CSIRO PUBLISHING | Environmental Chemistry

Mercury remains a contaminant of environmental concern, largely as a consequence of historical activities. By its nature, the assessment of the distribution, behaviour and impacts of mercury on aquatic, terrestrial and atmospheric environments requires a multidisciplinary approach, primarily based on environmental chemistry, but supplemented with expertise in ecotoxicology, ecology and archaeology.

In Australia, an active group of researchers came together in 2020, under the umbrella of Mercury Australia [external link] to share information on the historical and contemporary uses and impacts of mercury on the environment and human health. Members are strongly networked to other international researchers, in particular, those in the Southern Hemisphere. Mercury Australia holds bi-annual symposia at which latest research is presented.

This collection contains six papers representing the state-of-the-art in mercury investigations, largely originating from a symposium held in Canberra in July 2023.

Guest Editors:
Graeme Batley, Adjunct Fellow, Macquarie University, Australia
Larissa Schneider, Associate Professor, The Australian National University, Australia

Last Updated: 04 Jul 2025

EN24096From chemistry to culture: the need for an integrated approach to mercury research and policy making

Larissa Schneider

and Saul Guerrero

Environmental context. Mercury (Hg) has been extensively used throughout human history, leaving a persistent environmental legacy that continues to present challenges for pollution management and public health. This highlight focuses on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to enhance our knowledge of mercury’s historical uses and emissions, supporting more effective strategies to address its environmental and societal impacts.

This article belongs to the collection: Mercury in the environment.

EN24065Assessment of mercury bioaccumulation in a tropical elasmobranch assemblage

Andréia S. Campos

, Moisés F. Bezerra, Victor L. Moura, Vicente V. Faria, Carlos E. Rezende, Wanderley R. Bastos, Iuri Aparecida S. Oliveira and Luiz D. Lacerda

Composite picture showing silhouettes of elasmobranchs and two graphs correlating increased Hg presence with length of subject.

Environmental context. Mercury (Hg) is a non-essential metal that can accumulate in aquatic biota, including top predators such as elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), and biomagnifying along the trophic web. This study provides data on Hg total, methylmercury (MeHg) and stable isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) for 13 elasmobranch taxa in the Equatorial Western Atlantic Ocean, relating biological and ecological properties with Hg concentrations and the estimated human consumption risk. (Image credit: Andréia dos Santos Campos.)

This article belongs to the collection: Mercury in the environment.

EN24087Mercury in an Australian sclerophyll Eucalyptus forest and emissions from fuel reduction prescribed burning

James R. Taylor

, Larissa Schneider

, Anne-Helene Fostier

, Heather Keith

, Fei Cao, Peter Davies, Geoffrey J. Cary, Simon G. Haberle and Susan Lawrence

A labelled diagram of a sclerophyll Eucalyptus forest on fire releasing mercury into the atmosphere.

Environmental context. Understanding how mercury cycles through the environment is crucial for protecting ecosystems and human health. Our study is among the first to measure mercury concentrations in Eucalyptus forest soils and litter, and estimate emissions from prescribed burns, addressing a significant gap in current knowledge. These new data enhance our understanding of mercury cycling in Australia and contribute to the global information on the biogeochemical cycle of mercury. (Image credit: Larissa Schneider)

This article belongs to the collection: Mercury in the environment.

EN24089Mercury wet deposition in the urban and industrialised region of Campinas, south-east Brazil

Amauris Hechavarria-Hernandez, José Lucas Martins Viana and Anne Hélène Fostier

A scheme depicting mercury wet deposition and analysis.

Environmental context. Wet deposition is a primary mechanism for transferring atmospheric mercury (Hg) to the Earth’s surface. In Brazil, as well as in the rest of the Southern Hemisphere, only limited data on wet Hg deposition are available. This article addresses this gap by providing a comprehensive dataset from nearly 2 years of monitoring, focusing on mercury concentrations in rainwater and wet Hg deposition in Campinas, one of the largest industrial and populated regions in São Paulo state (south-east Brazil). (Image credit: José L. M. Viana.)

This article belongs to the collection: Mercury in the environment.

EN24088Mercury patterns in lakes within a natural hotspot in the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes (Nahuel Huapi National Park, Patagonia, South America)

Carolina Soto Cárdenas

, Zaida Fernandez, Marina Arcagni, Andrea Rizzo and María C. Diéguez

Movement of dissolved organic matter and mercury in wet and dry seasons for a shallow (left) and a deep (right) connected lakes of Andean Patagonia.

Environmental context. The pristine oligotrophic lakes of Andean Patagonia are influenced by volcanic eruptions and atmospheric deposition. This study focuses on mercury (Hg) dynamics in two connected lakes in a natural Hg hotspot of the southern Andes. The lake waters have low dissolved organic carbon and moderate to high Hg concentrations, resulting in high Hg availability. These promote Hg binding to natural particulates, thereby favouring its incorporation into food webs. (Image credit: Carolina Soto Cárdenas)

This article belongs to the collection: Mercury in the environment.

EN24103Mercury concentration in Antarctic krill varies in time and space and with individual size

Rita M. Franco-Santos

, Sam Eggins, Michael J. Ellwood, Nils Hoem, Peter D. Nichols, Patti Virtue and William A. Maher

Illustration of the sampling locations, sample processing steps and seasonal variation in krill mercury concentrations.

Environmental context. Several predators that eat Antarctic krill may be unintentionally ingesting toxic substances. Studying aspects of krill life to understand the effects of potential increases in Antarctic mercury (Hg) availability revealed that seasons, locations and individual size influence krill Hg concentration. Despite increasing human presence (potential Hg sources) in Antarctica, krill Hg content remains stable, and evidence suggests that Hg accumulates in predators by both short (krill-based) and longer food chains. (Image credit: the authors.)

This article belongs to the collection: Mercury in the environment.