Toolkit for
 
identification and quantification 

of mercury releases

Pilot Draft, November 2005

This “Toolkit for identification and quantification of mercury releases” (Toolkit) is intended to assist countries to build part their knowledge base through the development of a mercury inventory that identifies sources of mercury releases in their country and estimates or quantifies these release

Its goal is to guide the inventory makers within a country through the different techniques and stages of developing the inventory, by providing a methodology, illustrative examples and extensive information on mercury release sources. The Toolkit thus facilitates and reduces the workload in the creation of national or regional mercury inventories.

The Toolkit is designed to produce a simple and standardized methodology and accompanying database to enable assembly of consistent national and regional mercury inventories.  It comprises a UNEP-recommended procedure for the effective compilation of source and release inventories of mercury.  Comparable sets of mercury source release data will enhance international co-operation, discussion, goal-definition and assistance. Comparable datasets also help to establish a global picture of the scale of releases, as a step in prioritizing actions to control or reduce releases, and improves possibilities for enlarging the international knowledge base on mercury uses and releases.  To supplement the Toolkit, a separate Excel spreadsheet is available electronically, intended to facilitate the calculation of inputs and outputs of the different source categories.

The Toolkit is considered an evolving document, which will be updated and revised, as appropriate and feasible, to take account of emerging information and experience. Input and data from all regions is therefore very important, in order to provide a broader knowledge base for the different sources of mercury releases and improve the Toolkit’s applicability.

UNEP Chemicals invites all users of the Toolkit to provide feedback on all aspects of this product. Users may consult with UNEP Chemicals where problems with application, interpretation and implementation occur or where the system does not seem to apply to the situation found in the country.

Countries are encouraged to use the Toolkit to submit their inventories to UNEP Chemicals, who will make them publicly available on the mercury programme webpage.  Over time, it is hoped to be able to provide, in addition to national inventories from various regions, a forum for exchange of information on countries’ experience with inventory development, case studies, relevant new publications, etc.

The full text of the toolkit can be downloaded here in English ( Word (5329 KB) and PDF (1669 KB), together with the separate Excel spreadsheet).

Arabic toolkit. (Word version - 5,265 KB)

Chinese toolkit.  汞排放识别与定量工具包  (Word version - 4,346 KB) (Excel Spreadsheets)

French toolkit - français.  Outil d’identification et de quantification des rejets de mercure  (Word version - 4,982 KB).

Russian toolkit. (Word version - 3,856 KB)