A publication in Nature: On the trail of oceanic mercury

Mercury, a pollutant gas from coal burning and mining activities, falls back to the ocean where it accumulates in the marine food chain, with serious consequences for food and human health. A new study, published on September 29, 2021 in Nature, shows that, contrary to previous hypotheses, mercury is not mainly brought by rainwater but that the ocean "breathes" it. This work also suggests that the oceans receive less atmospheric mercury than previously estimated, although this does not currently portend a decrease in fish contamination. In the context of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which entered into force in 20172, policies to reduce mercury emissions are being developed, which should have a direct impact on mercury in the oceans and on our plates. This work was conducted by an international team involving scientists from the Geosciences environnement Toulouse laboratory (CNRS/Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier/Cnes/IRD) and the Institut méditerranéen d'océanologie (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université/IRD/Université de Toulon), and the Environmental Geosciences laboratory of the University of Basel (Switzerland).
Bibliography

Mercury stable isotopes constrain atmospheric sources to the ocean. Martin Jiskra, Lars-Eric Heimbürger-Boavida, Marie-Maëlle Desgranges, Mariia V. Petrova, Aurélie Dufour, Beatriz Ferreira-Araujo, Jérémy Masbou, Jérome Chmeleff, Melilotus Thyssen, David Point & Jeroen E. Sonke. September 29, 2021, Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03859-8

Lars-Eric's acknowledgement:

"I would like to thank especially Aurélie and my students Marie-Maëlle and Masha for their great work in the field and in the lab; Olivier and Melilotus for setting up the SSL@MM, which now makes access to seawater very easy; Deny, Michel, Nagib, l4 team of the SAM for setting up our own carousel, preparing the GOFLO bottles and their support during campaigns with the Antedon II. A big thank you also to our managers of the MIO for all the orders and OM in emergency".