Global change effects on biogeochemical mercury cycling

Past and present anthropogenic mercury (Hg) release to ecosystems causes neurotoxicity and cardiovascular disease in humans with an estimated economic cost of $117 billion USD annually. Humans are primarily exposed to Hg via the consumption of contaminated freshwater and marine fish. The UNEP Minama...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ambio
Main Authors: Sonke, Jeroen E., Angot, Hélène, Zhang, Yanxu, Poulain, Alexandre, Björn, Erik, Schartup, Amina
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Umeå universitet, Kemiska institutionen 2023
Subjects:
Climate change
Environment
Exposure
Fish consumption
Minamata Convention
Toxicity
Environmental Sciences
Miljövetenskap
Other Chemistry Topics
Annan kemi
Ecology
Ekologi
permafrost
Online Access:http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-206785
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01855-y
Description
Summary:Past and present anthropogenic mercury (Hg) release to ecosystems causes neurotoxicity and cardiovascular disease in humans with an estimated economic cost of $117 billion USD annually. Humans are primarily exposed to Hg via the consumption of contaminated freshwater and marine fish. The UNEP Minamata Convention on Hg aims to curb Hg release to the environment and is accompanied by global Hg monitoring efforts to track its success. The biogeochemical Hg cycle is a complex cascade of release, dispersal, transformation and bio-uptake processes that link Hg sources to Hg exposure. Global change interacts with the Hg cycle by impacting the physical, biogeochemical and ecological factors that control these processes. In this review we examine how global change such as biome shifts, deforestation, permafrost thaw or ocean stratification will alter Hg cycling and exposure. Based on past declines in Hg release and environmental levels, we expect that future policy impacts should be distinguishable from global change effects at the regional and global scales.

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