Scenarios for reducing copper smelting-related atmospheric mercury emissions through copper recycling and mercury removal technologies in major countries

Smelting of copper, a crucially important resource, releases small amounts of mercury into the atmosphere, thereby endangering people and the global environment. This study estimated the expected changes in mercury emissions from copper smelting in response to future changes in copper demand in major copper-producing countries (China, DR Congo, Germany, Iran, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the USA). Then it evaluated the expected effects of copper recycling promotion and mercury removal technology introduction on emissions. Results indicate that (1) the total expected copper demand of the major countries in 2050 is 15.9 Mton. (2) Under a business-as-usual scenario, the total atmospheric mercury emissions from major countries will be 36% greater than the 2022 estimate. However, promoting copper recycling and introducing mercury removal technologies can reduce that by 99.3%. (3) China, Russia, and Iran account for about 98% of 2022 total mercury emissions from copper smelting in the major countries. The introduction of mercury removal technologies in these countries is expected to have considerable reduction effects. (4) Changes in copper ore grades can cause atmospheric mercury emissions to fluctuate. Overall, these findings highlight the potential risks of increased atmospheric mercury emissions and underscore the importance of implementing effective countermeasures to mitigate these risks.