Risk management of mercury must focus on (1) reducing mobilization and concentration of mercury from industrial activities and (2) reducing the human intake of mercury from environmental sources such as fish. Mercury is continuously mobilized, deposited, and remobilized in the environment. Direct deposition of mercury through precipitation (rain and snow) and soil runoffs into aquatic ecosystems may result into formation of different organic mercury species such as methylmercury, most toxic to human being. Mercury complexes deposited in soils can reenter the atmosphere as gaseous mercury by light and humic substances. After emission from the source, mercury may reside in the atmosphere up to about one year and transferred to the Earth’s surface via wet or dry deposition in the elemental or particulate forms. The fate and transport of mercury are discussed in three categories: atmosphere, terrestrial ecosystem, and aquatic ecosystem. While vapor of elemental mercury can be transported to long distances by air flow, some organic mercury compounds being water-soluble are capable of transport in the aquatic food chain through the process of bioaccumulation. Although all forms of mercury are toxic, vapors of elemental mercury can occur presenting a health hazard. Three forms of mercury in the environment are reported, namely, elemental, inorganic, and organic mercury. It is released into the environment from a variety of sources, both natural and anthropogenic. Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects human and ecosystem health. ![]() Mercury is a metallic element found in nature as a liquid at room temperature.
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