Abstract

The Minamata Convention on Mercury (Hg) calls for global efforts to reduce the release and risk of Hg. A better understanding of the global Hg budget, transformation and transport as well as toxicity of Hg in the environment, and the Hg emission controlling technologies, is important to minimize Hg pollution and exposure risks. Here, we summarized recent findings regarding the Hg cycle, transport, transformation, and controlling technologies, based on publications in Critical Review in Environmental Science and Technology (CREST) during 2017–2021. In terms of CREST publications we first focused on the biogeochemical cycle and impacts of Hg in the sensitive environment of the Tibet Plateau, and technologies being used to control Hg⁰ emission from thermal power plants. Second, we discussed the roles of forest in the global cycle of Hg. Third, we reviewed the transport of Hg at artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites, and the mobility and transformation of Hg species in the environment. This special issue covers the recent studies on the cycle, transport, and transformation of Hg, enhances our abilities to develop better strategies to minimize its risks. There are emerging concerns with climatic change and natural and human perturbations on the biogeochemical cycle of Hg in the environment and futures studies are warranted in these areas as well as the global Hg cycle, transport, and remediation.

摘要

《关于汞 (Hg) 的水俣公约》呼吁全球努力减少汞的释放和风险。更好地了解全球汞预算、转化和运输以及汞在环境中的毒性以及汞排放控制技术，对于最大限度地减少汞污染和暴露风险非常重要。在这里，我们根据 2017-2021 年环境科学与技术批判性评论 (CREST) 上的出版物总结了有关汞循环、运输、转化和控制技术的最新发现。在 CREST 出版物方面，我们首先关注 Hg 在青藏高原敏感环境中的生物地球化学循环和影响，以及用于控制 Hg ^0的技术火力发电厂的排放。其次，我们讨论了森林在全球汞循环中的作用。第三，我们回顾了手工和小规模金矿场中汞的迁移，以及汞在环境中的迁移和转化。本期特刊涵盖了最近关于汞的循环、运输和转化的研究，提高了我们制定更好的策略以将其风险降至最低的能力。气候变化、自然和人类对环境中汞的生物地球化学循环的扰动引起了人们的关注，未来研究在这些领域以及全球汞循环、运输和修复方面是必要的。