About this Research Topic

Background

Mercury is a global pollutant whose concentration in the biosphere has been substantially increased by human activity, primarily from coal burning and industrial activity, and from the use of mercury in artisanal and small scale gold mining. When converted to methylmercury, it is a significant health concern for human and wildlife health. Once in the environment, mercury is widely dispersed through the atmosphere, and within aquatic systems, and undergoes various transformation processes, which involve redox reactions, methylation/demethylation, partitioning, and bioaccumulation into the food chain. The distribution and exchange of mercury between the compartments of the biosphere is complex and enhanced by human activity and climate change. Chemical reactions, both microbially-mediated and abiotic, are critical drivers of the regional and global fate and transport of mercury. New approaches and novel techniques now allow for the examination of environmental chemical processes of mercury forms at various scales in the different phases and reservoirs of the biosphere.

Despite significant advancements in knowledge and analytical methods, and the increase in information gained from large-scale studies, as well as focused experiments, our understanding of the complex biogeochemical cycling of mercury is incomplete. Many aspects of the important transformation reactions that control speciation and bioavailability of mercury species are not well characterized which hinders determination of future risk to the environment, and for human exposure to mercury. Large uncertainty exists in quantifying the extent to which changes in anthropogenic mercury emissions globally impact different ecosystems and how reductions in anthropogenic mercury emissions enforced under the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury, and other regulations, will be manifest in the environment. Additionally, the potential synergistic or antagonistic impacts of climate and land-use change on future mercury cycling and bioaccumulation remains uncertain. The current Research Topic endeavors to enhance understanding, bridge the gaps in understanding and provide a mechanism for the publication of recent advances in the field.

This Research Topic aims to cover novel studies of environmental mercury chemistry. We welcome original research papers, perspectives, and mini-reviews focusing on (but not limited to) the following:

1. Cycling and chemical transformations of mercury in the atmosphere and marine and freshwaters, and the reactions and processes that control mercury exchange between the atmosphere, terrestrial and marine environments

2. Chemical speciation studies of mercury in air, water, soil, sediment, ice and snow

3. Studies focused on methylation/demethylation, redox reactions, and interactions with surfaces

4. Advances in speciation analysis of mercury in environmental samples

5· Stable isotope studies of biogeochemical processes, transformations and transport of mercury

6. Cellular uptake mechanisms and bioaccumulation of mercury species at the base of food webs

7. Modeling studies of mercury biogeochemical reactions

8. Regional and global scale modelling of mercury biogeochemical cycling, fate and transport

This research topic will focus on research presented at the 16th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant (ICMGP) in Cape Town in July 2024, as well as related papers that may not be presented at the conference. The conference theme is “From Minamata to Africa and beyond: Addressing mercury challenges in global environmental change” and focuses attention on global human and climate impacts and on studies in Africa and other developing countries.
See: https://www.mercurycapetown.com/.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Data Report
• Editorial
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: mercury, methylmercury, sources, transformations, chemistry, water, sediments, atmosphere, ocean, lakes, speciation, isotopes, modeling, bioaccumulation

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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