Reducing Toxic Mercury Emissions

Scientists at the University of Oxford are applying their knowledge to inform national and international policy on mercury, which is one of the most dangerous environmental pollutants.

Mercury is an unusual metal – liquid at room temperature, it releases a toxic vapour into the atmosphere which eventually combines with the soil and enters the food chain, causing brain and nervous system defects in developing babies.

A large fraction of mercury emissions occur as a result of natural events like volcanic eruptions and forest fires, and understanding this process was the original scientific interest of Professor David Pyle from the Department of Earth Sciences. Manmade mercury emissions are mainly produced by industrial plants and gold-mining. As mercury can stay in the atmosphere for up to a year before it enters the food chain, toxic mercury is a global problem irrespective of where it is emitted.

Recognising that mercury is a serious environmental and health problem, the Integrating Knowledge to Inform Mercury Policy (IKIMP), led by Professor Pyle, harnesses scientific knowledge to develop ways to safely store and reduce toxic mercury. IKIMP works closely with the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to provide evidence to the European Union and United Nations (UN) on mercury policy.