Compositions and methods to sequester flue gas mercury in concrete

A method comprising:

• providing a carbonaceous mercury sorbent precursor consisting of wood, lignite, coconut shell, and combinations thereof;
• activating or reactivating the mercury sorbent precursor by a method selected from the group consisting of activating with steam, activating with CO2, activating in an environment containing free oxygen, and combinations thereof, to provide an activated carbonaceous mercury sorbent, wherein the activation temperature and time period is limited such that the Acid Blue 80 Index of the activated carbonaceous mercury sorbent with no post-treatment does not exceed 30 mg per gram of sorbent;
• grinding the activated carbonaceous mercury sorbent with no post-treatment after activation or reactivation to an average particle size less than about 325 mesh;
• injecting the activated carbonaceous mercury sorbent with no post-treatment into a gas stream containing mercury, mercury-containing compounds, or a combination thereof, and fly ash, cement kiln dust, or a combination of fly ash and cement kiln dust, and allowing the activated carbonaceous mercury sorbent with no post-treatment to contact the mercury or mercury-containing compounds to create mercury sorbent with adsorbed mercury;
• and
• removing the mercury sorbent with adsorbed mercury along with fly ash, cement kiln dust, or both, from the gas stream in a particulate control device, such that the mercury sorbent with adsorbed mercury along with fly ash, cement kiln dust, or both, is suitable for combining with an air-entraining admixture to provide a cementitious or pozzolanic composition.