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| A06: | Pathways of Mercury Transport and Exposure at Multiple Scales |
| Sponsor: |
Atmospheric Sciences
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| CoSponsor: |
Biogeosciences Ocean Sciences Public Affairs |
| Convener: |
Noelle E Selin Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Global Change Science 77 Massachusetts Avenue (E19-411h) Cambridge, MA, USA 617 324-2592 selin@mit.edu Elsie M Sunderland Harvard University Pierce Hall 29 Oxford Street Cambridge, MA, USA 617-496-5098 ems@seas.harvard.edu |
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0365 0330 0315 0461 4805 .
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| Description: | Humans have dramatically altered the biogeochemical cycle of mercury (Hg) since industrialization, and accumulation of methylmercury in fish is associated with a variety of harmful health effects in highly exposed populations. Despite increasing policy interest in regulating mercury emissions, including a proposed global treaty, the pathway from atmospheric emissions to human exposure is not well-understood. Recent advances in atmospheric and oceanic measurements and modeling provide important new constraints on mercury biogeochemistry. This session will examine scientific developments aimed at reducing uncertainty in the mercury exposure pathway from atmospheric emissions to human health impacts, in order to inform present and future policies. Abstracts are solicited on topics including: natural and anthropogenic emissions constraints; atmospheric transport and redox processes; ocean-atmosphere and land-atmosphere cycling; methylation processes; and exposure analysis. Of particular interest are papers that connect research to policy decision-making and that explore connections across physical scales, from local to global. |