Review
Environmental Sciences
Brock A. Edwards, D. Skye Kushner, Peter M. Outridge, Feiyue Wang
Summary: Volcanism is a potentially important natural source of mercury (Hg) to the environment, but its impact on the global Hg cycle is poorly understood, leading to uncertainty in assessing the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic Hg sources to the global atmosphere. Research shows that arc volcanoes emit 3-fold higher Hg fluxes on average compared to non-arc volcanoes, despite the latter having significantly higher Hg concentrations in their plumes.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sai Liang, Weicen Chang, Haifeng Zhou, Jianchuan Qi, Yumeng Li, Cuiyang Feng, Shuxiao Wang
Summary: This study reveals that the transition of global economic structures, particularly in foreign nations, plays a crucial role in driving changes in atmospheric Hg emissions in China. It emphasizes the significance of a greener global production structure for reducing anthropogenic atmospheric Hg emissions in China.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Habuer, Takeshi Fujiwara, Masaki Takaoka
Summary: The study showed that the implementation of the MCM in China resulted in a significant decrease in mercury releases to the natural environment, with the use of accelerated scenario/technology transformation leading to reductions in atmospheric emissions. Atmospheric emissions were found to be the most sensitive to the transformation. This study represents the first attempt to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of the MCM based on hypothetical expectations.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jeroen E. Sonke, Helene Angot, Yanxu Zhang, Alexandre Poulain, Erik Bjorn, Amina Schartup
Summary: Past and present anthropogenic mercury release has harmful effects on human health and has significant economic costs. The UNEP Minamata Convention on Mercury and global monitoring efforts aim to reduce mercury release and track its success. Global change factors such as deforestation and ocean stratification interact with the complex biogeochemical mercury cycle, leading to changes in mercury exposure. However, based on past declines in mercury release, it is expected that future policy impacts can be distinguished from global change effects at regional and global scales.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Jinting Wang, Ji Dai, Guanghao Chen, Feng Jiang
Summary: Estuaries serve as sinks for mercury, where methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury, is produced by methylators and accumulates in sediments. The sulfur cycle triggers the formation of methylmercury through activating methylator activities and limiting mercury bioavailability, thereby promoting or inhibiting methylmercury formation at different sulfur speciation concentrations.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ryan F. Lepak, Sarah E. Janssen, Jacob M. Ogorek, Casey B. Dillman, Joel C. Hoffman, Michael T. Tate, Peter B. McIntyre
Summary: This study tested the stability of mercury concentrations and stable isotope ratios in preserved fish under museum preservation practices. Loss of unidentified constituents during preservation led to increased mercury concentrations in fish muscle. Low-mercury fish were susceptible to contamination with inorganic mercury when intentionally spiked or passively leached from contaminated wild fish. However, the conservative nature of methylmercury allowed for quantitative correction of the contamination. The findings suggest the potential use of preserved fish from museums for generating spatiotemporal baselines for the Minamata Convention on Mercury, with precautions recommended for maximizing inference strength.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jacob M. Ogorek, Ryan F. Lepak, Joel C. Hoffman, John F. DeWild, Tylor J. Rosera, Michael T. Tate, James P. Hurley, David P. Krabbenhoft
Summary: The study found that mercury concentrations in the Laurentian Great Lakes are relatively low, but game fish concentrations are close to consumption advisory limits, indicating efficient methylmercury transfer from water to game fish. The bioaccumulation factors of mercury in phytoplankton are among the highest reported in water ecosystems and are influenced by dissolved organic carbon.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Takashi Tomiyasu, Ryohei Shitauchi, Daigo Kasai, Toshiki Kitagawa, Hitoshi Kodamatani, Ryo Kanzaki
Summary: This study investigated the vertical variation in mercury concentrations in Yatsushiro Sea sediments from 2013 to 2020 at 31 locations and compared the results to the mercury concentration distribution obtained in 1996, in order to determine the long-term dynamics of mercury discharged from Chisso chemical plant between 1932 and 1968. The findings show that new sedimentation occurred after 1996, but the surface mercury concentrations did not significantly decrease over a 20-year period, ranging from 0.2 to 1.9 mg kg(-1). It was estimated that approximately 17 t of mercury remained in the southern Yatsushiro Sea sediment, which is equivalent to 10-20% of the total mercury discharged during the specified period. WD-XRF and TOC measurements suggest that the mercury in sediment had been transported with suspended particles derived from sludges from the chemical plant, indicating that the suspended particles from the sediment surface layer are still slowly diffusing.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ruoyu Sun, Holger Hintelmann, Johan A. Wiklund, Marlene S. Evans, Derek Muir, Jane L. Kirk
Summary: This study measured mercury isotope compositions in sediment cores to investigate the relationship between mercury emission sources and deposition in lakes. The results show the significant influence of legacy mercury remobilization on mercury transport in ecosystems.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jetashree, Qiumeng Zhong, Haifeng Zhou, Yumeng Li, Yu Liu, Jiashuo Li, Sai Liang
Summary: The study identifies that India's Hg emissions during 2004-2014 were mainly driven by domestic final demand and primary inputs, with an increased share of foreign inputs. The Construction sector is an important demand-side driver, while fossil fuel sectors are important supply-side drivers.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Qingqing Wang, Qing Huang, Yin Liu, Muhammad Amjad Khan, Genmao Guo, Wenkang Lu, Xiaohui Li, Shan Hu, Junfeng Wang
Summary: This study conducted a pot experiment to investigate the effect of adding biogas slurry on rice growth and microbial community. Results showed that biogas slurry significantly increased the effective tiller and biomass of rice, while also affecting the relative abundance and composition of methanogens and methanotrophs in the microbial community. The amount of biogas slurry applied seemed to shape the methanogenic community, and there may be synergistic interactions between soil, microbes, and rice.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Yumeng Li, Long Chen, Sai Liang, Haifeng Zhou, Yu-Rong Liu, Huan Zhong, Zhifeng Yang
Summary: The Minamata Convention on Mercury aims to protect the environment and human beings from the adverse impacts of mercury pollution. Current studies show that mercury emissions can have negative effects on human health and ecosystems, but the feedback of mercury-related environmental impacts to the economic system is not fully understood. This lack of understanding impedes the development of comprehensive mercury control actions, highlighting the need for further research and modeling to loop the mercury cycle in the global environmental-economic system.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ju Hyeon Lee, Sae Yun Kwon, Runsheng Yin, Laura C. Motta, Aaron Y. Kurz, Seung-Il Nam
Summary: The increasing mercury isotope ratios in lake sediment cores from pre-industrial to present-day are suggested to be a global phenomenon. It is mainly attributed to the increased contribution of mercury from local to regional anthropogenic sources. The magnitude of mercury isotope changes are more influenced by baseline mercury isotope ratios rather than the level of THg input.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Alex Kwasi Saim
Summary: The artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector in Ghana continues to grow, but the impacts caused by mercury use are becoming increasingly severe. Despite previous bans and increased monitoring efforts, the country has not been successful in significantly reducing mercury use and its associated impacts. The lack of mercury alternatives, funding, and education support makes addressing this issue more challenging.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Honghai Ma, Lanlin Wei, Haoyu Zhu, Lei Liao
Summary: This paper reviews previous studies on mercury in lakes and reservoirs, highlighting the importance of understanding mercury sources, transportation, conversion, and new research methods. Further research is needed on mercury tracing, biogeochemical cycles in cascade reservoirs, and mercury methylation mechanisms.
FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Law
Fiona Kinniburgh, Henrik Selin, Noelle E. Selin, Miranda Schreurs
Summary: Private agricultural standards have significant implications for state-led policymaking, particularly in the context of multilateral pesticide governance. This study reveals that private standard-setting bodies utilize the pesticide list of the Rotterdam Convention to develop their own list of banned substances, thus undermining the Convention's intended role and impeding international governance efforts.
REGULATION & GOVERNANCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Henrik Selin, Noelle E. Selin
Summary: The field of sustainability science has experienced significant growth in the past two decades. However, there is a lack of systems-focused analysis in much of the research. To address this issue, researchers have proposed the human-technical-environmental (HTE) framework, which offers a common way for interdisciplinary analysts to conduct systems-focused research. Through the application of the matrix-based approach, the HTE framework demonstrates its applicability in analyzing empirical cases related to large-scale sustainability transitions. Insights related to leverage points, energy markets, pollution control technologies, and institutions can contribute to the development of systems-oriented analysis and the advancement of sustainability efforts.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Therese S. Carter, Colette L. Heald, Noelle E. Selin
Summary: Increasing fire activity in the United States, influenced by climate change, is indirectly linked to human activity. This study analyzes the impact of fires caused by human ignitions on fire particulate matter in the United States from 2003 to 2018. The findings suggest that human-initiated fires, such as agricultural fires and human-initiated wildfires, contribute significantly to smoke exposure and premature deaths associated with fire particulate matter.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lucien Besnard, Brandyn M. M. Lucca, Oliver N. N. Shipley, Gael Le Croizier, Raul O. Martinez-Rincon, Jeroen E. E. Sonke, David Point, Felipe Galvan-Magana, Edouard Kraffe, Sae Yun Kwon, Gauthier Schaal
Summary: The management of migratory taxa relies on understanding their movements, including ontogenetic habitat shifts from nurseries to adult habitats. In the Mexican Pacific, research has found that smooth hammerhead sharks rely heavily on coastal habitats for 2 years after birth, supporting the need for management decisions regarding size limits in coastal fisheries.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hongyu Zhang, Da Zhang, Xiliang Zhang
Summary: The national emission trading system (ETS) in China is a crucial policy to achieve carbon neutrality, with a focus on the power sector. This study examines how the ETS can contribute to decarbonizing the power system. By implementing benchmark tightening, China's ETS can effectively peak CO2 emissions from the power sector by 2030 and reduce total emissions by 13% by 2035 compared to a scenario without carbon pricing. Under the ETS, the allowance price is projected to gradually increase to 350 yuan/tCO2 by 2035. Improving coal-fired power generation efficiency and implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS) are the main drivers for emissions reduction, starting from 2020 and 2030, respectively. Fuel-switching away from coal is limited under the ETS due to technology-specific benchmarks and free allocation. Regional distributional effects may occur, with regions having a higher share of ultra-supercritical units experiencing initial allowance surpluses, while only regions with CCS-equipped coal-fired units have the potential for high allowance surpluses by 2035.
RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothy F. M. Rodgers, Amanda Giang, Miriam L. Diamond, Emma Gillies, Amandeep Saini
Summary: Using the Multimedia Urban Model (MUM), we estimate the emissions and fate of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in 19 global mega or major cities, finding that they collectively emitted 81,000 kg/Sigma 10OPEs in 2018. The behavior of these compounds as either mobile or bioaccumulative chemicals depends on the built environment and climate of the city. Urban design choices could reduce chemical releases to the environment without increasing exposure for urban residents.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Timothy F. M. Rodgers, Yanru Wang, Cassandra Humes, Matthew Jeronimo, Cassandra Johannessen, Sylvie Spraakman, Amanda Giang, Rachel C. Scholes
Summary: Road runoff introduces a mixture of chemical contaminants to streams and rivers, posing a risk to aquatic organisms. The chemical 6PPD-quinone, derived from tires, is particularly toxic to salmonid species, which are crucial for fisheries, ecosystems, and Indigenous cultures. This necessitates interventions to reduce the presence of 6PPD-quinone in salmonid habitats.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Sebastian D. Eastham, Erwan Monier, Daniel Rothenberg, Sergey Paltsev, Noelle E. Selin
Summary: This study developed a computationally efficient approach to quantify the effects of combined climate and air quality interventions on air quality outcomes. By fitting individual response surfaces to simulation output for worldwide locations, we found that the sensitivity of air quality to climate change and emission reductions differs by region, highlighting the importance of considering simultaneous air quality interventions in climate policy assessments.
ACS ENVIRONMENTAL AU
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Noelle E. Selin, Amanda Giang, William C. Clark
Summary: This Perspective evaluates recent progress in modeling nature-society systems to inform sustainable development. Recent work has addressed challenges in bringing modeling to sustainable development and has improved understanding and informed action. The potential of these methods to inform sustainability science is often underappreciated. Application of these methods has helped researchers address specific sectors and locations, focus on sustainability-relevant timescales, and consider power differentials among actors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Editorial Material
Engineering, Environmental
Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Khalid K. Osman, Otakuye Conroy-Ben, Amanda Giang
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Energy & Fuels
Valerie J. J. Karplus, Da Zhang
Summary: China's electricity market reforms aim to enhance operational efficiency and support energy reduction and greenhouse gas emission reduction. However, new research suggests that local interests may hinder reforms, limiting their potential gains to only half.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Da Zhang, Qingyi Wang, Shaojie Song, Simiao Chen, Mingwei Li, Lu Shen, Siqi Zheng, Bofeng Cai, Shenhao Wang, Haotian Zheng
Summary: Estimating health benefits of reducing fossil fuel use from improved air quality is important for carbon emissions abatement. This study develops a machine learning framework to directly estimate fine particle concentration from high-resolution fossil energy use data. Applications in China reveal heterogeneous health benefits of reducing fossil fuel use in different sectors and regions, with the highest co-benefits observed in rural and residential coal reduction.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Imranul I. Laskar, Amanda Giang
Summary: Unregulated methane emissions in marine fuel usage can negate climate benefits. Regulatory instruments at the global level, including methane on a CO2-equivalent and lifecycle basis, are expected to perform the best. Market-based approaches and informational governance policies can enhance cost-effectiveness and availability of emissions mitigation information. Policy approaches are crucial for long-term decarbonization planning in shipping.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH: INFRASTRUCTURE AND SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Amanda Giang, Naomi Zimmerman
Summary: This study evaluates the performance of the portable aethalometer MA300, finding it strongly correlated with the reference instrument in terms of BC mass concentrations, but with visible instrumental variability across different units. The MA300 underestimates absorption coefficients and the UV channel measurements are most sensitive to artifacts during wildfire-smoke-affected periods. The use of blue and IR wavelengths for BC source apportionment calculation reduces the percentage difference from the reference monitor.
ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
(2023)