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KMID : 0365220130500010015
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Korean Journal of Public Health
2013 Volume.50 No. 1 p.15 ~ p.26
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Fate and Transport of Mercury in the Environmental Media and its Exposure to Human
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Kim Mun-Kyung
Joh Kyung-Duk
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Abstract
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Mercury is difficult to be degraded in the environment, and can be emitted to the atmosphere from various natural and anthropogenic sources such as incineration, and transported to other environmental media. Mercury exists as various species, mainly elemental (Hg0) and dissolved (Hg2) mercury depending on its oxidation states in air and water environments. Mercury emitted to the atmosphere can deposit into water environment mainly by wet and dry depositions, but some amounts can be reemitted to the atmosphere. Mercury species in water environment can react with organics in water and sediment by biotic and abiotic reactions, and converted into organic mercury, mainly methylmercury (MeHg). Methylmercury (MeHg) are bioaccumulated into food web in the ecosystem, finally exposed into humans. this review paper summarized the mechanisms of mercury emission, fate and transport, speciation chemistry, the levels of pollution, and exposure routes to humans for better understanding of how humans are exposed to the mercury from the environment.
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KEYWORD
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Mercury, Methylmercury, Speciation, Fate and Transport, Emission, Exposure
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