which together contribute about 61 per cent of total annual anthropogenic emissions to the air (UNEP, 2013). Other major contributors include ferrous and non-ferrous metal produc- tion and cement production, together responsible for 27 per cent (UNEP, 2013).
Emissions of mercury from ASGM reported for 2010 are more than twice those reported for 2005. While the higher price of gold and increased rural poverty may indeed have caused more activity in this sector, the increased emissions estimates are thought to explained mainly by better data (UNEP, 2013).
Coal burning for electric power generation and for indus- trial purposes continues to increase, especially in Asia (UNEP, 2013). Coal does not normally contain high concentrations of mercury, but the combination of the large volume burned and the fact that a significant portion of the mercury present