Mercury (Hg), a highly toxic heavy metal that can be transported globally, is mainly released into the atmosphere through human activities (e.g., metal smelting, coal burning) and natural emissions (Hg re-emissions from oceans and forests, etc.) Atmospheric Hg transported globally with the circulation can enter terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through dry and wet deposition, leading to the formation of highly toxic methylmercury under certain circumstances that pose a threat to human and other biological safety. Human activities have caused a multifold increase in atmospheric Hg levels since industrialization. Multiple countries and organizations signed the Minamata Convention on Hg in 2013, aiming to reduce Hg emissions from human activities through various measures,

Due to rapid industrial development, China has been regarded as a country with high Hg emissions worldwide, representing approximately 26.0% in 2015. However, significant reductions in atmospheric Hg concentrations have also been observed in China in recent years. The global dispersion of atmospheric Hg makes China’s emissions have a significant impact on the world. Therefore, understanding the atmospheric Hg situation in China is of great significance for global Hg environmental safety and the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Read the full paper here: Qin, X., Guo, Q., Martens, P. & Krafft, T. (2024). Mercury stable isotopes revealing the atmospheric mercury circulation: A review of particulate bound mercury in China. Earth-Science Reviews, 250,104681, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104681.