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.
A research team, led by Professor Sung-Deuk Choi from the Department of Civil, Urban, Earth, and Environmental Engineering at UNIST, has developed a novel assessment technique to accurately identify the sources and spatial-temporal ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 3, 2025
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16
Environmental pollution by heavy metals is a major social problem. Among these metals, mercury (Hg) is strictly controlled due to its high toxicity. Focusing on soil, which is closely related to our daily lives, the environmental ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 29, 2024
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71
Although many measures are in place to prevent contamination, pollutants such as mercury and lead can still end up in the environment. Sensing them often requires complicated processes, but what if you could detect them with ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 22, 2023
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108
