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Global and Local Impacts of Delayed Mercury Mitigation Efforts

Author(s)
Angot, Helene Paule; Hoffman, Nick(Nicholas D.); Giang, Amanda Chi Wen; Thackray, Colin P.; Hendricks, Ashley N.; Urban, Noel R.; Selin, Noelle E; ... Show more Show less
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Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is emitted to air by natural and anthropogenic sources, transports and deposits globally, and bioaccumulates to toxic levels in food webs. It is addressed under the global 2017 Minamata Convention, for which periodic effectiveness evaluation is required. Previous analyses have estimated the impact of different regulatory strategies for future mercury deposition. However, analyses using atmospheric models traditionally hold legacy emissions (recycling of previously deposited Hg) constant, and do not account for their possible future growth. Here, using an integrated modeling approach, we investigate how delays in implementing emissions reductions and the associated growing legacy reservoir affect deposition fluxes to ecosystems in different global regions. Assuming nearly constant yearly emissions relative to 2010, each 5-year delay in peak emissions defers by additional extra ca. 4 years the return to year 2010 global deposition. On a global average, each 5-year delay leads to a 14% decrease in policy impacts on local-scale Hg deposition. We also investigate the response of fish contamination in remote lakes to delayed action. We quantify the consequences of delay for limiting the Hg burden of future generations and show that traditional analyses of policy impacts provide best-case estimates.
Date issued
2018-10
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/126150
Department
MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Citation
Angot, Hélène et al. "Global and Local Impacts of Delayed Mercury Mitigation Efforts." Environmental Science & Technology 52, 22 (October 2018): 12968–12977 © 2018 American Chemical Society
Version: Author's final manuscript
ISSN
0013-936X
1520-5851

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