Mercury as a Global Pollutant: Sources, Pathways, and Effects
TLDR
Understanding of sources, atmosphere-land-ocean Hg dynamics and health effects are synthesized, and integration of Hg science with national and international policy efforts is needed to target efforts and evaluate efficacy.Abstract:
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects human and ecosystem health. We synthesize understanding of sources, atmosphere-land-ocean Hg dynamics and health effects, and consider the implications of Hg-control policies. Primary anthropogenic Hg emissions greatly exceed natural geogenic sources, resulting in increases in Hg reservoirs and subsequent secondary Hg emissions that facilitate its global distribution. The ultimate fate of emitted Hg is primarily recalcitrant soil pools and deep ocean waters and sediments. Transfers of Hg emissions to largely unavailable reservoirs occur over the time scale of centuries, and are primarily mediated through atmospheric exchanges of wet/dry deposition and evasion from vegetation, soil organic matter and ocean surfaces. A key link between inorganic Hg inputs and exposure of humans and wildlife is the net production of methylmercury, which occurs mainly in reducing zones in freshwater, terrestrial, and coastal environments, and the subsurface ocean. Elevated human exposure to methylmercury primarily results from consumption of estuarine and marine fish. Developing fetuses are most at risk from this neurotoxin but health effects of highly exposed populations and wildlife are also a concern. Integration of Hg science with national and international policy efforts is needed to target efforts and evaluate efficacy.read more
Citations
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Cycling of mercury in the environment: Sources, fate, and human health implications: A review
Felix Beckers,Jörg Rinklebe +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review summarizes recent recent studies on Hg toxicity and its effects on the human health through the consumption of contaminated fish and rice since methylmercury is a potent neurotoxin and elemental Hg vapor is harmful for the central nervous system.
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Global prevalence and distribution of genes and microorganisms involved in mercury methylation.
Mircea Podar,Cynthia C. Gilmour,Craig C. Brandt,Allyson Soren,Steven D. Brown,Bryan R. Crable,Anthony V. Palumbo,Anil C. Somenahally,Anil C. Somenahally,Dwayne A. Elias +9 more
TL;DR: Phylogenetic analysis points to an evolutionary relationship between hgcA and genes encoding corrinoid iron-sulfur proteins functioning in the ancient Wood-Ljungdahl carbon fixation pathway, suggesting that methanogenic Archaea may have been the first to perform these biotransformations.
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A review on the distribution of Hg in the environment and its human health impacts
TL;DR: This paper reviews the route of Hg exposure to humans, its human health impacts, the associated risk assessment, and treatment based on the recent findings from various studies.
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Synthesis and characterization of a new starch/SnO2 nanocomposite for efficient adsorption of toxic Hg2+ metal ion
Mu. Naushad,Tansir Ahamad,Gaurav Sharma,Ala’a H. Al-Muhtaseb,Ahmad B. Albadarin,Mohammad Mezbaul Alam,Zeid A. ALOthman,Saad M. Alshehri,Ayman A. Ghfar +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a starch based nanocomposite (starch/SnO2) was synthesized and used as an effective adsorbent for the removal of Hg2+ from aqueous medium.
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Mercury physicochemical and biogeochemical transformation in the atmosphere and at atmospheric interfaces: a review and future directions.
Parisa A. Ariya,Marc Amyot,Ashu Dastoor,Daniel A. Deeds,Aryeh Feinberg,Gregor Kos,Alexandre J. Poulain,Andrei Ryjkov,Kirill Semeniuk,Mahamud Subir,K. Toyota +10 more
TL;DR: Atmosphere and at Atmospheric Interfaces: A Review and Future Directions Parisa A. Ariya, Marc Amyot, Ashu Dastoor, Daniel Deeds, Aryeh Feinberg, Gregor Kos, Andrei Ryjkov, Kirill Semeniuk, M. Subir, and Kenjiro Toyota are authors.
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