MERcury Electrochemical SENSor for in situ trace determination (MERESENS)
Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Limnology, Urban Water Management, Water Chemistry, Integrated Water Resources Management
Final Report Abstract
The MERESENS project aimed to develop a novel electrochemical mercury sensor for use of in situ determination of mercury (Hg) in the field. The project was a cooperation between the “Laboratoire de Génie Chimique” from the University of Toulouse (France) and the Hydrogeology and Geochemistry group from the University of Bremen (Germany). The overall project consisted of six work packages, of which the German side was responsible for one. The German side completed all deliverables specified in work package 4 in the project description, with the exception of field testing the sensor. Development of a functioning Hg sensor, unfortunately, proofed to be more difficult than anticipated. Even a two-year no-cost extension did not provide enough time for sensor development by the French co-operation partner. Eventually it became clear that it was not possible to develop the sensor at all and as a result, the project was terminated and the unused funds were returned. While the project could not be completed as initially planned, the overall outcome for the Geochemistry and Hydrogeology group was rather positive. We could collect a wide range of samples, which had never been analyzed for Hg. Results from the samples that were collected in Milos and Vulcano were the basis of a successful DFG Proposal for the in-depth study of Hg in shallow-water hydrothermal systems and first results are in the early stages of publication. The expansion of our analytical capabilities to include high-quality Hg data allowed us to include Hg related environmental topics into our research portfolio, such as the MS thesis by Martin Wessels. The next project will be a doctoral research project into Hg in the vicinity of oil fields: “Arsenic and Mercury Groundwater Contamination caused by Oil and Gas Production Wastewater: Environmental Implication and Removal Techniques”, which will be funded through a Nigerian Government Petroleum Trust Development Fund scholarship to Aleku Dogo. Other Hg-related research is currently in various stages of development.
Publications
- 2019. Determination of ultra-low volatile mercury concentrations in sulfur-rich gases and liquids. Talanta, 199: 277-284
Brombach, C.-C. and Pichler, T.
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.talanta.2019.02.070)
