Articles | Volume 23, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3387-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-23-3387-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
20 May 2026
Research article |
| 20 May 2026
| 20 May 2026
Future mercury levels in fish: model vs. observational predictions under different policy scenarios
Henna Gull
Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
Ju Hyeon Lee
Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
Hoin Lee
Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
Hélène Angot
Univ. of Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Grenoble INP, IGE, 38400 Grenoble, France
Sae Yun Kwon
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang 37673, South Korea
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Christine Olson, Kevin Schaefer, Alyssa Azaroff, Hélène Angot, Tom Douglas, Maria Florencia Fahnestock, Charlotte Haugk, Gustaf Hugelius, Erfan Jahangir, Sofi Jonsson, Adam Kirkwood, Jennifer Korosi, Mina Nasr, David Olefeldt, Connor Olson, Laura Sereni, Sarah Shakil, Kyra St. Pierre, Lauren Thompson, and Scott Zolkos
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-640, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-640, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Permafrost regions store large amounts of mercury, a toxic pollutant that can be released as the ground warms. We combined thousands of measurements from soils, plants, water, and lake sediments into one open database to better understand where mercury is stored and how it moves. The results show clear differences among environments and reveal major data gaps, helping improve future research, monitoring, and decision-making.
Yugo Kanaya, Roberto Sommariva, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Andrea Mazzeo, Theodore K. Koenig, Kaori Kawana, James E. Johnson, Aurélie Colomb, Pierre Tulet, Suzie Molloy, Ian E. Galbally, Rainer Volkamer, Anoop Mahajan, John W. Halfacre, Paul B. Shepson, Julia Schmale, Hélène Angot, Byron Blomquist, Matthew D. Shupe, Detlev Helmig, Junsu Gil, Meehye Lee, Sean C. Coburn, Ivan Ortega, Gao Chen, James Lee, Kenneth C. Aikin, David D. Parrish, John S. Holloway, Thomas B. Ryerson, Ilana B. Pollack, Eric J. Williams, Brian M. Lerner, Andrew J. Weinheimer, Teresa Campos, Frank M. Flocke, J. Ryan Spackman, Ilann Bourgeois, Jeff Peischl, Chelsea R. Thompson, Ralf M. Staebler, Amir A. Aliabadi, Wanmin Gong, Roeland Van Malderen, Anne M. Thompson, Ryan M. Stauffer, Debra E. Kollonige, Juan Carlos Gómez Martin, Masatomo Fujiwara, Katie Read, Matthew Rowlinson, Keiichi Sato, Junichi Kurokawa, Yoko Iwamoto, Fumikazu Taketani, Hisahiro Takashima, Mónica Navarro-Comas, Marios Panagi, and Martin G. Schultz
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 4901–4932, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4901-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4901-2025, 2025
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The first comprehensive dataset of tropospheric ozone over oceans/polar regions is presented, including 77 ship/buoy and 48 aircraft campaign observations (1977–2022, 0–5000 m altitude), supplemented by ozonesonde and surface data. Air masses isolated from land for 72+ hours are systematically selected as essentially oceanic. Among the 11 global regions, they show daytime decreases of 11–16 % in the tropics, while near-zero depletions are rare, unlike in the Arctic, implying different mechanisms.
Koketso M. Molepo, Johannes Bieser, Alkuin M. Koenig, Ian M. Hedgecock, Ralf Ebinghaus, Aurélien Dommergue, Olivier Magand, Hélène Angot, Oleg Travnikov, Lynwill Martin, Casper Labuschagne, Katie Read, and Yann Bertrand
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 9645–9668, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9645-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9645-2025, 2025
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Mercury exchange between the ocean and atmosphere is poorly understood due to limited in situ data. Here, using atmospheric mercury observations from ground-based monitoring stations along with air mass trajectories, we found that atmospheric Hg levels increase with air mass ocean exposure time, matching predictions for ocean Hg emissions. This finding indicates that ocean emissions directly influence atmospheric Hg levels and enables us to estimate these emissions on a global scale.
Ashu Dastoor, Hélène Angot, Johannes Bieser, Flora Brocza, Brock Edwards, Aryeh Feinberg, Xinbin Feng, Benjamin Geyman, Charikleia Gournia, Yipeng He, Ian M. Hedgecock, Ilia Ilyin, Jane Kirk, Che-Jen Lin, Igor Lehnherr, Robert Mason, David McLagan, Marilena Muntean, Peter Rafaj, Eric M. Roy, Andrei Ryjkov, Noelle E. Selin, Francesco De Simone, Anne L. Soerensen, Frits Steenhuisen, Oleg Travnikov, Shuxiao Wang, Xun Wang, Simon Wilson, Rosa Wu, Qingru Wu, Yanxu Zhang, Jun Zhou, Wei Zhu, and Scott Zolkos
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 2747–2860, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-2747-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-2747-2025, 2025
Short summary
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This paper introduces the Multi-Compartment Mercury (Hg) Modeling and Analysis Project (MCHgMAP) aimed at informing the effectiveness evaluations of two multilateral environmental agreements: the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution. The experimental design exploits a variety of models (atmospheric, land, oceanic ,and multimedia mass balance models) to assess the short- and long-term influences of anthropogenic Hg releases into the environment.
Benjamin Heutte, Nora Bergner, Hélène Angot, Jakob B. Pernov, Lubna Dada, Jessica A. Mirrielees, Ivo Beck, Andrea Baccarini, Matthew Boyer, Jessie M. Creamean, Kaspar R. Daellenbach, Imad El Haddad, Markus M. Frey, Silvia Henning, Tiia Laurila, Vaios Moschos, Tuukka Petäjä, Kerri A. Pratt, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Matthew D. Shupe, Paul Zieger, Tuija Jokinen, and Julia Schmale
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 2207–2241, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2207-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-2207-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Limited aerosol measurements in the central Arctic hinder our understanding of aerosol–climate interactions in the region. Our year-long observations of aerosol physicochemical properties during the MOSAiC expedition reveal strong seasonal variations in aerosol chemical composition, where the short-term variability is heavily affected by storms in the Arctic. Local wind-generated particles are shown to be an important source of cloud seeds, especially in autumn.
Matthew Boyer, Diego Aliaga, Lauriane L. J. Quéléver, Silvia Bucci, Hélène Angot, Lubna Dada, Benjamin Heutte, Lisa Beck, Marina Duetsch, Andreas Stohl, Ivo Beck, Tiia Laurila, Nina Sarnela, Roseline C. Thakur, Branka Miljevic, Markku Kulmala, Tuukka Petäjä, Mikko Sipilä, Julia Schmale, and Tuija Jokinen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12595–12621, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12595-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12595-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We analyze the seasonal cycle and sources of gases that are relevant for the formation of aerosol particles in the central Arctic. Since theses gases can form new particles, they can influence Arctic climate. We show that the sources of these gases are associated with changes in the Arctic environment during the year, especially with respect to sea ice. Therefore, the concentration of these gases will likely change in the future as the Arctic continues to warm.
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Short summary
Mercury is a global concern that builds up in fish. To understand how future pollution cuts may reduce these levels, we compared published modeling studies. While models predict mercury will decline as pollution decreases, they often overlook mercury already stored in the environment. As a result, recovery may be slower than expected. This work highlights gaps in current tools and supports efforts to improve global pollution control policies.
Mercury is a global concern that builds up in fish. To understand how future pollution cuts may...
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