the small feast associated with today’s Lucia celebration. Lucia made her first recorded appearance in a Swedish rural home in 1764, but the custom really established itself in the 1900s.”

(https://visitsweden.com/what-to-do/culture-history-and-art/swedish-traditions/christmas/lucia/)

We wish you all a wonderful day and remember to eat a lot of treats so you don’t fall asleep on this long dark and dangerous day!

Cheers Sofi, Charlotte and Sonja

by tina

Science Day with Stockholm University

On the Science Day at Dibber international school, all grades (6-9) participated to learn more about environmental science from 5 environmental scientists from Stockholm University. Among them was Sonja Gindorf (ESR 7) who described the day with the following words: "We started with a general introduction of what scientists do and what environmental science is and let the kids brainstorm and write their ideas in groups on posts – we then discussed their ideas together. Afterward, each of us showed some aspects of our research and then we divided the students into groups of 20 to go for some experiments. For that, we marched with 5 more SU scientists who were at a Swedish school for the presentation. The students could e.g. gain some insights into basic air quality measurements, chromatography, and pH measurements of different natural waters we found on a little walk. Afterward, we had a sum-up session and lunch together. The students were very motivated, had lots of questions, and were excited about the day."

by tina

Upcoming Mercury Webinars

Mercury Webinars and Chemicals and Waste Negotiations briefing on 7th and 14th December 2022.

More information can be found here.

by tina