Mercury contamination refers to the presence and cycling of mercury, particularly its toxic organic form methylmercury, in environmental and biological systems at concentrations that pose ecological and human health risks. It arises from natural sources (e.g., volcanic activity, weathering) and anthropogenic activities (e.g., coal combustion, artisanal gold mining, industrial discharges), leading to atmospheric transport, deposition, and subsequent transformation by microorganisms in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Research focuses on speciation, bioavailability, biomagnification in food webs, exposure pathways, dose–response relationships, and mitigation strategies, including emission controls, remediation of contaminated sediments and soils, and risk assessment for vulnerable populations.
Striped bass are a popular and often human-consumed commercial and recreational game fish. Trace elements or metals essential for life are in these fish and other eatable fish, as well as nonessential and toxic metals such ...
Ecology
May 18, 2026
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Mounds of slimy carcasses pile up on a riverbank in Jakarta where authorities are fighting an uphill battle against a fast-breeding invasive fish flourishing in Java island's heavily polluted waterways.
Ecology
May 7, 2026
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69
Perched on the bow of his long-tail fishing boat, 75-year-old Sukjai Yana untangled a handful of small fish from his net, disappointed by his catch and fretting over whether he can sell them.
Environment
Apr 29, 2026
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Mercury released into the oceans affects marine environments worldwide. Traditionally, its distribution and quantity have been estimated using marine biogeochemical simulation models.
Environment
Apr 10, 2026
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Svalbard reindeer live in a place so remote they have actually evolved to become a subspecies. But that remoteness isn't enough to protect them from contaminants from the industrial world.
Environment
Apr 9, 2026
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A study published in The Journal of Wildlife Management found varying risks to species due to mercury pollution across the United States' National Wildlife Refuge System, the world's largest network of lands and waters conserved ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 25, 2026
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8
For riverside communities along the Amazon, fish is not a menu choice—it is a lifeline. Millions of people in the Brazilian Amazon depend on fish as their primary source of protein, consuming it daily in quantities far above ...
New research shows a single year of warmer-than-average Arctic temperatures can cause malnutrition in Arctic seals, intensifying risks to Inuit food security and northern ecosystems already under pressure from environmental ...
Plants & Animals
Feb 18, 2026
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187
Common pollutants are disrupting energy production at the cellular level in wild seabirds, potentially affecting fitness, new research reveals. The study, published in Environment & Health, focused on Scopoli's shearwaters ...
Plants & Animals
Jan 8, 2026
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24
In 2017, a new global treaty was meant to bring mercury pollution under control. But three decades of data from UK harbor porpoises show mercury is still increasing, and is linked to a higher risk of dying from infectious ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 21, 2025
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