08-27-2018, 11:09 AM
quote:
Originally posted by ironyak
What [i]I am missing is an answer to how twice the arsenic and ten-times the mercury found at PGV as compared to the Geyser's geothermal fields could be called not "high levels of toxic elements" by Dr. Don Thomas during his interview with Sherri Bracken. But again, probably just more misinformation used to promote the development of geothermal here in Puna.
What you are missing ironyak is that you are comparing the compositions of geothermal steam (at the Geysers) with geothermal brines in Puna. Where the Geysers geothermal fluids leak to the surface, you find widespread lead and mercury contamination of the local streams - as well as mercury deposits ( Epithermal Precious-Metal and Mercury Deposits in the Sonoma and Clear Lake Volcanic Fields, California, By James J. Rytuba, In: Rytuba, J.J. Ed.., Active Geothermal Systems and Gold–Mercury Deposits in the Sonoma–Clear Lake Volcanic fields, California. Soc. Econ. Geol. Guideb. Ser. 16, pp. 207–261.)
You will find that paper here:
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/b...edFrom=PDF
More on that compilation is located here: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/books/b...ld-mercury
You might also find this article interesting: https://www.researchgate.net/publication...mal_system
where they mention extraction of some 4500 tons of mercury in the area of Geysers geothermal field....
Which may be why there is a town near Geysers named Mercuryville....
I don't recall any history of mercury mining in Hawaii...
But leilanidude had it right as well: what fluids PGV brings to the surface, with dissolved minerals and compounds, for the greatest part, go back into the ground.
You seem to be intent on fearmongering - had there been any potentially toxic element in Hawaii's geothermal fluids that are higher than those in California, (or Iceland, or Indonesia, or Philippines, ...) that would be the only one you would be concerned with...
And God forbid that we should talk about the environmental effects of continued combustion of oil; or those associated with the manufacturing of solar PV panels and the required batteries to make that technology compatible with a modern society.... But, of course those impacts happen elsewhere and we don't need to worry about those...