Mercury (Hg) is ubiquitary, naturally enriched in volcanic regions, and has wide applications in science, industry, and agriculture Recently, the increasing awareness of Hg toxicity has led to the replacement of Hg in many areas; however, anthropogenic activities such as coal burning and smelting of metal ores continue to release large amounts of Hg into the environment In particular, the atmospheric distribution of the highly volatile Hg around the globe can result in the pollution of pristine regions without local emission sources The chemical speciation of Hg determines its mobility and toxicity; in flooded soils and sediments, microbial methylation can occur Bioaccumulative (mono)methylmercury (MeHg; CH3Hg+) can affect human health particularly via the consumption of contaminated fish and rice since methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin Also, elemental Hg vapor is harmful for the central nervous system, while inorganic Hg compounds primarily affect the kidney This review summarizes recent

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10643389.2017.1326277

Cycling of mercury in the environment: Sources, fate, and human health implications: A review

Environmental contamination by mercury is and will continue to be a serious risk for human health. Pollution of the terrestrial environment is particularly important as it is a place of human life and food production. This publication presents a review of the literature on issues related to mercury pollution of the terrestrial environment: soil and plants and their transformations. Different forms of atmospheric Hg may be deposited on surfaces by way of wet and dry processes. These forms may be sequestered within terrestrial compartments or emitted back into the atmosphere, and the relative importance of these processes is dependent on the form of Hg, the surface chemistry, and the environmental conditions. On the land surface, Hg deposition mainly occurs in the oxidized form (Hg2+), and its transformations are associated primarily with the oxidation–reduction potential of the environment and the biological and chemical processes of methylation. The deposition of Hg pollutants on the ground with low vegetation is as 3–5 times lower than that in forests. The estimation of Hg emissions from soil and plants, which occur mainly in the Hg0 form, is very difficult. Generally, the largest amounts of Hg are emitted from tropical regions, followed by the temperate zone, and the lowest levels are from the polar regions. Areas with vegetation can be ranked according to the size of the emissions as follows: forests > other areas (tundra, savannas, and chaparral) > agricultural areas > grassland ecosystems; areas of land devoid of vegetation emit more Hg than those with plants. In areas with high pollution, such as areas near Hg mines, the Hg content in soil and plants is much higher than in other areas. Mercury is recognized as a toxic, persistent, and mobile contaminant; it does not degrade in the environment and becomes mobile because of the volatility of the element and several of its compounds. Atmospheric contamination by mercury continues to be one of the most important environmental problems in the modern world. The general conclusions were drawn from a review of the literature and presented in this paper.

/pdf/mercury-in-the-terrestrial-environment-a-review-n1ri67ig1b.pdf

Mercury in the terrestrial environment: a review

The environmental cycling of mercury (Hg) can be affected by natural and anthropogenic perturbations Of particular concern is how these disruptions increase mobilization of Hg from sites and alter the formation of monomethylmercury (MeHg), a bioaccumulative form of Hg for humans and wildlife The scientific community has made significant advances in recent years in understanding the processes contributing to the risk of MeHg in the environment The objective of this paper is to synthesize the scientific understanding of how Hg cycling in the aquatic environment is influenced by landscape perturbations at the local scale, perturbations that include watershed loadings, deforestation, reservoir and wetland creation, rice production, urbanization, mining and industrial point source pollution, and remediation We focus on the major challenges associated with each type of alteration, as well as management opportunities that could lessen both MeHg levels in biota and exposure to humans For example, our understanding of approximate response times to changes in Hg inputs from various sources or landscape alterations could lead to policies that prioritize the avoidance of certain activities in the most vulnerable systems and sequestration of Hg in deep soil and sediment pools The remediation of Hg pollution from historical mining and other industries is shifting towards in situ technologies that could be less disruptive and less costly than conventional approaches Contemporary artisanal gold mining has well-documented impacts with respect to Hg; however, significant social and political challenges remain in implementing effective policies to minimize Hg use Much remains to be learned as we strive towards the meaningful application of our understanding for stakeholders, including communities living near Hg-polluted sites, environmental policy makers, and scientists and engineers tasked with developing watershed management solutions Site-specific assessments of MeHg exposure risk will require new methods to predict the impacts of anthropogenic perturbations and an understanding of the complexity of Hg cycling at the local scale

/pdf/challenges-and-opportunities-for-managing-aquatic-mercury-xhnncpkoqh.pdf

Challenges and opportunities for managing aquatic mercury pollution in altered landscapes.

An updated review of atmospheric mercury

Despite 30 years of study, gaseous elemental mercury (Hg0) exchange magnitude and controls between terrestrial surfaces and the atmosphere still remain uncertain. We compiled data from 132 studies, including 1290 reported fluxes from more than 200 000 individual measurements, into a database to statistically examine flux magnitudes and controls. We found that fluxes were unevenly distributed, both spatially and temporally, with strong biases toward Hg-enriched sites, daytime and summertime measurements. Fluxes at Hg-enriched sites were positively correlated with substrate concentrations, but this was absent at background sites. Median fluxes over litter- and snow-covered soils were lower than over bare soils, and chamber measurements showed higher emission compared to micrometeorological measurements. Due to low spatial extent, estimated emissions from Hg-enriched areas (217 Mg·a–1) were lower than previous estimates. Globally, areas with enhanced atmospheric Hg0 levels (particularly East Asia) showed an ...

New Constraints on Terrestrial Surface-Atmosphere Fluxes of Gaseous Elemental Mercury Using a Global Database.

https://www.fs.fed.us/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2014/nrs_2014_mazur_001.pdf

Gaseous mercury fluxes from forest soils in response to forest harvesting intensity: A field manipulation experiment

. Because gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) is distributed globally through the atmosphere, reliable means of measuring its concentrations in air are important. Passive air samplers (PASs), designed to be cheap, simple to operate, and to work without electricity, could provide an alternative to established active sampling techniques in applications such as (1) long-term monitoring of atmospheric GEM levels in remote regions and in developing countries, (2) atmospheric mercury source identification and characterization through finely resolved spatial mapping, and (3) the recording of personal exposure to GEM. An effective GEM PAS requires a tightly constrained sampling rate, a large and stable uptake capacity, and a sensitive analytical technique. None of the GEM PASs developed to date achieve levels of accuracy and precision sufficient for the reliable determination of background concentrations over extended deployments. This is due to (1) sampling rates that vary due to meteorological factors and manufacturing inconsistencies, and/or (2) an often low, irreproducible and/or unstable uptake capacity of the employed sorbents. While we identify shortcomings of existing GEM PAS, we also reveal potential routes to overcome those difficulties. Activated carbon and nanostructured metal surfaces hold promise as effective sorbents. Sampler designs incorporating diffusive barriers should be able to notably reduce the influence of wind on sampling rates.

/pdf/passive-air-sampling-of-gaseous-elemental-mercury-a-critical-4ejcg7dqd6.pdf

Passive air sampling of gaseous elemental mercury: a critical review

Soil mercury (Hg) emissions are an important component of the global Hg cycle. Sunlight induced photoreduction of oxidized Hg to gaseous elemental Hg is an important mechanism controlling emissions from the soil surface, however we currently understand little about how subsurface Hg stores participate in gaseous Hg cycling. Our study objective was to investigate the ability of Hg at deeper soil depths to participate in emissions. Soil fluxes were measured under controlled laboratory conditions utilizing an enriched stable Hg isotope tracer buried at 0, 1, 2, and 5 cm below the surface. Under dry and low-light conditions, the Hg isotope tracer buried at the different depths participated similarly in surface emissions (median flux: 7.5 ng m–2 h–1). When the soils were wetted, Hg isotope tracer emissions increased significantly (up to 285 ng m–2 h–1), with the highest fluxes (76% of emissions) originating from the surface 1 cm amended soils and decreasing with depth. Mercury associated with sandy soil up to ...

/pdf/susceptibility-of-soil-bound-mercury-to-gaseous-emission-as-9a1wx9ab5d.pdf

Susceptibility of Soil Bound Mercury to Gaseous Emission As a Function of Source Depth: An Enriched Isotope Tracer Investigation.

An Approach to Inform Air Quality Management Through Receptor Source Apportionment and Thermodynamic Modelling of Fine Particulate Matter in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

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Papers

Gaseous mercury fluxes from forest soils in response to forest harvesting intensity: A field manipulation experiment

Passive air sampling of gaseous elemental mercury: a critical review

Susceptibility of Soil Bound Mercury to Gaseous Emission As a Function of Source Depth: An Enriched Isotope Tracer Investigation.

An Approach to Inform Air Quality Management Through Receptor Source Apportionment and Thermodynamic Modelling of Fine Particulate Matter in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada