Global Mercury Assessment 2018 - Draft Technical Background Document

United Nations Environment Programme; Arctic Council

Global Mercury Assessment 2018 - Draft Technical Background Document

dc.contributor.author	United Nations Environment Programme
dc.contributor.author	Arctic Council
dc.contributor.organization	Economy Division
dc.date.accessioned	2017-08-15T04:21:29Z
dc.date.available	2017-08-15T04:21:29Z
dc.date.issued	2017-08
dc.description	This report provides a global assessment of mercury in the atmosphere, aquatic environments and biota, integrating emission inventories, monitoring data and peer-reviewed scientific evidence. It quantifies releases from major anthropogenic sectors, including non-ferrous metal production, mercury production, gold mining, oil refining, coal-fired power generation, coal washing, chlor-alkali production, municipal wastewater, oil and gas extraction, and the use and disposal of mercury-added products. Country-level estimates are developed using sector-specific activity data, technology and waste management profiles, and concentration ranges, then aggregated by sub-continental regions and major drainage basins through geospatial distribution methods based on surrogate parameters such as population density and industrial locations. For sectors lacking detailed information, the report applies structured assumptions to derive harmonised global estimates. Atmospheric chapters describe measurement approaches for gaseous elemental and oxidised mercury, including aircraft observations, calibration procedures, modelling comparisons and advances in passive and active sampling technologies, while noting spatial coverage gaps and methodological constraints. Aquatic assessments detail estimation methods for wastewater releases and industrial discharges, including treatment efficiencies and concentration ranges. The biota chapter synthesises long-term, standardised monitoring studies selected through systematic literature review, focusing on data quality, analytical precision and comparability over time. It outlines preferred tissue types, sampling considerations and exposure patterns across fish, reptiles and birds, with emphasis on organisms relevant for human consumption and species at elevated risk. The report also identifies critical knowledge gaps, methodological limitations and the need for coordinated long-term monitoring and capacity building to improve comparability and global coverage of mercury data.	en
dc.format	Text
dc.identifier.uri	https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/21553
dc.language	English
dc.title	Global Mercury Assessment 2018 - Draft Technical Background Document	en
dc.type	Meeting resource
wd.identifier.collection	Publications and Documents	en