A new baseline of volcanic contributions to the global mercury cycle reveals how drastically human activities have increased the element’s concentration in the atmosphere.
mercury (Hg)
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Connecting the Dots Between Geohealth Research and Health Policy
Geohealth research is typically focused on environment-health impacts, but including physical and social mechanisms, and health and non-health trade-offs, can result in better policy benefits.
Posted inNews
In the Deepest Ocean Reaches, a Potent Pollutant Comes to Rest
Surprising amounts of mercury settling into deep-sea trenches may provide a fuller picture of the metal’s path through the environment, but pulling it to the surface is no easy feat.
Posted inNews
Mercury-Based Gold Mining Haunts Peruvian Rain Forests
In Peru, gold mining harms rain forests and human health. Satellite data can now track forest recovery in protected areas and the migration of informal miners to less regulated areas.
Posted inNews
Sinking Fish May Fast-Track Mercury Pollution to the Deep Sea
Isotopic analysis indicates that mercury found in deep-sea organisms may have an origin in carrion from near the surface.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Trees Are Watching Us and Our Actions
Annual growth rings in trees tell us more than climate history; they can also document the rise and fall of human industrial activities.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Models Give Global Picture of Mercury Content in Oceans
Concentrations of methylated mercury in high latitudes show the importance of sunlight and biological activity for cycling the metal.
Posted inNews
The Give and Take of Mercury in Glacial Landscapes
As glacial ice melts, toxic mercury is released into the environment. But a new study shows vegetation may be an effective cleanup crew.
Posted inNews
A Volcanic Trigger for Earth’s First Mass Extinction?
Abnormally high levels of mercury in Ordovician rocks may imply that a huge surge of volcanism took place at a time when much of the planet’s ocean life vanished.
Posted inNews
Mercury in Rain Increasing in Western and Central United States
Despite tightening emissions rules, mercury concentrations are rising in rainfall wetting western and central regions of the United States. The pollutant may waft in from Asia, scientists speculate.